No, it is not another post about me missing Texas. It is about the weekend trip we took to Stockholm.
Welcome to Stockholm, Sweden. Where the Swedes are known for their meatballs, reasonably priced furniture, and stunning blondes (both men and women).
Greg and I arrived on a Friday night, just in time to check into the Hilton Hotel, and grab a bite to eat.
Cheers honey. Greg is very happy because he got the first sip of his beer.
I love staying at the Hilton in Scandinavian countries because a huge breakfast is usually included in the hotel price, and boy is there a lot to choose from.
There is always a Hot Section with bacon, little sausages, white beans in a tomato sauce (pork & beans -minus the pork), hard boiled eggs (3 min & 7 min) and scrambled eggs, that somehow never taste like real eggs.
There is always the Fish Section, with lots of salmon and herring to choose from including gravlax (also known as gravlaxsås), smoked salmon, and several types of pickled herring. Yuck!
I always skip the salmon and herring section and stick to the hard boiled eggs and the beans which are really good on toast.
The Produce Section, with lots of fresh vegetables like (red bell pepper, cucumber, tomato) and lots of seasonal fresh fruit and the ever present, never to be missed, lingon berries.
There is usally a Cold Cuts Section with different types of meat and cheeses to choose from. I have used this section to make Greg and I sandwiches for a snack or lunch along our way when we are out and about.
Lots of different rye crackers and rye and whole wheat type breads with marmalades and jams. Several different type of yogurts with several types of cereals, nuts, and seeds to add to make your own muesli.
YUM!I am getting hungry just thinking about it.
After an hour or two spent at gorging ourselves at breakfast, we decided to waddle out and see Stockholm in the light.
Since our hotel was 2 minutes from Gamla Stan, the historic area of Stockholm we decided to head there first.
Gamla Stan Historic old town area of Stockholm.
The town dates back to the 13th century, and consists of medieval alleyways, cobbled streets, and archaic architecture.
Stortorget is the name of the scenic large square in the centre of Gamla Stan, which is surrounded by old merchant's houses.
The clock tower of Storkyrkan, Stockholm's cathedral.
The plaza behind the cathedral.
As well as being home to the Stockholm Cathedral, the Nobel Museum, and the Riddarholm church, Gamla Stan also boasts Kungliga Slottet, Sweden's Royal Palace, built in the 18th century after the previous palace Tre Kronor burned down. The House of Knights is on the north-western corner of Gamla Stan.
Shots of the Royal Place. No way you would ever get this close to the White House.
surrounding area
The changing of the guard ceremony has been a daily tradition since 1523. After watching a changing of the guard I stepped in for a photo. Don't be fooled by the grimace on his face, he is trying to look tough for you. The guard was nice, could move around and even talked to me.
Say Cheese!Then onto Skansen an open air museum and zoo that sits on 75 acres. It was founded in 1891 by Artur Hazelius (1833-1901) to show the way of life in the different parts of Sweden before the industrial era.
After extensive travelling, Hazelius bought around 150 houses from all over the country and had them shipped piece by piece to the museum, where they were rebuilt to provide a unique picture of traditional Sweden.
The many exhibits include town craftsmen in traditional dress such as shoemakers and glass-blowers demonstrate their skills in period surroundings. There is also an open-air zoo containing a wide range of Scandinavian animals. Remember the bear at the beginning :-)
Oh and of course you can get things to eat, like these wonderful looking breads.
Greg suggested that we go to the Vasa Museum, to see the Vasa. The Vasa was/is a giant 64 gun ship that was built on the orders of King Gustavus Adolphus in the early 1600's.
Unfortunately, it wasn't built very well, as it collapsed and sank a few hundred meters into its maiden voyage out of Stockholm's harbor. Over 300 years later, researchers located the wreck and pulled the ship to the surface. The majority of the ship's structure was intact and it now stands in restored glory inside Stockholm's most interesting museum. The Vasa is the best-preserved 17th century ship in the world.
The people are friendly, history and culture is rich, efficient in public service and one can get to places by just using the English language. A must-see-place for everyone! Like always, I hope that everyone is doing well back home. Until next journal, have a great day!
