EuroPride 08 :: Day Three
I can't tell you how happy I was to come "home" to the Grand Hotel last night, after being out until the sun was coming up. Walking into the fabulous lobby at the Grand Hotel, I felt like Annie must have felt when she arrived at Daddy Warbucks' place- although sadly there wasn't a gaggle of staff dancing around and singing about the tennis courts or pool...
Instead, what was waiting for me was even better; the best bed I've slept on in my life (and not just because I was exhausted and a little tipsy). I'm pretty sure that the beds at the Grand Hotel are made by magic bed fairies, and stuffed with feathers from the wings of angels (using only those that have shed naturally of course; no angels were harmed in the process). The tops are then lightly padded with clouds, but only the softest kind- you know, the ones with a silver lining. As if that weren't enough, perfectly folded on top of the mattress lies the comforter that we've all searched for; the one that only exists in our dreams, and no matter how long we search or how much money we spend, we can't seem to find one this great. This is dreamland perfection.
You can imagine that I was not happy to have to wake up this morning.
The Spa at the Grand
Luckily I had something wonderful to look forward to today- a few things actually. The first was a massage at the Health Club at the Grand Hotel- which may not have made waking up fun, but definitely helped turn it into something like taking medicine with a spoonful of sugar.
The Health Club at the Grand has recently been renovated, with a new floor, new lighting, new machines, and some fabulous amenities. Alongside the standard gym equipment is a small caf?, serving healthy meals throughout the day. Rather than stop for food, however, I went straight to work... getting a massage.
The treatment was fantastic; in fact it was one of the best deep tissue massages I've had outside a chiropractic office. The fact that it was done in a spa setting made it even better, and I took the opportunity to relax in the sauna for a bit afterwards, then popped over into the steam room to continue my pampering.
Being that the spa is already so nice and has recently been renovated, I was surprised to find out that the hotel is currently in the process of expanding it to more than 10,000 square feet, as well as adding a pool. I guess I'll just have to come back in a few months when it's finished!
Queer Art
Feeling refreshed and very relaxed, I headed over to the National Museum to check out a special summer exhibition they're presenting that coincides with Pride: Queer - Desire, Power, and Identity.
A small but powerful collection of works, 'Queer' is broken into four themes (gender, image, eroticism, and exclusion from art history), and features art from LGBT artists, or with LGBT themes (or subjects that garnish attention from the community). Of course there was plenty of nudity (of both sexes), including a few examples that were a bit surprising, namely the photographs (and accompanying resulting self-portrait) from Eugene Jansson.
Jansson was given access to the bathhouse of the Royal Navy, where he photographed nude sailors relaxing in their down time. Given that homosexuality was illegal at the time (late 19th century), he kept these very private photos in his house, ostensibly under the guise that they were "research" for a self-portrait. This work (pictured) depicted him standing in the baths among the young men, fully clothed, with feet planted on the ground in a stance of firm defiance (of the laws), face cocked, almost challenging the authorities- and society.
The 'Queer' collection is wonderful, and if you can get to the museum before August 10th, it should be on the top of your list. If you don't get to Stockholm before then however, you should still make plans to see the museum; the collection is vast and very impressive. On our way out I buzzed through the Design 19002000 exhibition (on permanent display), which tracks last century's history of design and includes some incredible- and fabulous- examples of Scandinavian furniture and object design. The place settings from SAS Airlines business and first class service act as gorgeous examples of modern design- mid-century fans will be delighted.
Plan your visit so that you have time to stop by the Atrium Restaurant for coffee and cookies or a beautiful little traditional lunch. The space is light, bright, and beautiful and the food delicious.
Modern Museum
Just down the street, the Modern Museum holds the royal art collection of modern times. I didn't have time to stop there, but was told by people who did that the works are magnificent, and as they'll be celebrating their 50th anniversary, now's the perfect time to visit.
