Not a castle near the central train station. Actually, it is the old city hall. Stockholm is a lot like Springfield, three city workers are leaning on shovels while one city worker is digging a hole.
Walking tour of Stockholm
This is Mark, our tour guide Ben and Sara.
Ben was the best tour guide . He spoke in a loud clear voice that you could hear and understand and he made an effort to make the tour educational and entertaining.
Outdoor market where they sell flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Building where they award five of the six Nobel prizes. The Nobel peace prize is awarded in Oslo.
This is the bank building where the term Stockholm Syndrome originated. A bank robber took hostages who grew very fond of the bank robber and testified on his behalf at his subsequent trial. He was convicted and served a seven year jail sentence. He subsequently got married and two of the hostages were guests of honor at his wedding.
The world headquarters for H & M.
Lunch
We are in Sweden so of course we had to have Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and lingonberries for lunch.
The Royal Palace
This is the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace. This is a 600 room palace. You would think they would need more than sixteen guards. They are much more efficient at the Palace than at City Hall. No feather bedding at the Palace.
Entrance to the Royal Palace.
Sara and I took a guided tour of the royal apartments. Not like any apartment I’ve ever lived in. The king and queen don’t even live here. They have eight castles spread out all over Sweden. They live in a castle outside Stockholm with a park and playground for the kiddies.
We then toured the royal armory and the royal treasury where they keep the Crown Jewels.
Sweden has had some noteworthy kings and queens.
King Gustav II or King Gustavus Aldolphus ruled Sweden in the early 1600s. He laid the foundations for the modern Swedish state and made Sweden a major European power. King Gustav II led the Protestant forces against the despised Catholics in the Thirty Years War. He died on the field of battle in 1632 and his daughter, Christina, became queen of Sweden. Christina was a little bit of an odd duck. She never married and many people thought she was actually a man. After being queen and head of the Protestant Church in Sweden for 22 years, she grew tired of the cold Swedish winters and the severe nature of the Protestant Church. She abdicated the throne, converted to Catholicism and decamped to Rome where she enjoyed the mild Roman winters and the drinking and gambling that goes on any time a group of Catholics get together to celebrate anything.
I imagine that her father is still spinning in his grave.
Stockholm Cathedral
Altar at the Stockholm Cathedral. It is made of ebony and silver.
Dinner
We took a bus to a neighborhood near the Karolinska Institute to eat at a tapas restaurant. It was closed. Apparently the owner went to Barcelona for some sort of surprise. We couldn’t get a table at a tapas place a couple of blocks away. We finally found a tiny pizza place with a wood fired oven that made great pizzas.
That’s all for today.
Goodnight from Stockholm.
AbeAndMarkontheCamino 