As promised, here are the groups! It’s not legitimate without the epic flag 😉
Despite their jetlag, we are ready to explore first city, Zug! #Not train. Find the church meaning you are in the middle of the Oldtown 🙂
Up from this day, we will always “Back to Nature” mode. We have free time to enjoy Zug’s beautiful lake. Sat on the bench while eating mother’s ransum 🙂 These whole Western food except ice cream are not interesting to me haha
Off to Lucerne, this city is beautiful! A combination from “Back to Nature, read: water and some city vibe. We walked inside the Wooden Chapel Bridge where they have story painted on the top of their Dach, jep don’t even bother to understand. Oh what do we do? another group photo in front of the Lion Monument! Take out the Flaggieeeeee.
Here is the paradise for my mother due to they have a 3 floor souvenir shop, she can use all of her time there. Since I won’t buy anything~ thanks God I have Dela~ we went to explore the surroundings together.
Do we have any sense of directions? none at all, just followed whatever looks good. Oh that big house above looks like a castle, let’s try to come closer. On the way up, we bumped into another group of white people, seems like walking tour per se so we know we were on the right location #It must leads to somewhere. That hike didn’t go to waste, we found some path to a nice view….. plus cat
Satisfied with the view, continue with the pathway ~albeit our cluelessness~ which surprisingly lead to the Tower Clock. Its pretty cool hey! We look from the top there is a kind of fort or wall thingy to walked on too. We were thinking on which exit to take, only to find this is the only way out. Fun fact! this bridge connect the full chain of towers.
Out from this Tower, “on” to the next one, except we took the wrong exit which leads us to their backyard. What did we entdeckt? There is a lift up to somewhere near a building called Gütsch, what is that? Me want to check it! We decided not to go to the second tower as the view might be more or less the same, only the other tower got closer to the river view or so. However, we were not sure what time we should be back, Dela called her mom, okay we have around 50 minutes. Let’s move!
Increase the speed!!! half ruuuunnnnnnnn. Crossed the bridge, red light, intersection without traffic light. I don’t want to get fined in Switzerland so I asked some guys who were waiting for the lift about where did he get the tickets. He showed me the ticket machine, I have no idea which to click, ask some lady for help. I know the ticket says Bus drive since there is no options for lift nor I know the name of the Stations we want to go…. lets just take that one. Tadam…. we arrived at another top!
The Gütsch is a Hotel, wow! why don’t we sleep here? maybe our tour doesn’t have budget, besides we have 1000000 Koffer + only one lift functioning haha this will takes ages. I wanted to get into the frame of Lucerne, not sure if its only for guest #I’m thinking…. we went this far, lets get in, worse thing they will just ask us to leave the property. Dela wants to read the announcement on the door, told her “don’t read, none of the hotel guest will do so, we have to pretend we are one of them” 😉
Succeed! Get off, hop on to any bus!
Not sure where to stop, looked at Google map, two stations from now there will be a church we can visit, hop off there! Walked to the first church, followed by the second church where they have a sermon only to know we are back to the Chapel bridge again. #Pro runner!
Arrived on time to the meeting point where both of my parents already sit down outside, tired, ready for Abendessen. Ofc Dela was gebrieft, we don’t want to make our parents feels left out~ we were everywhere whilst they weren’t…. so, we need to have the same story. Just in case we got asked where did we go? Standard answer, visited churches at the end of the road and saw some view 😉 Keep it simple!
Check out from my Capsule Hotel, parents are arriving Zürich Airport! Mother had a lot of Ransum of Indonesian food! Father took a selfie with the background that shows the same as if we are in Karawang -_- I had to ask Mother for Kerupuk in the bus #Haphap
We are in total 19 people (including me) + 1 Guide. First destination is St. Gallen. Walked around the city center, visited churches, had our “red carpet” moment haha. That whole Raiffeisenplatz was covered by red carpet, including the allegedly Porsche Car.
While some people are having Italian food for lunch, we were having rice at Mr. Rice! it can’t get more rice than that 🙂
We went to another country too, Liechtenstein! Yeay, my list of countries visited is growing. To be exact we were at the capital-Vaduz.
Ride the Odong-Odong Car for 30 minutes surrounding Vaduz, which all it takes, this city is very not complicated. Some children’s are waving their hands to us. Very cute, I’m sure no Asian kids will do it, we don’t get raised like that. They have castle to which we can’t visit as the real Prince of Liechtenstein is there.
After we saw the grobe of Vaduz, me, mother and Aunty Lielie went to the end of the road to visit the church while father chose to sit down somewhere. The weather was very hot, Eka said I’m Glowing a.k.a Sweating haha yeap! wrong clothing!
