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Michael Portillo in Stockholm S01E01
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00:01Come with me as I take you to some of my favourite cities
00:04on a long weekend.
00:10Buongiorno tutti!
00:13Together we'll explore the places I love.
00:17Oh, Palermo! What a beauty you are.
00:22Oh, my word.
00:24Madrid is next to heaven.
00:27And discover places new.
00:30We put the vroom vroom into Milano.
00:34Oh, my. This is astonishing.
00:39From Stockholm to Lisbon.
00:42We'll raise a glass. Soda. Soda.
00:46And enjoy great food.
00:49Mmm. Pork that melts in your mouth.
00:52I don't think there's any delicate way of eating it.
00:54Oh.
00:58We'll leave the tourist trail behind.
01:01Every bone of my body has been shaken.
01:04My goodness, we are on the ice.
01:06Yes.
01:07Oh, my word.
01:08We are attacking!
01:11And seek out special places to stay.
01:16The view of Prague is magnificent.
01:22Along the way, we'll make new friends.
01:24Oh, Charles!
01:26Oh, Charles!
01:27Do you mind if we do a selfie?
01:29Oh, really?
01:29And memories to last a lifetime.
01:33Oh!
01:35Oh!
01:36Oh!
01:37I think I shall always remember this.
01:39This is a beautiful moment.
01:41I have rarely seen such opulence.
01:45What an amazing sight.
01:48I am loving this.
01:51I can't wait to show you more.
02:03Welcome to a capital city whose beautiful buildings are reflected in intensely blue waters.
02:14But which is not mobbed by visitors.
02:22Stockholm in Sweden.
02:25Around 500 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Stockholm is two and a half hours from Britain.
02:36The city is set between a sprawling freshwater lake and the Baltic Sea, spread across a patchwork of islands, making
02:47it one of the most exciting places to explore on a long weekend.
02:55I have arrived in Stockholm, armed not with a guidebook, so much as preconceptions.
03:02From Scandinavia, marauding Vikings raided the British Isles.
03:07This is the land of Abba, the smorgasbord and flat-packed furniture.
03:13Here, the winter nights and summer days are endless.
03:17Stockholm gave its name to a hostage syndrome, and it hosts the annual award of the Nobel Prizes.
03:26It is the city of the royal family, equipped with palace and cathedral.
03:31Let us brace ourselves against the cold.
03:34And like warriors of old, don our horned helmets for a voyage of discovery.
03:41We have much to learn.
03:47This is my first return in more than two decades.
03:51A long weekend of Scandinavian rediscovery lies ahead.
03:56I have not had this much fun since I was five.
04:00Promising Nordic hospitality.
04:02Ah, the faithful Stefan. Hello.
04:05Fiery spirits.
04:07Shall we have another go? I reckon.
04:09The Midas touch.
04:11The Midas touch.
04:12Oh, my.
04:13This is astonishing.
04:17And the clash of the Icemen.
04:20Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
04:25It's the Stockholm bloodbath!
04:28Today, we'll immerse ourselves in Swedish tradition.
04:33Oh, my word.
04:35Backstage at a royal banquet, fit for a king, queen and visiting president.
04:41You know, I've been to state banquets in Buckingham Palace.
04:44Mm-hm.
04:44I don't think I've ever seen a table this big.
04:47We'll toast with Sweden's national drink.
04:49Yeah, el skede.
04:51It means I love you.
04:53You're so kind.
04:55I've only just arrived.
04:57And explore the breathtaking beauty...
04:59My goodness, we are on the ice!
05:02..of Stockholm's island archipelago.
05:04I think I shall always remember this.
05:06This is a beautiful moment.
05:08Skal!
05:09Skal!
05:15I remember Stockholm as a relaxed, easy-going city.
05:19Fewer than 2.5 million international visitors overnight here per year.
05:25It's never too crowded.
05:27And in midwinter, even less so.
05:30We have the place to ourselves.
05:33But we must wrap up.
05:35A week ago, the temperature was minus 17.
05:39And snow came tumbling down aplenty.
05:42And now there's lots of impacted ice.
05:46A long weekend begins on the central city island of Sodermalm,
05:50where I'm in search of a warming food and Swedish hospitality.
