Gripsholm Royal Castle, Sweden, May 2006

While visiting my friend in Stockholm, we went to see the Gripsholm castle, which is in a town of Mariefred, a relatively short train ride away from Stockholm. Ah, Europe, where, unlike in the USA, you can travel the country by train. Living in the US, you don’t realize how much you miss it, until you go to a country that has a functioning train system.

Here is a general view of Gripsholm royal castle.

Gripsholm royal castle
CIMG3034 Gripsholm royal castle

Gripsholm castle courtyard, viewed from under an arched passageway that leads to it. A hint of an arch makes every picture better, if you ask me.

Gripsholm castle courtyard
CIMG3039 Gripsholm castle courtyard

On the Gripsholm castle grounds there is this upright, flat rock with a snake coiled into a spiral, and the whole length of the snake is inscribed with what looks like runes. I’m sure there was an explanation next to it, and I conveniently didn’t pay attention to it. So now I don’t know what this is.

A stone with a snake inscribed by runes at the Gripsholm castle
DSCF3861 A stone with a snake inscribed by runes at the Gripsholm castle

Me in the Gripsholm castle courtyard

Me in the Gripsholm castle courtyard
DSCF3866 Me in the Gripsholm castle courtyard

My friend who lives in Stockholm is sometimes tempted to take pictures in forbidden places, and royal castles are off limits for photography, because they are military objects. That’s probably because the King of Sweden still happens to live in the part of the castle that hasn’t been turned into the museum. The thrill of secretly taking pictures makes royal castles seem more exciting than they are otherwise. Here I am pictured in the middle of the former royal apartments in the Gripsholm castle. That’s presumably a royal bed of bygone era.

An extra challenge is to take a good picture indoors without using flash, because if you use flash, the museum attendants will see it from several rooms away, and will come running to you. Fortunately, my friend A has lots of practice of taking pictures without flash.

A royal bed in Gripsholm castle
DSCF3870 A royal bed in Gripsholm castle

A closed-to-the-public room with a beautifully lit vaulted ceiling in Gripsholm castle

A closed-off room with a vaulted ceiling in Gripsholm castle
DSCF3873 A closed-off room with a vaulted ceiling in Gripsholm castle

A side view of the Gripsholm castle

Gripsholm castle from the side
DSCF3875 Gripsholm castle from the side

Gripsholm castle roofs up close: a microcosm of tiny rooflets, spires and chimneys surrounding the main tower.

Gripsholm castle roofs up close
CIMG3042 Gripsholm castle roofs up close