Sweden to USA: Re-entry

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OVERNIGHT IN NEW YORK

Check-in area at TWA Hotel

Returning from Sweden, we did not come directly back to Maine.  Given the timing and logistics, we opted to stay overnight at New York’s JFK Airport before flying to Portland.  The old Trans World Airlines (TWA) terminal, built and opened in 1962, was and is an iconic building designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen.  With curves and wing-like arms, the walls soar with a sense of motion and flight.  Today, this striking futuristic building is the TWA Hotel.  

Staying here is a trip back to 1962.  If you came of age in the 1960’s as the Chief Penguin and I did, you know the words to the continuous rock ‘n roll playlist (Beatles, “Johnny Angel” by Shelley Fabares, and “Let’s Twist Again,” e.g.).  You probably recall playing Twister (there’s a Twister alcove), and maybe you went to a beauty parlor (they weren’t called hair salons) like this mockup, all in pink with helmet-like hair dryers.

Billionaire businessman and aviator, Howard Hughes acquired control of TWA in the late 1930’s and expanded its routes and operation.  He and his partner, fellow aviator Jack Frye, were the first to fly the Constellation, a beautiful new Lockheed plane, from DC to California.  When jet engines replaced propellers, the Constellation, or “Connie” as it was dubbed, was immediately obsolete.  

This building functioned as an air terminal until 2001.  As it was transformed into a hotel, the original terminal and two adjacent buildings were joined together.  Partially encircling the original building is a replacement terminal for JetBlue which opened in 2008.  The hotel opened to the public in 2019, and it and the new terminal are together known as Terminal 5.

Sunken lounge with mechanical flight display board

Staying at the TWA hotel is a unique experience.  The spaces are cavernous and grand while the swoops and curves of the walls and ceilings inspire gasps or even awe. Tubes that took passengers to their aircraft are now passageways that eventually connect to guest rooms.  Rooms are minimalist, but quiet, with rotary phones.

Passageway from lobby to rooms

The Constellation, that marvelous plane, was acquired in 2018 and after being refurbished in Maine, made the long journey by road back to the terminal.  It now sits on the hotel property and is considered by some to be one of the world’s best cocktail bars.  It’s certainly one-of-a-kind!

Disembarking “Connie”
Wine at a fancy seat!

We couldn’t resist the lure of the Connie.  Like others, we boarded just after 4:00 pm, had plastic cups of wine and a snack package of pretzels, and soaked up the atmosphere on a red banquette.  I also tried out the cushy, but worn, seats.  

Sample TWA poster

Dinner in the Paris Café, part of Jean George’s empire, was meatballs and a Caesar salad, and better than we expected.  You can also eat in a food hall, spend money on TWA memorabilia, and read the history of this terminal and that plane on the walls. We enjoyed this taste of history and absorbed all we could in our one-night stay. The Chief Penguin and I both have memories of flying out of this TWA terminal.

VACATION READING

Here are my thoughts on a novel I read while on our Sweden trip. This is a contemporary one by Frances Mayes.  

A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes

I have a soft spot for Frances Mayes.  I loved Under the Tuscan Sun and have read many of her subsequent works, both nonfiction and novels.  At Lehigh University, the Chief Penguin and I had the pleasure of hosting her at a small dinner.  More recently in 2022, we soaked up the atmosphere and the architecture in Cortona, Mayes’ Tuscan hilltop town.  

Despite all this, I think Mayes is a better writer of nonfiction than fiction.  But I did enjoy her new novel, A Great Marriage.  It’s set mostly in in the Research Triangle Area, but also in California and London.  The North Carolina towns have new names, but the setting is one I know, and one my NC friends will recognize.  

Days before her upcoming wedding, Dara breaks her engagement to Austin when he gives her some shocking news.  Dara has always admired her parents’ wonderful marriage and knows that her grandmother had a very successful long marriage to her senator husband.  The book focuses on how she and Austin separately manage their lives after their break-up with an underlying message about what one needs to create an enduring relationship.

The situation is an intriguing and complex one, but I found the characters a bit like board pieces being moved without enough explanation.  What Mayes excels at are descriptions of scenery and streets, colors and smells.  A Great Marriage is diverting and good end-of-summer reading. (~JWFarrington)

Note: All photos except one ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.). Header photo is of lobby area at TWA Hotel.

