May holidays in Stockholm
May holidays in Stockholm (May 6-9.2017)
I will start my story, like most tourists, from the moment of thinking about the trip (one of the sweetest parts of any trip). Why Stockholm - everything is very simple, having visited many countries of Western Europe over the past 10 years, I wanted to see its northern part, especially since we have never been to Finland or Norway. And to be honest, I was very fond of fairy tales about Carlson, Peppiolotta and Suharik, so fate itself told me about the need to visit the glorious country of Sweden and its main city.
I bought tickets 3 months before the trip and there was nothing to choose from - only UIA flies directly from Kyiv to Stockholm. I will tell more than once about the wonders of this airline.
I repeat - we flew a lot, often with different airlines, in the last couple of years UIA does not like its passengers especially actively: firstly, they canceled meals on board (of course, a sandwich for 5 euros and seagulls for kopeck piece is much more profitable to sell than to feed conditionally for free ), secondly, they introduced a term for the validity of miles accumulated for participation in their Panorama Club program (this, of course, was also an incentive to travel, the miles burned up until March 30, and the miles had already accumulated for a free round trip ticket). Ok, we bought 2 adults and 1 child ticket, luggage is now also not included in the ticket, only when buying a fare with luggage, well, this is already such a minor dirty trick of the airline, which also affects the amount of money in your wallet. I must say that the cost of tickets did not increase much for the next 3 months (three tickets in total increased by two to three thousand) - this is for those who are in no hurry to buy tickets.
When the tickets were already on hand, it was the turn to book a hotel. Yes, I honestly bought into the offer of Nordic Travel and booked the Clarion Collection Wellington hotel through their website (the offer included a Stockholm pass for all family members when booking a hotel through their website). I booked 2 days through their website and 1 through the hotel's website because it was cheaper that way. The total cost of the hotel for 3 days is more than 8.000 Swedish kronor (at the exchange rate for February 2017, this is 24.000 UAH). It should be noted that the hotel is definitely worth the money - a convenient location, delicious and hearty breakfasts and dinners, plus tea and coffee for free. We took the room with the loud name superior - the room is not large, comfortable beds, TV, furniture not bought yesterday and a bathroom in very good condition. The only thing missing was a mini-bar or mini-fridge in the room, as well as a full balcony (our room had a French balcony).
In general, the hotel and staff - 9 points out of 10, a special plus - for heating, it was very comfortable in the room after walking around the harsh snowy May Stockholm.
Day 1: we flew to Boryspil by taxi in 35 minutes from the right bank of Kyiv (they were afraid to leave their car at the airport, any repairs cost more than 300 UAH by taxi, plus nerves that are priceless). There were still 2 more hours before the flight, we slowly approached the check-in counter and then all the love of the UIA company fell on us with a powerful jack, as the classic wrote. They changed the board, all the check-in, which I honestly went through online 48 hours before departure, down the drain. The plane has three to three seats, and two to two, and my small family of 3 people is scattered throughout the cabin from row 7 to 22, all seats are by the window, the child will naturally fly with some uncle or aunt separately from me or my husband . No apology, no explanation from the airline - NOTHING.
To my question that a child could become ill during the flight, the monkey answered at registration: “You will change there” (by the way, a Swede was sitting next to the child, who categorically did not want to change, because he does not like to fly near the window). The word paragraph - was the most censored in this situation. No notification by mail, no registration by joint surname and ticket payment card - NOTHING. So I can responsibly say - UIA is the MOST UGLY AIRLINE I have ever flown. The trip, which I planned as a wonderful and short trip, UIA spoiled as best I could (I will write about the flight to Kyiv later). Dyutik in Boryspil raised my mood, which had fallen to a minus mark, to zero, but no more.
It was stuffy, cramped and loud in the cabin. In different languages of the world, UIA was vilified by everyone who could - people found themselves in the same situation as we are.
The flight attendants did not try to help anyone, but urged everyone to sit down in their seats and continue the exchange after takeoff. We, realizing that nothing would work with the Swede, were left to wait for two more fellow travelers. The husband, who was checked in by the kind UIA in the 7th row, was waiting for a gentleman of the Malaysian type and 140 kg. weight. They immediately decided not to change with him, who from the 7th row will go to the 22nd, and even with such dimensions (it’s not clear how he just climbed into the salon). No one came to my 23rd - it was the only free seat in the cabin (except for 1 more seat in the last row by the toilet), the child moved to me, the husband to the Swede, the Malaysian year-old was left alone and snored for the whole cabin road.
After a doooologo through Swedish passport control and a super fast Arlanda Express, we ended up at the central railway station.
Sitting in the subway (ticket for 43 kroons per adult, children free of charge, bought in a booth from the controller near the turnstile), I realized that I already like it here. The husband muttered: “Pops, not the subway, ” but he was already in Stockholm (though on business and only for a couple of days, but still). The child was in a terrible delight from the rainbow escalators and rock art. 1 metro station and we are at the hotel. They settled us quickly and without problems, we rested, had dinner and were on our way. Northern Venice was waiting for us.
That May evening was not bad. Warm light breeze, light twilight, huge as albatrosses, seagulls and a very, very beautiful city. I don't know how you can not fall in love with him. For me, every house or street in this city is magical, cozy and incredibly attractive. We watched how the city fell asleep, how the lights on the embankment and on the yachts in the bay were lit, how the hum of cars subsided and heard the whisper of the sea. Spaaaat….
