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They Were Cones - Stockholm, Sweden


The city of Stockholm stretches over fourteen islands, and is teeming with almost as many ships as people.  Our scant twenty-four hours there was nothing but a tease, yet we made the most of it with many promises of a return visit.

Twice in the past, Adam had stayed at the Af Chapman Hostel, and so returning with a family now in tow was a must.  Often voted one of the top hostels of the world, the Af Chapman includes rooms on a 19th century ship moored next to the island of Skeppsholmen.  There are also additional rooms in a nearby building with an interior designed like a ship's quarters.  If you don't make reservations in time, don't fret - you can still visit for a drink or mid day meal.


After an hour spent finding parking on the tight island, we headed to the Gamla Stan.  The Gamla Stan is Stockholm's old town, and as in most European cities, a great first stop on the tourist route.  There are numerous shops for your souvenirs, and restaurants for tasting the country's most famous dishes.  In the middle of the main square is the Nobel Museum, an interesting stop for those who celebrate natural sciences and culture.  Adam explains the inception of the Nobel Peace Prize below.



We really went to the Gamla Stan, however, to search for a very special ice cream shop - one we have heard of on more than one occasion.  Whether we found the exact shop or not is dubious, but we explain in the video below just why one should not miss a visit, and why we tease Adam relentlessly for his obsession.



                                          

Armed with our cones, we walked the city by evening's fading light, feeling a bit bewitched by the twinkling lights mirrored on the water's surface.  This is a city that must breed romance, for I found myself linking arms with my husband while whispering sweet sentiments into his ear.  I was in love while in Stockholm; life couldn't be more perfect.  And those sugared up kids trailing behind, well they were a rather wonderful addition.



Before we caught our plane to Bulgaria the next day, we made a stop at a certain museum I had been dying to see for the longest of times - two years to be exact.  The Vassa Museum is home to a Swedish warship built between 1626 and 1628.  Complete with two gun decks and a great deal of artistic embellishments, it was meant to be the most foreboding ship of its time, a ship to scare the daylights out of Poland, Sweden's most recent enemy.  Built to the king's ambitious instructions, the top heavy ship never even made it to open sea.  On its maiden voyage, a wind caught the sails while still within view of the shipyard.  Rocking to and fro several times, it began to take on an amazing amount of water, sinking within the hour.  The ship lay undisturbed for 333 years, when it was raised and found to be in almost perfect condition.  




While still in ecstasies over the Vassa, we left the perfection of Sweden to travel to a country not as well known to American tourists, but one that deserves a visit all the same.  We were on to Bulgaria.

*Planning a trip to Sweden?  Feel free to check out our Sweden Board on Pinterest!

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