A Weekend With the Swedes

I spent this past weekend in Stockholm, the self-proclaimed “capital of Scandinavia.”  That may well be, but all in all I prefer Copenhagen, which I visited last winter.

Stockholm is quite beautiful, and embodies all of what I associate with Scandinavia: it’s clean, there’s lots of great design everywhere, lots of Nordic-looking people, everyone speaks fluent English (when prompted), and it’s expensive.  The last fact is probably the reason I didn’t enjoy the city so much.  The prices, especially with the weak dollar, were simply outrageous.  For example, a day pass on the subway and bus system cost 100 kronor, or about $16.50.  A small bottle of Pucko chocolate milk (which I must say was the best chocolate milk I have ever had) cost about $2.75.  An indication of how expensive everything is is that the smallest coin in Sweden is the 50 øre (half of one krone), or a bit over 8 cents.  Even 7-Eleven, which for some reason has many more locations in central Stockholm than I have ever seen in an American city, was pricey.

It was EuroPride weekend when I was there, meaning the city was overrun by thousands of gay and lesbian (especially lesbian) tourists from around Europe and the world.  The centerpiece of EuroPride was the Pride Park, an outdoor festival that cost 350 Kronor (about $60) to enter for one day.  Highway robbery!  Isn’t the gay community supposed to be inclusive and accessible to all?  Fortunately my friend Boris (with the help of a Swedish friend) was able to get us into the VIP tent without charge.  Pride Park was basically an array of booths selling things and giving away free trinkets, along with two stages for performances.  Certainly not worth $60.  But it was fun to be in the VIP tent with, among others, a Swedish politician, a DJ from New York, and “Hedwig” and ”Shortbus” director John Cameron Mitchell.

Aside from the chocolate milk, my favorite thing about Stockholm was the coffee.  I tried three cafes recommended by WikiTravel and each of them made coffee far better than anything I have had in Berlin.  One thing I found funny in Stockholm is that in Swedish, hello is “hej,” pronounced like the English “Hey.”  Coming from America, this makes the Swedes at least seem incredibly casual and friendly.  For example, imagine checking out from a supermarket and being greeted by the cashier with “Hey!”  Moreover, many Swedes (perhaps those in a better mood) give their “hej” an intonation that would, in English, likely be interpreted as suggestive or flirtatious.  How appropriate for EuroPride!