Snow in Sweden

We began our trip to the land of one of Jeff’s ancestors (bet you can't guess which one!) with an exciting landing in Stockholm! As we were in the midst of our descent, just about to land, we felt a jerk, a sudden burst of speed, and swiftly, we began to ascend back into the sky. It turns out, there was too much fog on our runway, so the pilot needed to turn around and descend at a different angle. We’re just glad we didn’t have to reroute! 

Once we finally got on the ground, we hurried out of the airport and caught our 90-minute bus to the city. (When we booked our €40 round trip tickets, we didn’t realize just how far away the airport was… but you can’t beat that flight price!). 

We started the day on Saturday with a chilly but informative walking tour of the city. We wandered through the adorable alley’s and admired the countless colorful buildings that makeup Gamla Stan (aka the old city). Along the tour, we stopped to admire Hell’s corner (the former home of the executioner), a Viking runestone that is built into a house, Stockholm's narrowest street, the Royal Palace, Nobel Prize Museum, and ended in Stortorget (the oldest square in Stockholm), catching a photo of the famous colored houses. 

Following the tour, we took a break to dry off and warm up while enjoying a steaming hot cup of coffee and lunch at Under Kastanjen, a picture-perfect cafe we stumbled upon. 

Next up, we made our way to the Vasa Museum to discover the 300-year-old warship. The Vasa was, briefly, the most powerfully armed ship in the Baltic due to its two gun-decks and a total of 64 cannons lining both sides of the ship. However, this powerful warship never actually made it out of Stockholm’s harbor. Approximately 1,000 meters offshore, a gust of wind pushed the ship over, causing water to pour into the open gun ports, filling the ship with water and sinking the vessel within minutes. The width of the upper portion of the boat was much wider than the bottom portion, causing the ship to be top-heavy, creating a disaster waiting to happen. The Vasa sat, preserved underwater for 300 years until 1956 when the massive task of salvaging the Vasa began. Eventually, the ship was lifted out of the water, brought to the harbor, excavated, preserved, and reconstructed using 98% of the original material. What a unique piece of Swedish history!

A model of what the Vasa looked like at its prime

We finished at the museum around 3:00 just as the sun was beginning to set. We wandered back to Gamla Stan to check out the Västerlånggatan (the west long street) and local shops on the island. By 4:30, it was dark and feeling much later than it was, but we were enjoying our sight-seeing and staying warm with our Colorado gear. We wandered over to the Kungsträdgården and found an ice-skating rink along with an outdoor film festival where the film was being projected on an actual ice screen (stacked ice blocks). We made our way to the Sergels Torg (the main square and shopping district), searching for a place to eat and eventually decided to catch a bus to the highly recommended Meatballs for the People restaurant. We’re happy we did! Meatballs for the People put IKEA’s Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes to shame! Our dinner was exquisite with the Moose meatballs winning first place in our book. From here, we made our way back to the hotel to enjoy a view of the city while planning what to do the next day. 

On Sunday, we packed our bags and bundled up, ready for another day of sight-seeing. We enjoyed the beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky as we made our way through a park and to the central train station to drop off our bags for the day. It rarely snows in Düsseldorf, so we have to enjoy the snow whenever we can! We continued our stroll through the city, island hopping as we made our way to Södermalm to capture a view of the city. We explored the side streets that were lined with orange and yellow houses, making it feel like we were wandering through a painting. We hiked up the hilly island and soon found the perfect overlook, providing a fantastic view of Gamla Stan as well as Lake Mälaren mixing with the Baltic Sea.

Snowy view from our hotel!

By this time, our cheeks were rosy, and our noses were running, and we were ready for some “Fika” (Swedish for coffee and cake break). We found a lovely cafe where we indulged in a scrumptious Kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon roll), carrot cake, and of course, hot coffee to go with.

Thawed out and ready for more adventures, we strolled over to the Royal Palace to peek at the changing of the guards and continued to the Medieval Museum. The museum, which was constructed around ruins from the city and is located under a bridge, includes a portion of Stockholm’s old city wall and a tunnel that supposedly leads to the palace. As a guest, you’re able to step back in time to experience medieval Stockholm as you wander through brick houses, workshops, and a church. A random gem in the city! 

At one time, two people would sit in this barrel in a bath house...
we don't know how they fit! 

As the sun began to set and the temperature began to drop, we wandered in and out of a few more shops as we made our way back to the central station to grab a bite to eat, pick up our bags, and catch our bus to the airport. We used the last bit of sun to admire the beautiful Swedish countryside and even saw a few deer frolicking through the fields. It was a chilly trip, but totally worth the adventure! Next up, Budapest, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for warmer weather and sunshine!