Day 1 survived, didn’t have any group picture, owing to the glow we all are 😉 on the next days you will see the participants of this Mono Swiss group #Wink
$$ is the perfect emoji to describe my experience in der Schweiz. Expensive is what I expected, how much expensive, that’s beyond my imagination O.O
I thought on where to stay as the reason I’m coming to die Schweiz is to meet my parents who book a tour from Indonesia with Golden Rama. Their or should I say our ~ yes I’m coming with them too hihihi ~ program called Mono Swiss, they will arrive early in the morning on Saturday. I have no Bock to go early to the airport, therefore I decided to sleep in a Capsule Hotel located inside Zürich Airport.
It is super clean + modern, every door need to be opened with your phone. The size of the capsule hotel is big enough for me, it’s bigger than every “capsule” hotel I tried in Japan, I had a claustrophobic moment there like I was inside a coffin #I’m not a celebrity get me out of here! Oh how much does it cost? 75 CHF per night haha, read the Plakat “Welcome to Zürich” 😉
I contacted Eric, the guy I met in Madrid, he was willing to show me the city where he grew up. Let’s reveal it one by one 😉
We went to allegedly high point in Zürich, Uetliburg where you can see Zürich from top, of course it’s not the top of Fernsehturm, but it’s high enough. I can see the lake, Alpen mountains, a very typical Schweiz.
This area is quiet big with many stops, yet we chose only 1 stop, we still have other program, moving on to Zürich City Center, destinations: Lindenhof, Zürich Lake, Rathaus, Churches. Everything are in the more compact size, I’d say 🙂 We had lunch in a very typical Schweizer, the restaurant used to be an ex-weapon storage.
What I have to unbedingt visit is the FIFA Museum! The locker to put our stuff are named with famous football player, I chose Cristiano Ronaldo, I didn’t find Lionel Messi #Hmmmm. Dont attack me CR7 fans, I like them both!
They had the replica of the world cup, of course, the real one is at Messi’s home. World Cup 2022 was really special, what a race, Argentina deserves to win. Since that moment, I fell in love with Messi, he has won in life!
I have to close today’s program by completed bestie’s Freitag’s bag order. I asked her to not sleep yet! The Freitag shop is really eccentric, if she was there, for sure she wants to buy everything, she would take a credit for it because… it’s… again… $$$$.
This day is finished, get some sleep to pick up my parents! Thanks Eric for showing me your city 🙂
What is the core activity I do in every place I travelled to? joined the Walking Tour! Sadly mine was cancelled on last minute where I was already on the way to our meeting point. I still could get some chance of changing it to the next day, although it will only be for less than 1 hour as I have to go to the Airport in the afternoon.
Marlyn, you are not a beginner travelers, take yourself to explore Madrid! Search, ah Templo de Debod! let’s do this. Since we are visiting an old temple, let’s go back to ancient time, queueing for at least a good 1 hour long, good news: it’s free 😉 The descriptions match the engraved wall, although it wasn’t so clear like emboss effect, you could still see the patterns.
The outside appearance still hold its majestic, what makes it more magical are the gates still there! The location of the temple itself is also magnificent, kind of on the top of the hill.
There is also a look out area on the far end:
Mahlzeit eh? I’ve already eaten delicious Spanish food except…. Churros! Andreas and Irina told me the best churros ever: San Gines! I have to checked that, one portion of Churros for myself with chocolate please 🙂
Now I’m ready for…. Plaza Mayor! there is a fence due to some parts still under constructions where I met…. Sunny! she has a very good Handy with 0.5x camera ability! Girl!!! I gotta stay with you hahaha she was so nice! she let me borrow her phone, from Plaza Mayor we wanted to go to the Parliament House, passing a beautiful church. I went inside while she’s catching the sunset from the Parliament House.
The Sunset was very pretty, she got a spot on the edge, we take turns on taking pictures literally don’t give our place away haha don’t make the same mistake twice! she gave up her spot while looking for me, therefore when we found each other, nothing gonna part us from our edge!
We separated after that, I went strolling with no specific destination like Chueca, stopped when people are taking angle wings picture, want to have it too! #FOMO. Back to Cibeles Fountain and Banco de Espana. I’ve only witness the beauty in the daytime, now on nighttime it was beautiful too! As it says, lo que es bonito es bonito.
I got hungry heyyy! Irina wrote me some dishes I can try, most of them I tried it all with JP & Co, except one: it’s the stew meat. I already know I wouldn’t like it as much as I like the others yet I still give it benefit of a doubt. Was I correct? Yep! Should’ve had the Jamon with Patatas instead 😉
What did I do in the end? I texted Eric I might give it to the homeless people. He replied “if it doesn’t taste good for you, do you think you do a favor by giving it to the homeless?” Well….. he is a Spanish perhaps he will like it haha
Oh who is Eric? Very funny I met him while asking for picture with my La Casa De Papel Mask in front of Bank of Spain, turns out he’s from Switzerland so we speak Deutsch! Finally it starting to make sense of learning the language 🙂
My last day is here… didn’t get much from the less than 1 hour walking tour. While Paris has Eiffel Tower, Madrid has Puerta del Sol. It’s a bear eating Madroño ~ similar to lychee, fermented with alcohol. The bear will take a siesta after eating it then got thirsty once she wakes up haha
In some governmental building it will have 3 flags: EU + Spain + Madrid. There are 7 stars in Madrid’s flag who represent the seven stars in the Starry Plough constellation closest to the Ursa Major (Great Female Bear) Constellation.
