Stockholm, Sweden

Wednesday, May 25

After a filling breakfast and my second chocoladcookie shake, we boarded the train for Stockholm, our final destination. For once, our entire group was together on the train; we enjoyed talking and playing cards on the 90-minute train ride. We were on the train’s second level, providing stunning views of villages, corporations, and waterways. Before we knew it, we had finally hade it to Sweden’s capital city.

After arriving at Motel L Hammarby Sjostad, by far the most modern accommodation of this trip, we explored lunch options along the river. We chose Rockin’ Grill, a ’50s-looking diner with burgers and pizzas. The diner was pink and blue inside, with old tables and chairs to match. I had a Hawaiian pizza, this time without bananas, and a “grapefruit lemonade” that I didn’t particularly enjoy. Despite the lemonade, the Hawaiian pizza made the experience satisfactory at the Rockin’ Grill.

After some R & R, half of us went to Stockholm’s old town, known as Gamla Stockholm. The city was founded in 1252, with Gamla being the original area. We enjoyed a variety of shops including a record shop, comics store, fashion store, and, of course, a souvenir shop or two.

Kendra, Mel, and I left the area around quarter to 6; we easily found our way back to Gamla train station. When transferring to the tram, though, we easily got “lost” in the main station. After 15 to 20 minutes of searching, we arrived at the track to watch Tram 30 leaving. So, after another 7-minute wait and 5-minute ride, we were back to Motel L.

I decided to walk along Hammarby Sjo this evening, experiencing residential areas and local nightlife. I walked 1.2 kilometers to the Observatorium to see the center of Hammarby Sjo, then backtracked in more residential areas. I do not think I saw one single-family home; there is only apartment and community-style living present in Stockholm from what I’d seen today.

My first day in Stockholm was relaxing yet scenic, from using public transit to walking along Hammarby Sjo and through city neighborhoods.

Thursday, May 26

My first morning in Stockholm started off by enjoying the hotel’s continental breakfast; it included breads, meat, cheese, fresh vegetables, and apple juice. Pretty tasty impression of this place.

Stockholm is known for its variety of museums. Our first trek today was the VASA Museum (Vasamuseet). In August of 1628, the VASA ship sank just 100 meters off the coast of Stockholm Harbor in 32-meter-deep water. The vessel was unnoticed, left unattended, for over 300 years until crew members raised it out of the sea in 1961.

The Vasamuseet included the ship that had been raised and dried, approximately 226 feet (89 meters) in length; people’s exhibits of those who were on board; and several ship replicas with exhibits about the ship’s time, history, and location. I particularly enjoyed the exhibits on understanding life on board and gaining a global understanding of the tragedy. Another shipwreck exhibit!

For the afternoon, we were free to explore Stockholm and its museums; I chose the Performing Arts Museum. Located in a nearly 400-year-old building (established 1642), this was first a bakery from 1642 to 1958, and it opened as the Performing Arts Museum in 1971. This museum offered glimpses into performing arts for all interests. One whole area on opera explored various plays and performances done around Stockholm and Sweden. One fun opera fact: In 2004, Beauty and the Beast was the first-ever Disney production in Sweden; it took place at Gothenburg Opera. In addition to opera and theater, the Museum showcased classical music, with keyboards and orchestral instruments; cultural music through brass and woodwind instruments; and more modern pop, rap, and other music genres. I especially enjoyed listening to pieces of music and experiencing a variety of music genres in the Performing Arts Museum.

Both of today’s museums were fascinating, the VASA being a shipwreck from 394 years ago and the Performing Arts highlighting a variety of music from opera to rock.

Friday, May 27

Today was our last company tour. Starbreeze, owned and operated right out of Stockholm, created PC and console games for a variety of audiences. The HR Manager gave a high-level overview of dompany operations, followed by marketing representatives sharing their viewpoints. Then, company CEO Tobias Sjogren went much more in-depth on how the company helps create new games and optimizes them for multiple platforms and devices. While I enjoyed meeting Tobias, I still was not a huge fan of the video game development aspect.

