Slussen, central Stockholm

It takes two minutes to leave Stockholm’s Arlanda airport and become a gawking idiot in a Mercedes-Benz cab! Soon the radio comes on and so does the rage that’s taken over Abbaland –– The Knife, which has just released the critically-acclaimed Shaking the Habitual. And so began a journey through the self-styled capital of Scandinavia that would present a Sweden beyond yellow and red buildings.

Melting ice

After zipping at 80kmph for 20-odd minutes, a 20-minute traffic jam was awaiting us on the city’s outskirts. But 12 degree Celsius outside didn’t allow room for complaint, especially when people at roadside eateries appeared to be in a good mood even before office hours were up. The day before, the unthinkable had happened. Sweden had struck gold at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship, putting an end to Switzerland’s dream run with a five-one scoreline and that too on home ice.

By the time the Ray-Ban sporting cab driver had finished his analysis of the game, Slussen or central Stockholm in all its majesty was basking in the spring sun.

The collective smiles at the hotel’s reception lingered until the television was set to BBC World with its feed of car-burnings on the city’s outskirts, the immigrant-dominated Husby to be exact. It was the beginning of the most violent week Sweden had seen in years. It all started when a 69-year-old-man carrying a machete was shot dead by the police. Each day the fighting grew intense, like spring. But central Stockholm remained postcard perfect.

Stockholm Syndrome

Tranquil Stockholm is no stranger to violence. A short walk to Hamngatan brings visitors face to face with glitz, glamour and restaurants where caviar flows like wine. This is also the address for Norrmalmstorg, the site where the great bank robbery of 1973 took place and the term Stockholm Syndrome got coined. Now a site for designer shops and what not, four decades ago several bank employees were held hostage inside the vault. Instead of spawning violence, the victims started defending their captors. The buzz of the cafes around this place certainly helps to forget this chapter, especially when it’s fika time (that’s “strategic timeout” in IPL parlance).

Coffee date

All work and no coffee break is unheard of. In fact, one of the plays (Roses & Beans) staged at The Swedish Biennial for Performing Arts 2013 incorporated the fika, which is generally observed twice during office hours and is at times accompanied by cinnamon rolls, cookies and smorgas (open sandwich). One of the most impressive items available at most fikas is milk in mini Tetra Pak! And what makes that special? Tetra Pak is actually a food packaging company of Swedish origin and like Xerox, the term is freely used to mean milk in paper cartons. Feel free to empty one/two such pack/s into a cup of coffee or strawberry-flavoured tea.

Beyond fika

Breakfast, of course, is the most important meal of the day but lunch and dinner are not far behind. And what better nibble to ask for than falukorv (sausage made with pork and beef), Swedish meatballs served with lingonberry jam, pork with onion sauce and mashed potatoes, blood sausage, herrings, salmon…. But more importantly, Stockholm is dotted with restaurants run by immigrants, like the Jerusalem Kebab & Cafe, which serves delicious beef and chicken slices with yogurt and salad. You also have the option of five-star food at down-to-earth rates aboard a boat headed for the Drottningholm Palace, home to royalty. Equally impressive are the tipple destinations, like the Viking bars with Viking music and, yes, Viking mugs with silky-smooth Dragon beer. Yet, most Swedes easily maintain their wisplike figure.

Best leG forward

Daylight and legs never end during spring. Short skirts or skinny jeans, designer brands keep a woman’s wardrobe up to date and fit for a spread in fashion magazines. And men are not far behind. You can sport 1D wannabes here, there and everywhere. It’s about being casually cool; it’s about being classy without three-piece suits… there is no scope for that even at the Kungliga Operan or the Royal Swedish Opera. This is the land where even cyclists play it cool.

Steig’s people

A city can be as good as its denizens. And even at midnight they are willing to help, even though it was a matter of promoting their latest national treasure –– Steig Larsson. A few blocks away from Hilton Slussen was the apartment of the famed journalist who gave the world the Millennium series led by The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Close to midnight and well past the tube station (at the entrance of which one caught an uncommon sighting –– a homeless man), there was no sign of Steig’s apartment. But help was at hand in the form of a nightclub employee and his Samsung Galaxy tab on which he spent 20 minutes trying to figure out some of the places mentioned in his novels. He failed but only after making a brave effort.

there is always ingmar

Today there is Steig but there is always Ingmar Bergman, considered by Woody Allen the “greatest film artist”. The legendary director passed away in 2007 after giving us classics like Through A Glass Darkly, The Magician, The Magic Flute, Scenes From A Marriage and Fanny and Alexander to name a few. He donated his entire collection to the Swedish Film Institute, containing handwritten and typed, released and unpublished scripts. After browsing through the material, the Swedish director Marcus Lindeen took samples from many of his works and turned it into a play (Arkivet för orealiserbara drömmar och visioner or “The archive for unrealisable dreams and visions”), which premiered last year.

And tidbits…

Don’t leave Stockholm without visiting Science Fiction Bokhandeln, a shop dedicated to everything sci-fi — DVDs to books to toys and collectibles. It is one of those few stores where Star Trek and Star Wars mannequins stand together. And if that doesn’t interest you, pick up a can of lutefisk, which is known for its pungent odour… but can it outsmell our shutki? Visit Sweden and find out.

Text and pictures: Mathures Paul