Today was the second day of heading into Stockholm on transit to be tourists. Today we took the bus from outside our house directly to our destination. Our first stop was the Skyview which is a glass ball that moves on a track up the side of the Ericsson Globe. The Ericsson Globe is one of four different arenas in Stockholm that are used for hockey, soccer, and concerts (and they are all 100m from each other). We were right beside the Tele2 Arena which is where we will go to see the soccer game next week. As it is a glass ball, the views in all directions are spectacular. Needless to say, I stayed on terra firma (as always this is Lori blogging). The rest of them enjoyed this bubble ride. Next up was a ... read more

This morning we all hit the trails for various loops. After we were all done, we headed out to the lake for the afternoon. It was called Kalltorpssjon (pronounced Chulterpsun). This lake is just at the south end of Stockholm and it is very peaceful. It feels like you are hundreds of miles from any city. There are walking paths all around it and quite a few docks where people were swimming. There were also rocky outcroppings where people laid on their towels. Looking out around the lake, the shore is mostly trees with rocky areas scattered around. There were quite a few people swimming and some kayakers. No motor boats allowed on this lake. Thus the quietness. On the walk in to the lake, there is another "Gym" (participaction park), mini golf, beach volleyball, and ... read more

This morning we woke to our first spot of rain. It was a light drizzle but we headed off to the town of Mariefred hoping it would clear up. Sure enough, 10 minutes into the drive, it got nice and sunny. This town is west of Stockholm but the ocean still goes inland that far. Upon arrival, we walked through the main street and down to the waterfront. There were lots of boats docked here and the pedestrian walk through main street was really nice. We ate lunch here and it was all delicious! Yes, I had the meatballs. Then we walked over to Gripsholmen Slott (means castle) and it was very cool. Our first real experience of a Swedish castle up close. The cannons inside the castle grounds were from the 1600's and were very ... read more

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Woke up feeling less jet-lagged which was nice! After a slow start, we headed off to a small town just north of Stockholm called Sigtuna. This town is known for its ancient church remains (11th century) and its long pedestrian shopping street. We walked all around the town and the shopping street and mostly just bought a few snacks but enjoyed the walk and the town. We found two churches: St. Peters and St. Olof's and walked around the grounds and the cemetery of St. Olof's. The graves were quite different from what we see at home. Both are under renovations for visitor safety reasons. Nigel made an astute observation in one of the parking lots. He noticed that there was a license plate with the letter "S" on it (indicating ... read more

This is a travel Blog Test post more than anything. Heading to Stockholm on Sunday. Let me know if you want to be removed from this mailing list. Nigel... read more