Eventually we
decided to walk over toward Gamla Stan, the Old Town, on its own island. I was
a bit adrift because most of what I wanted to see there was related to the
royal palace, the royal armory, the royal treasury (you get the idea). But it
was great to just wander and look at medieval buildings and streets—some of
them really, really narrow streets, full of touristy shops. There are a few
longitudinal streets that are pretty narrow, more or less without cars.
Then there are
the walkways crossing those streets, that are about 6 feet wide (slightly wider
than I can reach). With little hole-in-the-wall shops and bars opening onto
them.
We saw the Royal
Palace from a distance, and it was downright unattractive. But we ended near
it, and I noticed that there was an open door to a ticket office. Turns out 2
parts of the complex were NOT closed today—Gustav III’s Antikmuseum, and Museum
Tre Kronor. The Antikmuseum contains Roman statuary purchased in the 1600’s by
the then-king on a visit to Italy, sold to him by—the Pope! There were a couple
of halls of statues and a few urns and other items.
(to be continued)
