«Our Scandinavian August» (the notes of an adventure seeker)

This day was full of experiences – too much we were going to watch.

We departed from the camping at 10.00. Our first object was Gamla Uppsala (Ancient Uppsala). It is the UNESCO’s World Heritage site. The group took the bus to get there, because it is a couple of kilometres north from the Fyrishov Camping.

Gamla Uppsala is known due to its burial mounds of the Viking era. Powerful kings were buried there 1500 years ago! This place is a great historical site famous throughout Scandinavia.

In the Gamla Uppsala museum we saw the exhibition devoted to the Vikings’ life. There were inquisitive utensils, helmets, swords. I was shocked by the pictures painting sacrifices of animals and people to assuage Odin, Thor and other Norse gods. That displayed what the barbarians the Vikings were!

Then we went along the path going to the mounds. They looked like artificial tombs. Such a mound is made up of several layers (sand, gravel, stones). It reaches 10-15 m height.

Near the museum there was the ancient stone church from the 12th century, which is the rare historical artefact.

We returned in Uppsala in 2 hours. The group left the bus and turned to the city centre, where all major sights were located. The students came up to the ground on the elevation where Uppsala Castle was built on during the reign of Gustav Vasa. Along the edges of this elevation several cannons were put, evidentially to protect it.

Then we came down to the Botanical garden, which was opposite the castle. It is the oldest botanical garden in Sweden (was laid out in 1655). This garden has rich collection of plants. When I came in its territory I felt like it was nicely arranged city park. The further I walked the more species of plants I saw. And what interesting – many plants are grown in the artificially arranged landscapes. But there were also some orangeries and greenhouses for the most demanding plants. This botanical garden is much bigger than that in Oulu. It occupies a large area.

Today this garden is called the Linnaeus Garden, devoting to the “king of botanists”. The year of 2007 is the 300 year anniversary of Carl Linnaeus. We arrived in Uppsala in August while one month earlier there was a celebration of this important event.

Our next destinations were 2 university museums – the zoological museum and the palaeontology one. It was the first zoological museum I was satisfied by, since I had entered Scandinavia. It had a huge exhibition of stuffed animals performed all continents of the Earth! Another museum had figures of dinosaurs and a small mineral collection, which is less than that in Oulu.

As we left the museums everybody got free time to visit other attractions of Uppsala. I went to the main building of the University, the oldest one in Scandinavia! – founded in 1477. It has a comprehensive international research experience. The University of Uppsala is Sweden’s most authoritative one.

There were some plaques with names of the most honorary scientists on the building’s walls. I found those of Anders Celsius, Anders Jonas Angstrom and of course, Carl Linnaeus.

To satisfy my curiosity I climbed up to the “King’s” elevation. I wanted to watch the cannons more attentively. Standing near such “representatives” of ancient times I felt like a cannoneer.

Then I took a walk along the Fyrisan River, but suddenly found that there was a bicycle on the river’s bottom. I was told further that it was a tradition for students that graduated – they threw their bicycles away into the river. What a ridiculous tradition!

So I was walking along this cosy and quiet city till it became getting dark.

Early getting up proved we were in a hurry. Today we are going to Stockholm!

As we finished our breakfast and left the cabins, the students got on the bus and departed from Uppsala. Our direction is the road E4. The group arrived in the capital of Sweden in 1.5 hours. It was my second visit of Stockholm.

This city was founded in 1252. First it was a little settlement on the Stadsholmen Island (modern Gamla Stan), located between the Malaren Lake and the Baltic Sea. Then it had grown as a main port of Sweden by the middle of 14th century. Stockholm has been a capital of the country since the twenties of the 16th century.

Modern Stockholm is a huge economic, cultural and scientific centre of all Scandinavia. Its population estimates at 1 200 000, considering the whole area of agglomeration (so-called Big Stockholm).

I like this city. It is very beautiful. Due to geographical position of Stockholm on a picturesque area the city earned the name of “Northern Venice”.

We stopped near the “Viking line” terminal. It was about 11.00. The group leader gave us nearly 7 hours for sightseeing.

Funny event took place in the terminal. We met a taxi driver from Syria. He was offering his services. When he knew that we were the Russians, he started speaking our native language. I was really shocked. He said he had studied in Byelorussia. He got a diploma of engineer. Then the Syrian moved in Sweden to earn much money. But even at that time he was not satisfied by his life conditions in Stockholm.

Viktor Mikhailovich and I decided to walk together because it was easier to take photos of each other. But I also knew the city and could guide him.

Of course, our first object was the Info-centre. We passed through the Gamla Stan, which is perhaps the most beautiful part of Stockholm, and went to the Kungstradgarden (King’s Garden) where our destination point was located. In the tourist centre I was really excited by the abundance of brochures. It was too much information. Unfortunately we arrived in Stockholm on Monday when the majority of museums were closed. But I wanted to realize the dream of my childhood – to visit the house on the roof of which Karlsson (one of the most famous personages of Astrid Lindgren) lived. The local guides pointed supposed home on the map for us. This was a place on Dalagatan (in the Vasastan District). We thanked the guides and moved to the Gamla Stan.

In 12.10 a spectacular event took place near the Royal Palace. There was the changing of the horse guard. It attracted many tourists, like me and Viktor Mikhailovich. I was admired by this miraculous ceremony. There were many women among riders, which surprised me.

The Royal Palace in Stockholm is one of the largest palaces in Europe. Built in the Italian baroque style, it was completed in 1754. The Royal Palace is the official residence of the King of Sweden. But as I said it was Monday and we did not have an opportunity to visit it. Instead of that we spent almost an hour, walking down the Gamla Stan.

I remembered I had to watch the Karlsson’s roof. We should have taken metro. I knew what the Stockholm metro was like. And to extend my pleasure I went to the Zinkensdamm station which was much further from the Gamla Stan. When we came down the underground I was much impressed by the beautifully decorated interior of the station. Viktor Mikhailovich also liked the comfortable carriages. We got in one of the carriages that “delivered” us to the T-Centralen station where we changed for the green line of the subway.

Viktor Mikhailovich and I got off the train near the Odenplan. We covered several tens of meters and reached the house which we were pointed at on Dalagatan. But actually, it was the house where Astrid Lindgren was living in a period of 1941-2002. We learnt it from the commemorating plaque on the house’s wall. Just opposite this building there was the Vasapark with Astrid Lindgren’s terrace. So we failed to find the real roof where Karlsson supposedly lived.

I advised Viktor Mikhailovich to prefer a walk to taking metro. And we continued our journey. The route was going along Drottninggatan. It is the main pedestrian street of Stockholm, so we can call it “Stockholm’s Arbat”. There were many shops and cafes on it. The street was overcrowded.

In 40 minutes we got to the “Viking” terminal. As all the students came back we (including our drivers with their bus) got in the ferry that was going to brings us to Turku. We departed from Stockholm at 20.10. A half of an hour later the student and the teachers were sitting it the domestic restaurant having a great dinner. So we could taste the dishes we had never eaten before. It was a nice finish of such a wonderful day!