24 May 2017
Skeppsholmen is one of the islands in Stockholm city and is very near to Gamla Stan. After our lunch at Österlånggatan 17 in Gamla Stan, we headed for this island.
It is accessible through one of the most beautiful and photographed bridges in the city. The Skeppsholmsbron (Swedish for "The Skeppsholm Bridge") is known for the gilded crown(s) on both railings, near the center of the bridge.
I enjoyed walking along this bridge as there were nice views to enjoy and photograph on each sides. The Royal Palace and Gamla Stan (Old town) could be seen on one side of the bridge. Views of the lake and buildings along Strandvagen at a distance could be seen on the other sides, plus lots of boats.
Immediately after crossing the Skeppsholmsbron, we walked past the old sailing ship af Chapman which is now used as a youth hostel. This was a good place to sit and enjoy the sun. For late spring, the weather was excellent and it felt like summer was already here.
For those who enjoy walking, like us, there is a lakeside trail that circled the shores of the island. This trail also lead to a bridge providing access to another island called the Kastellholmen, where there is a small castle.
Besides enjoying the views of the city, we intended to go visit one the museums that are located on the island. There were a few to choose from, such as the Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art and Östasiatiska Muséet (East-Asian museum).
Skeppsholmen on this day was not too crowded. As we walked further past the ship, the lakeside trail had less people, except a few tourists. That was when we were subjected to something I would not easily forget!
Seagull poop, or so it seems, landed on us. Foul smelling liquid was on my back and some landed on my wife’s head.
A helpful couple who we just walked past came to our aid immediately with wet tissues. We spent quite a few minutes to clean ourselves up. We thanked the helpful couple for their help and they quickly left.
We decided to abandon our plan to explore Kastellholmen and our visit to the Moderna Museet since we were feeling dirty despite the clean-up job using wet tissues.
The nearest Tunnelbana Station was the Kungsträdgården Station. On the way to the station, we saw a hive of activities at Kungsträdgården. This day, May 24 2017, is the day where the UEFA Europa Cup Final would be played at the Friends Stadium in Stockholm. The finalists were Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United.
A UEFA's Neutral Fan Zone was set up at the Kungsträdgården park in central Stockholm for fans who did not have tickets to gather and watch the game.
Prior to the game’s kick-off at night, the Fan Zone had much to offer, including an array of activities and football related games for fans to take part in.
UEFA's Neutral Fan Zone was set up at the Kungsträdgården park in central Stockholm for the UEFA Europa Cup Final 2017.
As a soccer fan myself, we naturally made a stop here. The Hankook booth gave me and my wife a headband each, with orange colours of the Ajax team. I will be rooting for the Ajax team. Reasons are obvious if you have read my blog before.
The Europa League Trophy was also on display for photo opportunities but there was a long line for photo shoot with the trophy. I think that must be a replica, not the real trophy. I could be wrong.
Locals playing a game of giant chess at Kungsträdgården.
There were the other usual activities at this park. This park is a favourite place for locals to gather. When we came during winter, there was a public ice skating rink set up in the middle of the park. My son came in early spring to enjoy the cherry blossoms when they bloomed.
After enjoying the activities at the Kungsträdgården park, we took the subway (tunnelbana) from the Kungsträdgården Station back to our apartment. A good shower was needed to rid our bodies of residues from the foul smelling seagull poop.
Later that evening, we watched the Europa Cup Final live on the Internet back at the apartment. The team I was rooting for did not win. What a shame.
It was also later that we discovered that we were the victims of the “pigeon poop” scam while on Skeppsholmen. The seagull at Skeppsholmen was innocent after all.
More about this scam in a separate post.
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