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“I love the way the guards run across the parade ground, as though they are doing a Monty Python silly walk” |
Our ship was able to dock very close to the old centre of Stockholm, Galma Stada. We realise we must be in Scandinavia, because we have just passed a Viking long boat!
The first sight of significance we investigate is the Parliament building. Conservation work is currently underway to repair the wooden piles that this huge stone edifice is built on. There is also an interesting notice all about salmon and sea trout. I know this because they have gone to the trouble of translating it into English.
Although its 9am the town seems to be deserted. Eventually we realise that the shops open much later than back home. We lose ourselves in the narrow medieval streets and alley ways. Looking around at the shop windows I realise that I shall have to buy a wooden horse to take home, particularly as they were once described by a local cleric as toys of the devil! The other big tourist numbers are plastic Viking helmets and trolls.
We eventually come upon a rather elegant statue of St George slaying the dragon. It’s cast from bronze, with a lovely green patina. Unfortunately there’s a van parked right beside it, but we manage to persuade the owner to move it so we can take a photograph.
A little further on and we find a lovely square with pretty Flemish style buildings on one side and the Nobel Museum on the other. We pause for a while trying to eavesdrop on a guided tour (could it be Page & Moy?) and work out where we are and where we are going. In the end we settle for a hot drink at a little chocolate shop. It must be good as the Page & Moy Cruise Director is having a meeting there with his colleague. Sadly I go for a rather average cappuccino and not the wonderful white hot chocolate ordered by my friend. Both drinks served in earthenware bowls and if only we had gone for the bigger size we would have had chocolate hearts drawn on top! A pair of backpackers on another table are so impressed by this they immediately take a photo of it.
Whilst sitting at our table I spot the Cathedral. So off we go, stopping en route to take a picture of a very Scandinavian telephone box. The top half is enclosed, with wild west style saloon doors, whilst the bottom is open to the elements. However there is a little raised platform, presumably so you don’t get your feet wet standing in the snow. I persuade my friend to pose for a photo, which makes a little boy rather curious to have a look too. His mother tries to encourage him to pose, but he’s not really sure.
Inside the cathedral we discover that our bronze St George is not the original. There is a full size wooden carving of the statue inside, decorated with antlers and richly painted. Beside it is a sculpture of the Princess he his rescuing. Other features of note include the royal pews which are magnificent. At first glance they appear to be large slabs of carved marble draped in cloth and surmounted by a giant crown. However the whole thing is a single carving.
Later on we come across the Royal Palace, only to discover that the changing of the Guard is about to take place. The soldiers don't seem to be very old and they fidget and fool about with ancient rifles and fixed bayonets. They also wear ill fitting blue uniforms with Germanic style helmets, complete with spikes on top.
However you can’t ignore how easily they control the ever growing crowds. They don’t have crash barriers, just a line on the road that you are reminded not to cross. Mind you a group of Japanese tourists is keep them on their toes.
The ceremony is quite impressive, if a little damp. The heavens open just as it starts, but my friend benefits from a nearby brolly. I’m really impressed that they have a horse with kettle drums on its back and just love the way the guards run across the parade ground, as though they are doing a Monty Python silly walk. Another surprise is how many women are taking part, at least fifty percent and apparently all the participants are conscripts.
Eventually when we can’t take the rain anymore, we find the ticket office for the royal palace. Buying the tickets is easy, getting to the entrance is much harder and involves nipping round the business end of a bayonet wheedling guard.
Inside we find the normal impressive range of rooms and beautiful objects. However there is a special exhibition of the queen’s dresses on at the moment. My favourite is a white pearl encrusted dress worn to celebrate her silver wedding anniversary. It’s certainly a lot more impressive that her extremely understated Dior wedding dress. From the palace we wander around the shopping streets for a while. Eventually I get a little wooden horse (well two actually). This leaves us a bit short of time to get back to the coach, but we make it with a few seconds to spare – and still get the chance to take a few extra photographs.
The cruise away from Stockholm is magical. Within a few minutes we are in beautiful countryside, covered in fir trees with odd little wooden building dotted amongst them. Everyone in Sweden must have their own island, there certainly seem to be enough to go around. It’s hard dragging myself away from it, but dinner is soon so I need to get a move on.
Today’s dinner is a lovely meal of spicy chicken wings, fish soup, veal curry and apple pie. Afterwards our waiters treat us to a master class in napkin folding. Within a short time we have a peacock, squirrel and boot. Not to be left out, our wine waiter produces a lovely rose from a paper napkin and my friend fights off all contenders to make sure she gets it. Then our waiter has a go, but he hasn’t done one for 10 years (when he made one for his wife … ahhh)! The climax of the evening is a comedy magician and a stand up comic. It’s my friend's fault – she made me go!
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