Stockholm RW: Meet-up

Whilst pondering if I should go to Stockholm or not, the kindest people, my lovely hosts and other balboa friends and Isis said I was very welcome to visit. Very possible you are follwing Isis' vintage adventures at her great blog Fashionable Forties or at one of her other blogs, yes check them out, there's an abundance of interesting topics and information about centuries of dressing. And what a great idea to meet a fellow blogger in real life to be shown around town! 


So lucky me, Isis invited me to take a stroll around Gamla Stan, the old city centre of Stockholm, and closeby Riddarholmen with its royal burial church. We did visit, Isis' favourite museum, the Royal Armoury (Livrustkammaren). Isis knows a lot (I kid you not, a lot!) about Swedish history and royalty, costumes and customs. So I had a 1st class personal tour, yay!

Gamla Stan, click for source

The Royal Armoury museum holds many treasures, mainly royal armour and clothes of kings and queens, all very elgegantly displayed. I have no camara, so again, I borrow from the interwebz. So much to see! Most impressive may have been the velvet coronation robes, embroidered with silver crowns, the richly decorated horse armour and the royal sleds. Ofcourse, Swedish winters are full of snow and ice and transport by sled is very obvious. Never thought of it until I saw amazingly decorated sleds amongst the royal coaches. The picture is taken at another display, but the same sled, you get the idea, isn't it just like a fairy tale?

Royal Sled (1740s) of King Gustav III, click for source

We stopped by at another church, the Storkyrken, the oldest church of Stockholm and it's the place where Swedish royalty gets married. It has a very beautiful altar made of ebony and silver. Another highlight is the gothic wooden sculpture of Saint George slaying a dragon is inspired by antlers of all sorts.

Saint George (1484–1489) at the Storkyrkan by Bernt Notke, click for source

Thank you very much Isis for a cosy and informative afternoon at Gamla Stan, it was a joyful idea and a real pleasure.