Stortorget - Buildings fronting Stockhom's oldest square
The heart of medieval Stockholm on the island of Gamla Stan. These colorful buildings overlook a square infamous for the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520. Today, it mainly the site of concerts and the Christmas market.
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Skyline of Stockholm
Greater Stockholm is home to nearly 2 million people, living on 14 islands, connected by 54 bridges. It became the political center of Sweden in the 1500s when Gustav Vasa established the Swedish monarchy.
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Skyline of Gamla Stan
The island of Gamla Stan is Stockhom's original center. In the 1400s the entire population of Stockholm - 6,000 people - fit (snugly) on this island.
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City Hall Tower
The City Hall (Stadthuset) Tower (at 348 feet) offers the best views of the city. The City Hall, built in 1923, is the site of the yearly Nobel Prize banquet.
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St George Statue in Gamla Stan
St George and the Dragon is thought to be symbolic of the Swedes overpowering their Danish foes.
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St George
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Square in Gamla Stan
In Gamla Stan we stayed in Castanea Hostel in this building.
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Vasa Museum
The Swedes managed to turn this nautical blunder - a sailing ship that was so top-heavy that it sank within 20 minutes after it was launched - into one of the most fascinating attractions in Stockholm.
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Vasa Museum
In 1628, on her mainden voyage, the Vasa sank in the Stockholm harbor in front of crowds of stunned Swedes and foreign dignitaries.
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Vasa Museum
The Vasa remained at the bottom of the Stockholm harbor for 333 years. With the help of marine archeologists, the Vasa was located in 1954 and raised from its watery grave in 1961. It is housed in the wonderous Vasa Museum.
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Vasa Museum
The Vasa had over 500 carved (and highly painted) wooden scultpures adorning its exterior.
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Vasa Museum
The Swedish King - King Gustavus Adolphus - was known as the "Lion of the North". With this ship, he was preparing to launch Sweden's empire ambitions.
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Central Hall - Nordic Museum
Carl Milles' wood statue of Gustav Vasa, father of modern Sweden, dominates the entrance to the center hall of the Nordic Museum.
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Gustav Vasa statue
The Nordic Museum is a collection that includes domestic furniture as well as Sami (Lapp) folk pieces and history.
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Chair in Nordic Museum
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Ceramic Frog on a commode
A Nordic Musuem gem.
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Close up of frog on a commode
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Loosing something in translation
Swedish bread advertisement in a Stockhom supermarket.
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Sign for fire extinguiser in our hostel
Never asked anyone what the exact translation for the word 'skum".
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Weiner Love
A hot dog stand's sign in Gamla Stan.
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Free Concert
The Royal Opera House had a free outdoor concert behind the Opera House on the Saturday night we were in Stockholm.
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Concert
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Concert
Wagner aria.
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Jonathan at an Irish pub in Gamla Stan
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Irish Pub
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Drottingham Palace
The 17th century summer palace for the queen of Sweden. Not surprisingly, this is considered Sweden's Versailles.
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Drottingham Palace
Sweden, briefly in the scheme of things, was one of Europe's superpower's - from approximately 1600 to 1750 - then they went back to being plain old Sweden.
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Changing of the Guard
Changing of the guard in front of Drottingham's 18th century Court Theater.
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Drottingham Palace
View of the gardens and lake. You can reach Drottingham by a leisurely boat ride - or by a connection via subway and bus.
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Drottingham Palace
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Drottingham Palace
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View
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View
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View
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Archipelago sailing
The Stockholm Archipelago stretches for 80 miles from Stockholm into the Baltic Sea.
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Archipelago sailing
It has been estimated that there are more than 30,000 of these islands - some no bigger than rock outcropping - created by glacial deposits thousands of years ago.
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Archipelago sailing
There are only about 150 of these islands that are inhabited year-round. Only about 100 are connected by ferry service.
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Archipelago sailing
View of the top of another cruise ship as it passes on the other side of an archipelago island.
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Archipelago sailing
Supposedly, it is permitted to pitch a tent for up to two nights on any island - as long as the owner can't see you from his house.
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Archipelago sailing
Sunset - as we were just about to leave the archipelgo - from the deck of our cruise boat in its way from Stockholm to Riga, Latvia.
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Interior cabin view
This time we splurged for a room with a window. Unfortunately, the boat was stopped for hours in the middle of the Baltic Sea as the crew searched for a man (or two) overboard.
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Baltic rescue
Other cruise boats in the area were called to help search for the missing person(s). No one was ever found. The search was called off.
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