After Starbreeze, the afternoon was ours to explore Stockholm. I first went with a group of game design majors to Gamla Stan (Old Town), where we spent time in a book shop. While the shop was interesting to walk around, it was very game-oriented with Anime, Dungeons and Dragons, and other gaming-themed books and souvenirs.

Ethan and I then went to see more museums, the first being the Architecture and Design (ArkDes) Museum. ArkDes was full of modern and historic churches and buildings. The Turning Torso, a large conference center in Malmö, was also on display. In all, ArkDes was fascinating with its mix of new and old architecture.

We also hit the National Museum of Sweden. This highlighted a variety of Swedish artwork, sculptures of historical figures, and provided information on the nation’s history. I enjoyed the variety of art and culture represented, from old pottery and quilts to modern pieces of art.

Our evening featured a dinner cruise through Swedish islands on board the Victoria. There were five of us per table, enjoying a buffet-style dinner. The meal included meat (beef, salmon, shrimp, meatballs), slaw, potatoes, and other veggies and salad. We also enjoyed a guitarist playing music at our request, mostly pop and well-known rock music. I requested a song by the Beatles, and my favorite one played was Country Roads by John Denver where many people sang and danced. It was a great dinner cruise along the Swedish islands out to Vaxholm Castle, from the fulfilling buffet to enjoying the open sea air.

Saturday, May 28

With company tours wrapped up, and our flight just two days away, today was set aside for traversing Stockholm. The rainy conditions made exploring less ideal; however, I didn’t let it stop me.

Ahnikah and I went to SkyView, a nearby globe that takes viewers up high to see views of Stockholm. Despite the rainy conditions, we were still treated with splendid city views. Up top, we could see architectural landmarks, including the Royal Palace and others in Gamla Stan; various modern-looking skyscrapers; and the numerous islands that Stockholm is comprised of.

After SkyView, I decided to try Stockholm’s Hop-on-hop-off tour. This bus takes visitors in an 80-minute loop around (mostly historic) Stockholm. I again saw the Royal Palace, in addition to several museums. The museums included Science and Technology, ABBA, Paris Fashion, VASA, Performing Arts, Viking, and the Swedish National Museum. The bus also went into quieter residential areas consisting of apartments. Again, I did not see a single family home in Stockholm. There were also open fields, some used for fotboll (soccer) and others wide-open with a disc golf basket or two. The ride was very engaging and informative about Stockholm’s landmarks.

To start the evening, I had dinner at the hotel with Brenna and Ahnikah. We requested sandwiches, just to hear they weren’t available; only three of the six listed were available. Would have appreciated unavailable ones being crossed off the menu, right?! Regardless, I had the Italiano (chicken, pesto, tomato) sandwich with very spicy coleslaw. The rest of the evening was simply relaxing for our last day in Stockholm, in Sweden, and of our Scandinavia adventure.

Sunday, May 29

After a gloomy Saturday, today was looking much better. A group of us headed to Langholmen, another island in Stockholm. There was a juge jail, known as “Finkan” (translating to “fine” as in paying someone). In addition to the jail building, there were both a recreational court for tennis and outdoor activities and a kayak rental.

I decided to take the plunge to kayaking in Sweden! There were five of us, plus Mary, on this adventure. After quick instruction and gearing up, we were ready to kayak down the canal and around an island. I had a blast out on the water! The rowing felt great, and the water was purely “flat calm,” in boating terms.

Next up was Changing of the Guards, a ceremony in which a military band marches, some on horseback and others by foot, in the Royal Palace. There is a variety of music played, with services throughout the ceremony.

Later in the afternoon, Ahnikah and I headed to Grona Lund, an amusement park full of roller coasters, games, and, of course, ice cream! We opted for rides and roller coasters. The roller coasters threw us all over – from corkscrewing to flying up or dropping down – at a rapid pace. To cool things off, we also did the giant swing and enjoyed city views.

Our last meal for the trip was a group dinner at a Thai place on Phuket Island, right near our hotel. I had Pad Thai noodles with pork. We also had some final trip words, looking back on our great adventures and thanking Mary and Peter for the variety of opportunities, showing us around the cities, and getting all of us together for such a wonderful trip.