Deja Vu All Over Again

Before our visit to Sweden ended, Anastasia put in a request for a visit to the super cool playground that we'd gone to on our last visit. With no great plans for our last day, I figured this was the perfect time. While Orlando and Myney visited IKEA (spoiler alert, it's remarkably similar to IKEA in the US), Eva and I took the kids down to the playground. I was pretty proud that I remembered exactly where it was, though I'll confess, about 3/4 of the way there, I was starting to doubt my sense of direction.

Three years ago, the weather was warm and sunny, and Anastasia was the first kid in the splash pool. She fit in well with the locals, even if she couldn't understand what they were saying to her.



Bonus points for picking her out in this shot:



This time, the weather was much cooler, so we opted to stick with the drier options. The piggies were out, and they immediately drew the interest of all three kids.



Next it was off to the slide and climbing.



Then, Anastasia climbed onto the big swing, where she and the boys took a swing together just like she and her friend Ivar did 3 years ago.



Before heading home, we had to hit the merry-go-round. Last time we were here, Anastasia got dizzy all by herself. This time, she had the help of 2 boys who were having a ton of fun!



After a brief couple of hours at the playground, we headed back for a quiet afternoon of watching the World Cup and reminiscing with Kalle, Eva, and Christer while the kids played on the trampoline, the ring swings and in the playhouse. Anastasia wants to know how she can get one of these:



Very early the next morning, we said "Hej då" to Sweden. It didn't take long before Anastasia was asking when we're going to be back again. Many thanks to Eva and Christer, Lotta and Janne, Viktor, Kalle, Hedil and the rest of the friends and family that made our visit so lovely. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation.

Viking Island

After returning to Stockholm, we took a cruise to Birka, an island in Lake Malaren that was once home to a Viking city. Today, Birka is an active archaeological site and home to an interesting museum of Viking history. Runestones, weapons, and personal effects of the Vikings buried on the island are all on display. There are also models showing what archaeologists believe the city probably looked like during the time it was inhabited.



After the museum, we took a tour out to the part of the island where the city of Birka was in the 700s. The guide was very engaging and described both daily life for Vikings living in the city and the current status of the archaeological dig that is underway on the island. Anastasia had several questions for our guide, who seemed to like talking to her. We learned that when a Viking died, they were placed inside their boat along with many of their most valued possessions (including their comb and pets). The whole thing was then lit on fire and ultimately buried under rocks and soil, forming large mounds that remain today. After seeing the island, topped by a cross memorializing the monk who first introduced Christianity to the Vikings, it was time to head back toward the boat.



On the boat ride back, Anastasia had some one on one time with the guide and got a couple more details about Viking life. Meanwhile, the rest of us enjoyed a snack, and spotted a sunken boat on the way home.

Going Home Again

It's been 21 years since I was a not so shy 17 year old falling off a train into the Brunö-Gustafsson household.



That may have been a long time ago, but the house in Töreboda still feels like home. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and were soon joined by Viktor and Hedil for a traditional Midsommar feast. Nobody cared that we were a day late with the herring. We had a lovely evening, ate a lot, drank a fair amount of snaps, tried some of Viktor's home brewed ale (it was delicious) and shared pictures of the puppies waiting for us back home.



Next day we were off to Hajstorp to see the locks and hand crafts market. We arrived just as a boat was arriving at the locks and watched as they were lowered in the water to continue on their way. Eva explained that the Göta Kanal is nicknamed the Divorce Ditch because when boats pass through the locks, one spouse is in charge of the lines while the other is responsible for driving the boat through. It's not hard to imagine the arguments that happen when someone drops the lines.



We paused in the cafe for a quick coco ball, then went on to the handcrafts market in the barn to check out the best Töreboda has to offer. Anastasia learned a bit about weaving upstairs in the farmhouse museum and spent time playing with the other interactive options. Then it was off to Norkvarn where a mini version of the canal serves as a splash park for kids when the weather is warm (it wasn't). The tall grey silo is the distinctive feature of Töreboda's "skyline".



Before we headed back to Stockholm, there was one visit that we all needed to make. Lina is the "world famous" ferry in Töreboda that I rode every day to cross the canal to get to school. She is the smallest ferry in Sweden, and quite possibly the world, holding only a few people with bicycles. The ride is about 15 feet and it's accomplished by the driver pulling on a rope, which is sunk to the bottom of the canal whenever a boat travels down the canal. We took the ride over and back with a special guest driver both ways.