Sweden: Stockholm & More

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AFTERNOON STROLL

Boats moored on Strandvagen

On our last afternoon in Stockholm, we strolled wide Strandvagen along the waterfront. This boulevard has trees in the middle and beyond them, views of elegant houses with fanciful turrets.

On the water side, large and small boats are moored, some for sale; floating restaurants entice diners during the short summer season, while sightseeing vessels and fancy charter boats for hire beckon one to take a cruise.

Waterside restaurant
More boats with the dome of a museum in background

Along this popular sidewalk on the other side is a series of pocket parks with benches and hammocks, an ice cream hut, and a French hot dog stand (what makes a hot dog French?)

Enjoying Sunday in the park
Even hammocks for a cuddle or a snooze

Interspersed are some lovely glassed-in cafes, seats facing toward the water, of course. On this pleasant Sunday, the boulevard was a lively scene of couples, families, and lots of strollers with little kids.

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We walked to the end where the walk turns right, noting an old blue streetcar mid bikes, cars, scooters, and modern trams, and then crossed one of Stockholm’s many bridges to Djurgarden. This island is home to a sizable park and two museums, the Nordisk Museum and the Vasa Museum. The Vasa or “Wreck” Museum, which the Chief Penguin visited earlier, houses an intact 17th century warship that sank on her first voyage in 1628 and was later salvaged. We wandered a bit and then recrossed the bridge and headed back.


MARCHING FOR PALESTINE

Fervent demonstrators


Back on familiar turf, we decided to re-visit the King’s Garden Park. Not far along the way, we heard the sounds of chanting, yelling, and drumming. It was a large group of people of many ages marching in favor of Palestine. They waved flags, carried small signs, and led off with a banner, “The Struggle Continues to Free Palestine.”


LAST DINNER

Nybrogatan 38

Many restaurants are closed on Sundays, so finding a dinner venue took some online searching. Happily, we chose Nybrogatan 38, a little place a short distance from our hotel, but in the opposite direction from the water. Cozy with booths and wooden tables, it was serving families as well as couples. Between us, we ordered the salt-cured salmon with potatoes in cream sauce and a Caesar salad that had seared pieces of chicken thigh meat atop it. These items were billed as smaller dishes but were still sizable.

Salmon & potatoes with dill

I had contemplated the snails with garlic, so was sorely tempted when a dish of snails
in pretty shells arrived for the man at the next table. I shared my thoughts with him, and we had a pleasant conversation with him and his wife about how much they like this restaurant. We wished we had discovered it sooner and vowed to return if we’re back in Stockholm!

GRACIOUS SENDOFF

The friendly receptionist at Villa Dagmar went beyond when she provided us a fika at 6:30 am the next morning before we left for the airport. Strictly, fika means “coffee break” and often with something sweet. Ours was coffee for the CP and two lovely little pastries to tide us over. She then ushered us out to our waiting taxi and promptly gave me a goodbye hug! We were a bit sad to leave.

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Sweden: Sculpture Park

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MILLESGARDEN MUSEUM

Sculpture terrace—MillesGarden

On the recommendation of our friends Mary and Joe, we visited the sculpture garden and house of Swedish sculptor, Carl Milles.  We took a cab from our hotel to a suburban residential area where the entrance to MilllesGarden is boldly signed on a quiet street.

Milles lived from 1875 to 1955, was in Paris for a few years early in his career, and then he and his wife Olga returned to his native Sweden on the outskirts of Stockholm.  Olga was also an artist, a painter, and Milles’ sister Ruth Milles too.

The grounds of the Milles property, built on several levels, include an expansive sculpture terrace facing the water, several pools, a couple of upper terraces, and their house. Many sculptures are mounted on tall pedestals.

Poseidon
Orfeus, (detail), 1936

Carl Milles collected antiquities and these pieces, along with plaster casts of some works, and art by both women, Olga and Ruth, are on display in the house.

Hylas cast, 1898-99
The Listening Woman, 1952

Milles favored classical and mythical figures from Europa to Orpheus in his work with the occasional fish or bison or other animal. It is an amazing collection (roughly 100 pieces) and was a treat to experience.

