Stockholm and beyond

We took a final walk around the city, visiting the Tjörnin lake and cemetry.

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We stayed at the Hotel Reykjavik Centrum, on the parliament square

From our hotel we could see over the parliament square, among other things, with windows on three sides. This was a great room in a great hotel in a great location.

Our final impression of Iceland was seeing the steam rising from the Blue Lagoon in the distance. This was a great holiday, a place we intend to visit again, next time we hire a car and travel at our own pace.

Of course, I knew I would forget something along the way - this time it was the mention of necropants during the Haunted Walk - we missed out on the chance to go to see them this time around though. Next time.

But now back to exploring Stockholm and its surrounding area.

Having spent quite a lot of time wandering around Gamla Stan, I was surprised to discover a rune stone I've not noticed before.

We took the train toward Saltsjöbaden, but got off at Fisksätra (Swedish). This looked, on the map, as if it might be an interesting place - unfortunately it isn't as welcoming as we had hoped. Still the island was not so bad as the concrete centre on the other side of the railway.

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After Fisksätra we went on to Saltsjöbaden

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We went to a midsummer Blót, these days more of a maypole style festival than the original blood sacrifice (incidentally also related to the origin of the word 'bless'...to mark with blood). Quite a number of us collected and we wandered off into the woods to find a clearing where we could erect the 'maypole' and dance around it. It was quite an honour to be invited to such an event, and an interesting insight into modern interpretations of Norse traditions.

Once again we went to Skansen - for midsummer this time. They hold traditional Swedish midsummer celebrations there and the place was the busiest we've ever seen it. Still, there was a rain shower which cleared a lot of the people.

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(see part 1)
Skansen animals at midsummer.
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(see also part 1 & part 2)
Some statues at Skansen.
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(see also part 1, part 2 and part 3)
A. at Skansen
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(see also part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4)

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We went to Millesgården", a sculpture garden on Lidingö in the grounds of the house of, and dedicated to, the artist and sculptor Carl Milles.

There are three terraces looking back across the water toward Ropsten and beyond to the city, he collected many copies of his works around the world, including his fountain at Nacka Strand.

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(see also Statues at Millesgården)
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(see also Statues at Millesgården and A. at Millesgården)
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We took a visit to the other end of Långholmen, the ex-prison island, now city centre sanctuary, with views up to Högalids kyrka and back across the lake toward Riddarholmen.

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Långholmen prison is now a hotel and hostel, where the rooms are cells. It also has a small museum to show information about some of the more infamous prisoners and development of the prison itself.

When the prison closed, the island became a leisure island, a parkland near the centre of the city.

See also Långholmen and Långholmen Öst

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There was a GT3000 meet on the prison island of Långholmen.

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On our way back from Långholmen we passed through Hornstull.

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On the way home from Långholmen we stopped by on Gamla Stan again.
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Our final stop after Långholmen was Kungstradgården, where, for a change, there wasn't any ice skating going on.

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Sollentuna Mässan is being replaced by Kista Mässan

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Walking around the backstreets of Helenelund I discovered a Cadillac.

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I took a walk along the shore of Kungsholmen, with views across the lake to Långholmen and Södermalm.

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Walking along from Kungsholmen toward Gamla Stan I took a closer look at the City Hall, and saw that the gardens are open to walk around.

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There was something magical about the sky over Stadshuset.

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There are some statues in the gardens around Stadshuset.
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We went to a Viking Longhouse near Östersund, an hours flight north from Stockholm. The longhouse is set in the forest of Norderön. I arrived on the friday evening, while everyone else had been there all week. Theres something surreal about being met at the airport by Vikings, but at least I could figure out quite easily who I should talk to.

Some of the vikings at the Longhouse.

The Vikings had a fight over a horn of beer.