We took a 5-hour train ride from Copenhagen to Stockholm, with a short stop and transfer in Malmö. The dreary weather finally caught up with us, although it wasn’t yet cold, but rather cool. Our walk from the central train station to our hotel was only 1 km, but it was all uphill, and most of the streets in the old town (Gamla Stan) were cobblestone-lined. Stockholm is Sweden’s capital and largest city, and approximately 30% of the city is comprised of waterways. Like most of the residents, we got around the city by bus and tram.
Stockholm has many museums, and several of them are located close to each other. We visited VASA, the Viking Ship Museum, and ABBA in one day. The VASA is the most famous because it was a ship built in 1628 and sank on its maiden voyage. It was intact when it was raised in the 1980s, and a museum was built around it. The ship had 64 guns, but it was too narrow on the bottom and tipped over before it left the harbor. I was surprised that Viking descendants with extensive marina experience would make such a fatal mistake as this. The Viking Museum next door was more interactive and gave us an excellent background and history of the Viking people. The ABBA, of course, is the most famous singing group from Sweden. We thoroughly enjoyed the music and even danced a little with them.
Another interesting place we visited was the Skansen Farm. Skansen is the world’s oldest open-air museum, founded in 1891. In addition to the historical farmhouses, it also hosted a Baltic Sea Science Center. I learned that the Baltic Sea is shallow and that it is a mix of fresh and saltwater (called Brackish), so the water actually is not very salty. The most common fish found in the Baltic are herring, cod, and flounder. The farm has traditional crafts and folk culture, as well as Nordic wildlife and exotic animals.
We had to visit the Nobel Prize Museum because one of the winners (2018 Chemistry), George Smith, is our neighbor. He walked or rode a bike past my house daily. Instead of a special campus car parking space to honor him. The University of Missouri granted him a special bike parking space. We even found the little laboratory vial he donated to the museum. On our way back to the hotel, we stayed underground to check out the different Art Deco designs of Stockholm’s subway stations. Each station was designed by a different artist, featuring distinct color themes.
We took a wooden boat tour in the Stockholm Archipelago, which consists of over 30,000 islands. Many islands were dotted by luxurious houses and more modest summer homes. There are nice nature trails all around and a good place for outdoor activities. We walked to Östermalm Market Hall, a historical market built in 1888. They have a wide selection of fresh seafood and various meats, and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there.
