Almost 12 hours after we had left work we finally arrived into Stockholm. For some reason when we went to go through security at check-in at Stansted our flight had it's own special check-in area which was nice as there was no waiting in the long Xmas/New Years line. It also meant longer waiting around at an airport that has little seating and used to have zero shopping and only two restaurants until more recently. Never our favourite airport but always the best in terms of good cheap flights. For some reason there were quite a few cops and sniffer dogs hanging around our departure gate too. This is at an airport where we have never even seen a security guard before and the last time there was a big fight between a few drunk idiots at the airport. (It's a big stag/hen do departure airport and they like to finish their duty free before even leaving the airport).
Our flight was running late and when the plane finally arrive a few cops went onboard. Jake and I are never ones to line up and wait preferring to sit around until the last minute that it's time to board and all those standing were getting their bags checked again. Either there was some sort of security risk on our plane or we were the training plane. When we did line up all our bags were searched by the sniffer dogs.
Our flight was running late and when the plane finally arrive a few cops went onboard. Jake and I are never ones to line up and wait preferring to sit around until the last minute that it's time to board and all those standing were getting their bags checked again. Either there was some sort of security risk on our plane or we were the training plane. When we did line up all our bags were searched by the sniffer dogs.
The guys behind us asked the cops what was going on and if it was drugs with the cop just answering we are carrying out added security checks. It's never settling when they say that as you have no idea why it is being carried out and we wondered if they had some sort of tip about his plane. With my imagination I always assume the worst.
Passing the sniffer dog test Jake was pulled up and asked a few questions about where he lived, what he did and his purpose of travel- don't want to be typecast but it's definitely that beard of his! After deeming Jake wasn't a safety risk we both boarded the plane. Again it took some time before we even took off meaning we didn't land in Sweden until almost 1 in the morning and we still had a long bus ride into Stockholm. It was freezing by the time we arrived and we were both pretty tired and still needed to find our hostel for the night. It was freezing but it was hard not to enjoy walking the streets in the middle of the night with all the Christmas lights still up and snow flakes falling ever so lightly.
Our hostel was located in Gamla Stan, the old town, and we crawled into bed at about 3 in the morning. The best sleep I've had in ages!
Passing the sniffer dog test Jake was pulled up and asked a few questions about where he lived, what he did and his purpose of travel- don't want to be typecast but it's definitely that beard of his! After deeming Jake wasn't a safety risk we both boarded the plane. Again it took some time before we even took off meaning we didn't land in Sweden until almost 1 in the morning and we still had a long bus ride into Stockholm. It was freezing by the time we arrived and we were both pretty tired and still needed to find our hostel for the night. It was freezing but it was hard not to enjoy walking the streets in the middle of the night with all the Christmas lights still up and snow flakes falling ever so lightly.
Our hostel was located in Gamla Stan, the old town, and we crawled into bed at about 3 in the morning. The best sleep I've had in ages!
We had a pretty generous helping of breakfast from the cafe across the lane from our hostel in the morning for a pretty decent price which was surprising as we thought Sweden was going to be uber expensive.
Having arrived at night time everything looked a lot different during the day and we ended up walking half way around the island in the wrong direction. Getting lost whilst travelling is always fun though as you never know what you will come across. Instead of going straight to the markets as planned we ended up checking out a few of the old town lanes, the parliament building and the royal palace complete with its own set of miserable looking guards. I always feel sorry for the guards you see outside palaces and wonder how they got the short straw of wearing silly hats, standing for hours on end, freezing outside a building that normally houses no royalty whilst having to be patient with all the tourists who take a million pictures of you. Not my ideal job but I'm sure it's probably a privilege for them. I remember watching a video awhile back of this one guard outside Buckingham palace who made his duty interesting by incorporating funky dance moves into his march. Not sure how he was disciplined after that but he was a big hit on YouTube.
Having arrived at night time everything looked a lot different during the day and we ended up walking half way around the island in the wrong direction. Getting lost whilst travelling is always fun though as you never know what you will come across. Instead of going straight to the markets as planned we ended up checking out a few of the old town lanes, the parliament building and the royal palace complete with its own set of miserable looking guards. I always feel sorry for the guards you see outside palaces and wonder how they got the short straw of wearing silly hats, standing for hours on end, freezing outside a building that normally houses no royalty whilst having to be patient with all the tourists who take a million pictures of you. Not my ideal job but I'm sure it's probably a privilege for them. I remember watching a video awhile back of this one guard outside Buckingham palace who made his duty interesting by incorporating funky dance moves into his march. Not sure how he was disciplined after that but he was a big hit on YouTube.