05:57I'm in a part of Stockholm called Sodermalm.
06:00These blocks of flats were constructed for the working class.
06:04But the whole neighbourhood has now been gentrified and is full of hipsters.
06:09I'm attracted like a moth to a flame.
06:14But it might not look that way.
06:17Sodermalm is one of Stockholm's oldest neighbourhoods,
06:20dating to the 13th century.
06:23In a city packed with emporia, offering traditional Swedish fare,
06:29I hanker for a dish that we now associate with flat-pack furniture shopping.
06:35The time has come for great balls of meat.
06:38Roll up, roll up.
06:40Hello.
06:42The average Swede eats hundreds of shopkula every year.
06:46So I'm joining a table of fellow hipsters to find out why they can't get enough of them.
06:52And hello, meatball lovers. How are you?
06:55Very good. How are you?
06:56Well, I'm Michael. What's your name?
06:58My name is Lucas. Nice to meet you.
06:59Hello, Lucas. Andreas. Andreas.
07:02Julia, nice to meet you. Julia.
07:04Kristoff. Kristoff. And Jenny.
07:06And Jenny. This place is very popularised.
07:08He was a great queue outside at the moment.
07:10Yeah, he's so crowded every day.
07:13Legend has it that this much-loved dish was introduced to Sweden in the 1700s,
07:19when King Charles XII brought back a recipe from Turkey.
07:28What's the thing with the Swedes and meatballs?
07:30The thing with Swedish meatballs? It's tradition.
07:33It's in our blood.
07:35It's in your blood.
07:36So you're talking about your grandmother, your mother cooking meatballs?
07:39Yes, of course.
07:40Do you remember your mother, your grandmother, anyone making meatballs?
07:53Yeah, I know. Christmas, Easter, Midsummer.
07:56Yeah, exactly.
07:56All the holidays.
07:58All the holidays.
07:59All the holidays.
08:00And every Monday.
08:01Every Wednesday.
08:02Thursdays?
08:02Yeah.
08:03Regular day food.
08:04Exactly.
08:05So meatballs are associated with holidays and also Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
08:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:10Right.
08:10So it sounds like they're eating quite a lot.
08:12Oh, hello. Come on in, yes.
08:15Then we got the schnapps as well.
08:17Oh, you got the schnapps.
08:18It's super healthy.
08:20It's very nice to meet you guys.
08:21Yeah.
08:22We say schkoll, don't we?
08:23Yeah, schkoll.
08:23Yeah, schkoll.
08:24Schkoll.
08:25Schkoll.
08:26How do you drink these guys?
08:27Down in one or?
08:29No, we'll do a little song first.
08:30Oh, a song.
08:31Oh, a song.
08:32Helan g氓r, schung hoppar alla lalalej.
08:36Helan g氓r, schung hoppar alla lalalej.
08:39Oh, den som inte helan tar han heller inte halvan f氓r.
08:44Helan g氓r.
08:48Oh, hoppar alla lalalej.
08:52Bam.
08:52Amazing.
08:53Nice.
08:54You did it.
08:55Got the rest of the day to work as well.
08:57That will be more fun that way.
09:00The menu includes reindeer, wild bull, moose, even bear in the right season.
09:09Head chef and co-owner Mateus will teach me the classic homemade recipe.
09:17Mateus, you have all the ingredients here, some lovely meatballs.
09:20Whose recipe is this?
09:21It's from my grandma.
09:22We have a 50-50 by beef and pork.
09:25Instead of just ordinary cream, we're going to use some cream sauce.
09:28We also need some extra flavours, so that's why I brought some anchovies.
09:32Well, I love the taste of anchovies.
09:34You need a liquid and then just put one fillet in.
09:37It's all smelling great, isn't it?
09:39Some onion.
09:41What sort of flavours do you have in there?
09:43It's a little bit of allspice.
09:45Yeah, yeah.
09:45And we use it a lot in a traditional Swedish kitchen.
09:49And then we just roll it up.
09:51Very satisfying feeling, that, as you roll the cold meat in your hands.
09:56If you make meatballs with a machine, I'm sure they all come out the same size.
10:00If you make them with a portillo, they come out in very different sizes and shapes.
