Gamla Stan

Having saved all of our washing for when we got to a big city, I discovered that it would cost me $15 to do a load, so decided to hand wash it all instead. Admirable, but silly really, as it took me over an hour in the bathroom. Then the real problem arose - where to hang it all in our pigeon hole of a room? Now you have to be national limbo champion to find the bed.

All of that meant that we didn't get away till 11. Today being May 1 and International Workers Day, its also a public holiday in Sweden, so we decided to explore Gamla Stan with every other Stockholmer. The original settlement of Stockholm was on one of the nearby islands, which is where the city centre remained until the growth of the city forced it onto the mainland. However, the Palace and Cathedral are still on the island which is known as Gamla Stan, and the old town has been largely restored and now functions as a tourist/shopping/restaurant precinct.

We walked up and down the narrow lanes, bought coffee and cake, explored the shops, and visited the cathedral. The cathedral is an odd one. Sweden used to be Catholic before converting to Lutheranism, so the cathedral is Lutheran now but was built originally as a Catholic church with stained glass, statues and the full catastrophe. Stuck around the Palace to watch the Changing Of The Guard. There weren't as many people as in London, and it wasn't as boring either.

Finally around to the city square where hundreds of anarchists were rallying and protesting, this being May Day and all. Looked just like Monash Uni in the sixties. They were very organised. They chanted when the leader told them to, cheered when the leader told them to, and sang songs from the worker's hymn sheet when the leader told them to - just like all good anarchists should.

Anyway, we somehow managed to get through them and into the Nobel Museum for a look around. It was very well presented, and very unique. Each of the several thousand Nobel prize recipients has a photo and biography on a large card attached to an overhead track that slowly inches its way around the roof of the museum.

Back into town for a very late lunch, across to the very impressive City Hall where the Nobel Prize banquet occurs, and finally a visit to the Stockholm Ice Bar, with ice supplied from the Ice Hotel in Kiruna. A yummy Thai tea.