After a short stroll through one of Stockholm's main shopping districts we arrived at Ostermalms Saluhall. In the end it was actually quite a small market and house more little restaurants where the fresh produce was whipped up into a meal to serve to you. Although we had a hue breakfast I couldn't bypass a tantalizing slice of lemon meringue pie. It was pretty tasty. Jake tried a local sugar cake with bananas almonds and chocolate which he wasn't amazed with but he didn't leave any crumbs either.
We checked out another market on the way which was a lot bigger be for heading back to the old town. Like most European cities the old town here oozed character with the small cobblestone lanes, picturesque churches and 17th century buildings. Of course with it come shops selling all the touristy nick-nacks, expensive restaurants and a lot of people but what I really liked was the seclusion felt being out on a little island. When we come back to Stockholm after our trip north we will try one of the free walking tours to learn a bit more of the history and culture.
The rest of the evening we spent waiting for our first European overnight train.
We checked out another market on the way which was a lot bigger be for heading back to the old town. Like most European cities the old town here oozed character with the small cobblestone lanes, picturesque churches and 17th century buildings. Of course with it come shops selling all the touristy nick-nacks, expensive restaurants and a lot of people but what I really liked was the seclusion felt being out on a little island. When we come back to Stockholm after our trip north we will try one of the free walking tours to learn a bit more of the history and culture.
The rest of the evening we spent waiting for our first European overnight train.
The night train to Stockholm was pretty uneventful but we had definitely picked the wrong seats in our cabin. I had picked us the bottom thinking it would be the easiest to sleep in. I was wrong. The top bunks were already set up and had quite a bit of headroom and space for your luggage. about 10pm we set up the bottom and middle bunks. The way the bottom bunks are set up means there is a big gap between the wall and the sloping bed. Perfect for rolling down into. Although a lot better then sleeping on night buses Jake and I both agreed after a restless sleep that we had chosen the wrong bed. Unfortunately we had the same seats assigned to us for our return journey. We were thankful that at least we were able to get some sleep compared to being in the carriages where passengers had seats only.
Arriving in Kiruna station we were greeted by a guy who was there to transfer us to Campalta a short drive out of the main town where we would be spending the next few days. On one side of the tracks the large mine stood tall with the township spread out on the other. We soon learned that it is the largest underground Iron ore mine in the world and as a consequence of its location part of the main town area in Kiruna is going to be relocated as the mine sprawls out underneath.
Apart from the mine and tourism, Kiruna is also special for Sweden as a world leader in space research. Massive balloons, rockets and satellites are sent into space from a station just outside Kiruna to study things such as climate and the night sky.
Twenty minutes along some icy roads we pulled up outside where we would be staying for the next few days. Our cabin slept four so was perfect size for just the two of us. The shower toilet and water was a dash across the snow to the communal area. A bit of a daunting thought for the midnight toilet run. However we were pretty lucky as when we arrived it was a balmy 2 degrees and the week before had been 37 below!! There's no way I would have even left the cabin at that temperature.
Arriving in Kiruna station we were greeted by a guy who was there to transfer us to Campalta a short drive out of the main town where we would be spending the next few days. On one side of the tracks the large mine stood tall with the township spread out on the other. We soon learned that it is the largest underground Iron ore mine in the world and as a consequence of its location part of the main town area in Kiruna is going to be relocated as the mine sprawls out underneath.
Apart from the mine and tourism, Kiruna is also special for Sweden as a world leader in space research. Massive balloons, rockets and satellites are sent into space from a station just outside Kiruna to study things such as climate and the night sky.
Twenty minutes along some icy roads we pulled up outside where we would be staying for the next few days. Our cabin slept four so was perfect size for just the two of us. The shower toilet and water was a dash across the snow to the communal area. A bit of a daunting thought for the midnight toilet run. However we were pretty lucky as when we arrived it was a balmy 2 degrees and the week before had been 37 below!! There's no way I would have even left the cabin at that temperature.
The campground was made up of a few cabins spaced around a large frozen lake framed by a pine forest blanketed in snow. Two saunas and two separate traditional Sami fire huts were available for use throughout our time. It was a stunning environment to spend relaxing with only a few other campers to share it with. Apart from the occasional truck on the highway or the roar of a snow mobile here as there we were able to enjoy the serenity of being back in nature with nothing to do and nowhere to be.
