Peaceful Stockholm

Even the walking dogs are well-behaved. The babies in prams or strollers do not cry. You hear almost nothing as people walk the streets. What is it about Stockholm?

The locals are very proper. They smile and greet you with a friendly "Hey Hey"( which is spelled Hej Hej) and after a day you find yourself answering with the same seemingly informal, but otherwise proper, greeting. They say “Tak” for Thank you and everyone says it for every small nice gesture you do.

I found myself in Stockholm in its darkest hours, literally speaking. The sun ises at 8:30 AM and sets at 3:30 PM in November. The weather is biting cold and sometimes a light drizzle accompanies it. But everyone warms up in cafes that turn into bars as the sun sets.

The whole place promotes eco-friendly practices. The buses run on RE, or renewable energy, and many use bikes to go around town. The water is safe to drink, straight from the tap. There are many organic stores and cafes, health food stores, and big organic, or "eco," sections in supermarkets.

You have to think the Swedes are O.C. as the standards for cleanliness and orderliness are high. Every restaurant, hotel, and cafe I visited was spotlessly clean, and clean-smelling, too. What we call OCD, or  obsessive compulsive disorder, must be so natural to the locals that it is not seen as a condition. Rather, it is the norm.

A friend shared with us that the Stockholm weather really affects the locals. When the days are short (with sunlight of about 5 to 6 hours a day) many suicides are reported. But, in summer when days are awfully long (lasting 20 to 22 hours) people also cannot contain their joy, and life-taking is also rampant.

It makes me think of how lucky I am to grow up in the tropics where we have almost equal parts in hours of day and night. We never think about this blessing, while many people struggle to keep their wits about when strange weather comes or when there is too little or too much day or night.

I enjoyed the few days I spent in Stockholm but I cannot say I could stand the little sunshine for many more days or weeks. I look for the light and enjoy waking up with the sunrise. And in the summer I was in Stockholm, I would get tired with longer than usual daylight hours. But the peacefulness is what I absolutely enjoy in these parts. The people converse in hushed tones. It is even illegal to honk your car horn. This is why it is such a productive place. People are able to work in peace and absolute quiet.

Here are some “not to miss” places if you find yourself in Stockholm, as I found myself there on a dark November to attend the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) awards sponsored by the Chamber of Trade Sweden.

Nobis Hotel

It has a design component in every piece of furniture, its rooms, and even in its public places. The lounge is a nice place for small meetings while its restaurants are well-rated on many review sites. The location is superb as it is within walking distance from the shopping and eating places in the city.

Caina Restaurant

This is also located within the Nobis Hotel. It serves Italian food and has a good wine list. On that particular time we had dinner, the wait staff even served us tastings of a special wine from Sardinia called Montessu from Isola de Nuraghi, brought over by one of their chefs. There was a good Barbera D’Alba, too.

Salu Hall

What used to be a public market is now the site of many food purveyors, especially stocked with fresh fish and other seafood from the Nordic Sea. The most popular place inside is Lisa Elmquist, where the famous fish soup (topped with Trout roe) is not to be missed. Also, try their pan-fried red sole, fresh as fresh can be. I had the classic Skagen toast, which is a shrimp salad in mayo served on toast. You can also buy coffee beans, chocolates, fresh meat, and poultry from reliable vendors who are popular with the locals.

Gamla Staad

This is the “old town” where you can have hot chocolate at Chokladkoppen and hot coffee at Kaffekoppen – two old buildings located side by side on Stortorget, both owned by the same entrepreneurs. You can walk around the old town and chance upon an open-air flea market, too.

Wiener Kaffet

This is an old historic café on Biblioteksgatan, about two minutes’ walk from Nobis. Try their “slow food” omelet served with vegetables, a breakfast item to try with their freshly baked croissants and Cardamom roll.

Konditori Sturekatten

A famous old café haunt on Riddergatan 4, it is recommended by the locals. Here, have your cappuccino and a slice of the famous Princess torte – a green fondant-covered chiffon cake.