Christmas in Stockholm

Old Jan 10th, 2015, 12:17 AM
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Christmas in Stockholm

Four of us went to Stockholm from 21 – 30 December: my sister and her daughter, my DD and myself. The daughters are twenty-somethings. It was a great, great trip. I am glad that we just did it, in spite of the fact that it was c-o-l-d.

This is not a comprehensive TR. I just want to leave some info – and my impressions - for other travellers who are struggling to find info on Stockholm in winter. I found that most websites, even guidebooks, write as if it is perpetually summer there.

THE WEATHER
We had (for me) rough weather, down to -11 degrees, sometimes windy, some snow. One day the weather report said: ‘Minimum: -8. Maximum: -8’. We took screen shots and gleefully sent it to the family in summery South Africa.
In spite of this we had a good time. Somebody said that it is not that the place is too cold or too wet - it is just that you are not appropriately dressed. This is mainly true. You can be snug in your good jacket, but your face will still feel frozen after a while. This leaves you no choice, you just have to sit for a while in a warm restaurant and drink lovely creamy steamy hot chocolate.
We had glorious, quiet days with the sun shining on the snowy landscape, skaters passing on the frozen lake, children playing on the ice. For me this was an amazing experience. There was a 35C difference between where I live and Stockholm. I found the sudden change in temperature exhilarating.
Will I go again in winter? Yes, absolutely. I also think Sweden will be very beautiful in summer, but I am not sorry about going in winter.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS
I was disappointed. My only other experience was last year in Prague, where the markets were huge, really pretty, selling cinnamony chimney cakes, going on until New Years. We arrived this year in Stockholm on the 21st and that same late afternoon I dragged my poor tired family to the marked in Gamla Stan. It was the last day of the market, and many stalls were already abandoned. Not many Christmas lights, no food, nothing interesting. I do not know what it looked like the week before, but what we saw was not worth it.

CHRISTMAS IN STOCKHOLM
I loved the simple Christmas decorations in almost every window. Where we stayed we could see the balconies of apartment buildings, and each and every one of them had small lights, stars … very pretty with the background of snow. One evening I stood in front of what looked like a four story office block. In every window was a lighted ‘candle bridge’. I do not have the skill or the camera to take a good photo of this, but the memory stays.

One of the joys of Stockholm in winter, is that not too many other people join you there. The old streets of Gamla Stan were restfully quiet. I have seen pictures of the same streets teeming with people in summer. Of course there were tourists, but nothing was crowded.

Take note that you should not try to buy anything in a grocery store after noon on the 24th.

On Christmas morning it was snowing. For us, who come from an area where it never snows, it was very special. We moved from window to window until DD declared that it was definitely snowing more on her side of the building.

To be continued ...
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Old Jan 10th, 2015, 12:57 AM
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MUSIC
Christmas afternoon DD and I went to a Bach concert in Katarina Kyrka. It was packed. We arrived just before 3pm when it was due to start, and found two seats in the very last row. What a nice thing to do, Bach in an old, old church, then walking back crunching through the snow.

We also went to an excellent performance of EVITA. Everything of course in Swedish, but if you know the play, the music is still great. The theatre is not big. We bought the cheapest tickets and it was fine. We were glad that we have not spent more to sit a few rows to the front. A most enjoyable evening!

As far as I could determine, there was not much else going on – not many Christmas concerts or the like.
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Old Jan 10th, 2015, 01:04 AM
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I look forward to reading more about your impressions of Sweden since I live there. The markets were emptier because they are usually going in full swing starting at the end of November to the second week of December. Where I live I see few good markets close to December 25th but there is the exception to the one in the shopping mall.
It is very quiet in the winter. I also love the candles and lights in the windows. It was one memory that stuck with me when I first came to visit Sweden. It is so cozy and a tradition that's seen all over Sweden. I notice that people rarely have full window coverings compared to the US and with the deep windowsill it is perfect to set a lamp in the window to light up the cold months.
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Old Jan 10th, 2015, 01:19 AM
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I was wondering when you would write a report & what your impressions would be. We were also in Sweden & DK for Christmas as we have a house there. Usually after St Lucia day, things start to wind down. Copenhagen was more lively. The Swedes and Scandinavians in general really know how to decorate their homes.
I also found it odd that Scandinavians never seem to close their curtains.
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Old Jan 10th, 2015, 01:26 AM
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THE ARCHIPELAGO
In winter there seem to be two ways to see something of this extended area.
In the first place, you can pay SEK 250 for a two to three hour tour. The boat does not stop anywhere. On some of these boats you can have a meal – of course it costs more. When we were there, there was one tour most days; you have to ask at the office opposite the Grand Hotel.
We opted for the second choice: an ordinary ferry (SEK75 one way) to one of the islands. Originally we wanted to go to an island that is further away from Stockholm. The reality is that there is NOTHING open on most islands during winter. The ferry drops you and returns two and a half hours later. In summer this will be great for having a good walk and perhaps lunch. In winter it was not an option. In the end we went just as far as Vaxholm. It was a delightful trip. The ferry took just over an hour; we explored Vaxholm a bit and had wonderful hot soup and homemade bread in a little place near the ferry stop. Cannot remember the name, but there is (if I remember correctly) a seagull on the door. In the street opposite the water, not too expensive. Also a delectable choice of homemade cakes! We returned with the bus. Easy – there are a few buses every hour.
In winter there is only one ferry each day – it leaves from Stockholm every morning at 8.30; Sundays, Christmas day and the 26th it leaves at 9.30.
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Old Jan 10th, 2015, 03:21 AM
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TRANSPORT
We bought a 7day ACCESS CARD and thought it a good investment. Sweden is reported to have the most expensive public transport system in the world.