Like every statue, people can’t keep their hands to themselves. It says if you touch the feet of the bear you will get luck, for his ass you will get love. Everyone is able to do it by themselves, except one 😉
Joy helped me to reach it! Maybe this is why I haven’t find one, I just need some help from the good samaritan along the way. Lady, if I found both of them after the trip, rest assured you get the VIP Treatment! #we shall see.
Despite it wasn’t designed for me, I determined to touch it! didn’t reduce my spirit!
Thank you for the warm weather Madrid! Made me wanting to go to another city in Spain already 🙂
Also gracias to all Good Samaritans I met, wouldn’t have all these wonderful pictures without you 😀
Did I just decided one day to have a weekend in Spain? No no no, like always there was a story behind 🙂 back to my birthday in September, JP inform me that he and Moni will be in Europe travelling for one month. Naturally I will do my best to catch their schedule. First attempt was to go to Brussels end of October, hat es aber nicht geklappt. The last option was on their last weekend before flew back to Mexico, November 10-12th, search for flights, if I come back on 13th, the price would be cheaper, which one I choose? Obviously the second #duh
Remember Moni had cousin called Ale who I visited in Koblenz few years back? Well, it would be great if she could join too, we texted the whole time planning this as she wasn’t so sure if everything will works with her own schedule. Therefore I bought my ticket, plan my own Agenda without waiting for her confirmation. In the end, she was able to join, yippiii! We only let JP know because we wanted to surprised Moni.
Our flight was at 07:25 AM, to be on the safe side, we stayed one night in a&o hostel, thanks to my Christmas Gift from Claudia & Julius we can stay for freeeee! thank you Freundin!!!!
We are a firm believer of arriving in airports 2 hours before departure time, Ale woke up at 4AM, I’m around 04:30 haha my colleague will laugh if I told him by 5AM I was already out and about #Only happen when you are on your way to Urlaub 😉
Catch the plane, goooooo! Madrid here we are! I am so happy as this is my first time in todos Espana. Apart from my own Agenda of visiting La Casa De Papel scene to which I nailed it! #proud, we were just gonna tag along JP & Moni, they are the one who travelled to Europe, por supuesto they have one.
We still have about 4 hours before they arrived. What do we do? planned to had lunch at 12 failed due to the kitchen only opens after 13:00, for this time they only offer some sweets, croissant, coffee etc.
Ale showed me some places around, El Retiro Park where at first she was quiet confused “Amigos, this is not the Park I want to show you” after some time doch! it is! haha on the way, there was an exhibition about Indonesia somehow yeaaaayyyy
We checked in to our Air BnB, where is the Wifi’s info? She texted our Landlord to which she replied the router’s location, time to get connected. My oh my, in comparison to 2 credit cards number, it’s longer! Ale read whilst I typed it on my phone, in the middle I can’t stop laughing, she’s still not done, it’s just super long! Ale said “it’s halfway, don’t type it wrongly or else we need to repeat it again” FYI, I got it correctly. Now is her turn, she chose to do it by herself, didn’t work. I volunteer to read it to her, I lost it right there and then once I saw it. The Password was not straight, you need to tilt your head to read it #LOL
We thought our surprise was spoiled 20 minutes before their arrival time -_- glad to know it was only Moni messing up with Ale “are you surprising me” Ale pulled out the better lie 🙂 she bought it #wink!
Ale hide in the bathroom, Moni went there, her reaction was rather scared like “aahh, ahh…who are you?” until she realized it was her <3
Mischief Managed
No jokes, I gotta eat yo! this is the first revelation: Spaniard eat so damn late! my Deutsche Magen won’t get used to it, it was already after 15:30 What do we have? Paella + Sangria checked!
Moni has to work for a while, we went to do some sightseeing passing Prado Museum (broke tips: it was free 2 hours before it closed, a lady from walking tour told me, not sure if they have it only on specific day, check the website) + Cibeles Fountain + The under constructions Puerta de Alcala.
We tried many many times to take pictures in front of Cibeles with less car until Ale found a trick on her Iphone. Mind you, it’s called a trick, with a particular catch… I can’t move an inch, need to stand fucking still, I even scared to breath haha it’s something with long exposure. We were so begeistered when we know it works!
