A beautiful blue day to explore the Stockholm Archipelago! We cruised beyond the city and viewed the vacation homes, quiet coves, rocky outcroppings, and others out enjoying the day on their boatOur ferry stopped at 4-Brygga (piers) serving small communities but we decided to just go along for the ride and not get off.We returned to Gamla Stan, the old section of town, with many wonderful buildings including the royal palace.We enjoyed the very good Nobel Prize Museum, where artifacts and information highlight many of the achievements that were awarded.Alva Myrdal was born in Uppsala, Sweden. She co-won this medal for all her global efforts to lead to nuclear disarmament: The nuclear race was a major concern, and she fought for nuclear weapons-free zones in Europe. The world needed that in 1982 — and still does today!There are 5 types of medals awarded: Peace, Medicine, Literature, Physics, Chemistry. In 1895, Alfred Nobel stated in his will that the returns on his capital were to be distributed annually as prizes to those who have “conferred the greatest benefit to mankind”.Since 1943, IKEA creations have helped make everyday life better for many people — spreading the “Flat Pack” and common sense from Sweden to around the world.We stayed a bit out of the center in a quiet Marriott Courtyard Hotel, enjoying this view from our room.The bridge we could see, Riddarfjardens Vasterbron, from our walk thru the park from dinner at an Italian restaurant – on the way to Ralambshovs Parken next to our hotel.Pointing at our hotel on the Stockholm City Model — a pleasant 20 minute walk to city center. Or we became masters of the SL transportation system with trains, subway (t-ban), trams, ferries, and buses! A great 7-day pass, well designed app, and we appreciated the value and convenience it added to our visit.Can’t beat this setting for FIKA! enjoying a great Cinnamon Bun with Cappuccino watching the local river traffic. Waffle cafe at the marina near Nobel Parken.We crossed over to another island which has the Vasa Museum. This masterpiece sunk on its maiden voyage on its way out of the harbour — it made 1500 meters before it sank!!! It was rediscovered and recovered 333 years later. With much archeology research and preservation, the museum has been hosting this well preserved ship since 1990.This is a model of what the warship looked like in 1628 when it sank. There is a lot of detail to the symbolism this ship represented. It was commissioned by King Gustavus Adlophus, who never got to see it — since he was off in Poland fighting a war against his cousin Sigismun.There are 64 guns on three levels, the ship is high at 172 feet, and too skinny which made it unstable with gusts of wind.The Vasa museum has exhibit on life in sailors in 1628, with types of food they ate, how it was salvaged, how it is preserved — really a detailed and interesting museum. click on the link to learn more.Stockholm sparkles as the sun fades — we’re on the overnight sailing to Turku, Finland on the Viking Line’s ferry ‘Glory’. We had great time and weather exploring Sweden.
Welcome to Sweden – the land of FIKA! Used as both a noun and a verb, fika is a Swedish institution–coffee with a snack. The word fika is an inverted form of “kaffi,” the 19th-century Swedish word for “coffee — their adaptation since coffee was banned five times between 1756 and 1817. Well the tradition has persisted.Gamla Uppsala had mound builders! The Viking used to sail directly here 1500 years ago when the Baltic Sea was higher and this was the center of their world. There was even a “ting” here — the site of the annual political assembly of all the tribes — where laws were passed.Some amazing items found in the unlooted, un-cremated viking grave mounds like these intricate helmets. The leaders were buried in their boats with their horses amongst many treasures.Gamla Uppsala was also the center of all the pagan Swedish kingdoms. All these kingdoms came together 1,000 years ago and also became Christianized here.The Gustavianum — the university museum — holds these treasures and has a garden full of Rune stones found there — an ancient burial site.We learned a lot about Rune Stones that we found interesting. Old Norse language is based on Latin, and Runes started appearing around 400 BCE, in the Roman Iron Age. This county in Sweden has the most amount of Runes, which are being documented and maintained.The alphabet for the Rune is simplified into these symbols. Can you write your name?Uppsala has a very visible Cathedral, one of Scandinavian’s largest and most historic, completed in 1435.Gorgeous gothic architecture and murals in the longest nave in Scandinavia!King Gustav Vasa brought the Reformation to Sweden in 1527 so got the prized chapel space. In the tomb sculpture, he is flanked by his two wives — the first died young but the Gustav wanted her next to him in the afterlife — and murals depicting his illustrious life.The dome on the Gustavianum is a sundial on the exterior, and inside is the anatomical theater. Plus a great museum that has other non-viking treasures……Like Anders Celsius’s Thermometer! What is special about this is that the numbers are flipped — in that water boiled at zero degrees, not 100. He later reversed the numbers. He was a colleague of……Carl Linneaus, also a professor here, who used this Microscope to come up with his formal classification system for naming plants and animals — that we still use today.We went over to Linnetradgarden, which is the oldest botanical garden in Sweden. It was founded in 1655 by Olof Rubeck the Elder, gutted by fire in 1702, reworked by Linneas according to his system for arranging plants.This is the Autumn Parterre, with imported plants from the state of Virginia. Many varieties of Rudbeckias – you might have some in your yard! Linneas named to honor Olof Rudbeck the Elder and the Younger.Just a beautiful flower in its prime! And a treat to be in the house — now museum — that Linneas lived and the garden he tended. Contemplating walking in the footsteps that were before us in Uppsala.
