This is the main staircase in the Swedish Riksdag (Parliament). For me, it is the most beautiful place in the whole building. It is so peaceful and soothing and utterly utterly beautiful. Where I work is at the bottom of the stairs to the right.
What we will be looking at today though, is bottom of the stairs to the left. Do you see the wooden handrail at the bottom of the photo to the left?
This handrail. Do you notice anything out of the ordinary on the wall? Look carefully?
A closer view. Do you see anything now?
Yes! The painters left a small caricature of Ingvar Karlsson, a former Swedish Prime Minister on the wall when they painted it.
And there are more, hidden around the building. This one is Olof Palme, the Prime Minister who was assassinated in 1986. It is situated on a pillar.
And yet another former Prime Minister, Tage Erlander, also hidden on a pillar.
And here are the pillars. If you look carefully you can see the little faces.
I know the building like the back of my hand and there are lots of lovely little surprises, many of which are in areas you can see when you take a Parliament tour.
My favourite is the acoustics in a certain area where, when you stand on a star on the floor, your voice sounds like you are underwater. I have no idea why that happens, and it is the weirdest feeling!