Moni finished work, back to her, chill a bit then get ready to eat again haha the restaurant hasn’t open yet, went to the opposite place to have a Vermouth de grifo…. let’s say…. it’s not really my cup of tea…#hmmm
After the Vermouth, we met with their friends’ Lalis. We ate a very delicious food! She really know what to order, the raw Tuna? Tuna right? I think it was it, was fucking amazing! better than the vac 😀
I had too much alcohol on that day, started itchy all over my body, can’t go on anymore whereas they continued partying. Vane just arrived that evening when JP sent me back to the Air BnB I really need hot shower + drink my Pill which makes me drowsy so sleep is really needed. Have fun guys!!! I notice at some hour they came back yet I couldn’t be bothered to wake up hahaha
Next day, continue with me doing my personal Agenda while they were still hungover. They had to endure with no water, fiuhhhh didn’t have to experience it. We met at Gran Via to have Jamon sandwich at Bar Postas although the famous one is the Calamari #whatever, continue our day to a bar inside Retiro Park. It’s a really cool place, reminds me of Yong Kang Lu Shanghai. Look how the waiter took all the drinks using 3 fingers whoaaa
We stayed in the Bar quite some time until our dinner time, which starts late…. Our reservation was at 21:00 haha by the time we were eating it was after 21:30. Casa de Fieras, let me tell you, the food there was better than the day before! very very very good! Their Tuna is really to die for! Lalis successfully became a total game changer in terms of Spanish food!
That was it! Next day they flew back home while me and Ale continued our stay one more day, doing our thing separately.
Here is our comparison back then when we were still planning via online video call vs offline version. Ops we are back in Shanghai, 我们到上海了！ #where it all began.
Thank you Guys! was very nice to catch up with you two who in the end became three with Ale to a sudden additional four, well….let’s make it five featuring Lalis and Vane. You really made friends in every corner 🙂
Una mattina mi sono alzato… I was on the shooting location of the greatest TV Series ever exist! O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao! My heart can’t contain the joy in me, I was smiling from ear to ear!
Needless to say, research has been done as in where the shooting takes place? Found this very useful blog for another fanatico fans 🙂
I can visit 3 shooting places in city center of Madrid: Plaza del Callao, Banco de Espana, Casa De La Moneda. We will go through all three of them. Are you ready for it??
First Stop: Plaza del Callao
Was Wonderstruck! spinning myself around on that square. I have the so-called “not even near death experience” haha named it myself, they said when you near death you experience 7 minutes where all your memories flash back? yep had that too, only about the memories of La Casa De Papel episodes.
Professor threw money from Zeppelin or when he made announcement about Lisaboa & Rio. Brain rush to the fullest! I have never been to NY Time Square, undeniably it’s more WOW than this but for me, being present in the shooting location of my fav TV Series was another level!
Second Stop: Casa De La Moneda + Spanish National Research Council
Let’s go to the real Royal Mint which actually a Museum, at first I was arriving to their side entrance hmmm is quiet weird….. Okay, enough, wanted to take the Bus until I look up….. what?!?! this is the real entrance! re-do the pictures por favor!!!! 😉
How about the Royal Mint in the series? unfortunately I can’t get in, that is the research building. There was also a gate so you can’t really see it clear yet it’s enough for me, I was gasping in awe :O
Third Stop: Banco de Espana + Nuevos Ministerios
Went to the Nuevos Ministerios first, it was on a Saturday 11.11 yes it’s close, the guard stopped me with a very limited English while me…. no hablo Espanol at all at all. Though he managed to say if I just want to see, go around this building. Yes Sir! I don’t have any importante to be let in into the Ministry building.
Where is the entrance, where is it, where where where? the feeling that you can’t just wait for it! My excitement level is high! coming close…..soon…
This is it!!! their “Banco de Espana” I knew this building so perfectly damn well! invested 1000000 times watching the Series! The “Ai-ki-do” scene, Denver waving white flag, Professor entering the Bank und und und, beyond words! Dude….. are you for real?!?!?!
Perhaps you wanna know, how does the real Banco de Espana looks like? Very Bella too! Didn’t went inside simply because… por que? it’s a Bank, what do I’m gonna do there? become a Profesora, rob a Bank with my mask? haha
How Bella isn’t it? Obviously they can’t shoot in the real building, look how narrow the space on the real places are, it goes direct to the main street. Here is the surroundings video:
I rewatch the last episode with Feli (fact: she hasn’t watch the last one, pfffff how dare she?!?!) until it suddenly struck me, I think I was there, Plaza Mayor…. look at it how similar the red background is.
Then I rewatch it by myself in ruhe, came out with a conclusion, yep it is! it’s written Madrid, no doubt it’s on Plaza Mayor, must be it! I was there too!!! See! the same right? Hey! I discover a new shooting place 😀
Of course Arlanda Express, as stated on the name, it’s an express train from Airport to City, as fast as 17 Minutes with very luxurious seats! Oh my ass was so happy 😀 DB Bahn, can’t you do something like this bitteeeeee? They also have some kind of “arts-installation” thingy on their T-Bahn or U-Bahn or Metro or Subway or Underground #Don’t know what to called this mode of transport anymore.
The water area, I re-confirm something about me. If there is a city with water, it will take me some time to understand where I am. It happened in Hamburg before, now in Stockholm. I managed it in the end and turns into loving it!
