Runaway (Stockholm, Sweden, part 2)

Our host had put together an online guidebook covering the sights to see as well as the basics like cafés, bars and restaurants. Today we tried Fabrique for breakfast. It is a chain but had good reviews from others online, one a Frenchman, so we thought why not? It didn't live up to the standards of yesterday's café, but for a chain it was very good. Although not good enough to see us return tomorrow.

Lots of narrow laneways.

There is probably enough to see in the old town for the time we are here. Again, because we are out of peak season, dear reader, many attractions have limited hours or have reduced offers of tours. Stockholm in summer looks like a real possibility in 2025. Having decided to stay local on Gamla Stan, following breakfast, we strolled to the palace.

The place where the nobility hang out.

The Arrival

Signposting has, at varying stages proved to be somewhat of a challenge. Finding the entry to the palace was another one. Jayne had decided the entrance was where a guard had been strategically placed. Close, but no. We were directed up a set of stairs. There were a small sign at the bottom of the stairs or at the top where they finished. There was only one option to move forward and as we rounded the corner of the building, we were met by a rope prohibiting further progress and a soldier with a rifle to reinforce the point.

Nothing seems to explain this place.

It was too early for the changing of the guard. Yet the soldiers had all marched out of their barracks and were standing in formation. We watched and waited. Around the corner came two horse drawn carriages. Excitement. Is it the king? From the second carriage, an imperious white glove waved to Jayne and only to Jayne. Well, that's her story.

Jayne's friend waving to her. Look closely.

A set of doors opened in the wall of the palace and the carriages disappeared. The soldiers then completed their routine and marched back to the barracks. Well, marched is not quite correct. It started as a march and finished as a high stepping jog. Most amusing. More on that later.

Run away. Run away.

The Palace or Kungliga Slottet

The excitement over, the ropes were dropped and we joined the queue for entry into the palace. It being out of season, there were no guided tours during the week. The number of rooms available for access was also limited but there was enough to keep us occupied for about four hours.

I said, "it's over there".

There were three areas open to the public: a series of rooms in the palace itself, the treasury which was in a downstairs section and an area called Three Crowns Museum, also below ground level.

The palace apartments are divided into the the guest accommodation and the royal family rooms and offices. There are some state rooms with regalia and award displays, as well as the ubiquitous gift shop, in between the two sections, connected by ornate marble staircases. 

You could just lie on the floor.

We started off at our own pace with the audio guide but very quickly were assailed by a rather large school excursion of teenagers who were being afforded a tour by a very verbose guide. She took forever to extoll the features and anecdotes of several of the spaces, while we waited to for them move on so we could read and listen to the information provided in English. To try to go ahead was pointless because the tour was not stopping in every room and we would be leap frogged again. 

It's silver but you'd need a blanket.

Eventually we overtook them in the state room and headed straight into the long hall that has been modelled on the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. We could definitely see the inspiration at work in the Karl XI Gallery, but like the Schönbrunn Palace in Austria which is also supposed to have been built to rival Louis XIV's masterpiece, this was no competition for the real thing (although the mirrors were of a better standard).

Another Versailles copy.

After a patient wait, the bored teenagers disappeared although their teachers remained behind to chat to the verbose guide while their charges wandered off unsupervised. Hope they didn't graffiti some priceless royal artefacts. Eventually the hall was vacant and we could admire the space and take photographs unhindered before heading down to the palace forecourt for the scheduled changing of the guards at 12:15pm.

A chandelier from beneath. Almost got it.

A small crowd had gathered in the roped off areas and we selected our vantage point near another young soldier who was tasked with crowd control to keep the pathways clear.  After a P.A. welcome, the trumpeter and drummer appeared and right on time, the regiment came forth with much marching in formation to eventually make the required change of guard.  Having watched the previous military ritual that accompanied the arrival of the coaches (disappointingly bearing an ambassador not the king, we had been told), we were ready for what we considered the slightly undignified exit that is part of the ceremony.

Today's title is courtesy to the undignified running away of the Swedish guard. Runaway by The Corrs.

Three Crowns

Once this was all captured on camera, we headed back inside the palace to go down into the Three Crowns Museum. Interestingly the Three Crown Museum did not contain three crowns. Or even one in fact. It provided a potted history of the castle, its birth, death in 1697 after a major fire and resurrection into its present form. The three crowns refer to the Swedish coat of arms which bears three crowns.

Much of the original palace was built of wood with peat rooves. A bonfire waiting to happen. To combat this, the use of peat was banned at one point and stone was supposed to be used in construction of the buildings. But kings, being ultimate, all powerful rulers, could change their minds. And one did, authorising the last pre-fire extensions to be completed in wood. Hindsight is wonderful but not helpful.

