Stockholm Sweden

First stop for us on our Scandinavian adventure was Sweden and the colourful city of Stockholm host to the Nobel Prize. We explored the old city and took a coach ride out into the countryside where we enjoyed some swedish pastries…um-m good! We visited the palace and actually caught a glimpse of the prince! No trip to this region would be complete without a visit to the Vasa museum so we did that too. All great fun!

Medieval Stortorget Square

The brightly colored buildings of Stortorget Square are a signature landmark of Stockholm. The square dates back to the thirteenth century and is a part of Gamia Stan, the Old Town of Stockholm. From the early Middle Ages the square served as a central meeting place and up until 1732 was the location of City Hall. Today it continues as a meeting place full of locals and tourists alike. This is a great place to stop for a bite to eat or just to pass some time.

Medieval Stortorget Square

The Royal Palace

The Royal Palace (Swedish: Kungliga slottet) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish Monarch and is the residence of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia.  

The Nobel Museum

The Vasa (Wasa) is a famous, but not so successful, Swedish warship that was built between 1626 and 1628. The ship foundered and sank on 10 August 1628 after sailing only about 1300 meters (only 3900 feet which is less than 3/4 of a mile) into her maiden voyage. The best laid plans of mice and men...It is massive and has been salvaged and displayed in a modern museum for all to see. The ship towered over us as we walked around it.  She is quite ornate and even now it is clear to see that the craftsmanship is impressive. Unfortunately it was just not seaworthy and the crew was tragically lost as it capsized on its brief and ill fated voyage. It is worth the trip just to see the complex carvings that adorn the massive ship.

a very small local library...

We found what we came for, the Swedish bakery. We tried a variety of pastries recommended to us by the shop keeper, that means we ate them all. They were all fresh, warm from the oven and melt in your mouth good. Really, really good.