Goodbye to old friends, visiting Greta Garbo and the National Museum

15 May 2022.

The morning began with an extra-leisurely breakfast in the hotel. Richard and Pauline would be heading back home later this morning so we sat and chatted about this-and-that over food and coffee. Pretty much like usual. It had been two-and-a-half years since the four of us had traveled together and that was simply way too long. Sharing experiences on the road so-to-speak is always a pleasure and traveling with those two is doubly so. 

After saying our goodbyes with hugs all around -- now keenly aware that life and circumstances cannot be taken for granted -- they headed to the desk to check out before making their way to the metro and the airport.  

Susie and I also headed out to the metro with our first objective being to renew our transport passes for another 24 hours. Since we had a little time on our old ones we hopped on the first line to take us to the central station where we got off and made our way to the nearest ticket service counter. We also wanted to test out whether the following day we would schlep ourselves and bags to the train station via the metro or try a taxi again. The metro won. We concluded it would a very easy thing: elevators and escalators, no stairs!

That accomplished we got back on the metro and headed out to the Stockholm suburbs, specifically to Skogskyrkogården and the grave of Greta Garbo. This cemetery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an incredible green space (they offer private and public guided tours). They even have a visitor center with cafe and a city bus makes regular runs between the metro stop and the cemetery.

lane to one of the five chapels

Greta Garbo

the visitor center

Leaving the cemetery we made our way back to the metro stop and into the city. We got off at a stop that was unfamiliar to us and, after some confusion, we eventually made it down to a part of the waterfront that WAS familiar where we planned to take the tram to the central shopping mecca. Oh, and while waiting for a tram, we did catch a glimpse of the men on horseback heading off for a changing of the royal palace guard:

Susie wanted to check out a particular store which she thought seemed a bit like Galleries Lafayette in Paris, but which turned out to be more of an indoor mall for designer collections. The lower level did have some fascinating food and kitchen sections which was worth the trouble (that and I stopped to have a glass of cava while she explored). Win-win to be sure.

From the market area we returned to the tram and took it to Djurgården island. Familiar territory to us now, I was on the hunt for a small cemetery that was close to the Vasa Museum. After a few minutes walk we found it: Galärvarvs-kirkogården. 

So, that's two cemeteries in one day - I believe this might be a record for me! Next up we walked down to the Slussen No. 82 ferry landing and took it across the harbor to Skeppsholmen Island, a place we had visited with Richard and Pauline. This time we walked across the island past the Museum of Modern Art and across (yet another) bridge to the National Museum. 

We browsed the 19th and early 20th century artists and were pleased to see works by Degas (a study version of La Petit Danseuse), Morisot, Manet, Cassat and a Nordic artist named Carl Larsson we became quite taken with, among others.

From the museum we made our way to the bus then metro and back home. where we relaxed until suppertime. Uncertain of where to spend our last meal we walked around the corner and up a block to a place known by locals (apparently) for beer and whiskey - Akkurat. We grabbed a table and each had a lager from Germany and baked char. with roasted small potatoes. Another delicious meal in Stockholm!

A short stroll back to the hotel and pack up for tomorrow's early walk to the metro.

Norway, here we come!