Stockholm

by Veronica

Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, is everything I expected it to be and more;clean, expensive, full of beautiful people, great health care and full of visitor attractions. Go!

My first mistake was expecting Stockholm to be very Viking. I was wrong ! Infact, Stockholm as a city was only founded a few hundred years after the Viking era. The original "most important town" in Sweden was Sigtuna and that is full of evidence of Old Norse and Viking life.

Both Sigtuna and Stockholm are based on the shores of Lake Malaren. In the Viking era this lake was an important bay leading out into the Baltic and across the seas from inland Sweden.

My husband's god-son lives in Sweden and offered us a stay at his Stockholm apartment and also his summer house by Lake Malaren. It was a hot, sunny and very beautiful ten days.

Lake Maleran

The water around Stockholm is very clean and very clear. The landing stage near the summer house is a good place for a daily swim.

Like all lakes, wildlife is everywhere, including seabirds, snakes and woodpeckers.

The landing stage
The landing stage
Veronica's photo
BIrds on an island in the lake
BIrds on an island in the lake
Veronica's photo
wildlife; snakes
wildlife; snakes
Veronica's photo
woodpecker
woodpecker
Veronica's photo

About two miles walk ( 40 mins )  from the summer house by Lake Maleran we found this castle.

A Swedish castle
A Swedish castle
veronica's photo
Soldier outside the palace
Soldier outside the palace
Veronica's photo

Stockholm

King's palace
King's palace
Veronica's photo

The Swedish Royal Family  have a very relaxed open attitude to their life as monarchs and regularly walk around the city centre, unlike our British Royal Family who keep themselves separate from everyone,  all high and mighty.

People in courtyard
People in courtyard
Veronica's photo
Changing of the guard
Changing of the guard
Veronica's photo
Stockholm Lake Maleran
Stockholm Lake Maleran
Veronica's photo

Skansen, Stockholm

I loved my visit to Skansen. It was the ideal place for me. Outdoors AND history!

Skansen is an open air museum and zoo which was originally founded in the late 19th C. The owners brought buildings from all over Sweden together and placed them at Skansen as a tribute to early life in Sweden. At Christmas the Stockholm Christmas Markets are held at Skansen.

 

a swedish windmill; Skansen
a swedish windmill; Skansen
veronica's photo
a Swedish house at Skansen
a Swedish house at Skansen
Veronica's photo

Skansen has a nomadic people's Sami camp. They were lovely people and welcomed us into their home and gave us some of their food . It was very salty as it has to travel with no fridges!! We had hard salty cheeses and hams.

A sami camp
A sami camp
Veronica's photo
A high Sami home
A high Sami home
Veronica's photo
Sami ladies
Sami ladies
Veronica's photo

The Zoo at Skansen is home to local Swedish animals .

Seals
Seals
Veronica's photo
The Skansen Zoo
The Skansen Zoo
Veronica's photo

The Vasa Stockholm

model of the Vasa
model of the Vasa
Veronica's photo

The picture below shows the real Vasa. The room is dimly lit because the Vasa is hundreds of years old and was sunk in Stockholm harbour for hundreds of years. The water in Stockholm harbour is perfect and so clean that the Vasa was perfectly preserved under the water.

The Vasa was a Swedish warship built in the 17th C which sank on its maiden voyage yards away from the shore when King Carl Gustavus had sent for it in order to  support his fight against the Catholic nations in Europe.   As a show of strength the Vasa sailed with its canon holes open and a swell of water waves plus the fact that heavy Japanese wood had been used in construction meant that the ship sank within minutes, a few hundreds yards out to sea.

 An amazing museum has been built around the ship which is beautifully preserved.

The Vasa dimly lit
The Vasa dimly lit
Veronica's photo
Wood from the side of the ship
Wood from the side of the ship
Veronica's photo
Updated: 09/20/2015, Veronica
 
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Veronica on 08/14/2017

Derdriu.thank you for contributing … there are several beautiful walks and beauty all around. Stockholm is a comp!etely different way of life. I loved it.

DerdriuMarriner on 08/14/2017

Veronica, Thank you for sharing your Lake Maleran and Stockholm visits with us! Swedish friends say that there's an extensive, lovely network of walks that give close, good views of aristocratic and royal properties. It's an expanded version of the Lake Geneva walk-about in Wisconsin.

Veronica on 10/20/2015

The Stockholm Christmas markets this year, for those who are interested or able to go are on from 21 Nov 15 to 23 Dec 15

Veronica on 09/20/2015

Yes Stockholm is a beautiful city and the people were very kind and welcoming.

candy47 on 09/20/2015

Lovely photo tour of Stockholm. I especially like pics of the wildlife.

Veronica on 09/19/2015

Great question. My husband's god son is English and whilst working there in Sweden met his lovely wife. They are both completely bi-lingual and fluent.

Their summer house by Lake Maleran is complete peace.

I felt very privileged to go to Skansen and see how traditional life was and meeting and receiving hospitality from the Sami people was a very humbling experience.

Mira on 09/19/2015

It's lovely that you got to spend some time in the countryside and in Skansen as well. Is the person you visited British or Swedish?

Veronica on 09/19/2015

Yes it is beautiful. The Swedish food was ok nothing remarkable. But the whole place is super clean. There is plenty to do and to see. I would like to go to their Christmas markets.
Their health system is remarkable and when I needed medical attention, I got it free.
We also found a RC church and there aren't many in Sweden but they were very welcoming.

I am hoping for another invite. :)

ologsinquito on 09/18/2015

It looks like you had a wonderful trip. Stockholm sounds very nice and looks very interesting from your pictures.

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