Land of Gustavs

It wasn't easy leaving behind Iceland relatively unexplored. Four days is nowhere near enough time to embrace and understand a culture, but it's something I'm going to have to accept with eight countries left to go. Outside the window, with that strange island fading below the clouds, the land of my ancestors became the next adventure. Sweden, the self-proclaimed capital of Scandinavia, was already a radical transformation from Iceland. The countryside is riddled with dense forests and pastures and by sprawling farmlands that are as flat as patches of Illinois. Rivers crisscross the rich landscape coloring the soil extravagant shades of green. It had been a few days, but we could finally see the sky!

When the plane hit the runway it brought us some 40 kilometers north of Stockholm so we arrived without a glimpse of Sweden's largest city. A high-speed train led us to the main central station and the gates swung open to what was in an instant an extraordinarily vibrant metropolis. Not a dirty, overcrowded metropolis, but graceful and modern with a passion for cobblestone alleys and classical architecture. It weaves history with technology seamlessly. Cathedrals loom adjacent to office buildings. Museums, pubs, coffee shops, and art galleries sit corner to corner. This capital of around two million must be one of the most underappreciated gems of Europe.

Bill, Nick and I have traversed the E-4 and the E-20 both north and west across Sweden the past few days, but for now I have to dedicate this entry solely to Stockholm. Grazing over this irresistible city would be an injustice to you and me! Perhaps the most breathtaking segment of Stockholm is Gamla Stan, translated to Old Town. Dating back to the 13th century, Gamla Stan is like walking into a fantasy. The Royal Palace of the King greets you from the northernmost bridge and to the south you have the port of the Saltsjön River. Between those borders, you are flanked on all sides by shops, ice cream parlors, and restauants featuring every delicacy. You can cut away from one cobblestone road, slide through an alley less than a meter wide, and find yourself in an ivy covered pub with a glass of wine and some chicken wings. Not a day passed where we didn't find ourselves in the center this part of town.

On Wednesday, we hiked our way east through town to visit the areas of Östermalm and Ladugårdsgärdet. At this point, we accepted the beauty of this city as inescapable. We walked along the river passing gothic cathedrals and luxurious hotels. Yahts and cruise ships adorned the harbor and fashionable Stockholmers laced the streets. We joked that every Swede who passed by belonged in an ad for some nondescript cologne or perfume. Me in my Saluki hoodie may have had me pegged as homeless. We took in three museums that day: the Swedish National Museum, the Vasa Museum, and the Museum of Science and Technology. At the National Museum, we successfully used our American cunningness to get in via the student discount. The exhibits were pretty impressive. Brilliant artists like Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, Francisco Goya, and Paul Cézanne all had some of their work present. The sculpture "Laocoön," which depicts the Trojan citizen Laocoön and his two sons being devoured by serpents after angering the goddess Athena, was another unexpected treat. The hall itself was gorgeous: huge archways, marple steps, and white pillars. Stockholm really can't help but be a show off. Seriously, even the interior of museums? Afterwards, we paid a visit to the Vasa Museum. Finally an ugly building! The museum touts the remains of a 17th century ship, "Vasa," the largest in the world for its time. It was colossal. Measuring at 226 feet long, the ship inspires, but it also conjures mixed feelings. Vasa was conceived by King Gustaf II in 1628 to be a devastating asset for the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea. For endeavor that lasted the better part of two years, the artistry was impeccable. Carvings glorify the lineage of the Vasa family and homage Greek myths and legends. However, the engineering was not so good. Vasa only sailed one nautical mile before it barreled over and drowned thirty members of the crew. Oops. Nonetheless, the museum did a good job covering the history of Vasa's construction and the efforts to drag it out from the depths. A local snarked that we were wasting money on a museum that glorified bad engineering, but for 100 krona I didn't mind being the unoriginal tourist.

The last leg of our hike to eastern Stockholm had some interesting elements. We stopped for lunch at a local food stand on our way out of the Vasa Museum. I sat down with a savory bratwurst when Bill thought it would be a good idea to feed a french fry to a bird lurking at our feet. Next thing we know, the three of us were starring in a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. An army of gulls came swarming in trying to tear either us or the little bird to shreds. Ducking and swatting, we grabbed our food and ran for cover. This is how we lay low in Sweden. Unscathed from the violent scene, we popped in and out of the Museum of Science and Technology down the road. The museum was empty and honestly kind of dull so I can't say I'd rate it as a must see here. On the way back we bumped into a film set shooting a scene from a famous Swedish book series. Crime writer Henning Mankell is renown for his "Wallander" books that follow a detective who investigates gruesome murders. I bought the first one a few months ago and brought it on the trip so it was an unusual but neat coincidence.

I'm going to post this novella before it gets too out of control. Tomorrow I'll write about our day trips to Uppsala, Gävle, Örebro, and the hometown of my ancestors!