V. Handoyo

I only had a morning in Stockholm before leaving for the airport. Thankfully, the sweet Haga Tartcompani & Bageri had ended their Christmas holiday, and opened quite early. The batch brewed coffee there was nice, and they gave free refill. . I went to the central station, and took Arlanda Express train that reached the airport in exactly 18 minutes. I love that train. . I flew Finnair to Doha before reaching Jakarta. I wondered why nobody talked about how great Finnair is. Really loved the friendly and speedy service, the truly efficient system, the very thoughtful ground staff, and all. Top notch. . Transit in Doha, though, was a bitch. I had a long transit, and was willing to pay for an access to one of their "business lounges", but later on decided not too. I checked on at least three of them, and found them all packed. The sleeping area was full, as well as the shower booths. . I took rest in one of the Quiet Room near the boarding gates. It was meant to be exclusively men (yeah, of course, it's the uncivilized Middle East!), but some white ladies just did not give a damn. Go for it, girls! . #Stockholm #travelnotes

The previous night I decided to sleep with my bedroom window opened, and the morning came with a treat. It was surreal to see a full moon still hanging in the sky at eight. The photo I took with my iPhone X did not do even half the justice. The real view was like a painting. . It was another bright and snowy day in Stockholm - the kind of perfect day, with just one degree below zero. I spent most of the day shopping, and lunch, and just walking around. I had lunch, coffee, then had some rest in Magnus's before heading to the opera house. . Last night in Stockholm, and last night in my 3-weeks holiday, was dedicated for 'Rigoletto', and I treated myself with a fancy dinner in the restaurant. I suspected I was the only Asian guests there. The beef tartare was nice, and the pavlova was heavenly. . 'Rigoletto' opened with a scene of a decadent dinner party with a 10x10 meter replica of Hieronymus Bosch's 'Christ in Limbo' - and that was jaw-dropping. The whole production value was much higher than of 'La Boheme' that I saw in Berlin. The performance was just as great. . And, after that heavy cultural outing, I decided to repeat what I did in Berlin: closed the evening with some good ol' junk food. No KFC around, so McDonald's it was. I guess pairing dignified European opera with trashy, disgusting American eating culture would be my style from now on. . #Stockholm #travelnotes

After giving a visit to Johan & Nyström twice, it's time to switch to Drop, and it was just as satisfying.
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The day was spent very slowly and without a clear direction. I did plan to visit both Vasa Museum and Moderna Museet, but finally decided to take just one of them, and I picked Moderna Museet. Perhaps I was just not in the mood of history. .
I had an encounter with Michael Duchamp's notorious 'Fountain' - or what normos would simply call 'that ordinary urinal'. No, I didn't try to smell it. Henri Matisse's works were displayed above a giant bed. And, I finally got a chance to see a Francis Bacon's.
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Yet, my favorite discovery was Ivan Lönberg's 'Portrait of Nils Santesson' (1914). Santesson was, apparently, had been sentenced for "homosexual crimes" in Sweden, then left for Paris after released from prison. There he found safe place for marginalized groups in an art studio. . Moderna Museet also had a Study Room where we could choose which artworks we would like to see, then one of the 25 screens hung up above will be brought to us. The screen displayed the selected artworks. I had a chance to take a very close look at one of Chirico's paintings, and then a glanced at a Mondrian's and a Magritte's. . Afterwards, I decided to pay a visit to The English Bookshop. It was a cute bookshop with extensive collection and a very warm vibe. I did not buy anything, yet it wasn't a waste of time. There were cute little shops around the area that I found quite inspiring. . #stockholm #travelnotes

