More About Drottninggatan

Remember that time where we went to Gamla Stan to see the Royal Palace and the Changing of the Guards? CLICK HERE to see that blog post.

I chose to blog about this again because it is one of the main streets of Stockholm. I bet you'll see it if you go to Gamla Stan eight out of ten times. 

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So far from my stay here in Stockholm, when we pass Drottninggatan, one thing really overpowers from the rest. The people. The monstrous number of people is because of the scattered restaurants and shops here in the street, and that Drottninggatan is also a direct way to the T-Centralen and Hotorget Stockholm subway stations, and Stockholm City itself. 

The number of people in this picture wasn't as much as there was though, because I didn't take a photo from up a hill which Drottninggatan passes through (which is near our house).

Not just restaurants and shops are present here, but there are also some hair salons, coffeehouses and a theater. Drottningatan is also connected to another street that gives you a quick passage to the City Conference Center and Norra Bantorget. 

Continue walking straight in Drottningatan and you will be welcomed by a stunning view of Gamla Stan, including a view of the Stockholm City Hall. 

Learn More about the Stockholm City Hall. Click here.

This is the view from the bridge, note the Stockholm City Hall on the right side. 

Just after the bridge are two magnificent archways which (in my opinion) symbolize the beauty of the architecture of the old town of Stockholm. Just think that when these archways were built, they didn't have as much technology as we have today, so this costed them lots of effort and workmanship. 

The Archways of Drottninggatan. 

Once you cross both archways, you can proudly say that you're in the heart of Sweden, Gamla Stan. Literally, Gamla Stan means "The Old Town". The Royal Palace is just a quick two-three minute walk, and don't forget to see the Changing of the Guards while you're there. 

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Stockholm's Changing of the Guards & Gamla Stan

Another misty Sunday morning in Stockholm, and what better thing to do than go to Gamla Stan (Old Town) and enjoy the magnificent view, the awesome architecture and some of its narrow streets.

So just a few meters away from our apartment is this street called Drottninggatan (literally translated to "Queen's Street"). The street very nice because when you walk along it, you will be greeted with numerous restaurants, cafes, salons and in the middle of the street is Stockholm City Central. You can also find T-Centralen there.

Fact: T-Centralen is the only Tunnelbana or Stockholm Metro/Subway station that connects all three lines, the green, blue and red.

If you opt to pass Central Stockholm and go a bit further into the street, you will be welcomed by a bridge with a magnificent view of City Hall and other cool stuff. Also, you will see two cool archways that lead you to Old Town or Gamla Stan.

 The View from the Bridge

Archways.

So once you go through the arches, you will be in Gamla Stan. After you cross the second arch, you should see the Royal Palace towards your left. 

We took the route opposite to the Royal Palace as we wanted to explore more through town. After about half an hour walking through narrow streets and browsing souvenir and shops that sell scarves and hats. We then chose to go to a cafe. 

I didn't blog about the cafe because we my mom, sister and I just got some soft-drinks and my stepdad got a latte. My sister and my mom also got a Chokladbol (Swedish chocolate ball) and an apple pie as a snack. 

More walking before we came across the Royal Palace itself. We saw about a hundred people gathering and we realized that there was a changing of the guards happening. I recorded two videos, one where the guards enter the palace grounds and one where the guards really change. 

Fortunately, the guards really changed near us, so I manage to get a video. Here it is (sorry for the bad quality and that the video is shaky): 

Watch This Video In High Definition!

By the way, before going home, we ate at this buffet restaurant called Bamboo City. It will be released tomorrow, 9 in the morning if you're in Stockholm, 3 in the afternoon if you're in Manila. I will also link it here when I publish it.  

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Do you have any interesting travel stories / experiences / tips? Share them to my blog! Click here! 

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TRAVEL ADVICE for Sweden

Going to Sweden? Here are some useful travel tips for you to know!

1] Avoid sit down restaurants if you're budget travelling. Really expensive. A source tells me that one meal here does not cost less than USD 20. Try going to stalls that often have sausages, Thai food and ice cream. You can buy some stuff with half (or more than half) the price. 

2] Do sample some of its local cuisine. Try dammsugare (literally translated as a vacuum cleaner), kanelbulle, traditional meatballs or any of those cheap supermarket pastries. 

Sidenote: Read one of my many "Pastries from Hemkop" blog posts here. Tack!

3] Join a fika! A fika is a very traditional Swedish act where you and your friends sit down, have a coffee, maybe some dammsugare on the side and chat. Very, very Swedish indeed, ja? 

4] Go to the Vasa Museum and Skansen. The Vasa Ship sank in 1628, on its maiden or first voyage. Go to Skansen if you want to take a look at the Old Fashioned Nordic Lifestyle. Click here for my blog post about the Vasa Museum or here for our Skansen trip. 

5] If you will be staying in Sweden for a long time, you will eat something out of a tube. I think there's some cheese in a tube, caviar and other crazy stuff. Trust me. Not that appetizing, but you will do that if you will be staying for more than a month. 

6] Keep it "lagom". Loosely translated, "lagom" means not too much, not too little, but just right or in moderation. Clothes? Keep it "lagom". Food in a buffet? Keep it "lagom". Budget? Keep it "lagom". 

7] Enjoy their natural offerings. By that, I mean nature. Just enjoy what should be enjoyed in Sweden's natural world. Just don't cut trees, pollute or any kind of bad stuff that destroy the environment. I think it's illegal (if not, it should be). 

So I leave you with this funny but meaningful Swedish proverb: 
"Smaken ar som baken - delad"

My interpretation of this quote is that people can't always agree with each other on one topic. It is okay to disagree, as long as it can be resolved in an orderly manner. 
If you want the English translation of the proverb, here it is: 

"Taste is like a butt -- divided".

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Travel Tips

Here are some tips if your going away to a vacation to a different country.

1: Make a checklist of the necessary items you want to bring. Some necessary items may be toiletries, medication, sunscreen and whatever your heart desires.

2: Book airfare and accommodations two months before your trip. This is especially useful if you're going to a country with major festivities, as the prices may even double in airfare and hotels.

3: Budget travelling? Buy your food at a local supermarket. Still want to taste the cuisine of the country you're going to? Buy street food from hawkers and stalls.

4: Group travelling? Assign one of you to be a treasurer. All the people in the group must then contribute an amount of money and put it in a pouch courtesy of the treasurer. Every expense must be paid using the money inside the pouch, such as entrance fees, food and souvenirs.

5: Use all your money. If you're going to a country that does not accept your own currency, it is advisable to spend all your money there. You don't want to get ripped-off by the exchange rates twice, don't you?

6: If you think flights are crazy boring, bring something that you can enjoy doing whilst in a flight. Enjoy reading? Bring a book. Enjoy playing games? Fully charge your phone or bring an iPad or whatever. Enjoy sleeping? Bring a neck-pillow.

If you enjoyed reading this post, I'll be sure to make a Part 2!

READ MORE: How To Make The Most Of Your Travel Money {from nomadicmatt.com}

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