So loved it until I want to see water from various points of view 🙂 We visited the City Hall Tower! it’s only open until 1st of October, we went exactly on the last day. Nope, we didn’t put it on hold, we tried to go the day before but it was all sold out. So Erin went even before the shop opened at 08:30 to buy the ticket for 13:00 that’s the only reason why we can go up there #Thanks Erin!
We arrived 5 minutes earlier yet wasn’t allowed to get in, have to be on time yo. The “guide” suggested we to give the elevator to the one who needed. Oh yes! it’s me, first because I just turn to a new age few days ago, I need to maintain all my bones structure. Second, I paid for this haha top that 😉
Didn’t guess they will display some kind of statues before we reached the top.
See Stockholm from above, isn’t it prettty? The weather was perfect, we only have 20-30 minutes on the tower. Here are the water view from the top points:
Want to see it in motion? here is the video 😉
We went home to take Ginger with us then met Rima on the other side of the water 🙂 to see another water! See the brick building behind me? we were just there. Both sides are very pretty hey!
The food! how it is easier to get variety of foods here than in Dortmund. Asian food, a new Doritos flavor, basically any other food either staple food like Fika things or not 😉 the fact that tap water is free!! to which Germany doesn’t even offer even after all the tax we paid pfffff what would it cost you hey?!?!
Bunch of activitiessss like on a Sunday morning, Erin and I went to the gym! haha! Never been to any in Dortmund, I have to fly to Stockholm to do it #High maintenance. Then visited churches, watch Barbie!!! Yais!! Glad she hasn’t watched it too! It’s really good movie, recommended!
Adventure in Stockholm has to end, I didn’t want it so much so until my luggage also doesn’t want it to end. I received an SMS right after my belt conveyor in Düsseldorf Airport stopped working. Great!
I had another Ramen dinner with Anu however with this issue, she has to wait in hunger. Had my luggage finished his adventure, we were just on time for late lunch meaning at 15:00. With airplane delayed + reporting luggage delayed + on the way from Airport to Takumi = the place has closed for their rest time.
We still have to eat, Anu almost ditch me -_- to my luck, now she doesn’t have any option other than wait haha. She arrived before Takumi opens to wait in line. Once I met her, she was still in line, few minutes later Takumi officially re-open at 17:00. Anu said “We need to wait until you land, the shop to close and re open again only for us to eat”. Yes girl! Our level of hungriness is really high at that time. See! it was 2 hours eating delay from where I supposed to land.
During dinner I asked her if I should wait for another flight from Amsterdam to arrive Düsseldorf, she said the next schedule from KLM has been delayed too besides “it only take 30 minutes to fly and this flight hasn’t even boarded” just don’t bother to wait, let them deliver it to Dortmund. I did what she suggested.
And I’m glad I did as when I was about to night night at 23:00 ish I got an SMS saying my luggage is landed with those plane (not the one I showed her which was supposed to land at 19:30)
Wow! Credits to a complete 11 days in Stockholm 🙂 Big shoutout to Erin and Ginger who hosted me, Syuke who make the time even after he just landed from Shanghai, Anu who hold her hunger plus managed not became hangry, Lisa who I met during the tour then explore the city together a bit, Rima who unfortunately we didn’t have photo together but I’ll remember your story about your baby Chanel bag vs your 200 kr bag 🙂
OK some background stories out of it. Remember Lisa? The German Lady from my walking tour in Estocolmo? We had lunch together before visiting Vasa Museum, she said that everything in Germany is not much cheaper than in Stockholm, they are kind of on the same level, Germany is getting “more expensive” (with the inflation). Look at this, I bought a 72 hours public transport ticket, it cost me 30 Euro. Yes it is still more expensive than Germany but not much anymore.
After hearing the price of the public transport, I feel quiet weird because every time I tap my Master Card it’s written 0,09 SEK = 0,10 Euro… Automatically I felt I have the Vorteile of not buying it as it only cost me 10 Cents each time. I am not the type who put fuel on the fire, so just let it be when Lisa said it, I won’t say “btw I only paid 10 Cents” reason: a. it’s not helping; b. this is so not true at all! hahaha
Fast forward to end of the month, Erin need to renew her monthly card, to which I asked “why don’t you just tap like me?” see it’s always 10 Cents. I actually don’t understand why because if I eat in the restaurants, the real value is there directly, for example dinner 1390 kr = 119,94 Euro or 980 kr = 84,43 Euro. All are correct other than public transport one.
Moment of truth ladies and gentleman!!!! I was completely wrong the whole damn time! I have 0 idea why, SL (the public transportation) need 2-3 days until the real value came up to my Master Card. It all depends on the exchange rate sometimes one way fee was 3,33 Euro or 3,44 Euro or 3,67 Euro. Verdammt! She was right! Rrrr should’ve trust the Germans for sure she did her research before! Aaargghh! had I knew it, I would have bought that damn 30 Euro card! I used all public transport like no one ever just to know it hasn’t been charged completely!!!