Christmas seemed to have gone all white while I was asleep. Thick snow covered Stockholm as I woke up at 9 am - thanks to paracetamol. It was 1°C - a much too nice temperature to stay at home. Johan & Nyström was open until 4 pm, so I had my 7-Eleven breakfast, and made my way there. . Also, @fotografiska opened until 11 pm! And it was a blast. I spent the whole day there, including having late lunch in the restaurant. The food was good, the service super friendly, and the view gorgeous. . The on-going exhibition - Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious - was excellent. It’s a visual study of hip-hop culture from 1970’s in Bronx until now, with additional text on hip-hop in Sweden. . The other exhibition by Iranian artist Shirin Neshat - now residing in New York - was heartbreaking. The bodies of Iranian women have become pages to record trauma, persecution, and tragedy. . I shopped for microwave dinner in Coop, and made my way back to the apartment to do laundry. . #Stockholm #travelnotes

Bright and sunny morning in Stockholm, at just -8ºC. Most breakfast places are closed for Christmas already, but thankfully the wonderful Brunkebergs Bageri still opens until noon. . On the way there I couldn’t stop taking pictures of clear blue sky, snowy streets, and colourful buildings in between, as well as Santa and his green elf running for their lives.
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Planned to go to the National Museum as Google Maps and their own website mentioned that they opened today. Apparently not. .
Disappointed, I headed to Dock 15 to take an impromptu Winter Boat Tour for 75 minutes. The outdoor seat was chilling to the bone. I had the most expensive glögg there; €6 for less than half a glass. (In Skansen it was €3.2 for a full paper cup.) The trip was a rip-off, but Miss Tour Guide should be on a stage. Such a witty lady. . Decided to find lunch afterwards, but everybody was rushing to close early. Luckily, Romitas Pizzeria - very close to Magnus’s, and run by a family migrated from Afghanistan twenty years ago - still opened, and would open tomorrow on Christmas Day. I filled my tummy with the very creamy penne. . I stopped by at the closest 7-Eleven to grab sandwich for dinner, and more food for breakfast. That’s my Christmas provision, accompanied by ‘Love, Actually’ on Netflix. Sad. . Oh, and I think now I’m sick because of that Winter Boat Tour. I’m not that worried though. I have more than enough paracetamols. . #Stockholm #travelnotes

First day in Stockholm was -3ºC, and I couldn’t ask for a better weather. Snow covered the city, making every corner picturesque in the eyes of a lone traveller coming from a polluted and corrupted third world country. . I took a trip to Skansen early in the morning when it was quiet. The Christmas Market itself had not opened yet.
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Skansen was perhaps, for the locals, touristy, even bordering tacky, yet the place made me happy. I had never been in a place so covered in a thick snow like that. The air was so fresh I suspected I had just prolong my life at least an extra year. .
Besides hot chocolate, I also had a glass of mulled wine, or they called it glögg here. Forralt bor in Hungary, svařák in Czech, glühwein in Germany, and I tried them all. Glögg is my champion. . Stopped by ABBA The Museum on the way back, but somehow I lost interest to get the full experience. I’m happy enough with the shop. . Took a ferry to the shopping district of Kungsträdgården, and found a nice cashmere scarf, 50% off. Had lunch in the fancy food court; predictably Swedish meatballs. It was delicious. . Went to Johan & Nyström, and had a very delicious Nicaraguan coffee. Checked out Designtorget, but found nothing easy to bring home there. . Went back to Magnus’s place for some rest, then took a walk to Bastard Burgers for dinner. The vegan burger was blah, and the service was ... bastardous. . #Stockholm #travelnotes

Left Mülheim an der Ruhr early this morning to catch a flight from Köln / Bonn Flughaven to Stockholm. The train made a long stop in Leverkusen Mitte, and this time it was because there was a trouble with a bridge ahead. Excuses. . First time flying with Ryanair, and I found it very efficient albeit the very narrow seat. . Landed on snowy Arlanda International Airport, and took the express train to Stockholm Central. The train was so nice and neat. The trip was only 18 minutes. . Finding Magnus’s place was not easy. First I had to pick up the key in a 7-Eleven, and I went to the wrong one. The right one was another five blocks, and I walked and dragged my poor Samsonite in the snow. . Nevertheless, I finally got myself in Magnus’s pristine and amazing place. Took a hot shower, and then found dinner at The Italian Cousin. It was good. . Then I took a walk around the neighbourhood, seeing all the snow-covered streets, cars, and parks, while from almost every window of apartment buildings I could see Christmas lights blessing my holiday. . #Mülheim #Stockholm #travelnotes

