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Ode to a Swedish Pancake
“Flat and supple you smile at me,
Dark lingonberry eyes ablaze as setting sun;
Maple hair like liquid flowing everywhere.”
Saturdays at our home are often Swedish pancake mornings, a tradition started in our home by Kathy’s mom, Dr. Grandma, many years ago when she wintered with us. Our breakfasts each morning here in Stockholm are a Swedish pancake feast–every morning! Love them!
Our three days in Stockholm have been beautiful and interesting. The weather has been a grand “long sleeve” or “light jacket” joy. Our hotel is just outside the city center, with metro literally right outside. We were upgraded to a suite since we spend many nights in Marriotts–one of the perks. Speaking of metro, we have been impressed with the public transportation system here in Sweden. It is well laid out and easy to access–it is logical, clean and frequent. We have traveled many a mile since we arrived, especially so in Stockholm.
Gamla Stan is the old town historic island of Stockholm which covers many islands. It contains important national sites on its cobbled lanes. We spent a wonderful day wandering medieval alleys and streets. Old Swedish architecture in deep pastels dotted the cityscape, and plazas with fountains beckoned. I had forgotten that old cobblestone requires care in maneuvering, but we survived. Past the Nobel Prize Museum is the 700 room Royal Palace. We arrived in the massive courtyard just in time to witness the “changing of the guard” daily ceremony. It was an impressive program that not only saw the guard change, but was educational as an announcer gave instructions (Swedish and English) to the palace musicians to play the old musical commands for the arrival of the King; infantry charge; Swedish taps; cease warfare; return to barracks; etc. Fascinating. Nearby, the Palace Chapel (cathedral, Church of Sweden-Lutheran) was serene and beautiful. It had a huge pipe organ and ornate carvings with gold-covered pulpit, and the royal pews were covered with massive wooden and gold-adorned Swedish Royal Crowns. Across the island, the Old German Church (Church of Sweden-Lutheran) was the home of the large German population in Stockholm in medieval times. It is beautiful with much gold and paintings of the prophets and apostles hanging in straight lines around the entire space. It has great acoustics for its wonderful gold-covered pipe organ, and the church hosts regular music concerts. Along the way we stopped for lunch in a cozy antique Swedish establishment–my fish soup was amazing. I order fish soup everywhere we travel. It is no surprise how different they are because of different fish; different soup stock and spices; and different ingredients along with the fish. Mine was shell fish along with herring and cod in fish stock with seaweed and zucchini. We dined to candlelight mid-day and enjoyed it! We moseyed over to the Swedish Memorial Church housing the bodies of most Swedish Royalty over time. Its tall towers stand out over the horizon. Kathy shopped some at my insistence and is coming home with a distinctive Swedish sweater. Looks good!
Today we traveled to Uppsala, north of Stockholm via commuter train. Uppsala is the intellectual and spiritual heart of Sweden. We were blessed in that the “Cultural Festival,” highlighting the different cultures represented in Sweden today, was in full swing. I know we walked by six major stages playing many different kinds of music as we pursued the food stalls and enjoyed the ambiance. Upsalla is beautiful with a river running through the center and many bridges linking the two sides. A famous university is located here as is the largest church building in all the Nordic countries–the Church of Sweden-Lutheran cathedral. A fine example of brick gothic architecture, the interior is stunning. Painted walls and ceilings and beautiful wood carvings abound.
There is so much here we did not get to visit in our three days, but we lallygagged and ate and wandered and absorbed and enjoyed. Just the way I like to travel. By the way, our hotel upgrade came with spa passes. Not my cup of tea so much, but Kathy loved it!
Off the Beaten Path
Gothenburg on Sweden’s western coast faces toward Norway. It is a “young” city, having been constructed from ground up in the 1600s as a port for commerce and a naval bastion to ward off attacks from Sweden’s enemies–at that time Norway and Denmark. We had chosen Gothenburg as a rest stop on our journey not knowing much about it and knowing I would need time to recoup after our air flight into Copenhagen. My oncologist/hematologist had run tests before our trip and told me my immunoglobulins were decreasing again and he was further concerned for my kidneys, so he took me off my multiple myeloma maintenance drug for the duration of our trip. He wished us a great trip and told me I would resume immunoglobulin infusions when we returned home, at which time I would have further testing. As I advise folks, travel when you have the opportunity!
We enjoyed our three-day sojourn in Gothenburg. The weather was pleasant even when the temperatures dropped into the 50’s and low 60’s. This is my preferential weather. The city’s botanical gardens are one of Europe’s finest and were wonderful to stroll. They were close to our hotel and so we ventured there every day to soak up the sun and relish the clean fresh air. We were amused at the hen and chicks plants that were planted to look like rocks in patterns around various gardens. From a distance we did indeed think they were rocks. I will admit that I did sleep late every day until Kathy convinced me that I was missing a wonderful breakfast that was included in the cost of our hotel. How often does one get liver pâté (not braunschweiger), which I love, for breakfast? And Kathy was delighted to enjoy pickled herring for breakfast. As to the other meals, we enjoyed them. One night at a Scandinavian restaurant, the freshly- caught cod was cooked to perfection and more than delightful in a sour cream sauce with tender asparagus as a side. The chocolate pie turned out to be home made chocolate fudge with ice cream. It put a smile on our face remembering a deceased friend who presented us with a gift of homemade fudge every Christmas.
We spent time touring the old parts of the city and enjoyed walking along the canals that course through. All in all it was a restful and delightful “rest stop.” Tomorrow, we catch a bus for Stockholm. We had also bussed from Copenhagen to Gothenburg. I tried four months ago to get train tickets, but they were sold out. Determined to keep the itinerary I had planned, I opted for bus. Having not done this in “like forever,” I was a little nervous, but all is well. The bus depots are by the train stations and the busses are clean and not crowded. They are like a comfortable tourist bus. We survived just fine, proving once again that where there is a will in travel, there is a way!
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