Fuck fuck fuck! what can I do? Now it’s not lohnt sich anymore to buy the 72 hours as my trips approaching the end. On top of it, I already visited all the necessary sightseeing with always tap tap tap tap #Running out of money! What can this Scandinavian country offer me? Erin sent a link “free museum in Stockholm” aha! that’s what’s I’m gonna do for the rest of my trip with the rest of the money I have. How about public transportation? Nope, I’m gonna walk the whole damn day!
We will reveal it one by one:
First: The Medieval Museum
I chose the locker number that represents my age 😉 then I read a sign there will be an English tour whoaaaa There is a part where I remembered clearly is about a punishment for adultery, the woman need to carry a 30-40kg of weight on her shoulder while the man’s private part will be tied on a string and they have to walked all the city. However! most man will get away by paying the money while girl doesn’t have much money to begin with. What?! I hope I understand that part wrong except I wasn’t…. Oh see the brick wall? that was the real wall from ancient time, they found it when they dug die Erde to make this Medieval Museum.
Second: Moderna Museet with Erin
The free entrance was 2 hours before it’s closing. We did went through all exhibitions, sometimes our reaction were only ‘hmmmm’ didn’t think I understand it 😉 I do however understand one paint with thinking “are we in Asia?” once I got close yep! inspired from Thailand 🙂
Moving on to one part where they provided us a book of a conversation between Rashid Johnson an Kevin Quashie called ” Thinking-In-Action” in Swedish and English at a corner called “please have a book”. We happily taking the book thinking “oh we got ourselves a souvenir!” Only to find out they didn’t put the Q and A on the right page, or maybe this is still a part of the art? where I need to guess on which page the answer will continue?
Third: The Jewish Museum
I came exactly at the hour when it’s free for public. Followed by many people after me, hello not paying customers 😉 #I’m not the only one
What really strucks me was this videos:
The first lady’s family were hosting Jewish girl from Berlin when she was 9-15 years old. She didn’t like her at all, according to her the Jewish girl came out of a sudden to her family and everyone need to feel sorry for her. She gave her a real hard time. Then they met again at age 40ish. She asked her about her experience on living with her family? To her surprise the Jewish girl replied “that’s the best year of my life”. Then she said “you know I was hard on you”. The Jewish girl didn’t felt and never thought of it. She is not religious person but she prayed to God for forgiveness for hating her.
The middle lady remembers a Hitler songs in German: “if a Jews’ blood drip from the knife then life is twice as good” I could still see the fear on the video when she recite it.
The third man said when he got older he understood the reason why every time he visit his classmates’ home there will be coins on the floor and it’s to see if he will take it. That’s when he felt what is the meaning of being offended.
Fourth: The Swedish Holocaust Museum
This Museums tells the story about 7 Jewish survivors who came to Sweden. They have the part where we can ask questions with AI’s help unfortunately by the time I came we can only ask in Swedish.
I bought a book from them, it’s very…. I can’t read it in one go, not because its too think, rather the content is just so wow in a negative way.
Fifth: The Living History Forum
There’s one corner about the story of Per Anger, a diplomat of Swedish Embassy in Budapest who issued a fake Passport for Jewish people. He saved so many Hungarian Jewish, there was a time he went to the train full of Jews asking “who has Swedish Emergency Passport?” only two people has it, then he spoke to the Hungarian if they have any receipt whatsoever anything that looks like legal? The German officer won’t understand it anyway. They did have that and Per Anger talked with the German officer “their Swedish Emergency Passport just got delivered, here is the receipt”
Thank you very much for standing up Sir! That’s why your name and your best friend’s Raoul Wallenberg are still be remembered to this day.
That was it, all the museums I could visit as my last resort against the cold and against the money in Estocolmo 😉
I’m so happy that Stockholm offers this options. Germany! do it please! Take a good example from your neighbor European countries!
P.S: Here is the link https://www.visitstockholm.com/see-do/attractions/museums-with-free-entry/
They have been talking, at the same time I have been hearing about Stockholm Archipelago, island hopping. I was confused with “island hopping”? we are not in Thailand…. Anyway, I looked at the map, consult with Erin, made up my mind to go to at least one of their island. Decided to choose the one with bearable distance: Vaxholm, about 40-50 minutes on the boat, I can handle those!
The website showed all tickets were sold out which I don’t believe it for a second…. how? it wasn’t any high season, on top of that, I did read in the advertisement near the Port something along the rhyme “departs every day” well…. how can I depart every day if their website doesn’t allow me to?! Back to basic, went to the counter to booked a ticket there. She gave me a map of Vaxholm, take a look of it, put it back to my bag, make sure I’ll carry it as I thought “OK this is what I can see, it’s quiet big lalala”
The day came, there were so many people queuing on the line for the boat, I asked some people if they will go to Vaxholm too? some answers were no…. what is going on… I felt relief after they scanned my ticket and said “You are on the right place” Yais! off we go!
