Travel writer Rosemary Burningham details her short respite trip to Stockholm, citing the city’s history and refreshing atmosphere
When I began my journey to Stockholm last September, I was not in the best frame of mind. It was pure coincidence that I was in great need of a peaceful break at this exact time – I did not know that this trip would become as much a journey of emotional healing as it did.
The weather on my trip was reminiscent of my own frame of mind. When I arrived, Stockholm was pouring down with rain. Thus, on my arrival at Stockholm Central Station I decided to stay nearby, first taking cover in a MAX Burgers before making my way to the Avicii experience.
The Avicii experience was one of my favourite parts of my visit to Stockholm. Naturally, I knew who Avicii was before going, but the experience made me connect with his story in a way that made me feel like a different person by the time I exited the building.
As most museums had closed by that point, I walked to the historic Gamla Stan in the wind and rain. Here I saw several tourists – seemingly undeterred by the weather conditions – taking pictures of a building. So naturally, in typical tourist fashion, I joined in. Shortly after, I met with a friend, and we wandered around the shops before turning in for the evening.
The weather had cleared up significantly when I awoke to a new day in Stockholm. Returning to Gamla Stan, I waited by the Royal Palace until the Nobel Prize Museum opened. Going into the museum, I somehow convinced myself that winning a Nobel prize is a realistic bucket list item. The tour guide did not help the situation by telling us that we all still have time to win a Nobel Prize, because the oldest recipient was 97 years old. As I made my way through the museum however, I came to realise that I unfortunately possess neither the scientific prowess nor the literary prose to be worthy of a Nobel Prize. Despite my crushing realisation, learning about the discoveries and achievements of the Nobel prize laureates, as well as seeing the artefacts they donated, was truly inspirational. Yet, there was no time to plan my great scientific discovery, as next on my list was the Nordic Museum.
“Learning about the discoveries and achievements of the Nobel prize laureates, as well as seeing the artefacts they donated, was truly inspirational
On my way to the Nordic Museum I noticed that I could breathe in fresh air, notably more than in most other cities I have visited. It turns out that this may be a result of the waters running through Stockholm, with seawater flowing in from the Baltic Sea. I felt a strong sense of serenity for the first time in a while. The main exhibit at the museum depicts Nordic life through the span of 500 years – perfect for history fans such as myself. There are of course other exhibits, exploring more specific elements of Nordic life such as ‘Table Settings’ and ‘The Arctic’. There is also an exhibit on British influence in Nordic fashion. Funnily enough, the other people I came across there also had British accents.
With great anticipation, I walked down the road to my next destination. For years, I knew it was the number one place I must visit if I go to Stockholm: The ABBA Museum. Of course, I have been an ABBA fan since I was little. This meant that I knew much of the information already. Yet, it was certainly a unique and wondrous experience to see items such as the Eurovision 1974 winner medals and the Mamma Mia 2 production schedules and call sheets, amongst much more!
The longer I was in Stockholm, the more the clouds cleared away, making way for the blue sky – much like in my mind. For the final few hours, I went on one of the sightseeing buses. They were overcrowded, leading to me having to miss a few. I had to get to the airport in only a couple of hours. When I finally got a seat on a bus, the view of the clear sky and the feeling of the fresh air on my face was exhilarating. Yet, as time passed, I feared I may miss my flight.
“The longer I was in Stockholm, the more the clouds cleared away, making way for the blue sky – much like in my mind
It became a race against time and as soon as I escaped the tour bus, I ran onto the Arlanda Express train to the airport, rushed through security and proceeded to run around desperately in pursuit of food before giving up and going through passport control just before boarding closed. My saving grace came in the form of a sandwich and marabou chocolate bar I bought at a nearly empty store right by my gate.
Thus my trip to Stockholm ended, and despite its somewhat dramatic end, I returned in a much calmer frame of mind than I had set off in.
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