Eccentricity on display :: The Hallwylska Museum
Being a bit O.C.D. and a sort of collector myself, I can kind of understand the odd-yet-extensive assemblage of objects in the Hallwylska Museum, although this takes the cake for randomness and "dedication" (i.e. obsession). And as museums' histories go- at least during Pride week- the story behind the Hallwylska would be hard to beat.
A stunning mansion, the house was built between 1893-98 as a residence for the Count and Countess von Hallwyl. It now holds the thousands of objects that the countess collected over the years, from her travels throughout the world, and varying interests as they arose. Of course there's always more to the story, and such is the case with the Hallwyls. It seems that not only did the Mrs. wear the pants in the family, but she also had a very special (female) friend and companion... who lived in the house and spent every day with her.
On display in the mansion are dozens of paintings (some decent, but most not exceptional; it seems she wasn't the best judge and didn't hire very good buyers), and large collections of costume jewelry, teacups and saucers, ostrich eggs, silver spoons, and dozens of other random collectible categories that tell an incredibly interesting story about the countess. The house is a monument to both art and O.C.D., and it's arranged now exactly as it was when it was donated to the state in 1920.
I've got one word for that: scary!
Water, water, everywhere
One of the first things you'll notice about Stockholm is the water- specifically, how much there is! Walking through downtown, Old Town, and seemingly everywhere you go, you'll find that you're never very far away from the water. And although it can make finding your way around more of a challenge (especially for those of us who grew up on the coast, where the water is always and only on one side), it also imparts a wonderful feeling of calmness, and constantly reminds you of how beautiful the city is.
One of the best ways to experience the inlets, bays, and waterways (don't you just love rhymes?) and to experience the city is on a boat tour. The 2-hour boat tours from Stockholm Sightseeing run from April-November at various times during the day (based on the season), and highlight the most popular sights in the city. During Pride they're doing a special Pride by Sea: A gay view of Stockholm tour, and ours was even more special because it was led by Kjell Rindar, a fabulous city guide and local gay idol.
The boat tour is wonderful because it gives you an alternate view of the city, and it's an excellent introduction to Stockholm, providing an overview of sights, which helps in deciding which ones you want to return to- although in my case it was pretty much all of them.
Dinner... finally!
It was finally time for dinner, and we headed over to the fabulous (and gay-owned) Malar Paviljongen, where we enjoyed an incredible meal on the waterfront. The setting could not have been more beautiful, and the atmoshphere here is fun and festive. For summer they've added a jetty- a floating pier that adds additional seating for enjoying a cocktail, coffee, snack or meal, with a large open air bar. They often have live music and the friendly crowd makes for a popular gathering place for an hour- or all night.
On our way to dinner we stopped by Leijonbaren (pictured), a cute "straight-friendly" bar in Old Town where the last time I visited we were treated to a show involving a Swedish guy, lederhosen, and a lamp post. (Don't worry- it's not as scandalous as it sounds. Quite the acrobat, this young man can "hang" horizontally from a lamppost... and he's also quite good at handstands.) The crowd here is also wonderful, especially on Sundays when it tends to be a bit of a party.
Mr. Gay Sweden
There were two big shindigs tonight, but we decided to check out the party for Mr. Gay Sweden, which turned out to be quite the event. Although the winner didn't look like the "classic Swede," he was obviously good looking (as were all the contestants, as you can see in the photo), and one would imagine that he's got at least one skill; isn't there usually a talent portion in these competitions? One can only imagine...
The mix of locals and visitors made for another great evening, and we ended up staying out much later than we'd planned... yet again! Which is why I'm off to bed now, because tomorrow is going to be just as crazy- especially given that it's the day of the big Pride Parade.
See you tomorrow!
Pride flag, statue/water feature, Leijonbaren, and Mr. Gay Sweden photos by Andre Landeros Michel; Self-portrait of Eugene Jansson courtesy of the National Museum; image of Countess von Hallwyl from the Hallwylska Museum.
For photos of EuroPride, go to the EDGE Photo Albums