Saturday, June 29, 2013, Stockholm, Sweden
The day began with
mimosas on the balcony as we made our way through an archipelago of 24,000
islands and islets. This is another popular area for holidays and there are
about 50,000 summer homes and chalets along the way. There were these great
little gazebos on some of the properties, and some of the little islets had
only one summer home; just imagine spending the weekends in these beautiful
places! It took us three hours to make it through the distance and it was an
amazing, relaxing time.
We went into Gamia Stan which is the oldest part of Stockholm. The narrow cobblestone streets were lined with beautiful buildings dating back to the 14th century. We learned that Stockholm actually spans 14 islands, from the very tiny to larger islands. There are 57 bridges to connect these islands. We had lunch and continued our beers of the Baltic's tour at this little restaurant/bar in the square. The open faced sandwich I has was the best I have ever eaten!! It was on an airy toasted/crunchy bread, topped with ham, cheeses, tomatoes, and grilled to perfection. We later learned that the cash conversion we did at the restaurant was accurate (we were sure we did not have it right); those sandwiches and beers cost us ~$100! Good thing they were that amazing! At the restaurant, I asked to use the 'wash closet' and was given a wire whisk with a key on the end, directed around the corner, down the alley, first black door on the left. I don't think I can adequately describe this experience. The first door was this tiny medieval looking door - sure this was not the right location, I tried the key anyway. The door opened to a very dark stone hallway and staircase, down into the dungeon! I did find the WC at the bottom, but it was both interesting and scary getting there!
There are these small symbols above the door of many homes. It's a Phoenix rising up from the flames and has a crown on top. This meant you had purchased fire insurance. If your home caught fire and you had no insurance, they would leave if burn. Of course, it no longer works that way.
In the afternoon we did the Rooftop tour. This consisted of traversing across narrow (maybe 15-18 inch) catwalks, without railings, on the roof to the 8 story courthouse building. WOW, what an adrenaline rush! There was one span that went from one end of the building to the other at the peak of the roof; very scary! There are only two rooftop tours in the world and both are in Sweden. Glenn fought back a few demons and I almost chickened out at the beginning. At each tie down for the catwalk, you had to use one foot to guide your harness through the intersection, you had to maintain your balance on one foot while keeping your composure on this tiny walkway far up.
I don't want to sound paranoid or anything, but yesterday it felt like we were being followed, today we are pretty sure that is true. We ducked into alleyways (where the beers of the Baltic's tour continued) and we heard these words of whispering in Russian behind us. Though we have continued to keep moose and squirrel safe so far, the KGB is only one step behind us.
It's so sad for me that this vacation is coming to an end. It has truly been an amazing experience. We have stood on the edge of a volcano, toured palaces and museums, strolled through tiny fishing villages, experienced a beers of the Baltic's tour, got wet in the Baltic Sea, stood on the spot where all of our past and present leaders have spoken, walked through medieval sites, and profoundly experienced the scope and the impact of WWII on the people of these countries and the rawness that still exists today. This was an absolutely unforgettable experience!
We went into Gamia Stan which is the oldest part of Stockholm. The narrow cobblestone streets were lined with beautiful buildings dating back to the 14th century. We learned that Stockholm actually spans 14 islands, from the very tiny to larger islands. There are 57 bridges to connect these islands. We had lunch and continued our beers of the Baltic's tour at this little restaurant/bar in the square. The open faced sandwich I has was the best I have ever eaten!! It was on an airy toasted/crunchy bread, topped with ham, cheeses, tomatoes, and grilled to perfection. We later learned that the cash conversion we did at the restaurant was accurate (we were sure we did not have it right); those sandwiches and beers cost us ~$100! Good thing they were that amazing! At the restaurant, I asked to use the 'wash closet' and was given a wire whisk with a key on the end, directed around the corner, down the alley, first black door on the left. I don't think I can adequately describe this experience. The first door was this tiny medieval looking door - sure this was not the right location, I tried the key anyway. The door opened to a very dark stone hallway and staircase, down into the dungeon! I did find the WC at the bottom, but it was both interesting and scary getting there!
There are these small symbols above the door of many homes. It's a Phoenix rising up from the flames and has a crown on top. This meant you had purchased fire insurance. If your home caught fire and you had no insurance, they would leave if burn. Of course, it no longer works that way.
In the afternoon we did the Rooftop tour. This consisted of traversing across narrow (maybe 15-18 inch) catwalks, without railings, on the roof to the 8 story courthouse building. WOW, what an adrenaline rush! There was one span that went from one end of the building to the other at the peak of the roof; very scary! There are only two rooftop tours in the world and both are in Sweden. Glenn fought back a few demons and I almost chickened out at the beginning. At each tie down for the catwalk, you had to use one foot to guide your harness through the intersection, you had to maintain your balance on one foot while keeping your composure on this tiny walkway far up.
I don't want to sound paranoid or anything, but yesterday it felt like we were being followed, today we are pretty sure that is true. We ducked into alleyways (where the beers of the Baltic's tour continued) and we heard these words of whispering in Russian behind us. Though we have continued to keep moose and squirrel safe so far, the KGB is only one step behind us.
It's so sad for me that this vacation is coming to an end. It has truly been an amazing experience. We have stood on the edge of a volcano, toured palaces and museums, strolled through tiny fishing villages, experienced a beers of the Baltic's tour, got wet in the Baltic Sea, stood on the spot where all of our past and present leaders have spoken, walked through medieval sites, and profoundly experienced the scope and the impact of WWII on the people of these countries and the rawness that still exists today. This was an absolutely unforgettable experience!
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