What Did Jolene Do... in Stockholm 2007

  Stockholm, Sweden
Thursday, May 17, 2007

Day 1:

Getting to my apt was quite expensive.  450kr (~$80).  Unbelievable!  Dr Speh told us it would only be $10.  Oh well...  at least the driver was nice to me.  I took the day to relax and unpack.  The apt is gorgeous with plenty of light and space.  I can certainly get used to this.

Cure apt

Day 2:

This wekend was going to be my only time to explore Stockholm but I don't want to overdo it.  I took a nice stroll from T-Central and ended up in a park overlooking the city.  It was gorgeous weather and I was sitting in the middle of the park reading my travel guide.  I then proceeded to visit Gamla Stan aka Old Town.  My travel guide has a suggested walking tour that starts in the middle of the Old Town and lasts for 3 hours.  But I did it in 5 hours.  There were plenty to see.  Unlike Italy, this city does not need much artificial help to make it look attractive--it has plenty of natural attractions.  I was astounded with the general splendor of the architecture of the whole city.  I stopped by the Opera House to pick up a ticket to watch Italian opera tomorrow night.  I am excited.

The walk also suggested lunch by the marina overlooking the water.  For the price of about $15, I got plenty to eat though not much in comparison to American servings.  I visited the Museum of Antiquities (I think) and walked passed the Royal Palace, Parliament, and along quiant streets.  I took a detour and paid a visit to the Nobel Museum.  It was inspiring to see how one man, Alfred Nobel, could create a legacy that impacts generations of mankind all over the world.  

It was getting dark and I wanted to head back so that I can get more rest to prepare for my upcoming work week.  My feet was also starting to protest again.

Day 3:

I had a couple of things that I needed to get and wanted a cheaper alternative to shopping malls.  So I woke up early this morning and headed for the largest flea market in Scandinavia.  It was disappointing.  It was small and pale in comparison to the ones that I have visited in the US.  I had to pay 15kr (~$2) to get in. 

The rain clouds are starting to appear and I quickly returned to my apt to wait out the rain.  Sure enough, it rained like cats and dogs.  I was thankful that it stopped at about 5pm in time for me to attend my opera. 

On my way to opera

Inside Opera House

The Royal Opera House looks much better inside than outside.  For 40kr, I got more than I paid for.  The orchestra did an amazing job illuminating the opera and every moment of the presentation was filled with excitement.  The opera was in Italian and had Swedish subtitles; though I did not understand a word of what they said, I loved it.  The story was about this prostitute who fell in love.  This man, Alfredo, declared his love for her and she decided to follow her heart.  Violetta, afraid of leaving her lifestyle, her sense of security, took the chance and moved in with Alfredo. 

A few months gone by and Alfredo's father comes and criticizes her for living with his son.  He cites the bible and the immorality of their actions--it is destroying Alfredo's family.  Sad and disappointed, Violette leaves Alfredo and lied to him that she has a terminal illness.  She goes back to her lifestyle as a courtesan feeling empty and alone.  Soon thereafter, she meets Alfredo again.  But the encounter was unpleasant and she loses her job as well as got into a terrible fight with Alfredo. 

The opera ends with her tragic death on the streets as a beggar.  Alfredo tried to help her but was too late.  Her death was imminent.  In a very dramatic (of course!) scene set in a dark alley, Alfredo and Violetta had to say goodbye as the doctor pronounced that he could not do anything for her.  The opera ends with her dead on the streets and Alfredo's father dragging him from the scene.

Pretty entertaining stuff.  There I met two Germans from Hamburg--Lina and Andreas.  We had a nice conversation over the interval we had between scene 2 and 3.  The walk to the train station from the opera house was very pleasant.  The Old Town glitters with lights at night.

City at night

Day 4:

I had my heart set on visiting a Swedish church (kyrka).  Using the links Dr Speh's friend sent me, I found a church close by.  I woke up to check out the times for the service and dressed up for it.  The church is Lutheran, like most Swedish church, and there were very few attendees.  I was overdressed and that is unusual for me.  

The service was all in Swedish, which is cool.  I like the experience.  I did not understand a word of what the lady preacher said but it is all good.  I skipped communion.  One of the highlights for me is that the service ended with the Lord's Prayer in Swedish.  Wow, it feels so good to be in the house of the Lord always!

After a quick bite, I headed for Kundsgarten (Grand central in my opinion).  I am eager to try one of the boat rides here since this is after all the Venice of the north.  I checked out the prices and walked around Old Town again.  This time I visited the Royal Palace and the Tre Kronor museums.  Definitely visit the State Apts if you have a chance.  I bought some royal tea.

Me in boat

I looked at my watch and decided that the weather is plenty fine for a nice boat ride around Stockholm.  Off I went to get my ticket for the historical tour (under the bridges).  I learned a lot about Swedish history--population, islands, historical sites, etc.  The tour was in multiple languages and to my delight, English was one of them! 

I was tempted to get some smogasboard and found it too expensive for my wallet.  Suddenly homemade sandwich sounds awfully tempting to me.  I am done spending Swedish money anyways...