Stockholm - Discovering Sweden's capital

While I was in Uppsala, Sweden, I made several day trips to Stockholm. The train journey between Uppsala and the capital only takes 40 minutes. The islands that Stockholm is built on are part of an archipelago on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

Spring was arriving while I was there and many residents thronged Drottninggatan, a main shopping street, and the Hötorget Market. I passed by the Scandia Teatern, part of the chain owned by the film production company Svensk Filmindustri, the producer of Ingmar Bergman's films.

I explored Gamla Stan, the historic district of Stockholm. It's the home of Storkykan Cathedral, the Royal Palace and the Nobel Museum.

The National Museum is a short walk from Gamla Stan. While I was there I saw an excellent exhibition of the work of the Pre-Raphaelites, the influential group of 19th century English artists.

I also explored Skeppsholmen, a small island that's home to some excellent museums. The best-known is the Moderna Museet, where I had the chance to see the monumental images of the German photograher Andreas Gursky. Adjoining the Moderna Museet is the Architecture Museum, where I saw a show by the innovative Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn. One of my most pleasant surprises in Stockholm was seeing outdoor sculptures by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. The sculptures were originally created for Expo 67 in Montreal.

One afternoon I took a local ferry to the town of Vaxholm. The boat passed through waterways dotted with small islands that are home to rustic cottage communities. The region reminded me of cottage country in Canada.

As I walked back to the train station one day, I passed through the café-lined square of Kungsträdgården. I also discovered the much-maligned and sometimes-admired Hötorget skyscrapers, as well as the Kulturhuset that faces them.