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In last week’s mini newsletter I mentioned I’d be traveling for the next little while, and as promised I’m writing this week’s newsletter from my first port of call in Stockholm, Sweden. I think I’ve visited Stockholm four of the past five years, and it’s starting to feel really familiar (I’m sure even more so for Jeff and Usman, who have been here even more often than I have). Stockholm is also just a very comfortable place to be, at least for a visitor like me. Everything is clean and orderly, the people are warm and kind (and virtually all of them speak perfect English), the landscape is stunning, nearly every restaurant has several great vegetarian / vegan options, and public transport is easy to use and seems to go everywhere. I also love how ridiculously long the summer days are. Today the sun rose at 3:34 AM and set at 9:59 PM (though it never really gets completely dark) and all the sunlight makes me feel energized all the time (the nearly constant 65-degree temperature doesn’t hurt either). I know there’s another side to the coin—I couldn’t imagine months of soul-crushing darkness and cold—but I see no reason to dwell on that now, especially since I’ve been in such a dark place mentally these past few months.
This time around I didn’t do much sightseeing, so I don’t have much to tell you about from this trip. When I was here last summer, though, I got to spend a little time visiting tourist attractions. I know that isn’t a priority for some people, but whenever I travel I like to visit museums, historical sites, and other big landmarks. I love art and history, so walking through a museum, learning about something, and seeing a bunch of cool stuff is my idea of a good time. And while tourist traps can definitely be a drag, a lot of these places attract tourists for a reason. I’m glad I’ve seen the Louvre, the Vatican, the Tower of London, and most of the other big tourist destinations I’ve visited. Some of these places have attracted visitors for hundreds of years, and there’s a reason they resonate with people. So I always try to read a travel guidebook and research what people like to do and see in a place I plan to visit.
If you want my tourism pick for Stockholm, it has to be the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a ship built in 1628, but due to a design flaw it sank just a few minutes into its maiden voyage, and it sat at the bottom of Stockholm’s harbor for over three hundred years. Thanks to the unique properties of the harbor’s water, the wooden ship was very well preserved, and in the 60s they pulled the whole thing up and reassembled it on land. They’ve built a museum around the ship, and while the thing itself is something to behold, the museum also does a brilliant job of giving you enough (but not too much!) historical context to deepen your understanding and appreciation of what you’re seeing. It’s a huge delight for anyone with even a little bit of history nerd in them.
On this trip, though, I’ve mostly spent time visiting friends. Well, that and working. (I had to frame this trip as a “working holiday” to convince myself to actually go.) The main reason for this visit was my friend Melody’s wedding, and that was epic. We had a very long and grueling overnight flight and I hadn’t really recovered from it when I arrived at the wedding, but there were so many friends there and the occasion was so joyous that I still had an amazing time. Since then, it’s been all about fighting jet lag, getting in little mini-hangouts with friends, and working on the closing checklist for buying the store during US business hours (2-10PM here).
This time around I only made time to visit one record shop, and if you’re familiar with Stockholm’s record scene, you know which one it was. If you’re a record collector, no visit to Stockholm is complete without a trip to Trash Palace. This has to be one of the best record stores I’ve seen anywhere in the world, with a ridiculously high density of cool and collectible records. The punk and metal records are off to the side in their own room, which is decorated with old flyers and posters and has a vibe totally distinct from the main shop. The first thing you see is the wall of rare 7”s, which is always populated with rarities from all over the globe. Every time I’ve been to Trash Palace, most of this wall is covered in punk records so rare I’ve never seen them in person, and this time was no different. Of course there are also thousands of LPs (a store with a dedicated section for eastern European punk is one after my own heart) and boxes and boxes and boxes of 7”s at every price point, but that wall of rare 7”s is what the heads come to see.
Even though money is pretty tight on this trip, I knew I couldn’t walk out of Trash Palace empty handed. While there were plenty of things to tempt me, I am very happy with my big score: Lost Kids’ 1979 single “Cola Freaks.” I’m not sure when I first heard this Danish punk classic, but it made a big impression and has been on my want list for at least two decades. I can’t recall ever having the opportunity to buy a copy before today, so when I saw it I knew I’d be taking it home. If, by chance, you are unfamiliar, this 1979 Danish TV appearance is a great introduction.
Until next week…