Norway Fjords/Sweden - Day 16 - Stockholm 2

 No need to get up early as everything opens at 10 am. I want to do the following:

• City Hall
• Vasa museum
• Go up to see the view from the other side of the river
• Cannot see the palace as they open only on weekends.
• And whatever else...

Breakfast was same old boring bread, eggs, cheese, cucumber etc...I fill up to my max and got ready to go to the City Hall. Today I am going to take as many as bus/trams possible. 

Outside is really nice and sunny. It is cold, but not too cold.

Got to Central and took the bus #53 Norra Bantorget, to Taglebacken (just 2 stops) and then walked to City Hall. Saw the huge steel building (Radisson Hotel) opposite the City Hall. Amazing building - the hotel. City hall is quite impressive as well. There was a notice there to get tickets from the gift shop - okay - I thought it was free. Nope - it was $17 and the tour would start at 10 am. I had 20 mins to walk around. It is also being renovated so a huge tarp covered the building.

Tour started at 10 am. A young lady took us to the Blue Hall, which is not blue but there is a history behind it. The bricks were so nice looking that the architect decided not to paint over them. The big hall is used for the Noble Prize celebration dinner. 

city hall

The Golden Room above that is used for the dancing/reception after the dinner. Anyway, it is a good Blue hall, the guide told us a lot of history (its only 100 years old), design was to look like it is more medieval than modern. 

We went up to another huge hall that is also used for celebration. This hall has beautiful murals made by the brother of the king, on the wall reflecting the shoreline buildings from the windows. There are wonderful chandeliers and carvings. 

And last room we went to was the Golden Room. It was made from mosaic from Italy, which went to Germany and then came to Stockholm. It was a beautiful room and the mosaic designs were all meaningful and telling a story. I am not sure I want to write them all here. Anyway...it was worth the tour. I bought a magnet and key chain from the shop.

Walked back to the T-Central station and took Tram #7 (from in front of Ahlens mall) to the Nordic Museum. I thought it was another name for Vasa museum, but my bad....it was the Nordic museum.

Nordic Museum - Ticket was about $17. There are 3 floors of history and artifacts. I had to download the audio to really enjoy the museum. It is interesting museum even though this is not the one I wanted to see. It shows the 600 year old history of Sweden becoming Sweden and the departure of Norway and Finland in the process. Really most of the history is quite brutal and Christian oriented. I don't like how the pagans had to leave their rituals to become Christians, which also kept changing from Catholic to Protestant to Lutheran...whatever. I was exhausted by the end of it, which is about 1:30 pm. I had some coffee and went down to use the restroom, but ran across the museum shop. I bought some traditional Swedish work lace. $5 I think.

Took the #7 to Nybroplan (should have gone up to Kungstradgarden) and had to swtich buses to #57 which will go closest to the viewpoint of Monteliusvägen. This was  tricky turnaround. The blue dots showed how I had to walk, but on the ground I was completely lost. Good for a couple ladies who told me where to go. I ultimately found the bus stand and I had a 18 min wait. Walked around and took photos of the Kungsträdgården garden area there. Got on the bus and got off at Mariatorget. I have a little more walk to get to Monteliusvägen, the view point. It was all the way uphill (small hill - hehe). The view of the city was amazing. I could see the city hall, Gamla Stan and the amusement park. It was great! 

Walked around the edge of the hill for a while and then came down the same way. I had seen some eating places there. On the main road I found a store that sold home furnishing materials, I ended up buying some traditional lace, 2 m of two different kinds, It was a great store and I got the lace for half the price of the museum store. Then I thought I might as well eat here. There was a Thai food place, Mae Thai. They had a lunch special for $10. I ordered Panang curry, it was great! I enjoyed my food. The bus #57 was going to come in 15 mins, and I saw a Coop across the road, so quickly went there and bout $5 worth of assorted chocolates as gifts and for myself. Did not have to wait for 57, took the 55 since I was going only to one stop and it took me to the same place, Slussen. (Yeah - I am getting comfy with those buses!)

From Slussen, I have to take the T (subway) to Hortorget from where I can walk to my hotel. It is 5 pm now. At Slussen, I found an elevator that went up a bit high since it services people on a small hill. I took a detour and went up the lift. The view was good. 

Came down and took the T, but since its the green line, I thought I would go to the two stations I had highlighted to see including Hortoget, Odenplan and Thoridlsplan. Well, I did not even get off at Odenplan, I did not see any art. Thoridsplan I got off, but no real art there and it is also above the ground, so not underground. I took the green T back to Hortoget. 

Hortoget station is full of stores and I found a bigger Coop. I thought I would see what kind of stuff I would get. Really I was looking for those Jalapeno peanuts. The peanuts were not there, but I did get some cookies, crackers and veg bouillon for making stock. I guess the peanuts were more of a Rema1000 deal. Okay...time to go to the hotel. But wait, what is around that corner? Some beautiful stairs. Okay more photos. Then I remembered the stairs I had marked on my map and realized they were back where I came from in the T station. So...walked back to the bridge. The stairs are called Bridge Stairs. I found them by this beautiful bridge. They look similar to where they shot Joker, the movie. (The real ones are in Bronx, NY).

Now its time to go back! And yes, I made it to my hotel by 6 pm. 

It was a good day. I cannot walk anymore today, so I am just going to stay put and write or watch TV. 

I am suddenly realizing that I have been using my credit card like a magic card. I have not checked how much I have spent. Hopefully, not more than $30 per day.