When your ‘to-do’ list is as long as your arm, there’s always a choice to make. Do you start with the easier tasks, reduce the list more quickly? Or start with the more enjoyable one’s, imagining that the others less favoured, might disappear into the ether. Then again, do you prefer to tackle the most hated job first, just to ‘get it out of the way’? Of course, it could all depend on the mood you’re in.
Now I’m not implying that 2 Cheeses hate big cities, per se. Each one can offer good reason to make a visit. Stockholm being no exception with its unique waterways and islands structure, plus its many verdant spaces. Yet there is always something lacking within these man-made jungles. An invisible mystical force that can’t be defined. A soul perhaps.
Despite this, over 50% of the world’s populations reside within these concrete confines.
Our journey starts from the elevated platform of Bredäng Station. It sits nicely alongside the dozen 1964 apartment blocks, within a lush green park, that also contains a fantastic mix of designated sports facilities for the locals. Sixty-one years later they still look as impressive as they must have done then.
Then we go about striking off another from our list. With transport system now fully sussed we hop on, and hop off metro and bus with both eyes shut. It’s that easy! No longer blind bunnies. When we open them again, we find ourselves on Djurgården island, entering the massive Skansen open air museum, one of the world’s oldest. Opened to the public in 1891. Housing twenty-two museums and other attractions, the island is the go to place for all visitors.
From the 16th century onwards and still to this day, the majority of Swedes have their wood build houses painted Falu Red. An iron-rich long lasting pigment. Commerce and industry followed the trend. Wealthy, or not. It was and still is, the ‘in’ colour.
How on earth the buildings were dismantled and rebuilt is quite astounding – an IKEA pre-cursor perhaps . . .
The site is laid out like a town, with a farmstead on the outskirts, a nordic zoo, plus our favourite – a seal enclosure. We arrive at Scooby Snack time.
We hoped the very patient onlooker would be rewarded – but he never was . . .
He rids himself of his frustration with some playfulness . . .