On the drive back to Stockholm, Orlando spotted a sign that he'd like to hang in the bathroom someday.

Gamla Stan - The Old City

After catching a few z's on our first evening in Stockholm, we geared up the next morning for a trip to Gamla Stan. Gamla Stan is the oldest part of Stockholm. The city is more than 900 years old and many of the buildings in Gamla Stan are date back to the 15th century. This history is balanced by the modern tourist shops that line every street. It felt like we bought one of everything.



After we'd made the required visit to Polkagriskokeri (see The Candy Tour of Sweden), we started exploring. We quickly found lunch. Thanks, Myney, for treating us to a meal of delicious meatballs, potato pancakes, and Swedish bacon.

After lunch, we were off again. The tiny cobblestone streets, like Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, the narrowest street in Stockholm, open onto large and beautiful squares.



And on one of these squares is a famous building with a cannonball embedded in a corner. The popular story is that the ball is a remnant from a famous battle in 1520. Orlando remembered this building from our previous visit 10 years earlier, and really wanted to find it again. We were successful.



Next, it was off to the Royal Palace for a quick visit. Myney and Eva went up for a quick tour of the chapel while Anastasia and I enjoyed some ice cream in the courtyard.



After a successful day of touristing, we headed across a bridge in search of a shop Eva had told us about. Sadly, we had lingered too long and the shop was closed just before we got there. We made plans to come back later in our visit, but never actually made it. I guess this motley crew has a reason to head back for another visit sometime soon.

The Candy Tour of Sweden

Sure, our vacation in Sweden had over 1000 years of history, and Scandinavian culture, and loving family, and beautiful sights, but we're not fooling anyone. Sweden has awesome candy, and that's what my candy loving family were dedicated to throughout the trip.

The first stop on the epic Candy Tour of Sweden was Gamla Stan (the Old City) where the streets are cobblestone and the candy is plentiful. Just steps into our walk and we were inside of the Polkagriskokeri (literally "Polka Pig Kitchen") a famous candy shop that was founded by a widow in the 1800s. Walking in, we saw the candy being made, and the smell was intoxicating. We bought ... a lot.



It wasn't just for saving, the kids enjoyed a nice treat after lunch.



Next on the Candy Crusade was a visit to the candy vendor on Midsummer Eve (after a long day at Skansen). We were only going to buy one licorice whip for Anastasia, but after tasting, many more were purchased.



On the drive to Töreboda, Orlando requested a stop at a large candy store with more than 1,000 types of candy, all sold by weight. We surprised the Swedes (and ourselves) by spending more than 500 kroner (about $75) on candy. Orlando and I justified at least some of the purchases by swearing that we need treats to take to work to share.



Still my favorite sweets were the fresh Swedish strawberries (available outside every train station).

Midsommar!

Midsummer is one of the most uniquely Swedish holidays and I was very excited to share the experience with Myney and Orlando. If you don't know anything about Midsummer, here's a quick intro (courtesy of Sweden).



We didn't go to an island, rather we spent the day in Stockholm at Skansen, an amazing outdoor museum that Anastasia and I loved when we were here three years ago. Despite what the video says, there were masses joining us for the fun. Once inside, our first stop was the Midsummer pole and the dancing. Eva took Myney to join in the dancing, while Anastasia was most interested in the musicians



Anastasia was fascinated by the midsummer crowns that people were making for themselves all over the park. We managed to find one (mommy and daddy don't have all the skills necessary to make one on the fly) and throughout the day, the whole family took turns wearing the crown.





Skansen is the oldest outdoor museum in the world and it's like a miniature Sweden throughout history. Buildings from the 1600s through the 1940s (houses, barns, municipal buildings, and more) from all over Sweden, have been moved here and inside each are people dressed in period costumes answering questions and talking about life in Sweden during the time they represent.



We saved the traditional Midsummer dinner for the next day in Töreboda, where we were joined by Viktor and Hedil. Spoiler alert, I still don't like herring, but the potatoes, meatballs and cheese pie were delicious. I wish that I had a video of the singing, but just trust me, there was a song before each drink of snaps.