Kanelbullar and a Giant Spider

No, this post isn’t about a B movie that makes one’s eyes bleed.  Instead, it sums up the day’s events.  By now you’re probably asking yourself what shenanigans I have gotten up to and if Mr. U was by my side whilst I got up to no good.  The explanation of the first part of that thought will unfold below and the second part to that thought, naturally, is that Mr. U opted to rest and relax and leave me to my own devices.  In fact, just before I left the hotel room he threw some krona at me and said, I quote, “shoo”.  So “shoo”, I did.  Who am I to get in the way of his downtime when there are things to discover and places to go?  I probably shouldn’t have had that regular coffee with breakfast at 7:30AM.

Stockholm is a very easy city to navigate and since we are staying in Gamla Stan, everything that is of interest to me for this short visit is very close at hand.  It is a short jaunt down the road to the ferry pier where one can purchase a day pass for unlimited public transportation.  Since I intended to island hop, it was in my best interest to do so.  The ferry between Slussen and Djurgården runs every 15 minutes like clockwork and the entire trip takes 11 minutes from dock to dock. 

Since we had visited Djurgården the previous day, I knew where to go as soon as I arrived.  My first stop was to poke my nose into ABBA The Museum where one is meant to Walk In and Dance Out .  I did so in honour of my friend Stickman who is a HUGE fan.  Visiting the museum wasn’t possible but I did poke my nose around the gift store and I may have left after purchasing a small token or two.  I have to admit that just walking around for about 10 minutes listening to the sounds of ABBA being piped into the store did, indeed, induce a spring in my step.  How can you help but smile after listening to Super Trouper?

Since the weather was threatening to rain in a halfhearted way, I had decided to wear my trench coat, to bring some mittens and to wrap myself up in both a pashmina and a scarf to stay warm.  I’m glad that I did.  The umbrella I had borrowed from the hotel came in handy as well. 
 

My next stop on Djurgården was to visit Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air museum.  Skansen was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius.  A scholar and linguist, Hazelius noticed how Swedish folk culture was experiencing challenges in the face of industrialization and modernity. Inspired by the ethnographic museum he visited in Oslo, Hazelius wished to establish a museum in Stockholm to preserve and display traditional rural culture and way of life in Sweden.  Today, visitors to Skansen can experience a trip back in time all the way to the 16th century as well as wander through houses and farmlands that showcase the social conditions in Sweden from the 18th through the 20th centuries.  On the expansive property there is even a zoo that features both domestic and Nordic animals.
 

 I spent the majority of my time in Skansen in the Town Quarter visiting the many workshops and speaking with craftsmen and women plying their trades (while in character and in period costumes).  My first stop, however, was directly into the bakery.  As I entered the town, all I could smell was freshly-baked deliciousness wafting through the air.  I felt like Toucan Sam, following my nose directly to the bakery.  I had heard of kanelbullar - the heavenly cinnamon rolls produced in Sweden - but have never had the pleasure of tasting one fresh out of the oven.  Until today.  Oh, myyyy - to quote George Takei.  Oh.  My.

Fun Fact: 
The average Swede consumes cakes and pastries equivalent to 316 kanelbullar per year.  

That’s a lot of buns! 

In the Town Quarter I visited a glassworks, a furniture-maker, the Konsum cooperative store (which is now known as Coop), visited the Easter Market along Market Street and then had to call it quits.  I had been there for two hours already and could have easily spent another two days exploring.  My fingers were cold despite my mittens and layers and the rain was beginning to fall more insistently - making the visit less than pleasant even though the venue was extremely engaging.

A short ferry hop across the water to Skeppsholmen brought me eye to legs with the only spider that does not make me quiver with fear - Louise Bourgeois’s Maman.  Strange, Maman is 30 feet tall.  You’d think I would be running as fast as I could in the other direction but no, I have an inordinate amount of love for this monumental sculpture.  I am drawn to her like a moth to a flame, or moth to a spiderweb as the case may be.

To my extreme delight, the Moderna Museet is currently showcasing a major survey of Bourgeois’s work spanning 7 decades with over 100 works on display ranging from sculpture to drawing to painting.

While warming my frozen fingertips and waiting in line to purchase my ticket, I looked to my right and noticed a familiar face.  I did a brief double take and then, like a polite Canadian, made sure to look away.  The last thing that Hugh Grant and his family (partner, in-laws and young child) need is a open-jawed gawker staring while they are trying to figure out their next move in a museum.  Truthfully, I imagined that Mr. U was by my side and I could hear his voice whispering in my ear telling me not to stare.  A celebrity sighting was the last thing I had expected as I stood in line.

Bourgeois’s work is not for everyone but it certainly resonates with me.  I was even more delighted to discover that I could take photographs in the exhibition (without flash, of course).

Rounding a corner in the innovative exhibition space I came upon a group of children participating in a guided tour.  What an inspiring moment in time.  It was so encouraging to see a large group of young children looking, listening and sharing their thoughts about the works on display.  I haven't a clue what they were saying but it sure sounded good to me.

All in all, it was a great day out.  A relaxing sauna to warm my chilly bones and a lovely dinner out with Mr. U is what is on tap for the rest of the day.  Tomorrow we return to The Motherland refreshed, relaxed and rested.

Stockholm has been good to us.