Right after the boat departs, the “tour guide” ask if we want to sit outside before she announced it to the whole people through microphone. As a result, many people were sitting outside on the deck of the boat, I was like “why” I know it was relative warm for end of September in Stockholm but still you are surrounded by water yo, the breeze air, fresh water, possibility you will got splashed etc still exist! I am comfortable inside the boat #Ain’t gonna move my ass.
Indeed she was our “tour guide”, she explains some history of the island in English and Swedish followed by this kind of sentence “on the right hand side you will see, now we are on Number 1 it is a lalalala” I didn’t really pay attention, I don’t even know where the number she was talking about coming from….. until it clicked that the map the counter lady given was NOT map of Vaxholm but rather a map on the way to Vaxholm! #You stupid! By the time I realized it I missed so much points already hahaha Makes matter worse, it’s written on the map “Sights along the route” #Clever ball
Time to move on to one hour later, which means Vaxholm’s people reach their destination. It was quiet a lot of people actually, I just asked the wrong one 😉 I have 3 hours 15 minutes in this island, set alarm on my phone. Let’s see what I can explore, is it enough though? Yes it does! There was a very nice lady who showed the way of which I can go. I searched a path that looks like a private property except it wasn’t #Her instruction. Found it, it is somehow quiet peace, many people had a small picnic or tanning. I ain’t gonna do that!
What’s on the opposite side? apart from…. the same water 😀 haha I saw a very cute Briefkasten! #Very creative. It was so funny because there are quiet some people off from the board. Supported with the fact that Vaxholm isn’t that big, I kept meeting them while walking yet I didn’t say hi haha I deliberately wait until they left to take picture or wait for another strangers to help take a photo of me hihihi
It can’t be it right? OK this side is done, let’s move to the other, the “land” side. There are big houses, church with graveyard. Back to the water side once I see a “highway” road leads to another island… #Supposedly
Like 20 minutes before picking up by the boat, I somehow “discover” another part of Vaxholm, how the hell did I miss this kind of “city center” hahaha I found a chess statues like when I was small with my sissy in front of a hotel. I thought it was only one so it was kind of special to me, only to realize it’s not #Face palm there are lots of it! pfff why did I take pic -_-
The boat are back, we got picked up obviously with the same boat crew again meaning she continued to explained this number that number and I am back again to not learned the lesson haha #Too tired already!
Old habits are hard to crack hey! I’ll show some improvement on my span of attention ab und zu 😉
I’ve been to one of the island Stockholm has! #Checked 🙂
I do have a learning curve hey…. directly applied it when I do another walking tour in Stockholm, accepted that my memory is faded as time goes by, hence I type type type everything our guide said 🙂
The meeting point is on Monument Gustavus Adolphus or King Gustav II. She said there will be many Kings in Estocolmo with the name Gustav.
What was so special about King Gustav II? He was very success in military battlefield, well known either as “Captain of Military History” or “The Father of Combined Arms Warfare. Not gonna doubt his ability… doch! have to doubt it 😉
He too, was a keen artillerist, saw the potential of ships as gun platforms, gave the order to private entrepreneur to built one of the most powerful armed vessels in the world with richly decorated as a symbol of his ambitions for Sweden and himself. He ordered a series of ships with two full gundecks, outfitted with much heavier guns. It was named The Vasa (or Wasa) Ship.
The making of Vasa took 2 years. Did it work? Was the ship actually sailed? Yes it was! Was it a smooth sail? For 120m before it started to swiftly sank to a depth of 32m. It’s officially out of sight after sailing roughly 1300m into her maiden voyage on 10th of August 1628. Just like that, the Great Vasa sank to the bottom of the ocean in full view of a crowds who had come to see the ship set sail. The crowd included foreign ambassadors, in effect spies of King Gustav II’s allies and enemies. He witnessed his most pride ship sank in 20 minutes. It was sink for 333 years before a team pull it up to put it into the museum. Next thing he was famous for is trying to kill the Germans alone, he failed btw. Which lead us to Gustav III.
Turn around to see the Opera behind you. Gustav III also special person, genes runs in the family. He really likes to party, yet as a King he need to be somewhat protected, we can’t afford losing another Gustav again. Did we? Tragically yes, he died doing what he likes most. He held a Masquerade Ball only to got shot on his left hip by Jacob Johan Anckarström, to which he was sentenced to death and executed. Gustav III was the only king who saw his own assassins’. It is being said that his outfit with a bullet on it or the Assassins’ one are stored in The Royal Armoury. Spoiler about the assassins’ masked, it’s like someone who wears a paper mask.
Leave the monument Gustav II, walk straight to the bridge, turn your head to the right, the Ministry of Finance building. There is a Valkyries without her sword. 4 people below her represents the Swedish society: Nobility, Church, Merchants and Farmers. There are many speculation of what is the meaning of the 3 crowns. It could be representative of 3 Magi who came to visit the birth of Jesus. Nevertheless, nobody can confirm it, they just left it for mystery or open suggestions 😉 #I think.
