Stockholm
We travelled using the SJ train from Gothenburg to Stockholm. It was a 4.5 hour journey in second class, which was very comfortable. We had a window seat and table, which allowed us to also conduct a business meeting. This was one of the coolest feelings ever, I think we can officially consider ourselves digital nomads. One can also use the Flixtrain, MTRX train or bus to travel to Stockholm.
What we never knew about Sweden, is that it’s made up of a bunch of islands. Thus, ferries are a popular source of public transport to get from one area to another. While traveling between islands lots of construction cranes will be seen. The locals refer to these cranes as giraffes, given their length and slim looking feature. Some even go to the extent of being painted brown and yellow to represent a giraffe which was humarous.
We experienced a self-service key pick up station for the first time. We stayed at Boo Boo Living for a week which is located a few kilometres outside of Stockholm city centre. We had been given a code to enter and then we were greeted by a Welcome screen on a computer upon arrival. We followed the instructions on the screen to activate two room cards and off we were. No human interaction whatsoever. EFFICIENT!
The room was very well laid out with a bathroom, kitchenette, a two seater dining table, small lounge and a desk. But wait, where’s the bed? They know how to properly make use of their space! The bed it tucked away into the cupboard which you let down and pack up again when it is not in use. Once opened, the bed is already made, there’s cushions and a bed light. WOAH!
It seems like each big city has it’s own app for public transport. In Stockholm we had to download the SL app to get around. In Gothenburg we used the To Go (Vasttrafik) app. Given that we’d be exploring Stockholm this week, we opted for a week’s pass which includes ferries, busses, metros and trams. In Stockholm, every form of transport we used, we were asked to present our QR code indicating our purchased ticket. Do not undermine the power of the take off of the metro. After a long sit, I decided I was going to stand and position my feet as far apart as possible given that I didn’t want to hold onto the pole. As soon as that metro pulled away, before I knew it, I found myself hugging the dude standing innocently on the other side of me. How embarrassing! I couldn’t apologise enough, so I reverted to holding on a pole, with both hands. Morne later on the trip, also nearly had a face collision with the metros window when it pulled away. Be prepared!
On Saturday 3 June, we were lucky enough to witness the Stockholm Marathon taking place. They started 12 o clock the afternoon which odd compared to the normal early morning race starts South Africa has. However, we have noticed that the Swedish are not morning people nor they don’t have to worry about hot weather, so what’s the rush?
We explored the Vasa Museum. This ship was built in Stockholm in the 1600’s. This 52m tall, 11.5m in width and 69m in length ship was launched into the sea on the 10th August 1628. It was loaded with 24 cannons on each side which made the ship too heavy. Twenty minutes into its first voyage, the ship leaned over to one side too much letting in too much water into the ground floor of the ship, causing it to eventually sink. It was left under water for 333 years, until 1961 when a local Swedish decided to take it out from the sea and repair it. What you see today is where the ship was taken out, and the museum was then built around it. The ship that is seen in the museum is 98% of its original state which is incredible. This ship was made up of over 700 sculptures and the attention to detail is just incredible. Continuous reparations are being made, such as keeping low amount of lighting on the wood, replacing the nails and bolts as well as the 4km rope. The museum is made up of six floors allowing visitors to explore the ship from the very bottom up until the top where you get an overview of the whole ship. There is a free tour along with a short movie that is included in your ticket. This museum will easily keep you busy for 1.5 to 2 hours.
We’ve always been a fan of boardgames and it’s a great way to meet new people. In Stockholm, you can check out Dragon Lair’s website to see when they’re hosting their next boardgames evenings. You can just pitch up and they’ll help you out at the entrance counter. We met an Australian, Turkish, Tunisian, Jordanian and Romanian all living in Sweden. We played Camel Up, Pandemic and 7 Wonders. Before we knew it, five hours had passed and the store was closing. We all went out for dinner at Max afterwards.
