CAPITAL CITY
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
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.
Kungstradgarden
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.
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
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.
Many of the buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are impressive and large with colorful facades.
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.)
Loved reading this!
Thank you for sharing. Enjoy.