I liked several paintings by Olga Milles, one of a woman at the piano, and the other of some vibrant red poppies.

Lintschi Granner by the Piano, 1900

There is also a café, which we didn’t patronize, and a small shop where I purchased some note cards. There I got asked to do a visitor survey.  Using a QR code, I logged into the survey site on my phone.  Even after choosing English, it was not the easiest survey to navigate. I would have gladly provided some constructive suggestions, but was happy enough to just get through it! 

The desk staff called us a cab, and while we wondered for a bit if we’d be rescued, we were.  The taxi driver ferried us back and knew the streets well enough to turn away from a set of horses and riders slowly clopping their way down the road and backing up traffic.

OUTDOOR LUNCH

Bistro du Passage

This was Sunday, and many restaurants were closed, including almost all of them in Saluhall.  We spied outside tables at what we thought was Paula’s, but turned out to be Bistro du Passage according to the menu.  It was breezy and cool outside and I wanted to eat in, but the Chief Penguin insisted on an outdoor table. From our sidewalk seats, we watched family groups and individuals stroll by while we awaited our orders. 

Pappardelle with chèvre

This lunch was excellent.  I had pappardelle with chèvre which was lovely pasta with a goat cheese sauce and some little spears of asparagus, topped with thin slices of summer truffle, super yum!  The Chief Penguin had their chicken salad: greens, bell peppers, and sliced artichokes, all under a small chicken leg and thigh —some of the most flavorful chicken he’s had.  And I survived the gusty weather!

Note: All photos including header photo of sculpture terrace ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Sweden: Stockholm on Foot

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CAPITAL CITY

View toward the Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Stockholm is Sweden’s capital and largest city and is made up of numerous islands.  The city with a population of around one million is located at the juncture between a lake and an arm of the Baltic Sea.  Here, you are never far from water, and bridges and overpasses link some of the islands, making much of the city walkable.  Stockholm was founded in 1252 and officially recognized as the capital in 1436.  This was before Stockholm was fully liberated from the Danes in 1523. Today, Stockholm is a thriving center of commerce, industry, and culture, including the royal opera, philharmonic orchestra, and royal theater.

CITY PARKS

Berzelius Park

Berzelius with pigeon

As we wandered around exploring, we enjoyed several green spaces.  Berzelius Park is small with a statue of Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848), one of the fathers of modern chemistry, in the center.  Orange and yellow zinnias surround the statue while an outer ring of benches provides seating for contemplation.    

Enjoying the park

Kungstradgarden

Namaste Indian Festival booth

Kungstradgarden or King’s Garden is a large park in central Sweden.  Called by the locals, Kungsan, it is the site of friendly gatherings and festivals.  We admired the fountains, observed the locals, and wandered through the Indian cultural festival, Namaste Stkhlm.

Yoga in the park
Contemplating next move?

We were there as the festival was being set up and then again in the afternoon when it was a bustling scene of live music, colorful booths, and the tempting smells of Indian food.  We also watched a yoga class and noted a chess game in progress.

GAMLA STAN

Royal Place
Guard at his palace post
Nobel Prize Museum

Gamla Stan or Old Town was the original nucleus of the city of Stockholm.  It’s made up of three islands connected by bridges and overpasses.  Here one finds the Royal Palace, the Parliament building, and the German church among others. Also a museum devoted to the Nobel Prize. The Chief Penguin and I were fortunate to host a dinner in San Francisco for Nobel Prize winners from California several years ago; the head of this museum was in attendance.

Swedish Parliament

 Many of the buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are impressive and large with colorful facades.

Lively square, Gamla Stan
Love these buildings!
In front of oldest bank building

 We walked up and down and around in this section taking lots of photos and then stopping for lunch at one of the many sidewalk cafes.  The Chief Penguin sampled the schnitzel with a local lager, while I ordered a Caesar salad with marinated chicken, a dish that seems to be on menus around the world.  This rendition had some bits of bacon and a few cherry tomatoes along with the requisite Parmesan and romaine lettuce.

Note: Header photo is of Storkyrkan, oldest church in Stockholm. All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)