Jaunted

Tags: Starbucks Alternatives / Coffee Travel / Stockholm / Stockholm Travel / Stockholm Restaurants / Retro Travel / Design Travel / → All Tags

Stockholm Kicks Starbucks To The Curb With The Retro 'Konditori Valand'

Starbucks might be attempting to create more of a cafe with their concept "15th Street Coffee & Tea" restaurant, but it will simply never equal the awesomeness of truly great, very authentic cafes that still exist and serve up homemade goods around the world. One such spot, which might not last too much longer as the owners grow old, is Stockholm's Konditori Valand.

The cafe, in the Surbrunnsgatan section of town, is run by Magdalena Åström, who has maintained the original interior of the cafe since it was begun and designed by her husband in 1954. The result is a mid-century modern stunner, with well-worn teak furniture and an imported black stone floor from Italy. The cafe is a fixture in German guidebooks and on the lists of retro furniture enthusiasts, but that doesn't mean that a regular old, design-appreciating tourist can't enjoy a coffee and slice of cake here.

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Tags: Literary Travel / Award Show Travel / Nobel Prize / Romania Travel / → All Tags

Nobel Prize Winner In Literature Afraid To Go Home To Romania

This must be the best day ever for all you Herta Müller fans! In case you're not caught up on modern literature, Müller is the 2009 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, announced this morning in Stockholm.

Müller lives and works in Germany now, but grew up in Communist Romania under dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, and many of her books describe the plight of young people in a controlling regime. She revealed in an essay penned earlier this summer for the online magazine Sign and Sight that she is afraid to travel in Romania even now because she believes members of the government are still following her.

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Tags: Prime-Plane-Spotting-Map / Plane Spotting / Stockholm / Stockholm Travel / Airplane News / Hostels / Airplanes / → All Tags

Nothing's Sweder Than Plane Spotting Straight From A Cockpit

We love airplanes, you love airplanes, so let's go look at airplanes! In our Prime Plane Spotting series, we'll let you in on all the best spots to whip out your cameras and binoculars for a piece of the aviation action.

Where is better for plane spotting than actually being on the airport's tarmac...or better yet, in a honeymoon suite on the tarmac? This actually became possible less than a year ago, when the Jumbo Hostel opened at Stockholm's Arlanda Airport.

This decommissioned 747 has had its seats ripped out in favor of installing 25 bedroom suites, complete with free wireless internet access and flatscreen TVs, and, for most rooms, full en-suite bathrooms. Even Singapore Airlines' A380 first class suites can't compare with these, but then the Jumbo Hostel no longer flies, so there's that.

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Tags: Sweden Travel / Exhibitions / Art Galleries / Art Museums / Furniture Tourism / → All Tags

IKEA Furniture Not For Sale in Stockholm Art Gallery

While the name of the Swedish gallery Liljevalchs Konsthall may seem like a bit of a mouthful, its English subtitle "The Stockholmers' own public art venue" explains it pretty well. We can't pronounce it, but we want to go there, because starting this month they have a special IKEA exhibition happening.

We should admit, to be fair, that half our furniture has its origins at the local IKEA, so we're natural candidates for this kind of exhibition. The retrospective looks at the history of IKEA over its 50 years: starting back at the first flat-pack table it sold back in the 1950s and showing how furniture designs changed and developed over the decades.

There are also interesting anecdotes about IKEA life. For example, back in the 70s there was a big spate of denim-covered furniture, but it wasn't really about style – that was because the founder bought up a huge supply of denim at a bargain price from a Chinese factory that was going broke.

The IKEA exhibition runs until August 30 in Stockholm, and getting in will cost you 69 SEK (less than $9). In summer the Liljevalchs Konsthall is open every day except Monday (but on Mondays, of course, you can go shopping at the real IKEA instead).

Related Stories:
· Liljevalchs Konsthall [Official Site]
· Ikea Exhibition Showcases 50 Years of Functional Furnishing [Guardian]
· Stockholm Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: ktpupp]

Tags: Geek Travel / Museums / Pirate Bay / Pirates / Sweden Travel / → All Tags

Pirate Bay's Server Now On Display in Swedish Museum

At least their handiwork will live on: As the creators of file-sharing website the Pirate Bay head off to prison, a Swedish museum will put its trusty server on display for the world to learn the wages of modern piracy.

The Tekniska Museet or National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm has added the server to an exhibit on intellectual property called "Inspiration Imitation," and since it's co-sponsored by the Swedish Association for the Protection of Industrial Property, we're guessing it's going to come out pro-IP.

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Tags: Cruising With Celebs / Celeb Travel / John Lithgow / → All Tags

John Lithgow Refuses To Act His Age

Sometimes we wonder what convinces stars to get on a boat with their biggest fans and go somewhere. But in this week's Cruising with Celebs, we can see it perfectly: He gets the offer sitting at a sidewalk cafe with one foot in the air. He tilts his remarkably large head to one side and then, with a pucker of the eyebrow, he thinks, Why not? Could be a right pleasant jaunt. At least we assume that's how it went down when Silversea Cruises approached John Lithgow about climbing aboard its Scandinavian-Russian adventure this July.

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Tags: SAS Airlines / Scandinavia Travel / Airlines / Airline Deals / → All Tags

SAS Has No Staff, You Have No Transport Costs

Hot on the heels of the news that they're letting 3,000 staff go, Scandinavian carrier SAS Airlines is adding another "please fly with us, we really need the money" enticement to the mix.

