The Millenium Trail - Mikael Blomkvists aparment pt5

In the trails of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist

Pt 5 The Mikael Blomkvist apartment

Original posted in the NNL FB group in Aug 2020

Some might ask, what is your issues with Mikael Blomkvist? Chill, he is a Hero! 

I know, but he embodies what I don't like with my generations male. I Will try to put this in a social and historical context, just like much NN works in a political and social context.

Kalle Fucking Blomkvist ,Lisbeth calls
Mikael Blomkvist. And in the press he
is also the Kalle character. Why? 

Stieg Larsson did put some Astrid Lindgren references in the books.
V. Kulla is a Pippi Longstocking reference, and Kalle Blomkvist is
another.

 Astrid Lindgren was not only the
most translated and read Swedish author at the time, she also was open with her anti racist stance during a time when Swedish youth was drawn to the White Power movements. 

And you who know your Stieg Larsson know that he founded the anti racist magazine Expo. 

Mästerdetektiven Kalle Blomkvist was Astrid's crimestories for the young people. A bit like Enid Blytons the Five Mysteries. In English the young detective went under the name
Bill Bergson the Master Detective. 

That in his passion for solving crimes was considered a bit anoying in his self rightness.
It has been over 40 years since I read them so I just say at least I remember them that way.

Lisbeth both had a problem with Mikaels self rightness attitude and had a problem with  that she
 let her heart open to be vurnerable to a man that by todays view to define people would say he is a bit of a sex addict.  

Therefor the Kalle Blomkvist epithet.  It is not to flatter him.

 Just like Kurt Wallander Mikael is self centered in a less flattering manner. But far more successful in it than the emotional chaotic Kurt.

Mikael embodied a male ideal that was around in the culture and mediaworld in Stockholm at the
 time. White males on Söder into music, art or media with more than one attractive woman by his
side.  This was the way, don't ask me how I know.

 I have to admit that I might was a bit like him back then or if not, att least I wanted to be like him
when not. With todays eyes I say, what a ....... . With the differences that Mikael was successful
 in a way I only could dream of. 

He was a fantasy that came to life in Stiegs writing that probably was very honest. 

The racist and fascist gained popularity after Stiegs premature death. Attacking the privileged  media and culture elite on Söder in media. The People Like Mikael and Erika was said to pray on the common people for they own succes. A partly succesfull strategy that gain the far right seats in the Parliament (Riksdagen), and today in the Government. It was said, by many, that Stieg Larsson was a leftie. But there are very few working class people in his Millenium stories. Except Lisbeth Salander that is placed on a pedistal. In David Lagercrantz Millenium books there
 is no sight of the  poor, the imigrants and the problem we see today. It is a world of IT geniuses, actors and journalists. A very upper middleclass world.

And why shouldn't it be there? The northern Södermalm is today a privileged part of town. Where Mikael Blomkvist is shielded from the gang violence in the poor suburbs.

He have to handle crises in the Millenium  boardmeetings, not the increasing inequality in the
 Swedish society.

It is both a nice pause from what fill the real life news, and portrait of a forgotten culture.

 

I still think it is a bit of too good to be true that Mikael lives at Bellmansgatan 1. The reason Mikael got the contract is too Good to be true. 

To me it lowered the credability of the stories in the beginning. 

But that is overshadowed by the apartments inpact on the people that comes visit and taking selfies i front of it. The house and it's block are spectacular in a steampunk, R.L Stevenson and
 Harry Potter way even without the Millenium context. 

In the films they imply he is living in the yellow house, not the red.

For the Fincher/Daniel Craig version of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo they choose the building
 on the other side of the street. Even more posh and out of credability for the Blomkvist character. That adress will have a post of its own.

 I might also be green of envy?

If by nothing else,  then by the fact that his local pub is across the street from where he lives.

How to get there? A seven minute walk from Mariatorget Subway station.

Or a 10 minuter walk from Millenium.

It is no22 on the map.

Västernorrland - Mosquitos, Surströmming, The Vanger family and other Novels.

Västernorrland

Prologue, 

First, if you say Norrland, one of the first pictures in the Swedes minds will be Mosquitos. Mygg as we say. Norrland as well as Finland are famous for the Mosquitos. In part's of Norrland in the summer you can't go out without protection. Especially in the southern parts around Gävle. Stockholm have some, but not in comparison. Skåne might have some, but is rare.  

