Stockholm - A little unexpected

The Nordic countries are renown for some of the most balanced governance - better wealth distribution, investment in higher education, more environmentally focused, open and free press, little government corruption, and thriving economies.  So, what do you expect when you land in the largest city of the Nordic countries?  The bar is set high.

There are certainly classic architecture, amazing monuments, and grand parks.  Stockholm has an abundance of museums and theaters.  Everywhere you turn is a school.  The public libraries and other public spaces are filled with kids “studying”.  Then you have the world shaping Swedish brands (IKEA, Spotify, Skype, H&M, Electrolux, AstraZeneca, Volvo) that help drive a healthy Swedish economy.  Of course, you have the classic people-centric European city planning (communal plazas and pedestrian and cycling pathways) designed to connect people.  So, the city lives up to expectation!

Although with every major metropolitan, there is always an unsavory underside; however, in our brief visit, we were a bit surprised to not really find it.  It was a little unexpected. 

Here are some unexpected things about the city:

• Friendly multilingual society – You will be hard press to find a Swede that doesn’t speak fluent English.  Like many European countries, they often study several languages.  They know communication connects people.  That’s why many of Nordic countries learn each other’s languages as well, but it was surprising to hear so much English.
• Hustle and bustle of silence – You can stand in the center of the city and watch rush hour with near silence.  It’s crazy cool!  Honking is only meant for emergencies.  So, you rarely hear it.  Roads and cars are well maintained for minimum noise.  I hear there are even rules on types of tires that are allowed, which further enhance this effect.
• Society moving like clock-work – To say Stockholm is a law and order society is an understatement, because it’s more than that.  It’s about respect and being courteous to your fellow neighbor.  On the streets you see pedestrians, cars, and bikes move in a formulated rhythm.  Vehicles always stop for pedestrians.  Pedestrians don’t interrupt traffic flow by crossing at crosswalks and at the right time.  Bikers know the rules of the road and signal appropriately.  On transit, people give up seats for the elderly or help a mom with a stroller.  We didn’t find graffiti marking up the city or even a homeless person on the street.  At least it wasn’t obvious like the many large metropolitans we visited on this trip.  It’s kind of amazing!
• Swedish food a surprising wonderment – My palate might be Swedish.  I love the pickled herring, cured and smoke salmons, and those meatballs!  Pretty much every Swedish dish we had was delicious.  My only disappointment was that we were on a tight budget.  Tip: Tipping isn’t expected, but the general convention is to round up the bill to even it out, which is a good sign of appreciation.  We can also recommend these restaurants: Oaxen Slip  and Bakfickan.

We really didn’t explore enough of Stockholm to truly understand it, but from what we saw as a tourist, Stockholm might be the perfect city.  It at least makes us want to come back to see and discover more of Stockholm and Sweden.  It’s amazing!

-Vu

P.S.

After Tromso, Stockholm was a little friendlier to the pocket book, which was nice, but don't expect a bargain.
 
 Grocery Beer Price Index: 15.90 SEK for 33cl Bordsol Nils Oscar  ($1.92)