We spend the afternoon wandering around the frozen lake and warming up in the private sauna room.
New Year's Eve that night meant a few drinks were had around the big outside fireplace and we popped the champagne we bought in duty free. Although I was hoping for the northern lights to come out and brighten up the sky as we said goodbye to 2014 and welcomed in the new year we weren't so lucky. Instead we made do with the more traditional fire works being let off in Kiruna which you could just see over the top of the trees.
We spend the afternoon wandering around the frozen lake and warming up in the private sauna room.
New Year's Eve that night meant a few drinks were had around the big outside fireplace and we popped the champagne we bought in duty free. Although I was hoping for the northern lights to come out and brighten up the sky as we said goodbye to 2014 and welcomed in the new year we weren't so lucky. Instead we made do with the more traditional fire works being let off in Kiruna which you could just see over the top of the trees.
To start of 2015 Jake and I had booked in for a snow mobile tour. After watching a few people speed around the lake the night before I was a bit apprehensive. May also have something to do with the fact that I have drove anything unless you count a bike since we left Australia in 2013. Our tour was pretty small with only 5 snow mobiles plus Leith our guide who also owns the campground. The boys in the room all looked eager to get outside as Leith prepped us over a safety briefing. Then it was time to head out and give it a go. Leith had said we could get up to 100-120km on the machines. I quickly gave Jake a curt shake of the head. There was no way I was going that fast on a machine on an icy lake with a helmet as our only protection. Jake had the first go at driving and I held on tight as he took off. After the first few hundred meters I began to relax and enjoyed the free feeling of cruising over the huge frozen mass of water with the snow covered forest as our backdrop. The barely there sun lot the sky up with beautiful hues of pink and purples. The sun never quite comes up here in winter. It is both sunrise and sunset at the same time, giving the illusion of daytime for a brief period in the middle of the day. |
Jake upped the ante as we cruised around the lake before we came to a stop to cross the main highway linking the campground to Kiruna. From there we enjoyed a slower but more bumpy and curvy track through the forest. There were a few times as we went over large snow mounds that I got enough air time to make me hold on to Jake tighter.
After about ten minutes of corners and making sure we didn't topple the snow mobile over we arrived at the edge of the wide Tornetrask River. It was time for a change of drivers.
Reluctantly I swapped positions with Jake and revved up the snow mobile. A few minutes later I was wondering what I was so scared off. It was an amazing feeling to be driving such a powerful machine over along this vast natural wonder in such a pitcher esquire setting. Gone were my fears of going slowly as I squeezed the accelerator giving the mobile some more speed. Suddenly I felt jakes arms around me. Obviously too fast for pictures but I kept the speed up as we cruised between the tree branches marking out the safe tested passages on the river. Twenty minutes or so later we pulled up outside the famous ice hotel. By this point my hand was pretty sore after squeezing the accelerator so hard. Everyone else was obviously feeling the same as they all shook out and massaged their hand.
After about ten minutes of corners and making sure we didn't topple the snow mobile over we arrived at the edge of the wide Tornetrask River. It was time for a change of drivers.
Reluctantly I swapped positions with Jake and revved up the snow mobile. A few minutes later I was wondering what I was so scared off. It was an amazing feeling to be driving such a powerful machine over along this vast natural wonder in such a pitcher esquire setting. Gone were my fears of going slowly as I squeezed the accelerator giving the mobile some more speed. Suddenly I felt jakes arms around me. Obviously too fast for pictures but I kept the speed up as we cruised between the tree branches marking out the safe tested passages on the river. Twenty minutes or so later we pulled up outside the famous ice hotel. By this point my hand was pretty sore after squeezing the accelerator so hard. Everyone else was obviously feeling the same as they all shook out and massaged their hand.
Leith told us a little about the township, the ice hotel and the Sami museum as church we could visit and left us to explore for a few hours before picking us back up. After going inside the ice grottos in the glacier in Chamonix the week before and as we have a trip planned to an ice hotel in Romania later this year we had already decided to skip the expensive ice hotel. The rest of the group wandered off to buy tickets whilst Jake and I checked out the ice church and bar which had free entry. Work was still ongoing in the ice at but for 120kr or so you could buy a cocktail which is served to you in a glass made of ice. The church was quite impressive which huge twisted pillars and large round light bulbs made completely of ice. Apparently it's quite popular to come here and get married - not quite sure what you would wear to it as it was pretty cold even in all our clothes and big snow onesie.
