In January, I have decided that I will make my long overdue journey to two Scandinavian countries- Sweden and Denmark- this year, in late spring.
Fast forward to one week ago, my flight started in Orlando, to New York-JFK for a three hours lay over; then at 425PM my Delta 737 plane bound to Copenhagen departed. The eight hours non-stop flight went by fast and smoothly, the next I know it has landed in Copenhagen Airport.
My plan was to explore Copenhagen towards the end of my trip, I have a friend from nursing school that lives in Malmo, Sweden that I would want to meet since I had not seen her in more than 20 years. So when I was done at the immigration, I went straight to the Metro and bought my ticket. I hopped on the train and five minutes later, I quickly realized it was the wrong train so I got off the next station and retraced my steps to get to the right one. Nerve wracking! 😂
The Malmo Castle.; The painting of Adam and Eve; Dinner with Riya at La Grappa at Lilla Torg.
Malmö, Sweden. The train ride to Malmo was about 25 minutes, three stops from Copenhagen airport. When I arrived, my friend Riya was there at the platform waiting for me. Boy she has changed (no pun intended)! The last we saw each other- I can’t recall exactly, but in nursing school- perhaps circa 2003/04. We did so much of catching up- on our bus ride to her flat, and while having breakfast- endless. When finally sleepiness hit me, I requested to rest for a couple of hours and then explore the city she lives in as planned.
When I was in grade school, I loved flipping pages of World Book Encyclopedia and looking through different countries. I’d start from Afghanistan and every countries in the alphabet. When I came across the country Sweden, I don’t remember where exactly it was, I was immediately fascinated by their infrastructures- geometrical, clear lines and precise; and the combinations of old and new. I thought that was unique. Those were what I saw on my bus ride to Riya’s place.
Stortorget in Malmo, Sweden.
After a couple of hours (or so) of recharging, we headed out. First stop- Malmö Castle- a 16th-century fortress that exhibits nature, history and art. The one unique thing I have never seen in any art exhibit is the painting of Adam and Eve; and it’s here! Then we walked to Stortorget; the main Square or the city center in Malmö. And since I am all for uniqueness, Optimistorkestern is a famous landmark in the city centre; It’s a group of metal sculptures resembling a band, marching night & day through downtown. Stortorget is built in the 1500s; and it is like the Grand Plaz in Brussels but in a significantly smaller scale. Here you’ll find lots of shops, restaurants and cozy little places to stop for a coffee and sweets; or just sit outdoors and admire the place, watch people pass by and be lost in time. A few walks then you’ll pass Lilla Torg; a smaller square right next to Stortorget built in the medieval times. It is also picturesque and with cafes, bars, and restaurants. I took Riya for dinner while we continued catching up.
St. Peter’s Church in Malmo, Sweden.
For those who know me, old churches are some of my fascinations when I visit a new place. When I saw a steeple while we were on the bus, I made sure that I would see it inside. I wasn’t sure what exactly it was until I set foot in it. Sankt Petri Kyrka, also known as St. Peter's Church, is an architectural gem in Malmö. Built in the 14th century, the church is an impressive example of Baltic Gothic architecture; its interior features exceptional medieval frescoes and a decorative altarpieces from 1611; one of the largest in Scandinavia (Wikipedia).
We continued exploring; we took a bus going to Scaniaparken where Riya showed me the Turning Torso- an iconic, energy-efficient tower block with a distinctive twisted shell, home to offices & apartments; perhaps the tallest building in Malmö. For a little bit, we stayed this open area that resembles like an amphitheater in open water. Its overlooking Oresundsbron- the bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden.
Though it was still sunny, the cold wind blowing prevented us to stay longer so we started walking back to catch the bus in Triangeln to go home. There was an unexpected beautiful Swedish sunset that greeted us while on our bus ride. When I thought it was going to be a total darkness, I was wrong. By night time, while trying to get adjusted by settling in, I still see the colors of the sun from the horizon as I looked at my window- more of like a dawn already.
Stockholm City Hall at blue hour
Stockholm, Sweden. I woke up at 10AM the following day. Riya was already awake when I came out of the room. I looked outside and we were blessed with another beautiful blue sky. We took our time eating brunch, and then got ready as we have a 3PM train to catch in Central Station to Stockholm. Originally, we planned on taking a midnight train and spend only 48 hrs in Stockholm; but we changed our minds and changed our original itinerary.
The train to stockholm was a 5.5hrs ride along Sweden’s countryside. Similar to the train Bob and I took from Brussels to Paris, this ride displays the panoramic rural Swedish life- a true definition of greenery. 😂
When we arrived in Stockholm the sun was still up; only make sense since it is farther north. We headed to Sheraton Hotel to check in and it did not disappoint. It was a perfect room with perfect view; exactly what it looked like in the picture. Once settled, we headed out for dinner in a nearby bistro then began exploring the city. Just like in Malmö, the sunset hid at midnight.
