Best Laid Plans

Well I didn't blog as much as I thought I was going to while abroad in Europe. Honestly, I don't know how people do it. I packed in so much during the day that by the time I got back to my hotel room, I was exhausted. So now, two weeks later, I will try and write about my amazing trip. This blog probably won't flow too well. I have a feeling it is going to be a little jumpy. Sorry.

Stockholm and Outlying Areas



Gamla Stan



Truth be told, the main city part of Stockholm was not that fun for me. There were too many people. When I travel, I like to relax and I just can't do that in a city setting.

This picture is from the old town part of Stockholm called Gamla Stan. Easily my favorite place. It was so charming there. My sister and I spent a good portion of two days exploring all the old churches and shops. Plus there are cute cafes everywhere and I learned that my sister needs a lot of coffee to function. I didn't mind though because it meant plenty of pastries for me.

One thing I loved about both places we visited in Europe was the transit system. So easy to use! I have been a bus rider for 4 years in Seattle now and I still feel confused some days. If anyone is planning on traveling to Stockholm in the future I recommend you buy a transit pass of some sort. Or even look into the Stockholm pass. We didn't find out about these options until the end of our trip and I am sure it would have saved us a ton of money.

Changing of the Guard

My sister and I were lucky enough to catch a "Mounted Changing of the Guard." We got a great place to stand and had an interested conversation with a couple from Amsterdamn about politics and education. I really got caught up in the excitement of the changing of the guard. The pomp and circumstance that went into the ceremony was great. Plus there was a mounted band...how cool is that?!

The Vasa

I don't even know how to began describing the Vasa Museum. It was awesome! If I am remembering the tour correctly, at the time Sweden and Poland were at war and for some reason it was really important for the Swedish King to improve his navy. So they started building ships. The Vasa was the first one built, but (big but here) there were a couple things wrong with it. For starters it was very narrow which made it unstable. Secondly the ballast was the wrong weight and shape, and thirdly the second row of gun decks were right at water level. So on its maiden voyage it was hit by a gust of wind and sank. 20 minutes into sailing! But the most awesome thing is, that because the bay were it sunk had such low salt content the ship stayed pretty much intact. In fact, when you see it in the museum, you are looking at 98% of the original boat!

Sweden is such a beautiful country and the people were so nice to us. No matter how much my sister and I packed in to our trip, some of my best memories are just getting to spend so much time with her. We laughed constantly. The good kind of laugh too, where you have a hard time breathing. It was a great way to end my summer and I am feeling ready for this school year. Things are going to be crazy, but in a good way. Hopefully we will hear about our house soon. I should graduate from grad school, which means potentially finding a new job. I am turning 30. I am excited for what the next few months are going to bring.

Next up...blog post about Switzerland.