10:05But I love them.
10:08While my meatballs sizzle, Matthias prepares a selection from the menu for me to blind taste.
10:16Can I tell my wild boar from my elk?
10:25These ones look different.
10:27I'm wondering whether these could be vegetarian.
10:30It could be.
10:37I guess that that might be lamb.
10:39I am finding this very tricky.
10:42I'm very surprised I'm not getting really strong flavours of wild boar and reindeer.
10:47Of course it could be tricky because we don't only use the meat.
10:52We add some flavours.
10:53Mmm.
10:55No, it's really defeated me.
10:57I'm going to say that's reindeer.
10:59And I don't think that is elk, but I'm going to put elk there.
11:02So what is the result, Mr Judge?
11:04This one is reindeer, so we're happy.
11:07The lamb is actually wild boar.
11:10Oh dear, oh dear.
11:12Maybe the veggie was quite easy, but yeah, you're right.
11:16So I got the veggie right, good.
11:17And this one is the lamb.
11:19That's the lamb.
11:21And the last one, we haven't got any flag yet.
11:23Oh.
11:24Because it's yours.
11:25Oh, it's the one I made.
11:27Which was basically a classic, but with the anchovy.
11:30Yeah, really classic.
11:32As we say in Britain, good game, good game.
11:34Yeah, good game.
11:39Coming up.
11:40Oh my word.
11:42On the eve of an official state visit.
11:45What a glorious uniform you have.
11:46I see you need a sword for your duties.
11:49Yes.
11:49You never know what happens.
11:51I catch a cab with a difference.
11:53I've never before been on a taxi that had to pick its way between the icebergs.
12:01And on my first night, venture off the beaten track.
12:06A candle in the window, it offers welcome to the stranger.
12:25It's early afternoon on my first day in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
12:33Situated on an archipelago, the city is spread across 14 islands.
12:39Two thirds of it is given over to water and green space, making it one of Europe's least
12:46urban cities.
12:49It's surprisingly easy to navigate on our visit.
12:53We're spoilt for choice between subways, buses and trams.
12:59I'd also recommend hiring a water taxi, perfect for island hopping around the archipelago.
13:07We all love water.
13:10We enjoy watching its constantly changing light and shapes and shadows.
13:16Lucky Stockholm to be on the sea.
13:18Lucky us to be able to see the city from the boat.
13:23As the day goes on, if anything, the ice is getting thicker.
13:26I've never before been on a taxi that had to pick its way between the icebergs.
13:35Across the water from Sodomalm, on the neighbouring island of Gamla Stan, is Stockholm's oldest neighbourhood.
13:43For many centuries, it was home to the Swedish royal family.
13:47The longest reigning monarch, King Karl XVI, is on the throne today.
13:59Scandinavia has been a region of kingdoms since time immemorial.
14:04Here in Sweden, the royal palace is no longer the home of His Majesty the King, although his standard flies
14:11above.
14:12He drives himself here daily in his Volvo to his office to do his official work.
14:18But today, His Majesty is preparing for a state visit.
14:28Compared to some other royal palaces, stock homes might appear quite plain on the outside.
14:34But the guidebook promises opulence within, well worth the 拢17 entrance fee.
14:41I'm meeting Chirsten, who'll guide me around the public and private spaces.
14:46And she's promised me a surprise.
14:50Chirsten, hello.
14:51Hello. Good to see you, Michael, and welcome to the Royal Palace of Stockholm.
14:54What an honour to be here.
14:56Just in case we bump into His Majesty, I've swapped my gilet for a jacket and tie.
15:02Chirsten, when I arrive at a magnificent building like this, of course, my first two questions are, how big and
15:09how old?
15:09Well, it is a huge palace.
15:11It's got more than 600 rooms.
15:14And the Rock family moved in here into the palace in 1754.
15:19This is where they had the National Library, also the National Museum, the Supreme Court.
15:25Everything was in the same building.
15:27Yeah, and that accounts for its enormity.
15:29Yes.
15:31Ever since the palace was completed in 1754, it has played a central role in Swedish society.
15:39Today, much of it is open to the public all year round, a palace for the people.
15:45This is wonderful.
