Sweden is the third-largest country in western Europe. Because of its long, narrow shape and northerly location, the landscape is highly diversified. The Swedish landscape features countless lakes and waterways, surrounded by vast pine and spruce forests. Sweden has majestic mountains and glaciers, as well as wide-open countryside, interspersed by small idyllic villages and vibrant cities such as capital, Stockholm. Rabin Gupta reports.
Sweden is far off the beaten track especially for those based in Qatar. However, with the introduction of a service between the capital, Stockholm, and Doha by Qatar Airways, it is a distance that can be now travelled in six hours or so.
The country for long has punched way above its weight as it has given us companies like Ericsson, Volvo, Saab and IKEA, sporting greats like Bjorn Borg, Stefan Edberg, Carolina Kluft and Henrik Larsson and of course musical talents like ABBA, Roxette and Ace of Base. And there is the small matter of the Nobel Prize.
Surely there is something going on in Sweden that merits a visit. There is and lots of it too. And by the way, not all Swedes are blondes nor do they all go by the names of Inga or Sven.
The Swedes are a friendly and disciplined lot. The last bit hits you smack-dab in the face when you see pedestrians actually bothering to wait for the traffic signals to turn before crossing the street in spite of there being no vehicle around for miles. Drivers actually also stop to wait for pedestrians to cross, a stark contrast to Doha where it seems motorists clench their teeth and step on the gas in order to beat the hapless pedestrian to the zebra crossing.
Enter a shop in Stockholm and the greeting is the cheery hej hej (pronounced hey hey). If Swedish is not your cup of tea, an overwhelming 80 per cent of Swedes speak English, as learning the language is mandatory from third grade onwards. Another interesting aspect of the country is the religious and ethnic diversity. While the majority of Swedes are Lutherans, Islam is actually the second-largest religion there followed by Catholicism.
Sweden's liberal policies on asylum seekers and immigration have meant that various languages ranging from Arabic to Kurdish to Urdu can be heard on the city's many pedestrian shopping areas.
The city is strewn with museums of all kinds, there is a vibrant nightlife and shopping and more shopping, albeit expensive. There are glitzy department stores like NK and PUB, which are home to major international brand names, H&M, which recently set up shop in Doha, was actually founded in Sweden. There is a liberal sprinkling of small shops selling trinkets and souvenirs. One sprawling complex is dedicated to foods of all varieties, mainly Swedish staples like fish and meat.
Gamla Stan is the main shopping area and home to many cafes and bars. Toddlers can be seen walking about in fluorescent vests along with their minders as they stare wide-eyed at the Christmas displays in shop windows. An outdoor skating rink is also nearby to get their yah-yahs out.
The Swedish diet is heavy on fish, especially salmon and herring, and meats of all varieties are available aplenty. Reindeer or elk meat anyone?
Considering that Swedes pay among the highest taxes in the world and there is indeed some minor grumbling about it, the people are nevertheless happy. Interestingly, per capita, Sweden is up there as far as aid to other countries is concerned.
Like most European countries, Sweden does not lack in traditions. While summers are very pleasant and make people become outdoor-minded, winters can be grim, with snow, rain and forbidding grey skies. Unnervingly, it suddenly gets dark at around 4pm leading one to think it is much later than it is. The lack of sunlight for long stretches sees many houses and apartments with either a candle or a lamp on the windowsill. This, according to our guide Elisabeth Daude, is to ensure that there is at least some form of light in dwellings at all hours of the day.
Asked what this meant in term of electricity bills, she responded: "Actually, power in Sweden is pretty cheap as most of the electricity comes from hydropower."
Another tradition is newly-appointed ambassadors are taken to meet the King in an old-fashioned horse-drawn carriage, escorted by mounted police. No limo service here.
Stockholm is actually a city built on 14 islands which also means the inevitable locks and bridges, many of them centuries old. The nearby archipelago has a whopping 30,000 islands of which 10 per cent are inhabited. There are innumerable lakes, some freshwater and some brackish as the waters combine with that of the Baltic Sea.
Lakes mean boat trips and there is an array of ferry services to choose from for sightseeing. While the boats are open-air in the pleasant summer months, they are closed during the winter, allowing the tourist to travel in comfort as he or she can safely discard the woolies, kick back, slap on the headphones and listen to a guide speak of the many sights passed on shore.
