It was June 2004 and we had just finished our two week tour in Turkey with Rhythm; Rod and the band headed back to the US, but thanks to an unexpected gift after resigning from my job the month before, the kids and I were able to go on to Sweden and Italy.  The time had finally come and the plane had landed at Arlanda Airport in the overcast skies of Stockholm where the air felt cool and clean like Alaska.  As she approached us, we knew Vicky’s radiant smile right away from photos.  Britt, her mother in law, had come along to make the baggage transport to the hotel easier.

We had reservations at the Kista Hotel Apartments (pronounced Shee-sta) and we were delighted at the accommodations.  On the 13^th floor, our suite had a foyer, bath with shower, bedroom, and a combination kitchen/dining room/living room, all for under $100 per night.  After some of the hotels where we stayed in Turkey, the Kista was a welcome comfort!  Located atop the Kista Galleria Mall, we had easy access to groceries, restaurants and shopping; not to mention the subway station was right across the street.  Upon check-in we received the Stockholm Card that allowed us to ride the subway and bus system through-out the city at no charge for our entire stay and gave free entrance to tourist sites as well.  (http://www.destination-stockholm.com/, then click on hotels, and then click Kista to see the details.
After we settled into our room at the Kista, Vicky and Britt took us to the galleria food court and we had a late lunch.  Potatoes are a Swedish staple and Vicky told me about the Pyttipanna diced potatoes that are fried like a hash with all kinds of good stuff and served with a side of warmed beets. We talked of all the sight-seeing options for our next 6 days together.
 

Thanks to Vicky, we were able to see so much in our short time.  The Skansen Museum boasts 150 rural homes and farmsteads that were moved in from all over Sweden.  We spent at least an hour watching glass blowers make beautiful pieces the old fashioned way.  
 

Glas shop at Skansen

And it was here that I had my first of three meals of real Swedish meatballs!  The buildings have been kept authentic and actors man each one with history and stories.  My favorite story came when we questioned why the beds were so short; certainly it wasn’t simply because they were shorter back then.  The actor explained that they feared all the “juices” in the body would mix and cause illness or death if a person slept laying down, so they slept in a more “sitting, or laying back” position.
 

Horseride at Skansen

Across the board, everyone’s favorite was the Vasa museum.  This ship, built for the king in the 17^th century, had ornate painted woodwork that rivaled any other ships at the time, however when the king found out there was one bigger and better, he added a deck to the ship to compete.  Sadly, as grand and glorious as it was, it was simply too top-heavy, and sank before it even left the harbor on its maiden voyage.  Salvaged in 1961, it is now complete again and maintained in a weather controlled building designed for the ship.
 

The Wasa Ship.
 

We did the “Old Town Walkabout,” and as seems to be our fate, ran into some talented street musicians and talked to them a bit.  Jayme wanted to bring them to Alaska, so we got their contact information and we will wait for the right venue to pop up.  Later, when we came upon the statue actor standing on her box in her long flowing gown, Dan put a $1 in her box and she turned and blew him a kiss.
 

Live statue!
 

The Ice Gallery was a nice respite from the warm day; we donned silver parkas and learned about the Ice Hotel located in a different part of the country.  Everything is ice, even the drinking glasses!
 

Jayme and Dan at the Ice Gallery.
 

Ice art!
 

The Stockholm Castle was remarkable. We self-toured the museum in the castle and learned stories of the Swedish history and royalty past and present.
 

The Royal Palace in Stockholm.
 

There is water and archipelago’s galore in Stockholm, so a boat tour was a must.  We took a very nice tour under the bridges of Stockholm.
 

Dan and Jayme under the bridges of Stockholm.
 

There was so much more, but the part I enjoyed the most was when Saturday rolled around and Vicky’s fiancé, Goran, drove us to Norrtalje, a quaint little village with friendly people, rolling hills and lots of greenery.  Lovely.  We had lunch at Vicky’s maternal grandmother Irma’s apartment, with Vicky’s parents, Gills and Christina, Aunt Anita, and Lisbeth.  At first I thought it might be difficult to communicate, but most Swede’s know some English, and there is always someone willing to try their skills.  By the end of the week, Vicky explained that most of our English language sounds come from a different part of the mouth and her mouth muscles hurt!  Grandma Irma told us about Ättestupa – the tradition of throwing old people over a cliff – and all I can say is I’m glad the times have changed!  Lunch was so much fun and we were sad that it would end.
 

Visit to Norrtälje.
 

Vicky’s parents live nearby in Riala just a short drive through the country; we made a few stops in the area and soaked in the scenery.
 

Vickys family and house in Riala.
 

On Sunday we said “Hej-hej” (hello) to more family at Djurgarden Park (near the Vasa Museum).  Gills, Christina, and Lisbeth, as well as Kate, Ann-Charlotte and her children, Monica T. and her kids; Veronica and Carolina, and Monica B. and her kids; Max and Sara. 
 

Max and Sara were near Jayme and Dan’s age, so they enjoyed when we went to Gröna Lund amusement park for the rest of the afternoon.  Max bought Dan a great photo of them on the rollercoaster! 
 

Photos from Gröna Lund!

I shared with them how we love to get together with family back in the states even though we all live so far away.  Then I learned that most of the family who had joined us that day seldom see each other even though they live in the same town!  I put on a look of faux concern and said, “What happened to all of you when we left?”  And we all had a good laugh.  We wandered the park, and reluctantly Vicky suggested we leave the park to say “Hej-do” (good-bye).

To sum it all up, we had a wonderful time.  We saw a good sample of the culture, arts, and history and Vicky was an excellent guide.  I felt like I understood a part of myself better because of this trip.  For example, all of my life we have opened gifts on Christmas Eve and I never knew why; It’s a Swedish tradition that followed us through the generations.  Sweden is clean, orderly, and polite; I felt right at home there.  In the modern world, especially in the melting pot of America, we think our culture doesn’t really matter anymore, but I beg to differ.  Our history – our ancestry – we don’t have to cling to it, or flaunt it, but being aware of it helps define who we are.  I would recommend this trip for everyone in the family, but just make sure that Vicky has time in her schedule!

Rebecca"