15:47Stockholm Slot guidebook.
15:49It's published in 1875.
15:51Mm-hm.
15:51And it describes this room.
15:53So it says that it's so fresh and so shiny.
15:57And it also describes the king's private rooms, like his bedroom and his drawing room.
16:03So people were allowed to come very close to the royal family.
16:07At some point, the royal family stopped living here and moved out.
16:11Where do they live now?
16:12At Drottingholm.
16:13Because when our present royal family had three children, they wanted to live closer to the nature.
16:19I mean, this is magnificent, but not necessarily homely.
16:23No, not really.
16:25Many Swedish families own a second home, a summer house in the countryside.
16:30The royals are no exception.
16:33Drottingholm Palace, on one of Stockholm's outer islands, is now their main residence.
16:42However, the royal palace still hosts official engagements and visits by heads of state.
16:48And the first such visit in over a year just happens to fall tomorrow night.
16:55Imposing doors?
16:56Yes, very much so.
16:58Entrance forbidden.
17:00But we go in anyway.
17:02Oh, yes.
17:02Time for the surprise that Chirsten promised.
17:05Oh, my word.
17:08What a magnificent sight.
17:14A table that stretches to the horizon.
17:17Yes.
17:1945 metres long.
17:20You know, I've been to state banquets in Buckingham Palace.
17:23Mm-hm.
17:24I don't think I've ever seen a table this big.
17:28Inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, this grand chamber, one of the palaces most opulent, is normally open
17:36to the public.
17:37Filling the room, this grandiose banqueting table, is one of the world's largest.
17:43Responsible for perfecting this display, is Royal Steward Court.
17:49I'm Michael, how marvellous to see you.
17:51Nice to see you.
17:52And what a glorious uniform you have.
17:54I see you need a sword for your duties.
17:57Yes.
17:57You never know what happens.
17:59No, actually, it's a symbol for my uniform and my position.
18:02And forgive me, because I have come on a very busy day.
18:05You are preparing for a state banquet.
18:08Who's coming?
18:09President Macron.
18:11Of France.
18:12Yes.
18:13Now, I assume, because I've seen these preparations elsewhere, that your people have been out with their measuring tapes.
18:19Absolutely.
18:20Every single plate.
18:21How many places have you set for dinner?
18:23Today it's actually 170, which is the record in here.
18:29Hosting a dinner like this requires the work of 42 footmen with specific roles.
18:37But where Royal Hospitality is involved, not all place settings are equal.
18:45Now we've come to a place where the menu cards are in place and the napkins are in place.
18:52Yes, not on this.
18:54This is actually Princess Sofia's seat.
18:57Yes.
18:57All the royals have special napkins.
19:00Wow.
19:02A napkin fit for a king.
19:05I'm told that how to fold this gravity-defying piece of table linen is a closely guarded secret.
19:11Known by only three members of the royal household.
19:15And it comes with a story.
19:18What sort of thing?
19:20The napkin sitting in front of the plate is symbolic and decorative.
19:25And the napkin on the plate, folded quite differently from everybody else's, is the one that royalty and the state
19:32guests will use.
19:34It's quite fantastic.
19:39Before I leave, something else catches my eye.
19:43We also have an egg cup on this royal setting.
19:46Nowadays we don't have eggs in it.
19:48No.
19:48But it was, if they thought maybe I can't eat this, it's poisoned or whatever, I can always eat an
19:54egg.
19:54Ah, an egg was considered safe.
19:57Yes, because you couldn't poison it.
19:59I do hope that you have briefed the president of France, because otherwise he may come here tomorrow, see an
20:03egg cup, and be very disappointed if he doesn't have a boiled egg.
20:07Wow.
20:08May I wish you and all your colleagues all the best. I hope it goes very, very smoothly.
20:13And with luck, you won't have to use your sword.
20:16Hopefully not. Thank you very much.
20:28Back outside, dusk draws in.
20:32During the winter months, Stockholm manages just six hours of daylight.
20:37And it's dark by three o'clock.
20:40And in the short time that I've been here, my perceptions of the city are changing.
20:47Stockholm has the grand buildings of a capital, but the vibe of a town.
20:55It has the facilities of a great city, but people treat each other with the warmth of neighbours in a
21:01village.