The other fire prevention strategy was hope. No, just kidding, it was the appointment of a fire watcher. Just like the education system in Australia, it is a position created to allow the blame to be shifted away from those who are really responsible. And shift it did. Following the fire, the chief fire watcher and a number of his assistants were sentenced to running the gauntlet.

This consisted of running between two rows of soldiers who were armed with sticks or weapons to beat you as you ran, walked, staggered past. The chief fire watcher was sentenced to 7 runs which is actually 14 because you need to return to the point of commencement. It doesn't record how many soldiers are involved but the diorama suggested at least 50 on each side. Anders Andersen, the fire watcher, did not survive. To be fair though he had deserted his post and gone to get some dinner. I hope he enjoyed it.

The Treasury

The treasury was around the otherside of the palace; a walk that took us back onto the streets of Gamla Stan. It is here that the crowns are kept. As well as other items of royal importance, historical significance and value, (orbs, sceptres, swords etc). This by general standards is a very small display and we negotiated it in less than 15 minutes.

It was then time to return to our apartment for a rest, followed by walking the tourist loop of Gamla Stan to ensure that in our random meanderings, we had not missed any sights of note. We hadn't.

Bistrot Marie

Then it was time to go to dinner at one of our host's recommended restaurants, Bistrot Marie. Jayne was excited. She'd read the reviews and apparently their version of Swedish meatballs was to die for. Maybe that is what the chief fire watcher ate that fateful night.

Another Great Tit.

Nothing is far away in the old town and the restaurant was about a 5 minute walk. We were comfortably seated when Jayne discovered there were no Swedish meatballs on the menu. Horror! The waitress assured us that the Wallenbergare was similar. We ordered that and a freshly baked baguette.

The discussion around wine was something else. Issues with delivery meant the wine menu was inaccurate. We discussed having a white and our lovely hostess insisted we try the wine before making a decision. We tried two whites for two rejections and settled on an Italian Barbaresco which complemented the giant veal meatball beautifully.

If you have to say it, it's not true.

Day 4

On our wanderings yesterday we discovered another place for breakfast, Panem and that is where we headed this morning. As we arrived four women (insert country of prejudice) walked in front of us. There was one person working behind the counter. They discussed what to have. They ordered. They changed their order. They looked at other options. Changed their order and changed it back it again. Asked to pay all together and then when the bill was presented asked if they could pay separately. Then decided they wanted the bill split evenly into four, which the computerised/itemised register would not allow. Totally unconcerned about the queue growing behind them.

Pippi is everywhere

It was, however, worth the wait. Great pastries and excellent coffee. Warmed and sustained, we headed for Slussen on the other side of the island and the ferry to Djurgården to visit the Vasa Museum. A 15 minute trip that cost me 14 cents.

Vasa Museum

The area around the Vasa Museum houses a number of other museums. One has its focus on ship wrecks, another on Vikings, a third the Swedish drinking culture, and, of course the ABBA museum. A pity we didn't have time to check out the last one. Next time.

Our ferry.

The Vasa is a warship from 1628 that was commissioned by King Gustav II Adolf. Its claim to fame, aside from being inside a museum and not on the water, is that it sank on it's maiden voyage. I'm not even sure we can use the term voyage. How far does one need to travel for the it to be a voyage? The Vasa sailed 100 metres and then descended to Davey Jones' locker.

Towards the bow.

After several attempts at salvage, it was finally refloated in the 1960s and now lives happily in the museum. The museum itself is a bit of a one trick pony but they milk it for all its worth. There are documentary style movies, static displays, an audio guide and explanations attached to the various artefacts. 

A Lego version of the Vasa.

The star of the show is the Vasa itself. It is an amazing piece of work, even if it didn't sail that well. Without going into great detail, the King approved a ship of gigantic proportions with two gun decks that physics decreed would capsize in the slightest swell because it was not broad or deep enough. I'm not a boat builder but it was pretty obvious. How the master boat builder earned his title is beyond me. It was well built. It was just never going to sail.

In the resulting inquest into the disaster, in which 30-50 people drowned, it was verified that the ship had been built to specifications approved by the King. Surprisingly, unlike the Palace fire, no one was found to be at fault...

Nicely decorated the aft of the ship.

Another four hours burnt in a museum. We love them and given the uncertainty around the weather it is a great way to spend the day. And there are so many more to explore next time.

Not on the agenda for our return to Stockholm is the amusement park Grüna Lund. I almost wet my pants looking at the roller coasters over the fence. And they weren't even operating.

Just why?

We decided pre-dinner drinks would be in order and retired to the Corner Bar. It is on a corner and is tiny. The drinks from behind the bar also service the sushi restaurant in the arcade. They had a couple of Australian wines on the menu, we opted for a French rosé and some people watching.

Tomorrow we travel from Stockholm to Gothenburg with Sj trains. What could possibly go wrong?

Until next time.