The weather continued to delight - sunny, without a single cloud, the morning met us at breakfast, the temperature was +10. A small remark: my credit card in Stockholm was not valid (we discovered this when buying tickets on the subway). Tip: take a card, you can even take a debit card with you only with a chip, everything else is not for Sweden.
Everything happened that dayJ
The Vasa Museum (the entrance queue took 10-15 minutes) is impressive, but this museum suits the mood, such a lyrical-historical mood. We went around all the floors, looked at all the exhibits, you can touch a lot, it’s a pity on the ship itself, they don’t even let you on the bridge or on a piece of the deck. We saw the terrible skeletons of those who made the last journey on this hulk and the faces of those who were supposedly there. Worth going for sure. We visited a restaurant for lunch in this museum - expensive, but tasty. Lunch for one approx. 300 crowns without much luxury and alcohol.
The Junibacken Museum is worth coming to Stockholm for. He is amazing for everyone and in every way. Pulling a child out of there is not realistic at all. The train through fairy tales is the best experience of the city's museums. We will definitely come again. It was a pity that we don’t have anything like this - the idea of u200bu200bhouses that you can visit, with a slide and Peppy’s house, even a train - nothing complicated, you just need to invest money and soul, we also have our own fairy tales and it would be something to show, and there would be no end to those who wished.
Skansen Museum - We visited it mainly for the zoo and chicken leg house, plus the snake slide is our favourite. Cute animals: charming cats, mother bear and tomboy cubs, super lynx, peaceful moose and sly wolverine. The zoo is very good, I would not refuse to be a lynx in the Swedish zooJ.
The territory is huge - of course, we didn’t go all the way around, but we saw a lot of typical Swedish landscapes and fairy-tale houses. Flowers, goats, sheep - we are not in the center of the metropolis, we are somewhere on the outskirts of the village.
Grena Lund is the most "Malan" amusement park in the world, well, or a Swedish divorce. The question of what is included in the ticket price for entry is open. Each attraction in the park costs money, but not really money, but coupons - 1-2-3, etc. Each coupon is bought at the box office, you can buy 5-10-20 or a subscription for 313 kroons for all attractions, but it cannot be transferred to other persons. The system is not convenient and not thought out - either raise the cost of the entrance ticket and include at least a dozen attractions in it, or make it symbolic, and not 117 kroons per person, it’s not clear why... The rides are good, the carousel over the sea is excellent, but in general the park is like a park .
We walked to the hotel through the city at night - how beautiful you are, Stockholm.
This is where we realized that Northern Europe is not Western and certainly not Spain. Temperature overboard: minus 1, snow and blizzard. A bus tour of the city is planned for this day. Today we rode on all the buses - both green and red, and on boats of various types and colors, visited the Town Hall (it's a pity the tower opens only on June 1), listened to an interesting and already the last excursion of the day. Toward evening, when the weather ceased to rage and the wind turned from a hurricane into just a wind, the streets of the Old City were bypassed. Gamla Stan, of course, is filled with the aromas of antiquity and mystery. In a narrow lane and a tiny lane of the city, it seems that little fairy-tale men will now run out, and a good old Swede in a white cap will look out of the window.
Prices in the Old Town are tourist prices, as in all of StockholmJ, I won’t say that oh, what a choice of souvenirs, but I’ll say - oh, what are the prices for them (the notorious horse without a tail as tall as a fingernail for 65 crowns is clearly overkill, a mug or the same magnet is better, and interest in a horse is very exaggerated). Near the palace on that day, there were only girls on guard - they felt sorry for them, because they were standing in such a windy and frost, but the girls were unbending.
Day 4. So our trip came to an end. Stockholm - you are magnificent both during the day and in the snow, at the mysterious evening hour. We part, but do not say goodbye, there is still much to see.
We left a couple of hours before our flight to ride the subway and see the most beautiful stations that I read about on the Internet and in the reviews of other travelers.
While the spirits - the dishes are beating, wait for good luck, but not in the case of UIA. The flight is 30 minutes late, there is a long line to the boarding counter, the first Swedish grandfather is still nervous in Swedish. Hardened compatriots are silent and quietly hate UIA. Hooray, he flew in - we are still in Sweden for now. The woman at the counter rushes about like a squirrel in a cage, the Swedish grandfather flowed like ice cream in June and began to settle on the floor, they picked him up and put him in a chair. The situation was heating up. There was already an hour flight delay and the queue began to hate UIA more and more loudly. And yet we flew away - with a scandal, but flew away. And a few more words about the plane: that freak who designed the Boeing three by three and came up with the ability to lay out the seats should burn in hell. There's nothing cuter than a passenger sitting back in your lap and snoring into your belly.
Homeland met with severe May cold and lack of traffic jams.
These are the Stockholm holidays.
Dignity: city, Arladna Express, hotel, museums, excursions.
Disadvantages: the UIA company is a complete disadvantage and a minus, Nordic Travel is a strange contra, we were never able to get stockholmpass, because either they didn’t pick up the phone, then they fooled their heads about some mark, in the end - two hours of wasted time, in a word - I do not advise.