21:02I am learning to chill out.
21:05And things can only get cooler still as we take it easy on our long weekend.
21:12During my stay, I do plan to overnight in the city.
21:17But tonight, I'll emulate those locals who love to steal away to a second home or a summer cabin at
21:25the weekend.
21:26Many families have one.
21:31In that spirit, I'm going to take a ferry which departs from under the shadow of the royal palace.
21:40I have been advised that the place to go is Vaxholm.
21:45Often referred to as the capital of the archipelago, Vaxholm consists of 70 islands and is an hour's ferry ride
21:54from Stockholm.
21:58I'm going to take a walk.
22:00I'm going to take a walk.
22:06Being on the ferry gives me a better idea than I had of how Stockholm spreads out.
22:12I'm passing suburbs now that I'm guessing not many tourists come to.
22:21The further that we sail from the city centre, the emptier the ferry becomes.
22:27The ferry acts like a bus within the city.
22:37There's just a handful of us now for Vaxholm and I'm beginning to think that it must be quite exclusive.
22:59The picture postcard town twinkles in the wind tonight.
23:05It's well below freezing, but the glowing lights suggest a warm welcome.
23:13Here is my bed and breakfast.
23:15And in Sweden, a candle in the window, it offers welcome to the stranger.
23:21And in this house, all the windows are burning brightly like a beacon for the weary traveller.
23:30Wonderful to meet you. Welcome to Vaxholm Bed and Breakfast. I'm Linda.
23:33What a lovely pleasure to see you, Linda. I'm Michael. What a very pretty house you have.
23:38Oh, thank you. So this will be your room. Welcome into the studio.
23:43Oh, so warm and so homely.
23:46I'm glad to hear that. I hope you'll make yourself at home here.
23:53What a beautiful sight after my cold walk through the village. It's like a mirage, like a warm embrace.
24:07And my goodness, I needed this after that walk. I'm going to enjoy this.
24:13Actually, I feel like storing up all the warmth that I can.
24:17Because tomorrow, my plan is to get pretty cold.
24:23To venture out from the icy water.
24:26Tomorrow.
24:29Coming up, I become very needy.
24:32Have you baked before? Hardly.
24:37Prepared to take an icy plunge.
24:41Men go to the moon in less equipment than I am wearing.
24:44And go back to nature, Scandi style.
24:48In Sweden, the sauna is taken in the nude.
25:03I'm enjoying a long weekend in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
25:08The biggest city in the Nordic region.
25:15My first morning dawns an hour away in Vaxholm.
25:20A picturesque maritime town on Stockholm's island archipelago.
25:29Last night, I joined crowds of locals on their weekend exodus to rural homes.
25:36Answering the Swedes' need to draw closer to nature.
25:41I feel happiest in the heart of a city.
25:44But now I find myself awake before everybody else.
25:49Startled by the sheer and utter tranquility of this place.
25:55By day, Vaxholm turns out to be a very pretty village with old clapperboard houses and picket fences.
26:03And after the darkness, there shall be light with a glorious sunrise over the Baltic Sea.
26:10Down by the water's edge, I'm pleased to discover that I wasn't the first out of bed after all.
26:17Hey. Hey.
26:18My name is Michael. Hello.
26:20Hello.
26:21Did you just go in the sea?
26:23Yes, we did.
26:25But there's ice on the water.
26:27Yes.
26:29Revives you in the morning.
26:31Yes.
26:32Makes you calm and also that you conquer the cold.
26:37Just accept it.
26:38What temperature is the water?
26:40Around two degrees.
26:41How long do you spend in the water?
26:43Now it's about a minute or two.
26:45When it's this cold.
26:47Yeah.
26:47But when we started, it was like seconds.
26:51I can believe it.
26:53Respect.
26:58Vaxholm was just a rocky outcrop in the archipelago until 1548, when a fortress was built on a neighbouring rock
27:08by one of the greatest Swedish kings, Gustav Vassa, who liberated the Swedes from Danish rule.
27:16By the 19th century, it was a popular resort town and steadily grew with the construction of wooden summer houses
27:24for the good people of Stockholm.