A ride past the very posh Strasbergen area on a ferry leads the recording to intone it is the home of millionaires and famous names like Bjorn Borg and a band member from Roxette. Further down, a cosy looking house is the home of one of the members of super group ABBA, although who, we are not told.
The ferry route will also travel past a retirement home, so majestically built that in years past, it was actually saluted by sailors on naval ships who had the mistaken idea it was the royal palace.
The waters are remarkably clean and unlike polluted rivers like the Thames or the Rhine, people can safely fish and swim. Boats dot the waters and there is a ferry service operated by the Viking Line that can take one to Helsinki in neighbouring Finland in 14 hours, a popular option for Swedes going on summer vacation. The media team from Qatar on Qatar Airways' inaugural to Stockholm was led by the airline's ever-patient and efficient Senior Media Relations Officer Sigrid Rath. Also on hand was the photo-happy Sheraton Doha Public Relations Manager Leila Bitar.
Media were put up at the Sheraton Stockholm, located bang in the centre of the business district and a few minutes' walk from shopping. The hotel itself has a bit of history going for it being the first Sheraton property to be sited in Europe. It offers waterfront views and has just undergone a renovation. It also has had some big names stay there, including the likes of Britney Spears though no word on whether she trashed the suite or not.
Stockholm also offers the Absolut Ice Bar. Absolut is a big name in vodka and has dedicated a literally frozen tribute to its offerings. The Ice Bar maintains a constant temperature of around seven degrees below zero and there is a rush to get in, which means visitors cannot hang around for more than 15 minutes on average. A specially-insulated loose-fitting and hooded garment is given at the door. Other than the metal flooring, everything is made of solid blocks of ice, including the glasses. Drinks on offer range from the non-alcoholic to those containing various concoctions made from variations of Abolsut. The dangerously-named Wolf's Paw delivers a hefty swipe and is made of vodka, lingonberries and lingonberry juice. The berry is a bitterish tasting fruit found in Sweden.
Stockholm has its share of castles and palaces. One can view the slick changing of the Royal Guard and dine on a typical Swedish buffet at Vaxholm. Vaxholm is accessible only by boat and the 30-minute trip takes one to an imposing-looking castle. The buffet serves up definitely artery-clogging stuff, with all kinds of meats, desserts and fish, including about 20 varieties of herring pickled in different marinades. Starters here are more like finishers.
There is also Skansen, an outdoor exhibition which pays homage to the traditional crafts like glass-making - Sweden is internationally known for its crystal - and furniture-making using solid oak wood. There are numerous pathways making a map essential should one stray off the trails. Animals like owls, elk, wolves, seals and bears are there to be seen, but being winter, wolves could not be spotted and the bears were undoubtedly snoring away as they hibernated, dreaming of honey and other delicacies. And no worries, they are all safely behind cages.
Stockholm offers an efficient transportation system, ranging from very expensive taxi services, to a subway system, the ubiquitous launches and ferries as well as all types of buses. There is also a streetcar system although it does not operate in the winter months.
The National Museum is definitely worth checking out, particularly its section devoted to the mighty Vikings, a huge part of history in the region. On display are Viking swords, replica clothing worn at the time, video presentations can be seen depicting the life and times of the Viking era as also a well-preserved skeleton of a young girl, aged around 11, who had been buried with all the accoutrements.
Stockholm is an important tourism destination, with Germans constituting the largest number of visitors, followed by the British. According to the CEO of the Stockholm Visitors Board, Martin Rosborg: "We have to start better marketing for the Middle East. This is an old town. Us going to Qatar would be as exotic as for those coming to visit Stockholm. We have done some marketing in Dubai, but we have to work on it in future with direct flights now between Doha and Stockholm."
Rosborg also talked up the various types of cuisine available in the city as well as the fact that there are 20 Lebanese and five Middle Eastern restaurants in town, which would suit the Arab palate perfectly.
Qatar Airways started flights to Stockholm on November 27. The carrier will fly there four times a week using Airbus A319 aircraft, which could conceivably be upgraded to a larger airplane depending on passenger traffic. Stockholm is now there for the asking. Go visit!
Rabin Gupta
© The Peninsula 2007
