So I'm back from a few days in Stockholm. To continue with an old tradition, I'd like to list here the things that changed - or did not change - since last time I was there:

  • the number of pubs and restaurants has really exploded since 2000.
  • the number of dogs - and dog shit on the ground - too.
  • Tvillingarnas, near Vasa Museet, is still the bar I prefer in the summertime.
  • since one Euro is about 9.45 SEK, a french citizen may find the prices quite comparable to Paris, and sometimes even cheaper. It's harder to find the "much cheaper" category though...
  • it's the third time I visit Vasa Museet and I still find it amazing, a must-see during a stay in Stockholm
  • it's possible to visit Stockholm on a Segway, you have to book a place in Gallerian. In front of Vasa Museet, one stupid guy tried to show the girl on the previous Segway he could accelerate and take her position in the herd. But the ground was covered with small rocks and he failed. The Segway almost landed on my son Michel, so scared he could not talk. The second later, I proved that I am also able to shout in swedish... I still don't understand why this city tour goes on unstable paths, or at least unstable for absolute beginners on a Segway. And unstable paths going through highly touristic areas, crowded, full of children. That's too dangerous. If you visit Stockholm like that, remember: a Segway is NOT a toy.
  • there's a very nice outlet with Fjäll Räven, Peak Performance and Cross in Barkarby.
  • you may notice a lot, really a lot of people between 35 and 40 years old with no children. It's not what you think it is for many of them. They became parents around 15 years ago... They children are now teen-agers, on their own, and the parents are enjoying night life in the swedish capital. When I was there in 1990-1991, it was so common to see a girl 19 years old with a baby that it was shocking for people coming from southern europe.
  • every day during the summer, the royal guards play music on their horses in front of the royal castle in Gamla Stan, the old town. Because they need a 5 meters-wide path to leave, a soldier with a rifle, a nice-looking (if you're an ameoba) blue uniform and an incredible metal helmet that makes him look like the Keiser, maintains the crows out of that path. But the silly guy has a baillonette on his rifle. A real sharp one. And since he is playing his little I-am-a-star game in front of all tourists taking a digital photo, he is ***very*** dangerous, aiming at people at very close range (a few centimeters only) with that dangerous sword. If you happen to have an acquaintance in the Royal Swedish Guards, tell him/her about that. There will be a deadly accident some day.
  • there will be tolls around Stockholm, starting 1st of january. Like in Oslo and London.
  • in 2007, the highest speed on swedish highways will be 140 km/h instead of 110 on some selected important portions!
  • SAS, the airline, is pure shit. Not only is it quite expensive, but the service onboard is worse that on low-cost airlines: at least on low-cost, I don't pay much and the crew is polite and smiling. On SAS, not only they are unpolite, but they don't answer to your requests. Nothing is free onboard, even water. A woman that needed a glass of water to take a medicine got that answer "you can buy a can of Ramlösa if you want but we have no free water". Don't fly SAS if you can, it sucks and deserves a good kick in the ass.
  • The Science-Fiction Book Store in Gamla Stan is something you should not miss