SWEDEN - Stockholm - Palace & Parliament

After a ferry, some trains and a tram I have made it to my base in Stockholm. I thought I would stay out of the city on this one and commute in, so I am staying on the island of Lidingo. The hotel is at the pier at the far end of the island where the trams from the city centre terminate so I have the choice of travelling into Stockholm by tram or ferry and today I went on the ferry.

I have spent the day in Gamla Stan - the Old Town - but unfortunately the weather was not perfect it's been grey and wet. 

The Royal Palace from the water

First stop was the Royal Palace which is right up there with those in the London and Madrid. 

The tour took in the suite of rooms that are given to visiting heads of state on state visits. Apparently the bed in the picture below has been slept in by a our Queen & Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela and his wife and Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife amongst others. It suddenly occurred to me just how uncomfortable all the furniture is in these places, not exactly somewhere to chill out!

Next was a tour of the Swedish Parliament - I have to say I am becoming a bit of a parliament fan and if I am in a capital city usually try to go and have a look. The tours are informative, interesting and (with the exception of London) are usually free. This tour told us that Sweden is currently operating with a minority government and that the original building became too small so they took over the adjacent central bank building and linked them together. One of the main lobbies is the old banking hall.

Swedish Parliament - Main Chamber

Also in the same area is the Nobel Museum which is all about Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prizes and was very interesting. Just in case you don't know Nobel was a Swede who made his fortune mainly from the invention of dynamite and gelignite. He never married or had children and when he died he left his fortune to set up the Nobel prizes - Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Peace and Medicine. The Swedish central bank subsequently set up an Economics prize in his memory.  The prizes are all presented in Stockholm except Peace which Nobel stipulated should be awarded in Oslo.

Stockholm - Old Town