Something to Declare

There’s No Place Like [Stock]holm.

Thursday and Friday, June 19-20, 2025

Yesterday, we hit the C5 Copenhagen bus to Central Station and then the train to Stockholm, via Malmö. Total, about five hours through the lovely Swedish countryside, with some water views including wind farms. N.B.: The government here supports them. (Sorry, being political again.)

We got to our Airbnb apartment in the northerly section of Stockholm called Vasastaden, settled in, and went for dinner at the ICA Bistro, strangely and conveniently attached to the neighborhood ICA supermarket.

After dinner, we shopped for groceries, and found that we were unable to purchase wine, or even beer that had more than 3.5% alcohol.

Turns out that the Swedes have a thing about alcohol, going back to a powerful temperance movement at the turn of the 20th century. There is a major concern about alcohol abuse (drunk driving gets you serious jail time), and alcohol is sold retail only in government-monopoly stores (Systembolaget). While the legal drinking age is 18, you cannot purchase alcohol until age 20. Go figure.

One of the reasons I wanted to visit Scandinavia this time of year was the Summer Solstice. The upside is that, on June 20, the sun came up at 3:30 am, and will set tonight at 10:00 pm. Last night, some birds started chirping at 2 am! It is also a time of major national celebration; Midsommar is one of the biggest annual holidays. The downside is that, for today and tomorrow, almost every museum in Stockholm is closed. It also means that the Systembolaget stores are closed for the holiday. Since they are also closed on Sundays, it means: No Happy Hour for Stef and Stan until Monday.

With no opportunity for artistic cultural experience today, we decided to go with the flow, and celebrate Midsommar with the Swedes in the park-like Skansen neighborhood on the easily-accessible island of Djurgården. Founded in 1891, Skansen was the first European open-air museum, featuring more than 150 historic buildings (homes, churches, shops and schoolhouses) in a kiddie playland atmosphere, complete with a zoo, aquarium and amusement park rides.

The No. 7 tram was crammed with people heading out to Skansen, many of them wearing flowers in their hair. This is meant to symbolize fertility, rebirth and the joy of the summer season. There also were people dressed in traditional Swedish costume.

We took in the sights, which included a man waving the Palestinian flag, and a parade of geese (including a fuzzy juvenile apropos of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling).

Back over the bridge from Skansen, lunch was at a waterside restaurant where I had the opportunity (after a 20-year hiatus) to savor köttbullar (Swedish meatballs), while Stef had rökt lax (smoked salmon).

P.S.: The following photos were taken from the kitchen and bedroom windows, respectively, of our apartment at around 10:00 pm.

Thanks for blackout shades, and Glad Midsommar to you all!