We seen a few people enter the ice hotel so thought we would try the front door and see how far we could get. From the entry way there was a pretty impressive hallway complete with ice chandeliers. A lady who looked like she worked there was walking around the front so we quickly departed and headed towards the other side of the village. About a km later we arrive at the far end of town which normally looks out over the river but at the moment everything all looks the same - snow and ice covering any indications of what it looks like in the summer. A small wooden church stood proudly. Leith had told us earlier that it had been built in the 17th century by Sami. Or more likely by Sami once the religious crusades had come and converted some of them to Christianity. A quick stop inside warmed us up briefly before we headed next door to the Sami park where you could check out reindeer and buy some traditional food. As we had already pre-booked a reindeer kebab back at the campground we just bought a drink and hunt out around the fire in a large tepee killing time before we could get back on the snow mobiles.
By the time it came to drive back home it was pretty dark. Lights on. Jake hopped back in the drivers seat and I sat back enjoying the ride. It was a bit colder now the sun was gone and a low mist hung over the river making it harder to see. We also got stuck behind a few dog sleds on the forest trail which slowed us right down. By the time we got back to camp we were ready for some food and a sauna to defrost.
Leith had talked up the reindeer kebabs and he wasn't exaggerating. A huge pita pocket full to the brim with warm reindeer meat, salad and a really tasty sauce. It was served with a cute heart shaped ginger bread cookie. Because of the way they cook the meat it is really salty but it also has quite a strong smoky flavour
By the time it came to drive back home it was pretty dark. Lights on. Jake hopped back in the drivers seat and I sat back enjoying the ride. It was a bit colder now the sun was gone and a low mist hung over the river making it harder to see. We also got stuck behind a few dog sleds on the forest trail which slowed us right down. By the time we got back to camp we were ready for some food and a sauna to defrost.
Leith had talked up the reindeer kebabs and he wasn't exaggerating. A huge pita pocket full to the brim with warm reindeer meat, salad and a really tasty sauce. It was served with a cute heart shaped ginger bread cookie. Because of the way they cook the meat it is really salty but it also has quite a strong smoky flavour
We woke early to the sounds of ice squeaking as it broke up and dripped from our roof. After the nights snowfall the barely there sun was melting it away. Jake was pretty excited for the day and I must admit so was I as today we were going to go mushing. When riding around on the snow mobiles the day before we had seen a few people out mushing or dog sledding on the lake. We had also been stuck behind a couple on one of the smaller trails through the forest. Kirunas equivalent of a traffic jam.
We had originally booked in for the day trip which was a bit longer then the night one. The way the place is set up is they book it for you then the operators come pick you up right from your door step at 9am. By 9.20 Jake went to the reception to see what was going on. Apparently Miriam, one of the camp owners had booked us in but the tour company had obviously forgotten. We were pretty easy so asked to rebook us for the night tour where if your lucky you might even get a chance to see the northern lights. As we hadn't seen these yet I was secretly hoping that by being forced to be outside for a few hours at night we might have a chance upon them when they come out and play.
We had originally booked in for the day trip which was a bit longer then the night one. The way the place is set up is they book it for you then the operators come pick you up right from your door step at 9am. By 9.20 Jake went to the reception to see what was going on. Apparently Miriam, one of the camp owners had booked us in but the tour company had obviously forgotten. We were pretty easy so asked to rebook us for the night tour where if your lucky you might even get a chance to see the northern lights. As we hadn't seen these yet I was secretly hoping that by being forced to be outside for a few hours at night we might have a chance upon them when they come out and play.
The rest of the day was ours to play with so a lot of card games were played, some reading and an insanely hot sauna was had. Previously we had been using the small private sauna as it doesn't take as long to start up the fire and heat up the room. As we had all day we stoked up the two fires in the big sauna room. The temperature once the big fires was going was incredible we barely needed to do any steaming as it was so hot. This sauna is also built out on the lake. It has a built in trap door inside the sauna so instead of running out into the snow you can take a dip in the icy lake below. After a few hot/colds in the sauna and icy plunge pool we were feeling pretty good. Hopefully worked some wonders for our skin and detoxified us a bit after Decembers heavy drinking sessions.
Jake had enjoyed the raindeer wraps so much the day before we ordered them again for lunch and as Miriam felt bad about being messed around for the dogs she made us them for free. Score.
