Travels and Birds: Uppsala

View from our hotel room

We picked up a car at the airport about 25 miles north of Stockholm City Center. Our trip to the airport on the high-speed train was actually quicker than the trip from the airport to the car rental area by bus. The agent who gave us our car told us some of his life story while filling out paperwork. The American flag on our driver licenses got him interested. He told us that one of his buddies has a flag on his showing he is a veteran. He then told us that he is an Iraqi Kurd who worked for the US Embassy during the first Iraq War. He then served in the US Marines and returned to Iraq being wounded four times. He served with the National Guard in Portland and Salem. Today he has US, Swedish, and Iraqi passports. After finishing school in Sweden, some of his mates urged him to stay another few weeks which quickly turned into years. He is planning to leave however because he finds Sweden a great place for families because of the government support but not so much fun for young singles.

One of the old buildings in Uppsala

That corroborated the story told to us by a young mother we met on Stockholm’s shopping street the night before. She and her husband had moved from London when they decided to have children because Sweden would be a better place to raise their children. The Swedish support system is famous for how well new parents and their children are supported by the medical system and required time off.

The drive to Uppsala takes only about 30 minutes from Arlanda, Stockholm’s airport. We arrived shortly after noon and checked into our hotel. After settling into our room, we made the short walk across the Fyrisån River to visit Uppsala’s cathedral. Uppsala became the seat of the Archbishop of Sweden in 1164. Building the cathedral started around 1270 and it was consecrated in 1435 after 200 years of work. It houses the relics of Saint Erik Jedvardsson who was the Swedish king in the 12th century. He was murdered by Danish enemies, perhaps on the site where the cathedral now stands. Miracles surrounding his death led to his veneration as a saint and today he is considered Sweden’s patron saint.

Rose window behind the organ

The church is a Medieval structure as tall as it is long, some 188 meters. The central aisle is 26.6 meters high. It lacks the wings usually associated with the magnificent cathedrals of the Middle Ages giving them the shape of a cross. Nevertheless, there is the hint of a cross as there is a crossing with two side doors and the second organ highlighted by large stained glass pieces describing the Trinity and the life of Jesus.

Ornate pulpit with closeups below

Built from bricks, the two towers dominate, visible from almost any location in town. As we walked around the interior, we were impressed by the variety of the decorations from chapel to chapel. One has a pair of ancient tapestries depicting the cathedral’s history. Several host the graves of famous or important Uppsalians, among them biologist Carl Linneaus. The Chapel of Peace honors Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Nathan Soderblom and Dag Hammarskjöld. A couple of these memorials are massive statues. Others are more simple caskets topped with effigies of those interred. Some have paintings and one has a rotating exhibit of wooden figures that tell the story of Jesus’ birth, Easter, and Jesus blessing the children. No two chapels are alike.

The altar

One of several crypts

Realistic until you realize she isn't moving

A changing display in one of the alcoves

After about an hour in the cathedral we headed over the the castle. Built in the 1540s, it has been the site of several coronations, the decision of the church to switch from Catholicism to Lutheranism, and other important historical events. Today it houses both an art museum and the House of Peace with an exhibition about former UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld. Hammarskjöld was killed while working to broker a peace settlement in the civil war that followed the independence of the former Belgian Congo in 1960. Unfortunately, that war continues today making that mineral rich country one of the poorest on earth.

Now to the castle

We cut short our time at the castle to avoid what appeared to be an oncoming thunderstorm. We headed for Domtrappkalaren, and an early dinner at the oldest restaurant in Uppsala. I was hoping for a meal of Swedish meatballs, but settled for the toast and shrimp when I learned that they were out of the meatballs. Linda enjoyed the same meal, the storm passed us by and we returned to our hotel room for an evening of nature on Swedish television over a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.