Now onto Västernorrland.
"And saw at saw I saw, wherever I saw"
Elisas Sehlstedt 1972

The Name Västernorrland (Western Northland it means), or as they wrote it in the 16th century,

Wester Norlanden, is a left over from the time Finland was a part of Sweden. 

The land above Gävle on the peninsula was Västernorrland (west) and Finland was

ÖÖsternorrland (east).

Västernorrland is not Lappland, Fjällen or above the Polar circle.

Geographically it is placed in the center of the map (no 1 on map). Flataklocken is the Mountain where the mid point is.

You won’t bump into much sami people, here. And if you ask people in Kiruna or Boden they won’t

even recognize the area as Norrland.

The area is Rural and the the mentality are a country, woodland, kind of mentality.

Like many people in Norrland they are not too fond of people from Stockholm or

authoroty representatives nosing around. The area comes with at feeling of isolation in the first place.

Low density and big forests. But Stieg Larsson add that the Vanger family isolate even more on

an (made up) Island.People from Norrland are often quiet and use few words.

But not in Sundsvall.

People in Sundsvall actually talk to strangers which is not too common in Sweden.

And their dialect can be described as singing. 

Västernorrland is a County stretching over the districts Medelpad and Ångermanland on

the Swedish east coast, despite the name.  

Sundsvall is the biggest city but Härnösand is the Residential city.

There are only 7 municipalities in Västernorrland that count around 250 000 inhabitants. 

And the County is most about the Lumber industry. Wild life, fishing and hunting are also modern day activities. Sundsvall had one of 4 Government run international casinos but closed in 2020 due to lack of profit. The only of the four that was outside the three biggest cities.   

There are three big rivers in Västernorrland. Ljungan, Indalsälven and Ångermanälven.

And the big forests in combination with the Rivers made it to be the Logging district.

Making the owners of the saw mills, Träpatronerna, very rich. Which can be seen in

Sundsvall’s late 1800 architecture in central Stenstaden. Also the Swedish working class

movement have its roots here. In both Ådalen and Sundsvall. Where the Authorities used

excessive violence upon the workers. With catastrophic results for the Government.

The big strike in Sundsvall 1879 led to that many of the workers emigrated to America,

and the Labour Union grew stronger. The Ådalen incident 1931 resulted in that the Social Democrats

won the election and could hold onto the power until 1973. Both this incidence are in the common psyche

of Swedes. And are sometimes referred to in filmes and novels. And probably in the subconscious of

Sjöwall/Wahlöö, Mankell and Larsson.

Sundsvall have RPK which is one of Sweden’s biggest Forensic Phychiatric Clinics.

Ångermanälven                Ljungan

Ångermanland is Höga kusten (the High Coast) a popular coastline to visit.

land rise is faster here than in other places in the world and the coastline is considered a

UNESCO World Heritage Site. A beautiful place to visit and walk in.

Sports and Culture isn’t the County’s strong side. But Hockey teams like MoDo and

Timrå are sometimes in the SHL. Stanley Cup winner, with Colorado Avalanche,

Peter Forsberg is from Örnsköldsvik. And so are the Sedin twins. As well as

Elias Petersson in Vancouver Canucks. Six times Biathlon WC Gold medallist Magdalena Forsberg

is from Västernorrland and so is Lars Lagerbeck, former coach for both Swedens and

Icelands mens national fotball teams, Both Lagerbeck and Petersson are from Ånge. 

Rockband Takida is from the small village of Ljungaverk.

The infamous stinking fish Surströmming is mostly produced in Ångermanland. Roast beef made of Elk meat, Tjälknöl, is Medelpads favorite dish.

Swedish Crime Authors in the Area are Jonas Moström, Emma Valls, Annika Sjögren and

Bo R Holmberg who is writing historical crime stories.

Stieg Larsson and Lars Kepler have also used the area in Novels.

Sundsvall is the host of Svenska deckarfestivalen (the Swedish Crime Writers Festival). 

Jonas Moströms Västernorrland.

