Stockholm

Swedens history goes back to the 12th century and Gamla Stan island began 1000 years ago. Gamla Stan is known as the old town and home to our accomodation , The castle house Inn.

Stockholm is vast and spread over 30,000 islands. Five major ones at its centre.

After an amazing breakfast on our ferry across from Helsinki we arrived at our accomodation.

First stop the changing of the guards outside the palace just 400 metres from the hotel. Unfortunately in the rain so a lot was only seen between umbrellas.

Then we toured the Palace , treasury and the three crown museum.

Day 2

We took the ferry across to Djurgarden island. A island mostly made up of museums.

We choose three museums.

Abba museum lots of fun where people could be filmed singing with the band and lots of music and history.

The Viking Museum , hearing a half hour talk before walking around the museum.

The Vasa museum a ship built over 300 years ago. It rolled over and sunk on its maiden voyage only 1000 m from its starting point. Built too narrow and high with poor ballast it was raised 330 years later and sits in a museum.

Then we walked past the Nordic museum ,

down by the water

and across the bridge to the Island of Ostermalm and along the Strandvagen , a beautiful water front walk with amazedly beautiful architecture in the buildings. We stopped for a beer at a bar on the water.

Then through Kungsholmen park area and back to our Island for dinner.

Dinner was traditional Swedish meatballs yum and a cheese plate.

Day3

We walked around Gamla Stan past the Stokyrkan Cathredral 13th century

into the square (Stortorget) where the museum of Nobel Prizes and a bloodbath occurred in 1520.

onto Jamtorget square and down Marten trotzigs grand the narrowest street here and more cobblestones

and along the shopping tourist street

towards Vasabian Bridge

and across to City hall on the waterfront of Norrmalm island

and the back to waterfront of Ostermalm island to take the under the bridges canal cruise

The cruise starts in the baltic sea and after the

Danviksbron canal goes into into lake Malaren which starts at lock Skanstullsbron, past the Henriksdal ski slope, the cruise circles the sodermalm island (7 kms) and past many other islands, Arstabron bridge train and islands.