Later that evening Craig the Scotsman we had seen around the camp a bit collected us for the dog sledding. We were in luck again as it was just the two of us going out. Earlier that day we had seen Leith take the snow mobile group out and there must have been at least 20 vehicles on the tour. So far we have been able to enjoy all the touristy type things without the crowds.
We learnt that Craig had only chanced apon this place about three months ago and was offered a job by Leith. Craig had brought with him from Scotland his team of Serbian huskies which we would have the pleasure of mushing with that night. They are a lot smaller then other huskies but they are strong. Craig raced them in the UK and had come second twice in the UK competition but he was training them up for the colder climate races in Lapland.
The dogs were gorgeous and so excited to be getting geared up to pull jake and I around. I'm sure they weren't thinking it after we had driven around the lake once. Fresh snow and the two of us on board made it pretty tough for the dogs and they worked hard for their treats. It was an amazing experience. After saying hello and playing with them all for a bit we harnessed them up. Jake was enjoying playing with the dog named taxi cab and I was in love with a dog that had a coat so white she blended into the snow if not for her crazy eyes, one blue and one brown.
Jake had enjoyed the raindeer wraps so much the day before we ordered them again for lunch and as Miriam felt bad about being messed around for the dogs she made us them for free. Score.
Later that evening Craig the Scotsman we had seen around the camp a bit collected us for the dog sledding. We were in luck again as it was just the two of us going out. Earlier that day we had seen Leith take the snow mobile group out and there must have been at least 20 vehicles on the tour. So far we have been able to enjoy all the touristy type things without the crowds.
We learnt that Craig had only chanced apon this place about three months ago and was offered a job by Leith. Craig had brought with him from Scotland his team of Serbian huskies which we would have the pleasure of mushing with that night. They are a lot smaller then other huskies but they are strong. Craig raced them in the UK and had come second twice in the UK competition but he was training them up for the colder climate races in Lapland.
The dogs were gorgeous and so excited to be getting geared up to pull jake and I around. I'm sure they weren't thinking it after we had driven around the lake once. Fresh snow and the two of us on board made it pretty tough for the dogs and they worked hard for their treats. It was an amazing experience. After saying hello and playing with them all for a bit we harnessed them up. Jake was enjoying playing with the dog named taxi cab and I was in love with a dog that had a coat so white she blended into the snow if not for her crazy eyes, one blue and one brown.
Craig hooked them onto the sled with the two sisters as the lead dogs and the other 4 dogs in behind them. The first run I hopped inside the reindeer rug-lined sled and Jake hopped on the back to drive. The first 100 meters or so the dogs pulled us away slickly then slowed right down as they hit the first bits of powder. Craig followed us round on a snowmobile lighting up the way every so often so Jake could get some footage on his GoPro. They were so graceful as they worked together to drive us around the edge of the frozen lake. The clouds were covering the night sky so any chance of the northern lights coming out to dance for us was slim.
After about half an hour of gliding along the lake we got back to the campground, unhooked the dogs and fed them a treat. I thought the dogs had done pretty amazing, considering and was happy to just have the one run but Craig said we would let them rest for a bit and take them out again as they needed the training. We popped open a few beers and cooked some sausages over an open fire whilst Craig told us a bit more about his dogs and mushing. Even though the dogs are Siberian husking as they had mainly trained and raced in the UK where there is little snow they were still adjusting to the conditions here. He was hoping to buy a few Alaskan huskies as they are bigger and stronger and breed a few more so he could set up his own business with an ultimate aspiration to open up an ex-sled dog home and open it for educational purposes. Apparently in some places dogs used for this type of tourism and racing work are not necessarily kept for long and stories of what happens to them afterwards do not always have a happy ending. This is upsetting but reality for many types of dogs used for purposes other then as a pet. It would be pretty amazing if Craig is able to set this up as he wants and use it as a tool to teach kids, tourists etc wanting to learn more about the history of these types of dogs.
It always is really inspiring to hear about where people have come from, particularly in jobs they hate, to throw it in and follow their dreams.
After about half an hour of gliding along the lake we got back to the campground, unhooked the dogs and fed them a treat. I thought the dogs had done pretty amazing, considering and was happy to just have the one run but Craig said we would let them rest for a bit and take them out again as they needed the training. We popped open a few beers and cooked some sausages over an open fire whilst Craig told us a bit more about his dogs and mushing. Even though the dogs are Siberian husking as they had mainly trained and raced in the UK where there is little snow they were still adjusting to the conditions here. He was hoping to buy a few Alaskan huskies as they are bigger and stronger and breed a few more so he could set up his own business with an ultimate aspiration to open up an ex-sled dog home and open it for educational purposes. Apparently in some places dogs used for this type of tourism and racing work are not necessarily kept for long and stories of what happens to them afterwards do not always have a happy ending. This is upsetting but reality for many types of dogs used for purposes other then as a pet. It would be pretty amazing if Craig is able to set this up as he wants and use it as a tool to teach kids, tourists etc wanting to learn more about the history of these types of dogs.
