Throwback Travels: Scandinavia Part III (Stockholm)

I think my obsession with Sweden came from the fact that my first car was a Volvo. I had always wanted to visit the country, so when this trip came about, I was so excited to realize this teenage dream of mine. We flew into Stockholm from Oslo, which was a super short flight. There is a train that whisks travelers from the airport directly to the center of the city in what felt like less than half an hour. Gotta love the efficiency!

We stayed pretty much across the street from the train station, so once we arrived we checked into our hotel and unwound a bit.

We continued our scooter obsession in Stockholm, which was a great place to explore with a scooter. We drove up to the bluffs on Södermalm to catch the last bit of sunset before feasting on some stereotypical Swedish meatballs. I think we ended up trying boar, reindeer and moose versions. Take that Ikea!

The next day was our only full day in Stockholm, so we maximized every bit of our time to see what all the Swedish capital had to offer. One of the things, I think, that makes Stockholm so unique are the series of islands that comprise the city. Some of the islands are super small and only have a single building on them, while others are entire neighborhoods. As most tourists do, we had to check out Gamla Stan (Old Town) to see what the fuss was about. And wow. The fuss was certainly worth it. It seemed like every corner afforded a postcard view of what American's think of when they imagine European cities. Small, winding streets with colorful building facades.

Nothing beats getting caught in a Swedish summer rainstorm. Luckily we were able to pop into a museum and let the weather pass. We continued to scoot across the city, checking out the library and other cool spots. One of my favorite things is really just exploring what the city has to offer. If something smells good, go for it. If something looks interesting, check it out. I haven't been let down yet--but y'know be smart about it. We ended up heading back to Gamla Stan at night to check out a viking bar, where we drank mead from a horn of some kind. Skål!