Passengers who fly into the hip Swedish capital Stockholm during March and April will be given a Stockholm City Card for nix, which will mean transfers from the airport into the city are free, so is travel for at least 24 hours, and there are a bunch of sightseeing discounts attached too.

Usually the card costs around $45, so for a marketing gimmick, we actually like this one. We used to think SAS was a bit pricey, but a quick surf found us London to Stockholm flights for under $70 for March. Of course, with 3,000 staff on their way out, the question is whether or not there'll be any flight attendants left to serve you on your next SAS flight.

Related Stories:
· SAS Offers Passengers Free Transfers and Travel [Business Traveller]
· Thousands to Get the Shaft from Limping Airlines [Jaunted]
· Stockholm Travel Guide [Jaunted]

[Photo: ombrelle]

Tags: Weird / BMA / Baggage / Luggage / → All Tags

Don't Check People: Suitcase Dwarf Stuns Airport

The ol' "I'll just hide in your suitcase" routine will no longer be an acceptable airport joke: A Swedish comedy troupe was able to check a dwarf at Stockholm's Bromma Airport, scaring the bananas out of check-in agents when the cargo escaped.

The troupe was filming a stunt for a show on Sweden's Kanal 5 in which an extra-heavy suitcase was brought into the airport and checked. Staff were "shocked and humiliated" but have decided not to press charges--but it's probably best not to hum "I'm Gonna Mail Myself To You" anywhere in Sweden for the next few months. (Checking your baby is also not endorsed by Jaunted.)

One thing we still don't know: Whether the dwarf hopped out to pay checked-bag fees on himself.

Related Stories:
· Dwarf Comedy Stunt Shocks Swedish Airport Staff [Canoe.ca]
· Sweden Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: geckotales]

Tags: Missed Connections / Bill Murray / → All Tags

Missed Connections: Cruising in Stockholm

Yesterday, Bill Murray was pulled over for allegedly driving a golf cart under the influence in Sweden's biggest city. Maybe he just decided it was "Suntory time," but we'd like to think he was chasing the woman of his dreams--and the cart was just the first thing at hand.

We don't endorse carting while intoxicated, but maybe you can lose your head when you meet that special someone at these Stockholm singles magnets:

The Bar at the Hotel Rival -- This boutique hotel hosts a glam bar where visitors and locals alike sip complex cocktails. Mariatorget 3

Mosebacke -- A classic outdoor jazz venue, kicking back here could net you some company, if you know your Miles Davis from your Louis Armstrong. Mosebacketorg 3

sturecompagniet -- This huge bar contains several different themed rooms, whether you'd like to meet a suited executive or a nightclub-bound student. Stureplan 2

Related Stories:
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Stockholm Hotels [HotelChatter]

[Photo: kittykowalski]

Tags: Museums / Scandinavia / Boats / Ships / → All Tags

Why Don't We Know the Vasa?

A friend of Jaunted just got back from a jaunt through Scandinavia and gave us a tip on what turns out to be the most visited museum in the whole of the region. Their website even goes so far to say that it's one of the foremost tourist sights in the world, so we thought we'd better keep you informed.

It's the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, which houses a completely intact 17th century warship with quite a story behind it.

Sinking Titanic-like on its maiden voyage in 1628, but without the iceberg excuse (apparently it was just badly designed), the massive ship was rediscovered and dragged back up into the light in 1961.

It's now on display as the largest ever preserved object, and has been housed in a specially-designed building since 1990. Plenty of science has gone into both pulling this nifty ship outta the water and keeping it looking good. It must be worth seeing--all those visitors can't be wrong.

[Photo: MyDifferentDrum]

Related Stories:
· Vasa Museum [Official Site]
· On Holiday With Lego Blocks [Jaunted]
· Simple Pleasure: Finland Museum Finder [Jaunted]

Tags: Celeb Travel / Snoop Dogg / Crime / → All Tags

Snoop Dogg's Arrest: At Least it Wasn't Indonesia

And you thought the Snoop Dogg arrests were over. Hardly. Super world traveler-in-training Calvin Broadus was arrested in Sweden earlier today (or late Sunday night, depending on how you look at it) on suspicion of being high. Just having a little weed in your system is illegal in Sweden. Snoop was leaving the Globe Arena (side note: would that thing not make the most outrageous bong?) when his car was stopped, and he ended up in the slammer for a few hours before being released--drug test results are pending. If--shock, horror--Snoop is found to have had drugs in his system, he'll have to pay a fine. If you want to visit the scene of the crime, the Globe Arena is removed from downtown, but quite accessible thanks to its own subway stop on the green line.

[Photo: Faelyn/SMH]

Related Stories:
· Snoop Dogg Held Overnight in Sweden [LAT]

Tags: Tourism Boards / Sweden / → All Tags

Sweden's Cracked-Out Musical E-Card

First, there were those customizable Snakes on a Plane messages, when the entire universe almost came crashing down due to the unexpected volume of people trying to send them. Could the Swedish tourist board's "Stockholm: the Musical" be next in line for the e-card throne? It's genius and damn well should be.

At stockholmthemusical.com, you can customize a commercial with a friend's name (or nickname--"virgin" is among the options) and "pecularity" (our favorite: "talks only english"). Punch it all in, and out comes a cast of singing and dancing locals, including Mr. Meatball (an anthropomorphic Swedish meatball) and Sven (the every-Swede, clearly). They'll entice you to visit Stockholm by promising they "love to kiss your ass," and, depending on your selected peculiarity, poke fun at you with one wacky skit or another.

We don't even have that many friends but have already made about 50 versions of this thing, just to hear what they sound like and check out all the possible endings.