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creative inputs by Alok
" Europe is lovely !!! " my tourmate decalred as we approached Sweden .
And by the time we reached Stockholm he was sapped. Sapped with
his own entusiasm ! .
Stockholm is a terrific blend of today's and yesterdays's architecture .
in fact the whole of Europe is proud of its history and that reflects
on the architecture .The architectural history of Stockholm is impressive.
Old buildings are well preserved, since the city was spared from destruction
during the World Wars. The oldest part of Stockholm, Gamla Stan(sounds Indian !),
has roots reaching back to the 13th century, but is not far away from Hammarby
Sjöstad,
known for its modern-looking buildings from the 1990s.The Swedish royal
family and the royal palaces located around the Mälardal valley tell the
story of royal Sweden.Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize, one of the world’s
most prestigious awards, have made Stockholm a familiar name all around
the globe !
With its 24,000 islands, the Stockholm Archipelago makes the Stockholm entirely
unique, and is a must see for all ! The city is mainly spread over two dozens of
them though . A ferry ride will take you out into the Archipelago right from
downtown Stockholm through the djurgården .Many of the islands in
the archipelago can be reached by boat from central Stockholm. Yeah by the way
T-Centralen is the main station here (like Churchgate in bombay :-) ).
We missed most of Stockholm but could manage these attractions !
GLOBEN
With its unique shape, "Globen" the Stockholm Globe Arena has become a symbol
for Stockholm and Sweden, also serving as a national stadium attracting
audiences to over 140 events annually.Shows, rock concerts, circuses, snowboard
competitions, tennis and ice hockey the Globe accommodates them all.
We also saw two "FALTU" drunkards fighting there (very much like it happens in India).
DJURGÅRDEN
At first it was a leafy garden; hence the name Gröna Lund ("green grove").
Since 1883, it has been an amusement park. Gröna Lund is as pretty and as
unusual as its name would imply. Situated on the island of Djurgården, the
park’s reflection glitters on the waters of the Baltic at the gateway to
Stockholm.I found Gröna Lund the most attractive.The typical ZULU's attractions
are the houses ofthe RICH n FAMOUS.. this piece of Eden houses one of the
four ABBAs :-) .The ferry is comparable to the Quillon-Allepy bacwaters in Kerala :-)
CITY HALL
This is the city's hall ! Yeah it is . We found some marriage ceremonies going on
that fateful day and a few other events .It also hosts the Nobel Prize ceremony !!!
Did i change the order ? Well it is famous for the Nobel Prize of course :-)
DROTTINGHOLM PALACE
Over the centuries, the Swedish royal families have often chosen to reside in
Stockholm, and the city has been the seat of most national institutions since
the 13th century. Carl XIV Gustaf and his family lived in the royal palace in
central Stockholm until 1982. Today, the royal family lives in Drottningholm .
The kings had a battery of wives and each day the luckiest one got to kiss
the kings hand . How boring !!!
But,the present king Gustavo has just one wife ;-) .
They took most of our time !!!
And of course the wonder of wonders are the Scandinavian gals !
We plan to give Sweden one more try and hopefully this time we visit the
places we missed :-)
SOME IMAGES FROM STOCKHOLM
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