Talking to inhabitants of Sundsvall, they claim that the City always had a bad reputation

when it comes to crime. Swedish crime writer Jonas Moströms first NN novels took part in

Sundsvall. He also wrote about Uppsala and Jämtland. See the Uppsala trail earlier this year.

Jonas Moström was raised in the neighboring Jämtland County/District.

Stieg Larssons Västernorrland
Stieg Larsson placed Hedestad and the Vanger Mansion in Västernorrland. Not pointing out

exactly where. He made up the Mansion, the Wanger family, Hedestad and the island where

the mansion is placed. One murder that is made in Härjedalen is kind of close, according to

Blomkvist. That would place Hedestad somewhere around the small town of Ånge.

Or did he got the inspiration from Fränsta? The Vanger Mansion might been the

Torpshammars Herrgård?   

Lars Keplers Västernorrland

In the novel the Fire witness, a young girl at a treatment home for troubled girls in Indal outside

Sundsvall, is found dead. Much of the story, then, is taking part in Västernorrland. Both Sundsvall

and up and down the roads of Indal is in the novel.

So

If Skåne, Stockholm and Lappland is more familiar to you as a reader. Västernorrland isn’t too

bad as a setting. But I doubt it will be any hype around the area in the NN world even if The Girl

With The Dragon Tattoo is partly set there. The film is filmed mostly around the Stockholm area.

Except Skåne, Västergötland, Östergötland, Halland, Öland and Gotland. Most of Sweden reminds

of Västernorrland. Spruce forests, rocks, lakes, farms and red houses.

Torpshammar herrgård, is it the real Vanger Mansion? Is Fränsta or Ånge the real Hedestad?

The Millenium Trail - Lisbeth Salander's Fiskargatan pt 4

Lisbeth Salander's apartment at Fiskargatan.

Trail done in August 2021 and posted in the NNL Facebook group.

Nr 3 on the map of Södermalm.

In the book and film The Girl That Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) Lisbeth buys an apartment.

Lisbeth Salander returns to Stockholm; she think she needs a secret location. Instead of choosing an old garage like in so many other crime stories. She buys the most expensive apartment she finds. She has a few criteria on her new home. There should be a balcony, bathtub, bathroom big enough to host a laundry machine. And with a view over the water. Mikael Blomkvist has a view over the lake of Mälaren. Lisbeth over the Baltic sea. The border between the lake and the sea is at slussen. That is a lock between the two.

This is a quiet part of the town. Still Loves by the Stockholmers because it association with literature and art. August Strindberg wrote about Mossebacke that this area is called.

25 000 000 Swedish kronor. Which is 2,5 million Euros/pounds.

In the Book she buys it from the former ABB CEO.

According to sources he did live in the building in real life but on another floor.

The movies differ a bit from the books. They don't show the right building in the movies, the entrance is different and It is on the wrong side of the street in the films. I will do a separate trail on that location, the film's location, later.

house is built on the north heights of Söder (Söders höjder). With a view över the city and the inner archipelago. It is surrounded by narrow, cobblestone streets that have no shops and bars. Which in Lisbeths mind makes it easier to see if she is being watched.

The building, which in my impression gives a slight sense of a medieval castle. Seems hard to conquer so to speak. And have a 6 minuters walk to the 7-11 where she buys her frozen Billy pizzas.

And not far from Millenium, Milton Security and the bar Kvarnen.

The interiors for the movies isn't shot in this house. And the differences between the books and the films is that in the books she buys a lot more of IKEA furniture.

In the name tag on the door she have the name V. Kulla, not L. Salander. Which is a homage to the late Swedish children books author Astrid Lindgren and her popular character Pippi Longstocking that lives in Villa Villekulla.

When visiting the location there. I wonder what that can be?

Fiskargatan is not far from the busy Götgatan, and you should do the detour. Or if you're at Mossebacke for a fika or a beer. It is close. Actually you walk the street from the location of 7-11 where Lisbeth buys her frozen Billy pizzas.

The view from the place, over Stockholm is amazing and competes with Mikael Blomkvist's view.

The book publisher Ordfront just moved out of the building opposite of Lisbeth's. Ordfront publish writers as John Ajvide Lindqvist, Erik Axl Sund and Jonas Brännström and more.

How to get there. Subway station Slussen, the Götgtan entrance. And then a walk for a few minutes.