So when I got to my lodgings last night, I was able to look at my text messages, thanks to the free wi-fi at Jarl's house, and discovered that Jarl had left me a message to say that he would not be in that night. So I guess I had the place to myself and just went to bed.
This morning, I awoke at 8:00 a.m., ready to face my final full day here in Stockholm. It really is sad, but I was resolved to enjoy my day. I got ready, stopped at the 7-Eleven for a lemon muffin and a bottle of water, and headed off on foot towards Djurgården. It had suddenly occurred to me last night that one of the things I wanted to do and hadn't done yet was to visit the Spirit Museum on Djurgården, home of the Absolut vodka artwork exhibit. I got there around 10:00, just in time for the opening, and really enjoyed my visit. The museum is fairly small, but it does have original Absolut promotional artwork from such legendary artists as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. The rest of the museum explored various kinds of alcoholic beverages in Sweden, including absinthe. Outside of the Absolut exhibit, I think my favourite part was a room set up to make you experience what it feels like to be hung over. I am not exactly sure how it works, but there were definitely electromagnetic pulses coming from the floor boards. The vibrations, I swear, made me feel hung over. It was an incredible simulation! As soon as I left the room, I was fine. Very weird!
From Djurgården, I made my way on foot to the Åhlen's department store. This is where I had found many good CDs back in 2010, and I wanted to check it out this time to see what they had. I was not prepared to see a large display of Agnetha Fältskog's new album, "A". The official release date is just supposed to be on 13 May! I am very excited to be able to say I bought her new album in Stockholm! I also picked up the Melodifestivalen 2013 double CD (I had gotten the 2010 one last time I was here), and a greatest hits collection by Tomas Ledin.
I did not feel like having lunch anywhere near the centre town, where prices are totally ridiculous. So, as I thought I was exiting Åhlen's, I stumbled upon the subway station, and decided there and then to go to Södermalm for lunch. This is a much more reasonable area of the city for food, and it's got this younger, hippish vibe to it. The bonus was that by taking the subway to the Skanstull stop, I could get to revisit the Clarion hotel, where I stayed three years ago. (And for the record, my friend Hans is in agreement with me: it does not feel like it's been three years.) I made my way on foot from Skanstull, towards the Slussen subway station, looking for something for lunch. Whereas most hot meals in Gamla stan and the city centre seem to start at about 180 SEK before drinks (30 dollars), in Södermalm, I could find something for about 60SEK (about 10 dollars). I felt like having something light, so that I could have fika this afternoon (the traditional coffee break). So, I stopped off at a Subway restaurant and had a traditional Swedish räksaladsmörgås (shrimp salad submarine). It was really good, and not something I can find on the Subway menu back home.
It was close to 1:30 p.m. by the time I got to the Royal Palace (Kungliga slottet). I had not been able to visit it three years ago because it was closed for the royal wedding. I bought my ticket and got to see both the royal apartments and the royal treasury, the latter of which featured the royal crowns, crown jewels, swords, ceremonial garb, etc. All in all, it was very impressive. I left the palace around 3:00 p.m., in search of a post office to mail my postcards, and stumbled upon the Postal Museum, where I was told they could put my vykort (postcards) in the mail. I love being able to do all my business in Swedish!
I then decided to have fika at Chokladkoppen, a very popular dessert place in Stortorget, on Gamla stan. I had a glass of ice water and a home-baked kannelbulle (cinnamon bun). It was the size of a small pizza, filling the plate I had, and was very yummy. And what's more, at 24 SEK, it was only 4 dollars. Definitely one of the least expensive things I have seen in Stockholm!
By the time I left Chokladkoppen, it was 3:45 p.m., and I discovered that the Three Crowns Museum, which was also included in the price of my ticket to the royal palace, closes at 4:00. But that was OK, because I did not really have my heart set on going to another museum today. Instead, I made my way (without a map, I might add) to the Swedish Book Store, only to discover that it has closed since I visited there in 2010. It is now the Swedish Institute. From there, I backtracked a bit and returned to Gamla stan so that I could seek out a 7-Eleven and update my blog. It is now 4:45 p.m., and I am going to give Hans a call to see if he feels like doing something on this Friday night before I leave. I would like to have a nice dinner, and maybe go out for drinks afterwards. We shall see.
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