Note the early start...this is called the Rick Steves March. We enjoy these tours because they pack so much education, sights, history, and food...but it comes at a price...sleep. So, here we go! Swedes LOVE their coffee..we even have access here on our bus, which we just boarded and will become out second home for two weeks.
Our last tour in Stockholm was of the Town Hall.
Government is quite transparent here, with all aspects of a politician made public...their emails, their expense accounts...everything. A complete scandal occurred when one politician ‘accidently’ bought diapers and Toblerone chocolate on her expense card. She was summarily dismissed from politics. Later she came back, but as soon as another party said ‘We don’t do toblerone politics’, she lost.
The representation by party is similar to ours, but they have many more parties. So, people select a party, and the more people select that party, the more representatives that party gets. Elections always are funded by the State, never by donors. There are debates, and the candidates appear in public to answer questions, (here is the Swedish Democrat party, which promotes all things Swedish and tends towards Nationalism)
and posters are put up. They are seated by party, Left to Right....but their ‘Right’ is more similar to our ‘Moderates’. The largest single party is the Social Democrat party, you could say they’re the major architects of Swedish society. Still, they never have a majority, which forces parties to work together. This ‘working together’ which we’ve heard so much about...deserves some talk here. It is an entire way of thinking here, and rules in everything...from politics down to family structure, and is based on equality for all. Here’s an example Magus told us about. When their family-two parents and three teenage boys were planning their vacation, two options were possible. Either the parents dictated where and for how long they would do what (after all, they were paying!), or they could develop a consensus, which would involve more opinions, talks, negotiations, and votes. This later option is the more typical way for Swedes, even though it talkes mote time. It is taught to children. Our guide expressed it well when he said...’You just have to keep talking!’
This not only where the municipal government operates, it’s where the Nobel Prize is awarded! Here’s the grand staircase all the laureates regally walk down stairs specially designed for safely walking down in heels and elegent dresses
Where we all standing there will be the dinner tables. After the awards, everyone goes into the grand hall
Which is really amazing. It has 18,000,000 gold mosaics. It was designed by a 25 year old who had secretly slipped his design into the contest, and won! Up the left side, panels tell of the history of Sweded, from the Vasa dynasty to early 1900s, when this building was built. The large wall in front of us shows a figure representing Peace, with large eyes, large firmly planted feet, with the West (even the Statur if Liberty) on one side, and the East on the other. Sweden has learned the price of war through it’s Viking expansionist past, and now is firmly dedicated to neutrality. Being a middle child and always feeling like a peacemaker, I can completely relate. Magnus put it well...Sweden doesn’t have the power to push others around, so they must do things better in order to progress. I’ve been impressed with the long list of inventions that have originated here...The propeller, the 3 point seat belt, periodic tables, pacemaker, paper money, the zipper, and so much more that I don’t remember right now.
One thing Sweden is known for, and is another way they show how much they prioritize a good lifestyle, is paternity leave. A couple has 18 months of leave to split between them, so we constantly see men out pushing strollers.
Research shows these men are just and bonded with their children as women, who traditionally are thought of as more bonded. They are called Latte Daddies. Here’s our last view of Stockholm, from the bus, and in the foreground, a bit blurry, you’ll see one!
Another thing Swedes hold dear is ‘Allemansratten’. It means ‘all man’s right’, or public access. So, land owners are not allowed to put up fences, and everyone has a right to walk, pick berries and mushrooms, even to camp or moor one’s boat...as long as it is respectful and dosn’t interfere with with the owner’s private enjoyment. Children are taught this respect from the earliest age.
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