Wow I’m about to leave Oslo and haven’t written about Sweden!

I did three walking tours in Stockholm. It’s significantly bigger than the other cities I’ve been to. They said it’s 2.4M but that must include a lot of the suburbs — all of Sweden is under 11M. 

I have to say their public transportation kicks ass (I got an unlimited card for a few days — very easy and civilized on your phone). It’s the most expensive one I’ve done but includes buses, trams, light rail, ferries and metro. I could go to a LOT of places and would get a discount if I went out of zone (like to the airport which I didn’t). So I used the hell out of it. Btw it didn’t bother me but I must note — you had to check in on every mode (hold phone to machine), whereas in Helsinki, Oslo, and Bergen it was more an honor system. Periodically someone might check you and you’d be fined if you didn’t have the card. I always did but I never saw anyone being checked.

Despite some nice tours and tour guides, I liked Stockholm the least so far. Seemed priciest to me though people think food in Oslo is more?

Many roads were huge, there were lots of people, and idk?? I didn’t love it. (I heard more than one person say this was the most tourists they’d seen! Turns out TayTay was in Stockholm the following weekend and the Eurovision competition, which was in southern Sweden when I was there, is only 4 hours away). 

I didn’t do the many, many museums. Just the historical one. I scored in getting half off because it was the one night they’re open late and after five they offer a discount (coincidentally I got there at 445 so I just waited after the employee asked me about it). Such a deal! It was ok. Oddly the guard told me to go the wrong way around. (I asked. Mistake.) I’m not obsessed with Vikings but apparently most tourists are —they had a big Viking thing. 

Anyway the three tours covered the major hoods — Gamla Stan (Old Town) with general Swedish history. The guide was half Italian and half Swedish. She was entertaining. Her funniest story was about laundry — apparently there aren’t enough machines per apartment bldgs and you MUST book your time in advance. So it’s a handy excuse to get out of anything — to simply say you “have laundry” meaning your time slot is happening and it’s sacred so you must leave. That said, this was the ONLY city where one is told you cannot just walk up and join a tour. You have to book in advance. In other countries, many groups welcomed walk-ups. These are organized planners!

I was getting the feeling I am not a Swede by nature!!! Too much planning in advance and not good with spontaneity!

Södermalm (south land!?) is the cool area … or it was… just south of Gamla Stan. It was where the workers lived so houses were less fancy (like Trastevere). But it is getting kinda bougie now. The tour focused on the “culture” of Sweden and my morning guide said it was her favorite so I figured I’d check it out. I don’t feel like I learned much though? The guide, who was American and Swedish, was born in the US and his parents moved back when he was about 5. Anyway he talked about how the Swedes are (by culture), passive-aggressive, cold/unfriendly, and yes, not spontaneous. Seriously not me! He said he knew a lot of people who had PTSD because as small children they’d be playing at their best friend’s house, the host kid would get called for dinner and would say, oh I’ll be back in a few hours when my family dinner is done. The parents did not think it their responsibility to feed someone else’s kid! Apparently not their culture but so not Chinese or Italian or Jewish — my background!!?? Though they’ve recently fully embraced therapy and their suicidal and alcoholic rates are significantly lowered. 

Södermalm also had good views back to the downtown …

Lastly I took a tour of Östermalm and Norrmalm (east and north towns, respectively — they really took the easy approach to naming their hoods!). These used to be the richest areas and I guess still are! But it was also billed as the tour with the most political and economic commentary. 

My one museum was in Östermalm— the historical museum. But I didn’t take a picture of that area. It was cute — but my first day, when I went, it was very cold and rainy (almost snowy) and I took a bunch of trams around to see the area. And did the museum. Anything to stay dry and warm!

In addition to the planning, the passive aggressiveness and other non-Cynthia stuff, I felt like Stockholm nickeled and dimed you about everything. Their public transport was the priciest (well maybe at AMS level). There’s the bathroom thing (oh, they charged for every bathroom, even at IKEA or in fancy malls — not just the train station!). The craft beer I had was I think most expensive I’ve ever had anywhere! (Delicious but wtf? And I felt I had to tip at that one too!) Oh, and my airbnb was a hostel — my first and likely my last!? They apparently charged the “dorm” people for sheets and towels, as well as soap? Judging from the reviews, this is not normal in hostels though maybe in Sweden. I got my own room so paid much more though had to share the bathroom and showers … but got the linens included and though I was there four nights, the soap they provided me would’ve barely covered one shower. Thankfully I had my own face soap and just used it. Oh and breakfast was for a fee there too. And not very good. But I booked last minute and things were really expensive there so I thought I’d try one since people kept telling me they were fun!?

Well this is pretty negative but I’m going to have to write another post about the nice things! Oddly, as a last weird negative, going to Sweden on the ferry in Helsinki, it was the only time so far that they asked to see passports … applied to everyone. It’s actually weird no one else has, to be honest, but I was going from one Nordic EU country to another one !?

Seriously there were good things. I’ll have to put it in the next one!! It’s almost 2 am here! Though I’m in Bergen and taking it easy at my last stop in Scandinavia!