27:26My bed and breakfast owner, Linda, moved here 24 years ago to make a reality of her dream of running
27:34a small hotel close to nature.
27:38Hello, Linda.
27:39Hi, there you are.
27:40I'm dressed for action.
27:41How did you hear that?
27:43For the long weekender, she also offers baking classes, specialising in a very popular Swedish pastry.
27:52And today it's cinnamon buns.
27:53Yes, my favourite.
27:55Have you baked before?
27:56Hardly.
27:57OK, that's fun.
28:00Cinnamon buns are almost sacrosanct in Sweden.
28:04There's even a national day, October the 4th, in their honour.
28:09Whenever you have guests for coffee, you generally offer cinnamon buns.
28:14Cinnamon buns have been on the Swedish coffee table since at least the 40s.
28:19So right after the Second World War, when all the spices could come back in stock.
28:24But that's interesting. So it's a 20th century phenomenon. It doesn't go further back than that probably.
28:29No, exactly.
28:31I think this is perfect.
28:32That looks pretty good to me. I'm surprised how good it is, to tell you the truth.
28:39Linda, I saw some ladies this morning who'd been into the sea. Would you do that in winter?
28:45No.
28:47But we do have a lot of guests that does.
28:50We see ladies and men swimming down there every day of the year.
28:53Yeah.
28:54So let's fold this.
28:57And I fold it in three.
28:59What kind of a village is Vaxholm? Do you get commuters here?
29:04Yes. People who live in Vaxholm, many of them commute to Stockholm, for instance, for work.
29:10But you have around one million visitors every year on this island.
29:15One million?
29:16One million, yeah.
29:17That's astonishing.
29:18Many people go, they go hiking, they go boating, fishing, even in the winter, if the ice is not on.
29:26Easy, right?
29:28No.
29:30Hold one and twist a little bit, and then you go round your fingers.
29:35Oh, yeah.
29:37My buns need an hour to rise.
29:40Luckily, Linda prepared some earlier, ready for breakfast.
29:45Here you go.
29:47Ta-da!
29:48Wow.
29:49There you go.
29:50I think those are the ones you made rather than the ones I made.
29:52They look perfect.
29:56Coffee and cake for breakfast.
29:58What could be simpler?
30:00Except that here in Sweden, it's much more than that.
30:05That's so lovely.
30:07Taking time out over coffee and cake is a social phenomenon all of its own.
30:13It has a name, Fika.
30:15Yeah.
30:16What else would you say to me about, um, about Baxon?
30:20I think that, you know, we're not much of the bragging types, I want to show you things.
30:25But it's very welcoming to come here, but also relaxed.
30:30And I think that's, um, pretty unique, I think.
30:33The nature, I mean, the privilege we have to be out in the nature, that's very, um, exclusive.
30:41And most of our guests want to, in some way, experience the archipelago nature.
30:47I understand.
30:48We'd better give it a look.
30:50The Stockholm archipelago is a vast cluster of some 30,000 islands spread out around the capital.
30:59The largest archipelago in Sweden.
31:02Most of the islands are uninhabited, have no roads or infrastructure.
31:08But under Swedish law, anyone can kayak and camp on them, except on private property.
31:16In Sweden, fueled by cinnamon buns, any man or woman is an island, it appears.
31:23In the spirit of communing with nature, I've arranged to take to the water with local expedition guide Theresa.
31:31Hello.
31:32Oh, hello.
31:33I'm Michael.
31:34Good morning.
31:35Good morning to you.
31:37Whoa, it's icy everywhere.
31:39Yes, everywhere.
31:41Can we possibly go out in kayaks in this ice?
31:43Uh, yes.
31:45Luckily, we've been cutting the ice yesterday with a chainsaw.
31:49And then the ice could just drift it out overnight.
31:52So, is that something you have to do quite often, go out there with your chainsaw?
31:56Yeah, on days in January, it can happen, yes.
31:59Now, it looks as though you are very substantially kitted out.
32:03Yes, that's our kayak fashion.
32:05OK, well, I need to have gear like that, please.
32:08Do you have something in my size, do you think?
32:10Of course.
32:12Even with sea temperatures close to freezing, kayaking is enjoyed all year round.
