August 6, 2015: The train from Gothenburg to Stockholm left late, as it took a while to get electricity working in the carriages, and the scenery wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped. On the plus side, I boarded with a good-sized sandwich, and coffee was available on board. I had booked the Radisson Blu Royal Viking, well above my usual hotel price level, in case I needed AC (I did) and it could hardly have been closer to the train station. A mention at check-in that I hoped for a better room than the one in Lubeck got me a renovated handicapped room, which was indeed fine. Of course, staying in a more expensive hotel puts the price of everything else up, and the breakfast buffet was 120 SEK (14 USD). I picked up supplies and ate in my room, which came with a minibar and kettle.
Stockholm welcomed me with bright sunshine, so after settling in I set off on foot for Gamla Stan, the old town center on the island of Stadsholmen. Unfortunately, it seemed that most of the other tourists in Stockholm had had the same idea, and as there were, once again, huge cruise ships in port, the area was packed. The crowds were well served by souvenir shops and cafes, but one attraction surprised me. Edging my way past a particularly packed corner, I noticed that the center of attention was a middle-aged man, crouched on the pavement, practicing the ages-old con known as the shell game. I had no idea you could still make money pulling that one. Perhaps most of the income came from accomplices pickpocketing the crowds of onlookers. I did not linger.
I found a relief from the crowds in the cathedral, which I had to pay to enter. Aside from the peace and quiet, the cathedral rewarded me with a most magnificent and unusual black and silver altarpiece, and an impressive St. George and the dragon (although I did wonder how St. George could be sure of slaying the dragon while gazing at the middle distance). The statue had been created mostly out of oak and elk antlers by one Berndt Notke of Lubeck in the late 1400s.
The views of Stockholm from Gamla Stan were beautiful, and despite the crowds I put the city on my “must revisit” list. Back across the bridge I wandered past the fountain, greenery and long pool in the King’s Garden, before eating an expensive if good dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. I was looking forward to the rest of my stay.
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