The view of Stockholm from the hotel. This is the sun setting at 11PM at night.
We walked the street across the Riddarfjärden with the view of Stockholm’s city hall at blue hour. I took some photos while enjoying to cool breeze from the lake. We continued walking and crossing the streets until we found the central station, where we got off earlier; I took some long exposure photos of this too. Then we traced our steps to back to our hotel room and called the night off.
The time difference had finally kicked in me and combined with being up so late and too tired from previous day’s sight-seeing pushed my plans of shooting some sunrise. Not to mention, Sweden has more sunlight in late spring and summer, thus the nickname “The Land of the midnight sun.” We woke up late as usual so we just decided to eat our breakfast then started our exploration of the city. Again, we got lucky- weather was great, not too cold, not too hot, with a brisk of cool wind in a perfect blue sky. First stop- the Royal Palace.
The Royal Palace of Sweden
I am a sucker to old infrastructures. Scotland, France, Belgium, Spain- those were my top favorites. Now I am adding Sweden to my list. I can see some similarities here and there, but they have all distinct characteristics. Sweden’s Royal Palace is unbelievably gorgeous! The intricate details on all the stones and wood works inside the castle are really jaw dropping. My reaction was similar to when I first saw the Palace of Versailles in France.
The change of guards is another thing I liked seeing when I visit Royal residences ever since I first witnessed them in Quebec. The Swedes do it differently. One of the routine drills they showcased resembled dancing/hopping. I also noticed that not all guards were males. I wasn't sure if the ones I’ve seen in the past had ones too.
By the time we’re done at the Royal palace, it was already 2PM. We decided to get some fika- a Swedish term that refers to a coffee break, often including a sweet treat, typically enjoyed with friends or family. Riya got some blueberry cheesecake and a princess cake that went together with our cappuccinos. I must say, I always have the best desserts and coffee in Europe.
The view of Gamla Stan from an uphill walk to Sodermalm.
We continued with our exploration of the city. Next we went was Gamla Stan- the city’s oldest district; with many historical buildings and attractions including the Noble Prize Museum, the Gamla Stan Cathedral and the Swedish Parliament. This area of Stockholm reminded me of Avignon in France. It was a beautiful day and understandably, most of the people (and tourists) were out.
Strolling around Gamla Stan- the old city of Stockholm.
Then we headed to Sodermalm to see the current exhibition inside Fotografiska. This is a centre for contemporary photography; there are only five locations of this museum in the world, the one I’ve been was in New York City at the Flat Iron district, but unfortunately, it closed in 2024. For photographers like me, this is heaven. I was lucky to have seen the works of Swedish photographer Hans Hammarskiöld.
We continued exploring Sodermalm. This part of Stockholm is quite uphill, and it gives you a panoramic view of Gamla Stan. Riya decided to stay in a bar while I continued walking around the cobble stone streets. I stumbled upon Katarina Kirk/St Catherine Church. It was beautiful from the uphill, when I got there I tried entering the main parish door, but it was close.
1. The Rooftop Bar in in Katarinahissen; 2. having happy hour with Riya and Tomas;
3. Fika with Hernie and Riya before our train back to Malmo.
I continued walking around town and was just amazed how this town is so beautifully built. Old and new buildings conform amongst each other. Then I decided to head back to where I should meet Riya; but with my wandering eyes, I saw a staircase/path where some people walk up/down. Curious, I followed them. Surprised, I was happy I did! It brought me to Katarinahissen/Katarina Elevator that eventually brings people to a rooftop. I was wondering what was it when we were wandering the city earlier; glad to know what it is then. There food stalls and bars here; and this place show the most picturesque view of Stockholm.
When I was done taking photos I headed down and finally met with Riya. As we were heading back to our hotel, we passed by Kungsträdgården. Riya mentioned that her friend is coming to say hello; so we decided to sit by the bistro and also had our light dinner. When we finally met with Tomas we headed to our hotel, put my camera bag down and went out for happy hour. He brought us at the Rooftop Bar by Scandic Hotel. As we were having a nice cold beer, we were also enjoying the view of the city as the sun was setting. When finally I felt tired, I left the two of them and I went back to our hotel.
I woke up around 5AM and looked at the window; there was a bit of sunshine but the clouds were fast to cover the blue sky. I decided to get my camera to at least shoot some photos of this beautiful city for the last time. A couple of hours later, I headed back to the hotel. After our breakfast, the rain started. We scratched our original plan to see ABBA Museum because we were already time constraint; instead we decided to just walk the shopping district for last minute souvenirs. Riya suggested that we should also meet another friend of hers since he is nearby. When Hernie arrived, we had fika, chat and laugh for one last time.