32:18Perfect weather for Swedish ducks.
32:22Theresa has carefully embalmed me from head to foot.
32:28Men go to the moon in less equipment than I am wearing.
32:33And with much of the Baltic iced over,
32:36we employ a boat with a reinforced hull to find a safe spot to launch.
32:42So, right now, our boat is crunching through the ice.
32:46That's the sound you can hear.
32:48We are just ploughing through ice, pushing it aside.
32:53According to Theresa, conditions can be very much worse.
32:58The Baltic Sea is like an inland sea.
33:01It only has 0.3% of salt, so it can actually freeze over.
33:06So that means you really have to think about where we're going kayaking today.
33:10Yes, it's kind of open water.
33:13We can still see the island, but it's all covered in ice, basically.
33:18Yeah.
33:20If we are lucky, we can go on top of it.
33:22That's quite funny.
33:23We will see if it will carry us.
33:27I do hope she's joking.
33:29Your idea of fun is an interesting one.
33:32Yeah.
33:34Well, you take what you get in winter.
33:37Yes.
33:38She's not joking.
33:44Finally, we arrive at a suitable stretch of water.
33:50I have been launched.
33:54You have.
33:55May God bless all who sail in her.
33:57Just in case I plough into trouble, experienced kayaker Miley joins me.
34:03Tandem kayaking.
34:08We're the only ones brave enough today.
34:11Yes.
34:11Exactly.
34:12But lucky those of us who have been brave today, because this is marvellous, isn't it?
34:17I mean, a very, very, very beautiful place.
34:20Quite a lot of greenery, quite a lot of trees.
34:23Plenty of birds on the water, too.
34:27In winter, you can see a lot of swans and ducks.
34:32We also have a lot of deers, actually, on the island,
34:36because they go over the ice in winter.
34:39So, and then in summertime, they get stuck on the island, basically.
34:43And then they just lay on your terrace for the rest of the year.
34:48So they become your domestic animals.
34:51The further out we go, the bolder I feel.
34:57So now you can start to see that the surface of the water is changing, right?
35:04We have one kind of mirror-like surface, so that's the ice, basically.
35:10Mm-hmm.
35:11Oh, now we get a gust here.
35:13Yeah, suddenly some very cold water in my face.
35:16Yes.
35:17Which reminds me that the Baltic is a very cold sea.
35:21And we're just approaching the sheet of ice.
35:24Uh-huh.
35:25And, my goodness, we are on the ice!
35:28Yes!
35:29I don't believe it, we are on the ice.
35:32Great, right?
35:34You can try, it's so thick.
35:36Yes.
35:38Wow.
35:40That's exciting.
35:41It is, yeah.
35:42I think I shall always remember this, this is a beautiful moment.
35:45Hmm.
35:46And now I would then drift myself off, and we can find some shelter on this side.
35:53Okay, let's do that.
35:54Yes.
35:55You're sitting completely up there on the ice at the moment.
35:58I'm stuck here forever.
36:00No, no, you'll be fine in the summer.
36:02Yes.
36:08I'm happily surprised at how much I've enjoyed this.
36:12I go so far as to recommend that you try it on your long weekend here.
36:18Hey, hey, hey!
36:19Voila!
36:21What a landing.
36:23But before I return to my natural urban habitat, Teresa has one more rural treat in store.
36:32The hardy Swede, having endured the rigors of the Baltic in the kayak, then takes a plunge in the icy
36:40waters, and then to the Bastu, which is Swedish for sauna.
36:46I'm going to go in at 70 degrees for about 10 minutes, which is rather longer than a cinnamon bun.
36:54And in Sweden, the sauna is taken in the nude.
37:10Coming up, I return to urbanism.
37:14Look at these beautiful gables, the soft lighting, and the restaurants that glow their welcome.
37:21And at one of the world's oldest bars, I learned the language of love.
37:27J枚rg elske dag!
37:40I'm back in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, ruddy cheeked from my icy archipelago adventure.
37:49And being mid-afternoon, it's already becoming dark.
37:54On the old town island of Gamla Stan, I'm inspired to continue my exploration of what connects the Swedes to
38:03this wonderful place.