When the Danish took the 3 crown symbol, Swedish drop it for 333 years, the same exact length as the Vasa was under water #Coincidence or conspiracy theory? Yet, its now serve as a symbol of both countries. Lions symbol associated with a royal family or some kind of royalty.
On the end of the road is the Parliament. There is a tunnel underneath the bridge made out of “glass” didn’t see it no matter how much I concentrated or squinted my eyes, write me if you can find it. Some people who were able to see it said wasn’t really a full glass. The little crown in the middle of Swedish flag meaning the king is there. Yep, backlight, can’t see it from the picture but it was indeed there.
Funny faces on the facade was based on real people, the sculpture asked some people who works in the Ministry if they allowed him to make a statue of his face to put it on the wall. Little did they know know, the sculpture wasn’t planning on engraved a real face rather emphasis some characteristic they have, at the end he was being asked to stop doing it. They also have changing the guard scene on the Parliament area every day at 12:15 but on that day we can’t go through it as they were filming a demonstration scene hihihi
The OG Idea of Stockholm City Hall to be called a Blue City Hall to represents the blue sky, it would have been a gradation of blue color. However, on the making, he falls in love with the red color of the brick, that’s why its a Red City Hall now 🙂 He waited purposefully until the Denmark’s City Hall finished only for him to made his’ 40 cm taller than the Danish one. Put the 3 crowns facing Copenhagen as a slap in the face showing “We have a bigger tower”
Chair is definitely not a part of the sculpture. We are in fact in the area of Stockholm’s WG for the Parliament people.
The condition is not that prima, 3 people in a WG with private bathroom. They shared the common area like kitchen and living room. They’re geographically grouped, consequently, one could be in one WG with his opponent. I mean…. I don’t even want to leave in a WG when I reached 29 years old….the reason behind is to show how open and fair Sweden is. Another fun facts that I managed to wrote half of it, if we see a phone booth with red green and something color, it is a direct call to the Parliament.
They said you can have a “basic” information from hitter.si. How basic is this basic? Not basic at all: name, address, tax return, closest body to water haha are you planning a Dexter move? #Orphan Black reference.
The Swedish likes to put “Sustainability” in every word from make sense to having less sense like Sustainability Bridge blablabla in order to prove their sustainability, they have a public washing machine in every apartment building 🙂 I can confirm that, Erin doesn’t have the Anschluss at her place. They need to booked a time slot to do it, each round is 3 hours. It’s very common excuse in Sweden “sorry, can’t go out, I have to do my laundry”
We stopped at a candy shop because our guide needs to rest her voice, at the same time we can get a sample candy hihihi. She said the real candy cane is straight, but USA put a hook into it to what candy cane we know.
Around that candy shop we saw a Valkyrie symbol with sword. We also walked through the so called “narrow” street which is not narrow at all for some luck or so. There was a statue named Engelen…. something? I tried to surf for him more but couldn’t get more information…. anyhow, I am sure our guide said he was the one who successfully (there were many tried before him to no avail) lead the rebellions of Danish.
Look up at the Gamla Stan area please, there are some buildings that doesn’t have window. Because having more window meaning you are being taxed more. Some people doesn’t want to pay it, to please the eyes, they decided to paint it.
Some house also have a proof that they paid a fire insurance for their house. How do you know it? look at the symbol / ornaments on top of their door. The symbol of Phoenix rises from ashes…. how ironic can you be. In worse case scenario, if 2 houses were on fire. The house with the fire insurance symbol will be saved first. If both have the symbol then the one with colorful symbol will be saved first. Fast forward now, it’s not valid anymore 😉
They have a German Church in Estocolmo whom doesn’t have Gargoyles but rather a north metology.
We visited the little iron boy statue sitting on a kitchen table looking at the moon and dreaming. His head is made from Swedish iron, really easy to be mold meaning a very high quality. During WW Swedish iron is on a very high demand. He gave access to Germany for the iron… for all that, Sweden asked in return for Germany to never step foot in Sweden. That is why Sweden is not bombarded during WW and became a safe heaven for Jewish population.
May peace come to this piece of our beautiful world. A sentence serve as a slide show on the display in front of the Nobel Prize Winner museum. She said if one of your friends got nominated for Nobel, he or she can take 12 friends with him / her to the banquet. So… my friends, maybe it’s time to do your job? hahaha
The Gamla Stan (the one who always come out everytime you type Stockholm) is like a red banquet scene from Game of Thrones, nope I didn’t watch it. So what was happening? The Danish locked the door, only to start the beheaded party of each Swedish Nobel on that evening, it was very gruesome. The ground we are on are uneven, it was believed caused by the blood was running out from the building. The white square in the wall represents the number of the beheaded Swedish high noble, it is that much!! Gustav managed to survived, gathered the crowd, attacked, send back the Danish intruder without clothing to Copenhagen.
The rivalry between Denmark and Sweden is still existing, if you go to IKEA all the name for beautiful decoration will be in Swedish name, on the opposite all the doormat will be in Danish name.
