Rick and Marie's Travels: Scandinavia—Stockholm

Stockholm, September 17th & 18th

We had a relaxing day, taking our time in the morning and then walking to City Hall for a one hour tour. This is where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held in the Blue Hall where as many as 1,300 guests and 80 honorees and dignitaries are served a multi-course meal over four hours. Service begins with the Royal Family. Once the first course is served everyone else in the hall is served within 8 minutes. The 200 wait staff train for weeks for this perfectly choreographed task. You can read about the banquet here.

Our tour included the Blue Hall and the Golden Hall where a dance is held after the banquet. We also got to see the City Council Chambers, and the corridor the king painted himself as a gift to the city. Council members walk along this corridor from their offices to the Council Chambers for debates and votes.

After that we visited the Armory Museum, because our city walking guide told us it was actually a museum about the history of the monarchy and included artifacts from each reign beginning with the 17th century. The basement displayed the best of the best royal carriages. We included pictures but didn't label any of them, because keeping the royal families straight was beyond us, so click here if you want to read about the Swedish monarchy.

City Hall. Read about it here.

City Hall courtyard leading to the harbor.

The three crowns explained here.
Portico leading to the harbor.

Waiting before our tour begins.
Proof of payment.
Our guide began the tour in the Blue Hall talking
about the architecture and the Nobel Prize Banquet.
The 10,270 organ pipes are housed in the intricately carved
casing above the lights in the Blue Hall.

The organ was dedicated in 1925.
An anteroom where citizens might wait before meeting
with a council member.
The Council Chamber.
Three important people sit here and
preside over Council business.
The Council Chamber is English, but...

...the ceiling is Swedish, depicting...
...folk art about Swedish life.

This is a 16th century tapestry, a gift
from the king.
This is the corridor council members use to
walk from their offices to the Council Chambers.
Peter, our guide, points out the walls the king
painted as a gift to the city.

King Carl XVI Gustaf painted the panels
spanning the length of the corridor
connecting the Council Chambers.

The Blue Hall from the Golden Hall balcony.

18 million gold leaf tiles decorate the Golden Hall from floor
to ceiling. This was where the original Nobel Prize Banquet
was held and the architect wanted guests to be wowed.

This image is a symbol of Sweden.

This mosaic rests at the right side of the Swedish
symbol on her throne and represents the contributions
from the West. Note the U.S flag and skyscrapers.

This mosaic rests at the left side of Swedish symbol on her
throne and represents the contributions from the East.
Note the Turkish flag.

This door leads to an elevator to the kitchen
above the ceiling of the Golden Hall.

A close up of the western mosaic.

One last look at the Blue Hall.

Next stop, the Armory Museum across the bay.

Back at the Old Town Grand Square fountain for a refill.

Ended our day walking the two mile length of the
Drottningatan pedestrian shopping district.

September 18th, we strolled down to the harbor in front of the Royal Palace where we purchased tickets for an electric boat tour of the harbor and around several islands.

These kids were rehearsing in front of the Royal Palace.

The Royal Palace

Kim, the captain of our electric boat.

The Grand Hotel, the most exclusive and expensive hotel in
Sweden. It is where Taylor Swift and other celebrities stay
when in Stockholm.

Ostermalm is the most expensive neighborhood
of Stockholm. It's where who's who in the zoo lives.

Nouveau Renaissance is the architectural style in Ostermalm.

Heidi is our dry witted tour guide.

The Djurgardsbron Bridge, 1896.

Ice breaker built in 1907, two years before the Titanic.

Ferry to Djurgarden Island where the Vasa, Viking, Abba Museums
are as well as the Grona Lund Tivoli-like amusement park.

Palace guards finished with the changing of
the guard ceremony pack up for their next
assignment.

The back of the Pink Church.

This Italian restaurant was highly recommended by Kiki, the guide
who led our historical old town walking tour.

Lunch was a yummy beef ragu.

And we had to finish off with tiramisu!

Just more beautiful buildings in Stockholm's old town.

The House of Nobility is gorgeous. You can read about the
corporation's function here.

We have been fortunate that it's been sunny and in the mid-60's since we arrived.

Thursday, September 19th, we'll check out of our hotel late and wander down to the train station for our 3:30PM train for the six hour ride to Oslo.

Our last breakfast in Stockholm. Went with extra bowl of bacon just
for kicks. We like the Generator so much, we changed our plans for
Copenhagen and booked our last week in the Generator there.