Northumbrian Gunner: December 2018

Tuesday, 11 December 2018

Stockholm - ABBA Museum

Bjorn Anni Agnetha Benny

ABBA was formed in Stockholm 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad.

They came to prominence in 1974 when they won the Euro Vision Song Contest for Sweden with the song 'Waterloo'.

They would subsequently go on to sell 400 million records worldwide before they disbanded in 1982.

ABBA

ABBA Museum Stockholm

Abba Museum Stockholm

Abba Museum Stockholm
In the beginning - Agnetha

Abba Museum Stockholm
Eurovison 1974 costumes

Abba Museum Stockholm
Eurovision 1974 Bjorn Guitar

Abba Museum Stockholm
Eurovision 1974 Winners

Abba Museum Stockholm
Eurovision 1974 Winners Trophy

*****

Abba Museum Stockholm
ABBA

Abba Museum Stockholm
VM

Monday, 10 December 2018

Stockholm - Royal Palace

Stockholm Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is the residence of the Swedish Royal Family. There has been a royal residence on the northern part of the island of Gamlastan since the 13th Century. The original palace was constructed between 1607 and 1760, with several renovations over the centuries.

STOCKHOLM PALACE

Stockholm Royal Palace
Entrance

Stockholm Royal Palace
Palace Guard

The Royal Palace houses the Swedish Crown Jewels

Stockholm Royal Palace
Crown Jewels

Regalia of Sweden

Stockholm Royal Palace
Swedish Coronet

Stockholm Royal Palace
Canon

Stockholm Royal Palace
VM / IJ mirror and ceiling

Stockholm Royal Palace
Chandelier corridor

Stockholm Royal Palace
Interior

Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden and the biggest city in Scandinavia. The city stretches across fourteen islands where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea.

The area has been inhabited since the Stone Age. The Vikings built the first major settlement in 1000 AD and it became a major trading location.

Viking Settlement

The city was established in 1252. Between 1397 and 1523 the Kingdom of Sweden was part of the Klamar Union, a confederation of the monarchs of Denmark (including Greenland, Iceland and Faroe Islands) , Norway (including Northern Islands [Orkney and Shetland] and Sweden (which included most of which is now Finland). It left the Union in 1523 and became an independent sovereign state.
From 1348 till 1700, Sweden was part of the Hanseatic League, a trading community amongst the nations of Northern Europe during with Stockholm being a major trading location.
During the Thirty years War (1618 to 1648), Sweden expanded annexing territories around the Baltic. In 1634 Stockholm became the capital of the Swedish Empire. The Swedes were unable to sustain a large empire and ceded territory to Russia (including Finland) and other Nordic nations. The last time Sweden went to war was 1814.