Hashing in Stockholm...

That evening we were excited to hash with the Stockholm Underground Hash House Harriettes. It was especially cool that the hare was Laid Bird, whom we had hung out with the night before.

It was late May and despite the blue skies, there was a bit of a nip in the air.

As a slow runner, I was especially lucky to get to run with the fellow who was sweeping (staying at the back to make sure no one got lost) and he gave me nice explanations of what we were running past (all of which, I’ve long forgotten).

They normally have around 40 hashers run with them weekly. It was extra convenient that the pub where the trail started and ended was within walking distance of our hostel.

It was also nice that the photo stop was across from our hostel. 

Opee loved the trail. The sweep was kind to give me a shortcut through a cemetery so I didn’t get too far behind.

As always, Opee had a story to share in the circle...

...and we did a down-down for being visitors. Since it was our first time there, we didn’t have to pay, which was extra convenient as we had never bothered to get any cash. This was our first cashless trip: we used Apple Pay for everything. Ironically, that wasn’t possible during our recent trip to Silicon Valley, home of Apple Computer.

Funny enough, Opee was interviewed by a Swedish blogger that ran alongside him for the last leg of the trail despite clearly not wearing running clothes.

Truth is Dead...

The next day I went to Fotografiska, the Museum of Photography, which was the only museum I paid to enter. 

I got such a good laugh out of the Truth is Dead exhibit by British photographer Alison Jackson, that it alone was worth the price of admission. At first glance all of her photographs look like famous people in unusual scenes...

...such as Prince Harry soaking Queen Elizabeth in champagne...

...or Queen Elizabeth walking her Corgis down a UK High Street.

There was a sign next to the Trump photos reiterating that Donald Trump is not in any of the photos. It is a lookalike, as in all of the other photos, proving that you cannot rely on your own perceptions when it comes to photography. Much like the President, the camera lies. To see more of her images, click here.

I loved the view from the museum’s restaurant, where I especially enjoyed the Sourdough Belgian Blonde which was brewed with leftover sourdough bread from the restaurant.

Next I visited the Stockholm City Museum, which opened in 1942 in a building dating from 1685.

It was interesting to learn about Stockholm’s history.

This wasn’t in the museum, but nearby, and is included to show that I didn’t see any impressive street art. 

Spotted in Stockholm...

I spotted some interesting things that day, including this clever sculpture on a random street...

 ...these street skiers...

...and this sign warning about well-dressed pickpockets. 

That evening Jimmy and I were thrilled to have dinner at our favorite restaurant in the world: Hermans. Since our last visit in 2013, the vegetarian restaurant had gone fully vegan. The food and view were still amazing, so I was happy to be able to go back the following day for lunch even though Jimmy couldn’t join me. 

After dinner we met up with our local hash friend Laid Bird and a few others for beer and a pub quiz at an Irish bar. It was surprisingly fun and successful as we won. On our walk home, we caught sight of this tower’s two clocks that look like eyes. 

These night images turned out surprisingly well. This is looking towards the boat...

 ...and this is looking from the boat at the city hall...

...and towards Old Town.

National Museum...

After a short visit to the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities, I continued onto the National Museum; the museum was founded in 1792, while this building opened in 1866.

Considering I had just bought an ornament with a Dala horse, a traditional painted wooden horse that has become a symbol of Sweden, I found How to Cook a Souvenir particularly interesting. The artist is from the village where the horse originated and this 1995 piece makes a statement about the arbitrariness of national identity.

I also liked the cheerfulness of Mirror, made in 1968.

 

What impressed me the most was the architecture, including this roof over the sculpture courtyard...

 ...and the paintings over the grand staircases.

Modern Art Museum...

I appreciated that all the museums that I visited in Stockholm had free entrance. I also appreciated this museum’s sense of humor by having the above in the entrance hall. Some might find this off-color, but I can assure you that this was mild compared to the truly repulsive art exhibit Jimmy and I saw when we visited this museum on our 13th wedding anniversary.

Some of the interesting artworks that I saw included these bizarre bunk beds...

 ...this weird melted person...

 ...unusual yak.

...and neon lips.

I also appreciated this very creative sign for the loo.

Walking to the Modern Art Museum...

Jimmy left after breakfast for a conference where he was serving as a moderator, so I was on my own for the day. I set off for the Modern Art Museum. Along the way, I walked through Old Town...

 ...past the Royal Palace, built in 1760...

 ...and along the waterfront.

On park grounds next to the museum, there were a bunch of whimsical rotund female figures alongside rattling mechanical machines, all of which were originally created for the World Fair in Montreal in 1967 as The Fantastic Paradise.

Where Next?...

Just four days after returning from Australia, I joined Jimmy on a business trip to Stockholm. It was nearly midnight when our flight landed, so it was quite late when we finally arrived at our floating hostel.

Our room was very small, but that didn’t matter as we knew we wouldn’t be spending much time there during our three-night stay.

While drinking a beer on the top level of the ship, we enjoyed the view across the Riddarfjarden, the eastern bay of Lake Malaren, to the Old Town.

The ship was built in 1950 in Norway for s shipping company and was eventually retrofitted to carry passengers.

It was taken out of service in 1991 and permanently moved to Stockholm to become a hostel in 1995.