Please note: if you buy your Access Card in the evening, this counts as your first day. With hindsight it seems logical, but I understood the lady to say that it counted from the HOUR you buy it. Not true for the 7day card.

We could use this card on all trains and buses, also on the ferry to Djurgarden, but NOT on the ferry to Vaxholm. Strangely it was accepted in Sigtuna, but not in Uppsala.

Prices for TAXIS in Stockholm are not regulated. This means you have to ask a driver how much he will charge you, and in theory you should be able to negotiate. This lead to a very funny situation, with me wandering around between perhaps 50 taxis outside the airport building, and my family shivering and commenting from the sidewalk. It did not matter much in the long run. The short answer is that taxis are expensive, and we used it only twice (from Arlanda and back). We paid SEK520 each way (Arlanda to Sodermalm).

If you book a taxi, STOCKHOLM TAXI is a good choice. I have this little story about them: I left my laptop in the taxi that dropped us at Arlanda. By the time I realized it, the driver was back in the city. I frantically phoned their call center. Our driver found the laptop, wanted to take it to the police in the city center, then gave it to another driver who brought it to me at the airport for the price of SEK750. (It is apparently more expensive to take luggage to the airport than people with luggage.) The whole rescue operation was coordinated by the friendly and patient women at the call center, and I was just so thankful to have the laptop back. The first time ever I misplace something like this. For us, the mere fact that you could lose an expensive article and have it returned to you was just incredible!
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Old Jan 10th, 2015, 05:43 PM
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DAY TRIPS
Apart from Vaxholm we took two other day trips.

UPPSALA: the cathedral on the hill has a mighty organ on which somebody skilfully played ‘Hark the herald angels sing’ just when we entered - it went well with the huge christmas tree at the altar; I found the rune stones in the little park very interesting; the castle is not worth the slog uphill; I could see that the architecture in the central part of town can be beautiful. But: a freezing wind was blowing!

Stockholm’s Access Card is not accepted in Uppsala, and we had to buy a ticket (SEK75) for the return trip. This ticket is valid for two hours. It is possible to buy the ticket, catch a bus to Gamla Uppsala with the BURIAL MOUNDS (these are huge … bigger than I expected). Interesting to see children gliding down these snow-covered ancient mounds on sledges! (Are Swedish kids immune to the cold? It certainly looked like it.) Have a brisk walk to the burial mounds, back to the bus, AND catch the train before the two hours are over. Phew.

The nicest thing of the trip to Uppsala was the train trip there and back. This is not Uppsala’s fault. It was the only day of the whole trip that the cold really got to me. We discovered that the secret is in the wind. Quiet cold days are just easier than windy ones. Windy days should be reserved for museum dwelling.
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 01:21 AM
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The islands on the archipelago have mainly summer cottages so not much going on during winter. One of the best ways to see the archipelago is a ferry trip from Stockholm to Turku or Helsinki & is a a very highly recommended thing to do in Stockholm. During the holidays, they will serve the Julbord in the restaurant.
The south & west of Sweden did not have snow or very low temps, only one day whilst we were there it was -18C and -12C but it was dry crisp sunny and cold, not windy. The rest of the time it was + degrees C (disappointingly). Copenhagen was pretty mild, the shops were busy, Nyhavn decorated and restaurants open, the Tivoli Gardens were open and looked good.
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 02:58 AM
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Hi Odin, nice that you add more perspective here. I have actually looked up the prices for Stockholm - Helsinki return, but unfortunately it would have been expensive for the South Africans (shocking how weak the Rand is).
We did not have that much snow. DD called it 'tourist snow' - enough to look nice in the photos, not enough to cause problems. Maybe +-5 cm. Having snow on Christmas morning was just a special treat for us.
Yes, I have come to appreciate the difference between <dry, crisp, sunny> cold, and wet and windy cold. I greatly prefer the first.
Interesting how fast we all adapt. After a week of -8 and -11, it was 0 Celsius on the day we left. We felt it was just a bracing spring day!