It always is really inspiring to hear about where people have come from, particularly in jobs they hate, to throw it in and follow their dreams.
After finishing the rest of our whiskey and a few stories later we went back out to find that one of Craig's dogs had bitten right through his harness. Craig had said he was the crazy one so we unhooked him and he harnessed up another of his dogs who was a bit shy compared to the rest. Jake and I were a bit tentative about going back out again as we felt sorry for the dogs but Craig said if they weren't keen they would just stop. Hooking them back into the sled they were leaping out pretty excited and raring to go so I didn't feel so bad. This time it was my turn to mush and Jakes turn to sit back and enjoy the ride. To help the dogs out a bit Craig had me pushing off like I was on a skateboard. This was actually pretty tiring and I was working no way near as hard as the dogs were. By the end of the second run around the lake the dogs must have been knackered. Craig tried to trick them into drinking by mixing the food with water but they were having none of it so we ended up feeding them again. He finds keeping his dogs hydrated the most difficult challenge and has to trick them and skip meals in order for them to drink. Although we didn't get to see the northern lights it was a pretty special experience to be in the middle of nowhere, under the night sky with drops of snow falling on us as we were pulled along by these beautiful animals. Definitely a great way to kick of the beginning of 2015.
The week before Craig had been on the other side of the lake camping outside to test his new sleeping bag out. As you do when it's -37 outside. And he said the northern lights were unreal covering the whole sky. He also said they always seem to come out when your not really wanting to see them, like the stars know what we are thinking. Although I am a bit gutted we didn't get to see them it just gives us another excuse to plan a trip to one of the Northern European countries.
The week before Craig had been on the other side of the lake camping outside to test his new sleeping bag out. As you do when it's -37 outside. And he said the northern lights were unreal covering the whole sky. He also said they always seem to come out when your not really wanting to see them, like the stars know what we are thinking. Although I am a bit gutted we didn't get to see them it just gives us another excuse to plan a trip to one of the Northern European countries.
Our last day in Kiruna we spent at a leisurely pace enjoying the serenity of the campground from the small fire hut, reading our books whilst laying on the reindeer rugs. I had nailed starting a fire by this point (at home I always cheated and used fire starters). But as it hadn't been that cold whilst we were at Campalta (varying between +2 to -10) the fire was more for the ambience then the warmth. After a long night train back to Stockholm we were wishing we had spent one more night in the north of Sweden (not helped that when we left Leith told us that it was quite likely for the conditions to be good that night for Aureola borealis). Storing our bags in the lockers we headed out into the city in search of breakfast. A tasty sandwich and coffee later we found ourselves at the ice rink. It's free if you have your own ice skates but wasn't too much to hire them either. We got off to a rocky start feeling pretty uneasy on our feet. It had been a long time since we last went ice skating. A few slow runs around the rink and we got the hang of it and Jake was speeding around like a pro. I preferred to glide but by the end we both still hadn't figured out how to stop. A lot of families joined us and we were soon dodging kids sprawled out over the ice. There were going to be some sore wrists knees and bums the next day but luckily not ours. Reinvigorated we walked to the island Djurgården . The island is part of the Royal national parks and is home to several museums. We checked out the Vasa which houses a ship by the same name. Soon after the Vasa had set sail for her maiden voyage in 1638 she sunk in the shipping channel. Reports suggest that around 30 people died after it swayed left and right and finally toppled over. The grandiose boat remained at the bottom of the brackish water for 333 years before being salvaged. Remarkably because of the water conditions the ship remained in pretty good nick and is quite remarkable to visit. We ended up spending several hours checking out the exhibit and would recommend to anyone as the museum to visit in Stockholm. |
Our last night in Stockholm we checked into a former prison. A friend had recommended it to us. It was located on an island a little bit further from town and in summer would be quite lovely as it is near several beaches. The rooms also make up part of a museum during the day time so was a bit creepy reading the stories of people who were held prisoners and then staying in their cells. Its all in the experience but one I hope never to have to repeat.