After trudging through crowds and clouds of smoke in Amsterdam, Melissa and I headed out to Stockholm, Sweden. Arriving late in the evening and checking into the airport hotel provided few clues to this new city. But the next morning we rose early and headed out. After a quick express train brought us to Central Station, we walked around a bit looking for breakfast. The business area had nothing open on an early Saturday. Finally, The Bacpackers' Cafe was open and welcoming. We received a delicious meal and some information to begin our adventures. Heading through downtown shopping streets we made it to "Old Town" and the city gate.
The weather was mild, and the streets were clean and open. I was liking Stockholm already. The scallop shell on the gate wall gave me some Camino peace. The buildings are bright and architecturally interesting. 
And now I was alone on my adventures. I decided to dump my backpack at my hostel before the afternoon tours began and headed to Sodermalm island to find Zinkersdamm. An hour and tired feet later, in a park like area, my hotel/hostel is located. 
I made my way back to City Hall along the shoreline and had a picnic lunch in the beautiful park. 
At 1:15, my tour up the 300 some steps began. An amazing view of the city. 
Back down and out I had to quickly make my way across town past three bays before finding the boat for my archipelago tour. Stockholm is made up of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges and waterways are everywhere! My boat tour started the same time as the rain, but I sat outside under a partial awning and took in the beautiful Baltic islands. They were green and heavily forested, some tiny with just one house, others large enough to be considered a suburb. There are over 30,000 islands, but three hours was just a taste of those closest. 
After returning, I headed back to Old Town where I found a restaurant in an old cellar. I decided to try the traditional herring sampler and was surprised that I liked it. The salmon was delicious as well. 
A beautiful day of sightseeing and a long walk back to the hostel made for great sleeping. 
This museum alone is worth the trip to Stockholm! And the kilometer line outside the door at 11 when I left attested to its popularity. Directly behind this museum is the Nordiska Museet, which had textiles and artifacts from Scandinavian history. 
We ventured around until ultimately arriving at City Hall. The tall tower has tours and unfortunately timing did not work out for Melissa. I bought my ticket for later and we walked back towards one of the many harbors where I also purchased an archipelago tour. Still no text announcing a delay in Melissa's flight, and her short layover in Stockholm was over...
Inside the tower there are also displays of the city's various shields beginning in 1255 when the city became official.
The next day I was up by 6am, a full itinerary of museums and Swedish cuisine awaited me. I purchased the Stockholm Card with its unlimited public transportation and museum use, got directions to Djurgarden island, and set off. The subway system is typical of others and once you figured out the end points and directions, it was very easy. And with the rainy conditions, it was good to be inside. I made it to the Vasa museum by 8:00 and wandered around looking for coffee. But unfortunately nothing was open... So much for the early bird... But I was one of the first 10 people in line and after seeing the line later, I was very happy I was early!! The Vasa museum is built around a war ship from 1628 that sunk on its maiden voyage in the Stockholm harbor. It lay on the Baltic seabed for 333 years before it was salvaged in 1961. It took 29 years to rebuild and conserve the ship for public display. The ship is a true treasure, it is 98 percent original and the ornately carved sculptures are in beautiful condition. There were even sails recovered from the storage area. Approximately 30 people of the 200 on board died, and some of their remains were so well preserved with shoes, clothes, and one still had a brain. The conditions in the museum need to be kept dark and cool, so my pictures don't do it justice. 
It was interesting, but after Vasa, the only thing I found worthy of a picture was a sculpture of Tink. Heading back to the main area via street car, I also meandered through the History Museum with its "Viking" exhibit. I learned that "viking" is a verb and not a noun. The people who went to war for plunder and power, went viking, they were called Norsemen for the most part. Again, interesting, but by now my stomach was ready for food!
I went back to Old Town with its plethora of cafes and restaurants. Now it was teeming with tourists and hard to navigate. I managed to locate an empty table outside as the weather was looking good. The square called Stortorget was surrounded by restaurants and also the Nobel Museum. After lunch I decided to go in. Just in time for a guided tour, we learned of Nobel's history with dynamite and his desire to inspire and give back to humanity with his prizes. The museum also included the nearly 900 winners and a brief biography on a revolving track. There were inspirational quotes on hope from some that made me think of work and colleagues and my grandson. All good thoughts!! 
I need to remember to buy the book about Einstein as a child for Eli!! This was another worthy museum. Wandering Old Town again, I enjoyed some Swedish glass (ice cream) and people watching. The clouds were gathering again, just in time to walk "home". 
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