Ireland/Sweden 2014: Stockholm, Sweden: Part I

My first trip to Sweden was the summer of 2000 and I went with the Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers. During that trip we also visited Denmark, Finland and Russia, but it was Stockholm that stuck with me. I can still remember walking around Gamla Stan, sitting next to the water watching the geese, finding a fountain in a little mini park in the middle of the city and listening (trying to stay awake) during a concert in the chapel of the Stockholm Palace. And I distinctly remember watching men playing bocce ball in the courtyard right outside of the Palace. Don't ask me why but that sticks with me. I was in love with Stockholm, but didn't truly know it then.

 

In 2005 I convinced my parents that I needed to experience studying abroad. And while Sweden didn't have any courses that I 'needed' I didn't want to go anywhere else. So for 2 1/2 months I lived in Uppsala, a city near Stockholm, and studied and tried to learn a little bit about life in Sweden. Because Uppsala is so close to Stockholm, I found myself in Stockholm almost every weekend. I was even able to show my sisters and brother-in-law around a bit when they came to visit me. (One of my sisters had been to Sweden before with her dancer group, but it's different experiencing it on your own.) I was falling a little more in love.

 

Me in 2005 on the island of Birka. My schoolmates and I took a boat trip from Stockholm to Birka and back as one of our weekend activities.

Gamla Stan (Old Town) 2005. The boat is the hostel/hotel that one of my sisters stayed at when she visited. I was lucky enough to stay a couple of nights there as well.

 

This picture was taken in 2005, though I also have about the same picture from 2000. Sadly (for me) it is no longer there.

 

After my second trip I tried to make a goal for myself that I would go back to Sweden every five years. Life took it's toll and it didn't happen. But I still felt a tug in my heart to go back. To my amazement God granted me my wish. And so I was going back to Sweden. To discover new areas, and to revisit familiar places.

Stockholm was the one place on this trip that I felt that I could totally relax in. I had been there enough that I knew the major landmarks and felt comfortable walking around on my own. I had done several of the museums and tours on my last trips, so this time is was just to explore the city, recharge my batteries, and do some much needed self evaluation.

I got in to Stockholm in the early afternoon. I hadn't had much breakfast (thanks to me sleeping a little late) and during the flight the food would have cost me quite a bit more than I wanted to spend. So my first task was to find something quick and cheap to eat. I found a burger place that was similar to McDonald's and was very proud that I was able to use the kiosk (which was in Swedish) and order a very cheap meal!

 

I then went on to find my first hostel.

This was the City Backpackers Hostel and was just up the road from the train station. Quick Review: Out of the 4 hostels I stayed at this trip, this tied for first place. It was close to the sites, very clean and modern, with traditional twists like taking off your shoes at the door. It also provided free noodles that you could cook and eat. And there was a sauna, though I wasn't there during the free times, so I didn't get to experience that.

 

As I was tired, but didn't want to take a nap and miss the rest of the day I decided to make a quick trip to Gamla Stan to just see the familiar sites again. I also had a mission to look for a rubber ducky for a friend of my sister. More on that story later.

 

Stadhuset 2005

Stadhuset (City Hall) 2014

 

 

This picture is one of my favorites that I took while in Stockholm in 2005. The sunset was just amazing and the building's architecture just added to the dynamic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look closely you can see that same building in this picture. That with the steeple of the church behind it was what I was really wanting to display in this picture.


After looking for the rubber ducky for a while and not finding one, I decided to call it a night, as I had to get up fairly early to move to a different hostel.

But hey, I was in Sweden once again. :)