J and J arrive in Stockholm

J and J ARRIVE IN STOCKHOLM. 

 Those of you I have messaged somewhere along the way will already know that I really like Stockholm and the Swedish people.

On the fast train in from the airport (20 minutes top speed just over 200km per hour) I noticed how much woodland remains here. There is natural woodland right up to the side of the freeways. The trees looked magnificent in their late autumn colours, and set in the grey autumn misty light they looked perfect. Every now and again, a traditional red and white, or some other coloured A frame traditional Swedish house would appear to add to the magic. It really did look like a location for one of those old a Swedish movies or plays that were so popular some years ago.

On entering our hotel room, and looking out the window, the magic continued. Unlike the whirls, swirls, curls, and flourishes we have seen in the baroque and rococo architecture of Spain, Italy, and France, everything in Stockholm seemed to be set out in straight lines on blocks. Lots of coloured rectangular buildings, and straight lines. But it was the colour and light that struck me most. 

As you look at  the photos below, perhaps you might agree with me, that all the colours are a soft pastel (I think that's the word) and the light gives the view of a wash painting, where the colours are so pale, that they are almost washed out. The dark coloured icy cold water adds to the muted tone. As I looked I was sure that as a kid I had a jig saw puzzle of this scene, or I had seen one somewhere.

So  ..... having arrived in Stockholm what is the first thing you do? Check out viking history? Search out Ingmar Bargeman's memorial plaque perhaps? ...   Wrong  .... You go to the Abba Museum!! It was a lot of fun. For some reason my camera was out of action, so Julie has all the photos. Some of you will know, Julie and I did a karaoke version of Mamma Mia, with Abba helping out now and again. It was fabulous, if you use the word in it's strictest sense meaning something that is beyond credibility! We agreed that unlike the Rolling Stones song, we WOULD  let it "fade away ".

The trip back, like the trip over, was on the ferry. Because Stockholm is a city made up of islands, there are ferries all over the place. A guide told us there is a high level of pleasure boat ownership in the city. Also as it had been all day, it was raining. For me, that was O.K, because having become addicted to Scandanavian crime television such as "The Killing"(see photo below), Stockholm was supposed to be cold, dark, and raining/snowing.

Soon after it was dark. Until you get used to it, it is hard to factor in, that a place will be dark by 3:30 - 4:00 in the afternoon when you are planning a day out. However, this was no problem as we were soon comfortably settled in the Hilton Executive Suite for the evening.