FCBoW: my one enduring memory of Stockholm will be the the christmas lights everywhere, the real fires in front of some restaurants, the curtainless windows with a lamp or a candle or a big star. What I also loved was the simplicity: perhaps just a pine branch with a few small lights against a wall, a few strings of fairy lights around a balcony railing, mostly just yellow, the reds and greens the exception. Only one balcony near us had BLUE. But window upon window, building upon building in the early dusk at 3pm!
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 03:22 AM
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Interesting report. We have been to Stockholm several times but always in summer. Coming from Minnesota originally I would be more used to the cold than you but Id still prefer somewhat warmer temps and no wind. It's interesting, however, to learn your impressions of a city at a different time of year. We enjoyed our trip to Uppsala but it, too, was in summer, not winter. Nice report of your impressions of the city. Thanks.
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 03:27 AM
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SIGTUNA is a special little town. If you can make only one day trip from Stockholm, this would be a nice choice. The Access Card covers the train trip there, it takes just under an hour. From the train station you take a bus, perhaps another 15 minutes to Sigtuna itself. It was easy, the bus was waiting just outside the train station, and returning the train left perhaps 5 minutes after the bus had dropped us.

The trip to get to Sigtuna was enjoyable. I loved the few times we ventured out of Stockholm … the frozen lakes with far-away figures skating, a narrow road disappearing into a pine forest.
Sigtuna has a few interesting ruins, a few rune stones, a small church, a nice view of a lake if you climb a small hill, just one pretty street with pretty shops (yes, perhaps it is a bit of a tourist trap but it is still pretty!).
Memories of Sigtuna: an older man walking near the lake, slowly eating a huge ice-cream (it was -7). DD’s comment: at least he has not problem with it melting.
A mother skating, her toddler on a sledge behind her.
Teenage boys frolicking on the ice.
Swans and other water birds clustering in the tiny section of the lake that is not frozen.
Delightful coffee and pastry in a small little restaurant with a very low roof and a fire in a huge fireplace, small windows with candles in each of them.
This was just a picture-postcard day.
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 03:33 AM
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Enjoying this - I have been to Sweden and Norway, but both in summer, and would love to do a winter trip.
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 05:26 AM
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Thanks Julie and RM - I appreciate your comments. This is now becoming much too drawn-out and rambling. I started out just wanting to jot down a few notes for other intrepid winter travellers!
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Old Jan 11th, 2015, 05:31 AM
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Let me conclude with two reasons people told me NOT to go to Sweden in winter: it is too expensive and the days are too short.

IS IT EXPENSIVE?
It depends! We were part of a home-exchange, which changes things. As a rule we did not eat in restaurants - just coffee / hot chocolate in order to defrost sometimes
We had a nice hot breakfast every morning before we ventured out, and early dinner when we came back. We shopped at grocery stores. I cannot say that food there was much more expensive than in Dubai where I live. We left a few bottles of wine for our exchange partners in my apartment; they did the same for us.

I looked up transport prices to compare between London and Stockholm. For clarity I convert £ to SEK:

The Access Card cost SEK320 for 7 days. This is cheaper than the 7-day Oyster Card in London for £32 (£32 = SEK388).

A car from Heathrow to central London cost me £50 (£50 = SEK 605); Stockholm Taxi asked SEK520.

(Odin and others: see if you agree with my sums - this is what I came up with ... to my own surprise.)

If you sit down to a meal in Gamla Stan you will pay for the privilege. But if you can buy your food in ordinary grocery stores it need not be that expensive.

I am not a shopper, so I have no idea what stuff costs in the malls of Stockholm. The cousins went to the flagship Ikea store, and found the prices exactly the same as in Dubai.

I find this site helpful when I want to compare costs in two cities:
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living...es.jsp?country

DAYLIGHT HOURS
Yes, the days are short. The sun goes down by 3pm. I have watched a beautiful sunrise over the harbour at 8.30am (swans and golden water and pink-red clouds). We made the most of the hours that we had: we were out by 9am; usually back by 4pm. Then to the nearby ICA store or the COOP or the food market for the important stuff of the day: food!!
We followed the example of the Swedes and enjoyed cozy evenings at home with family. We caught up on two years of stories and gossip. We drank our hosts’ excellent red wine. We mostly went to bed early. Very restful indeed!

IN CONCLUSION
It was a great trip, I am glad that we did not stay away because the temperatures were not in the average range, or the prices would be too steep, or the daylight too short. It all worked out wonderfully well.
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Old Jan 12th, 2015, 03:58 AM
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Nice conclusion. After hating winters for all too many years in Minnesota, we now find that winter vacations we take with our son who skis while we relax and explore what's out there in ski villages and surrounding towns are some of our most enjoyable. Hurray for winter--in small doses.
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Old Jan 12th, 2015, 05:14 AM
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Hi Julie! For me the novelty factor was huge. But I think even when you get used to it, being in a nice destination in winter with fewer people around can be good choice. Of course it will be totally different when you have to go to work and commute and just live while it is really cold!
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Old Jan 13th, 2015, 04:07 PM
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You got that right for sure.
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