Life in the provincial town of Mülheim an der Rurh was of course way different than in crazy, sinful Berlin. We took a drive to the Asian supermarket in the neighbouring town of Oberhausen, and shopped for Christmas. . The mall was crowded with last minute Christmas shoppers, hunting for bargains. The Christmas market was alive despite the rainy and windy weather. . We ended the day with a dinner in what seemed to be the fanciest restaurant in town, right across the house. . #mülheim #travelnotes

The train travel to Mülheim an der Ruhr from Berlin via Dortmund was a bitch. The train left Berlin Hbf on time but had to stop in Wolfsburg for a very long time because they just found an old bomb along the way, and had to defuse it. Like, why? D’oooh. . The train arrived in Dortmund, and my connection to Mülheim an der Ruhr was messy already. The office told me to wait in Platfom 8. Last minute, the train decided to stop in Platform 11, and it didn’t show any sign to wait. I took the stairs down, moved across the station to, and took the other stairs up to Platform 8, all carrying my 20kgs suitcase. The only space that I could find was cramped between bikes. . As the train left, there was another announcement in German. The other passenger kindly translated it to me. “It seemed that this train will not stop in Mülheim. You should stop in Essen, and catch another train.” . I decided to just drop myself off in Bocchum, and wait for another train, hoping that it would have more space. It was said that the train - leaving for Köln and would definitely make a stop in Mülheim - would come at 20.19, but German punctuality decided it would actually arrive at 20.41. . I finally arrived late in the evening in Mülheim an der Ruhr Hbf to the arms of my auntie @devisteiger and my cousins Sharon and Audrey who welcome me to the house they had been living in for around fourty years. . It felt like home. . #Muelheim #travelnotes

Last day in Berlin was spent in @gemaeldegalerie where there was an ongoing exhibition of Jan van Eyck’s old paintings. The presentation of the restoration works were enjoyable. A bunch of young girls in Goth makeup and style roamed around the gallery. . Last slide was @stevenanggrek trying to look for his lost virginity in the dark exhibition room where he insisted on still wearing his Miu Miu sunglasses. . #Berlin #travelnotes

Weather was a bitch on December 19 in Berlin. It was drizzling the whole day. Yet, it didn’t stop Steven and I to walk the city and discover its galleries. . First stop was @buchmann_galerie where @clarewoodsstudio was having a show. Luck brought us to meet André Buchmann himself who then personally gave a tour around the galerie. Herr Buchmann also very kindly spent some time to chat with us. . Then off to @koeniggalerie where very modern and contemporary artworks were displayed. . Avant garde found it’s home in @konradfischergalerie . I have to say those artworks were way beyond me. . In the evening @soerenk78 managed to lure me, then Steven, to crash his Rainbow Daddy club. It was a lovely club that almost made me want to have kids. Must resist that temptation. . #Berlin #travelnotes

By December 18, hanging out with @soerenk78 was just a thing in the past. I spent the morning with Edvard Munch in Berlinische Galerie, and admiring the youngsters’ excitement over his artworks. . Trouble in the name of @stevenanggrek came directly from Zürich to join force with me in conquering Berlin on foot. . In the evening we enjoyed Mahler under the batonless hands of Teodor Currentzis - my current favorite conductor. The concert was no less than amazing. Currentzis created rockin’ music. . The Berliner Philharmonie itself was a great concert hall. I especially loved the layout of the seating area. . We walked back to our hotel, and had a nightcap in the bar before hitting the sack. . #Berlin #travelnotes