76 » OpenRoad Driver
Stockholm’s old town square
CO U RAG E
“Our country’s first king founded Sigtuna
around 970,” Eva recounts. “Settlers
welcomed Viking traders, who sailed to
far-flung parts of Europe, Russia and even
the Middle East.” Pointing out a boulder
with red, snake-like inscriptions, Eva
explains, “This Old Norse message recalls
a gentleman’s life. Wealthy citizens and
merchant guilds placed these runic stones
along 11th-century roadways to be seen
by all passing. Sigtuna has over 150 such
memorials.”
FIDELITY
Dedicated to Norway’s patron saint
and Viking King, the ruins of St. Olof ’s
Church stand on a grassy knoll. A
newer church shares the same location.
“St. Mary’s was originally a Dominican
monastery,” Eva remarks. “During the
Protestant Reformation, King Gustav Vasa
ordered it converted to a parish church.”
Sitting under its high-vaulted ceiling, we
imagine worshippers learning about Christ
and his apostles from now-faded medieval
murals. Returning through town, we see
the old and young proudly sharing their
history. At the lakefront, two families
robed in Viking attire set off for a sail in a
replicated longboat.
INDUSTRIOUSNESS
“This land has risen dramatically since the
ice ages. In fact, Sigtuna once bordered
a fiord,” Eva notes. “We created Lake
Mälaren to renew vessel access into the
vast hinterland. The two-lane, 70-km/h
Länsväg, or county road, from Sigtuna
provides us with views of the lakeside,
forests and farmlands. Though street signs
are not in English, destinations are well
marked. Identifying a six-lane Motorväg,
or motorway, to Sweden’s capital, we zip
along at 110–120 km/h, passing factories
and offices. Billboards boast familiar
Swedish brands: Volvo, IKEA, Absolut
Vodka, Husqvarna, Electrolux, and
Ericsson.
Stockholm spans fourteen islands and
bustles with both land and water traffic.
Crossing the lock that lowers ships
from Lake Mälaren to the Baltic, we
park at Palace Square in Gamla Stan,
Stockholm’s historic centre. An obelisk
there commemorates merchant support
during the 1788 war against Russia.
Behind sprawls 13th-century Church of St.
Nicholas, a massive yellow-brick church
that has long hosted royal coronations,
weddings and burials.
DISCIPLINE
In a nearby Finnish churchyard, we find a
tiny statue of a boy representing orphans
who once transferred shipping cargos onto
lake barges. Rubbing his head is said to
bring good luck or wisdom. Hoping for
both, we vigorously massage his already
shiny dome.
Stockholm’s ancient square, Stortorget
lies a short walk away. Among medieval
merchant homes, a gabled red building