| As Time Goes By |
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UNITED KINGDOM
 SUMMER PEARLS: London's architectural gems along the banks of the Thames
MUSIC: Europe's best pop and rock gatherings
BAGPIPES: The plaintive sounds of Scotland
SUBMARIUM: Journey to the bottom of the sea
FESTIVALS: Fun in the sun in West Belfast
MORE ..
FRANCE and SWITZERLAND
VULCANIA: Blow your top at France's volcano park
ART: Berthe Morisot, the unknown Impressionist
FESTIVALS: Aix-en-Provence has it all
ART: The Barbizon School painters come to life
ART: Take a stroll through medieval gardens of delight
MORE ..
SPAIN, PORTUGAL, ITALY and GREECE
SALAMANCA: The city splashes out on culture
MUSIC: God's rock stars: the singing Greek monks
FOOD: Italy's unusual culinary delights
FILM: Great outdoor viewing in Rome
MORE ..
GERMANY and BENELUX
HORTICULTURE: The world blossoms at Floriade
BRUGGE: Belgium's second city shines
ART: Berlin's homage to multiculturalism
ART: The best of the world's artists on show at Documenta 11
DANCE: Czech twin ballerinos steal the show in Hamburg
MORE ..
CENTRAL and EASTERN EUROPE
ART: Yugoslavia's modern art museum is back
ART: A retrospective of Samizdat art and writing from the Communist bloc
GRAZ: Austria's little-known city of culture
MORE ..
THE NORDIC REGION
DESIGN: Denmark celebrates Arne Jacobsen
MUSEUM: Get a blast from the past at Stalin World
STOCKHOLM: Welcome to the Venice of the North
MUSIC: Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes on tour
MORE ..
PLUS
LISTINGS: Other things to see and do in each region
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The Swedes put on a giant birthday bash as Stockholm celebrates its 750th anniversary
By URSULA SAUTTER
If all the world's a stage, then Stockholm must be its prime
scenery. This summer, during Festival Week (June 1-8),
Sweden's capital will really turn theatrical when it raises
the curtain on an impressive repertoire of concerts, exhibitions,
shows and open-air events celebrating its 750th anniversary.
The best way to explore Stockholm's eventful history is to take
"A Short Journey in Time" at the Stadsmuseum. A wide array of
exhibits — such as tableaux, archaeological objects and
miniature models of the city — show visitors what has
happened on and around this small island, or holm, situated
at the junction of Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea since
its founding by Birger Jarl, a Swedish knight, in 1252. To savor
the sights, sounds and smells of the city when it was just a
rough-hewn fortress, drop in on the Medieval Market in Stromparterren
Square in the old city. Craftsmen ply their trades and sell
their wares while jugglers and street musicians win applause
— and perhaps a couple of krona.
Literature lovers shouldn't miss the latest exhibition about
Sweden's most famous playwright and novelist, August Strindberg
(1849-1912), at the tiny museum on Drottninggatan, where he
lived from 1908 until his death in 1912. Named after the author's
great Stockholm novel The Red Room (1879), a satirical
portrayal of bohemian life during the economic upheavals at
the end of the 19th century, the show presents an eerily realistic
reconstruction of the red salon in the famous restaurant Berns
where Stockholm's artists — Strindberg among them —
met to lament their fate and financial plight.
Music aficionados will have plenty to listen to during Festival Week. Those who thrill to the sounds of viols, zithers and hurdy-gurdies can lend an ear to the performances of medieval, renaissance and baroque music at the Early Music Festival. Those who'd rather chill to the wail of the sax and the thrum of the acoustic guitar shouldn't miss the concerts of jazz singer Lill Lindfors or Nina Persson, lead singer of the pop group the Cardigans.
Not surprisingly, the "Venice of the North" has plenty to offer
those who like messing around in boats. On June 1, a stately
cortege of steamboats both large and small will chug down Stockholm's
waterways. From boats or terra firma, people will be
able to watch a fireworks display every evening of the anniversary
week. Water will also be the theme of another historical market
in Ryssgarden Square, outside the Stadsmuseum. Various medicinal
baths, health wells and stalls selling antique handicrafts and
clothes will be set up to illustrate the strong faith that Swedes
in the late 19th century — and before — had in the
healing powers of water. With all the cultural events happening
in Sweden's capital during the anniversary week, visitors are
sure to leave hoping that there will be a revival of the fun
before the next 750 years has elapsed.
With reporting by ULLA PLON
Stockholm Tourist Information Website: www.stockholmtown.com
"The Red Room," Strindberg Museum • Open:
Tues-Sun, 12:00-16:00 (Closed Mondays and June 2.)
• Tickets: $4 • Website:
www.strindbergsmuseet.se
Stockholm Early Music Festival • Tickets:
$14 per concert, $48 for four concerts • Phone: + 46 (0) 8 789 24 90 • Website:
www.tidigmusik.com/
semfenglish.html
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STOCKHOLM TOO CLOSE: The work of nine photographers based in the city portraying Stockholmers. Kulturhuset. From May 31 to Aug. 18