38:05Returning from Vaxholm to Stockholm, a city which is increasingly familiar to me, has felt like a homecoming after a
38:14short holiday.
38:14Despite being one of Europe's richest countries, there's very little bling on display.
38:22Another very Swedish characteristic is the marked lack of towering glass skyscrapers.
38:29Strolling the medieval streets is a delight.
38:33The old town of Stockholm is very well preserved.
38:37Cobbled streets, twists and turns and hills.
38:41Very, very charming.
38:44And the conservation marvel, no modern buildings interrupting the facades.
38:50Look at these beautiful gables, look at these pastel colours, the soft lighting and the restaurants that glow their welcome.
39:02I'm learning that in Sweden, when the dark winter nights draw in, you arrange to pass the time by keeping
39:10yourself busy.
39:11A four-minute stroll away is a Stockholm institution which has been keeping locals occupied for centuries.
39:19Do you know, I think I might go into this old bar here.
39:22It's what they call a schnapps decision.
39:29In fact, I've been looking forward to spending an evening here ever since arriving in Stockholm.
39:37Head barman Simon will be my host.
39:40Good evening. Good evening. Hello, Michael. I'm Simon.
39:44Simon. Good to see you, Simon. Are these schnapps glasses?
39:47Yes. Well, you're in Sweden now, so when in Rome.
39:51This is a very well-known and ancient place, isn't it?
39:54Yeah. I mean, it's arguably probably the oldest restaurant in the world.
39:58I mean, Google say it's different. There's a place in Madrid that opened in 1725.
40:02I've been there.
40:03Oh, yeah. OK. But this opened in 1722.
40:06My goodness. I mean, that's more than 300 years.
40:08Yes. There is a painter called Zorn who rescued the place because it was near bankruptcy.
40:15Yes.
40:16And then in his will became a part of Swedish heritage.
40:19He said that this restaurant will never close, ever, no matter what.
40:26And that must be unique, I would think.
40:28Yeah.
40:29Sweden's preferred distilled liquor, schnapps, is made from potatoes or grains
40:34and flavoured with anything from butterscotch to watermelon.
40:39At D盲nj枚lden Frienden, there's an added extra.
40:43Usually we serve it with a beer. You drink it at the beginning of the dinner.
40:46We have our own unique schnapps, which is this.
40:50It's made in the archipelago just past Vaxholm.
40:53It's nice and chilled.
40:55Now, do we have to think carefully about the beer as well?
40:58Well, Swedes love lager.
41:00OK. This is one of the oldest lagers in Sweden from a place called Falkenberg.
41:06So slurp and then a sip of beer and then you're a fully qualified Swede.
41:10Well, let me do that straight away.
41:12Yeah.
41:16Ah, fire, fire. Glorious.
41:19Simon.
41:20Yes.
41:20You have a very English accent.
41:22I am English. I've lived here for nearly 20 years now.
41:25What's it been like settling in?
41:27I mean, it's a beautiful country. They're very open to tourists. The problem for me is that I have quite
41:34a thick northern accent and when you speak Swedish you have to do the melody.
41:39Give me an example of a sentence where you go up and down in your modulations, where you sing songs.
41:44Well, it means I love you.
41:49You're so kind. I've only just arrived.
41:52I've only just arrived.
41:53I've only just arrived.
41:55I can't remember. I wonder if I could have one to remind me.
41:59Do you want to try another one?
42:05Oh, so now you're officially a Swede.
42:09Jaar hilskede.
42:14So you're picking up the lingo?
42:15Won't be able to talk at all soon.
42:17No.
42:22Next time in Stockholm.
42:24I've not had this much fun since I was five.
42:27I discover more about this spectacular city.
42:31Ooh la la. This is astonishing.
42:34This is not the sort of place where a man asks for a glass.
42:38No!
42:43All that's in Stockholm with Michael tomorrow and Thursday at seven.
42:47Jump on and off an iconic steamer as it works its way down the Nile.
42:51Discover Egypt with Dan Snow streaming on five.
42:55Next, Samuel West and Adrian Edmondson are bound for Somerset.
42:58But will they spy a bittern on the levels new?
43:01Sam and eight go birding in just a moment.
43:09I'll see you soon.
43:10I'll see you soon.
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