There is a lot to see in Stockholm and like a visit to Disney World everything can take multiple days. So on to part 2 of the trip.

Scandinavia is surrounded by water and most areas in Stockholm and Denmark you see rivers, canals and ferry boats.

Speaking of water, the changing of the guard was an amazing sight to see.

Interestingly enough, the palace where this ceremony takes place is covered with a tarp-like material due to construction. Well, if you have ever had the pleasure of attending any event that has tarps and has recently rained, you know that tarps hold water. Right? Well this poor girl most have drawn the short straw and was assigned to stand right under a tarp that was full of rain water. About 5 minutes into the ceremony, the wind lifted the tarp up…and just like in the Itsy Bitsy Spider song… down came the water and drenched this soldier.

Diligent to her duty, she only slightly flinched, but never moved from her position.

After these merriments, we embarked on a ferry ride to visit the Vasa Museum.

So imagine if you will, the most expensive ship ever built to help the Royal Swedish Navy defeat Poland. This big bad mama jama never made it out of the harbor. Was this disaster based on the number of changes the kind demanded for this ship’s design? Was is because of the extra weight added for battle or was it because the shipwright actually became ill and died before the Vasa was completed. No one really knows. In any case, now you get to see some images.

Yes, it’s me preparing to fire a canon. Boom.

OK enough playing with giant ships and cannons, onto one of the coolest biodynamic gardens and outdoor cafes I have every visited. Rosendals Tradgard (Rosendals Trädgården)

Here you can find flowers, produce and gardening supplies. Plus you can dine in their outdoor cafe.

I’m not going to mention the shopping that can be done in Gamla Stan or the amazing restaurants. I will share that in a later post. I want to invite you to visit Skansen, the world’s first open air museum and zoo. Skansen has historic homes, reindeer, and some beautiful grey seals that remind me of Kotick and
Sea Catch from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book story collection.

 We now set sail for Tallinn!