Left Behind in Stockholm

I’m sure you’ve seen them – the Left Behind books. Or maybe you were one of the ten people who saw the movie with Growing Pains and former teen heartthrob Kirk Cameron. If not, in short, it’s the story of the final battle between God and Satan. The lucky ones are saved and removed from earth. The others are left behind. That’s what Stockholm felt like this past weekend. The Swedes escaped for the Midsummer’s Night holiday leaving Stockholm a ghost town. Shops were closed. Streets were empty. Fortunately, for us, the major tourist attractions remained open.

At first, it bothered us. As we roamed the streets on Friday on our way to Skansen for the Midsummer’s Night festivities, we were slightly irritated. The country lures you to Stockholm to celebrate the longest day of summer with visions of dancing Swedes in costumes, then board up every department store and boutique shop. But then we realized something. With no shopping in sight for us, it forced us to focus purely on the city’s rich and interesting history.

Skansen was nice. The open air museum is where most of the Midsummer's Night festivities are held including the raising of the Maypole. It was very similar to my hometown. There was dancing, singing, and the making of wreaths to wear on your head. It was a pleasant reminder of where I was born. Though, we found it odd that thousands of people were scattered about in the grass and weeds having picnics. It looked as though they were all homeless. Besides that, the twigs they were converting into fashion accessories must have been filled with bugs.

We saw the Royal Palace, the changing of the guard, a royal band parade, the City Hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, and the most spectacular museum in Stockholm – the Vasa Viking Ship that was raised in 1959 after laying in the Baltic Sea for over 300 years. Now I know why in Lindsborg we had a restaurant named the “Vasa” and on the sign was a large Viking ship.

In terms of food, neither one of us had high expectations. I’ve never been a fan of Swedish Food – except for Swedish meatballs and pancakes. Luckily, we found a restaurant that served these scrumptious balls of meat on Friday night. It sits near the entrance to Skansen. It was recommended by a few traveling magazines I've somehow now misplaced. It was delicious. The bread was divine. Our salads excquisite. And my meatballs and mashed potatoes couldn't be beat. Besides that, since they brought our original plates out cold, they removed the main entrée from our bill. That made it even better! And our hotel, The Berns, had a delicious breakfast buffet with pancake, eggs, meats, and pastries that was included in the price of our room (insider tip: if you find yourself in Stockholm on a budget, walk in to the Berns restaurant for breakfast, sit down, and act as though you’re staying in the hotel. They never ask for a room number!)

Overall, the Berns Hotel was pleasant. I downgrade it slightly due to our room’s petite size. But with its central location, friendly staff, available fitness center, aforementioned buffet, and provided Face toiletries, we moved it into the winner’s circle.

With all that being said, we’d return to Stockholm – not during a holiday however. But most likely we won’t. We have so many other cities to explore throughout Europe –ones where it won't seem as though we've been forgotten.



( FYI: Click on photos for expanded viewing)