First impression was of course the weather, which was damp and cold, and the darkess, in December it gets dark at 3.00 pm. I’ve heard that there’s a high suicide rate in Sweden because they don’t get enough light, however, a bit of googling shows this to be a myth.
Another impression is that of the public transport system which seemed very complicated, until we got the hang of it and realised that it was very simple as long as you’re good at directions and can hold a map in your head. Stockholm central metro station is very big, very sprawled out and with lots of exits and escalators which makes it very confusing. One thing I did notice was the pleasing lack of advertising, instead it had painted walls with a few murals which gave an impression of a public space belonging to the people of the city, rather than corporations.
Another impression was of the people, who did not seem very warm and friendly (according to my two Greek companions, who are rather expressive) however, they were polite and helpful and spoke very good English (their education system must be excellent). We stayed at Kista which is north west of Stockholm and is a bit like Milton Keynes, but we also explored Djurgarden, Norrmalm, the centre bit by Stockholm Central Station, and of course Gamla Stan the old medieval town. In all these places we saw no evidence of anti-social behaviour and we felt very safe. As it was December there were many Christmas (or Yuletide) markets, as well as a fairground and in all of these places open fires were burning. Imagine an open bonfire in the German market in Victoria Square or the Bullring in Birmingham – you’d get people being silly and chucking it around and setting fire to things.
It was also nice to see children looking dignified and sensibly dressed as children instead of dressed up like slutty teenagers – apparently advertising aimed and children under 12 is banned and it certainly shows in what they are wearing.
Clothes and shoes seems no more expensive than your average prices here, however, eating out and going to bars is very expensive (a single Baileys and ice cost £6).
Probably due to the weather, and the light, and being built on an archipelago and with a lot of water around, Stockholm gave the impression of being a wee bit mournfull, though not in a depressing or dreary way, but rather in a detached, calm way.
