UPDATED July 14, 2026 BY Henry Gold IN Road to Valhalla no comments A Rest Day In Stockholm On The Road To Valhalla Cycling TourAs a child watching hockey games between Sweden and Czechoslovakia, I learned some important words in Swedish Heja, Heja, Sverige go, go Sweden. And now in my eighth decade of life, I am walking the streets of Stockholm, my brain involuntarily chanting Heja, Heja, Sverige.The inaugural Road to Valhalla cycling tour has left Finland behind and the most luxurious ferry I have taken in my life and I have taken many brought us to Stockholm. On the rest day, we all went our own way to discover and enjoy what this city has to offer. After walking, walking and more walking, I can tell you there is plenty to do, see and enjoy. It was in a blog I wrote in Florence on the Viva Italia cycling tour that I first used the words, I wont have time; I wont have time even in a hundred yearsTwo Stockholmers, two stories. One about leaving a legacy, one a story of civil courage.I wrote this simply to point out how much there is to see and experience in Florence, and a short visit is simply a tasting adventure. After spending the day walking in Stockholm, coming across museum after museum, churches and palaces, public art, historical sights, delightful cobblestones streets in the old city, a pedestrian friendly and very busy centrum, there is just so much to discover, to taste and enjoy. And I have not even mentioned all the attractions outside of the old city and the centrum, which I simply didnt have the time to visit.So rather than tell you more about all these attractions I thought I would write, as I did in my last blog in Helsinki, a few paragraphs about two individuals from Stockholm who made an impact on the world.One has a very popular museum named for him while the other has a bench memorial marking his deeds. The person with the museum invented dynamite and made a lot of money in munitions. A popular story, which hasnt been confirmed, but is noted in Wikipedia relates that In 1888, the death of his brother Ludvig supposedly caused several newspapers to publish obituaries of Alfred in error. One French newspaper condemned him for his invention of military explosivesand this is said to have brought about his decision to leave a better legacy after his death.The obituary supposedly stated, Le marchand de la mort est mort (The merchant of death is dead) and went on to say, Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday.Nobel read the obituary and was appalled at the idea that he would be remembered in this way. His decision to posthumously donate the majority of his wealth to found the Nobel Prize has been credited to him wanting to leave behind a better legacy.The other city citizen saved over 10,000 lives during the Holocaust in Hungary only to be taken prisoner in Budapest by the Red Army, never to be heard of again, likely spending years in gulags where he eventually died. Even though I knew both stories, I wasnt thinking about either of them until I stumbled, first upon the Alfred Nobel museum, and then half an hour later, I noticed abronze diplomats briefcase bearing the initials R.W. on a bench of black granite.Alfred Nobel, or at least the Nobel Prize, gets ever more worldwide attention every year, nowadays due to one well known American! A Nobel Prize winner for literature Saul Below wrote one of my favourite books Henderson The Rain Maker. Wikipedia writes about the protagonist in that book Despite his riches, high social status, and physical prowess, he feels restless and unfulfilled, and harbours a spiritual void that manifests itself as an inner voice crying out I want, I want, I want. Sound familiar?The second person, Raoul Wallenberg, was the son of well to do Swedish family and has an academy and a digital museum centre named after him in Stockholm that talks about his life work. Outside of Sweden there are many monuments and streets named after him. He has been given numerous humanitarian awards and honorary citizenship in the USA, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Hungary and Israel. An annual award that aims to perpetuate the humanitarian ideals and the nonviolent courage of Raoul Wallenberg is given annually in Washington, D.C. and by pure coincidence, two months ago my life partner Ruth asked me to watch a new movie called Swedish Connection. Towards the very end of the film, it is revealed that the narrator of the movie is Raoul Wallenberg.Two Stockholmers, two stories. One about leaving a legacy, one a story of civil courage.RELATEDTOURRoad to Valhalla Valhalla, also known as the Hall of Heroes, was the goal for all real Vikings. Ruled by the Norse God, Odin, only the bravest and fiercest of warriors... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "A Rest Day In Stockholm On The Road To Valhalla Cycling Tour" Cancel reply