Caption: Scenes from the island of Gotland

Crumbling church ruins, scattered around a walled medieval town. Lush green farmland, populated by herd after herd of sheep. A mix of rocky cliffs and sandy beaches, all shrouded in a misty light unlike any I’ve seen before.

This sums up my relaxing weekend in Gotland, the largest Swedish island and birthplace of the Nordic tribe of Goths. Today, in addition to its many full-time residents, Gotland also plays host to lots of Stockholm weekenders, especially during the summer months. Think the Hamptons, with more history and less attitude. And lots of sheep.

After six weeks in Stockholm, I was itching to see some of the Swedish countryside, so I booked a seat on the comfy three-hour ferry that shuttles passengers away to Sweden’s version of a summer paradise. Arriving Friday evening, I checked into a small inn in the mediveal town of Visby, had a solo dinner, and got to bed fairly early.

On Saturday, I met up with a coworker and her family, and had both lunch and dinner at the house they recently bought. Catharin and her husband Fredrik were great and so hospitable, and they spent the entire day driving me around the island, which is best explored by car or bike. We were at once in the country and near the sea, which meant that the air had its own unique and refreshing smell—and a cool breeze was constantly blowing.

On Sunday, I wondered around the town of Visby, which really is like some sort of fairy tale village. I visited all the historic ruin sights—there are more than ten—and also did a complete walk around the city’s wall, built to keep out invaders. The day was perfect—sunny and warm, with plenty of breeze but not a bit of rain. When the ferry left that evening, I felt utterly relaxed and so fortunate that I had a chance to see this incredible slice of Swedish life and history.

Caption: The enchanting sculptures and scenery at Millesgården

Of all the museums and tourist attractions I’ve seen in Stockholm, Millesgården may be my favorite. This unique sculpture garden and art museum is located just outside the city, about 20 minutes by train from the Central Station. One of Sweden’s most famous artists, Carl Milles (and his wife Olga) built this Italian-inspired villa as their residence and studio workspace, slowly adding various terraces and additions throughout the early 1900s. The little piece of Tuscany now serves as an art gallery, sculpture garden, and restaurant.

While some museums can have a hectic or stuffy vibe, Millesgården has a serenity that is enchanting. I truly felt like I had wandered into a secret world. Although my visit was supposed to be a quick one, long I after I had seen all the sculptures, I found myself still planted on a sunny bench with a view of the water, just taking it all in and relaxing. Paradise.

If you are ever in Stockholm, take an afternoon to go here — you won’t regret it.

Caption: Drottningholms Slott and its beautiful grounds

I’ve always had a thing for castles and palaces — maybe it comes from reading so many fairy tales as a child. Based on this fact, I knew my stay in Stockholm would not be complete without a visit to Drottningholms Slott, or the Queen’s Palace (drottning means queen in Swedish). 

The main Royal Palace, located in Gamla Stan and the subject of my June 6th post, is more imposing than beautiful. It is the official place of business for the royal court and home to many of the royal museums and archives. Drottningholms Slott, on the other hand, is located a bit outside of town and is used as the official residence of the royal family. As one would expect from the name “Queen’s Palace,” it has a feminine touch with French design influences. Its lakefront location and beautifully manicured gardens add to the charm.

Caption: Patriotic Google artwork, elaborate ceremonies at the palace, and concerts in the park — all signs that it’s Swedish National Day.

Today was Swedish National Day, which only became a public holiday in 2005. Unlike the U.S., the Swedes never had a battle for independence, so for centuries, their national day was treated like our Flag Day — noted, but not widely celebrated. Now that people have started getting off work in recent years, it is more or less Stockholm’s unofficial “Picnic in the Park” day.

I started the morning by heading to the Royal Palace because its many museums and tours are free on June 6. A few thousand other people had the same idea as me, so I accidentally wandered into the middle of a rather large crowd gathered to watch an elaborate National Day ceremony. I was trapped in a roped-off area for a bit, but got some great pictures! I then went on to tour the royal apartments and two of the royal musuems.

After a quick break for lunch, I left behind the official celebrations for a more laid back crowd at Haga Park. I had to take a bus and travel a bit out of the city center, but it was well worth it to walk the grounds of this beautiful landmark. In honor of National Day, the opera was giving a free concert and the great lawn was full of people stretched out, eat, drinking, and soaking up the sunshine. It reminded me of lazy Sundays in the park when I lived in New York and San Francisco. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday afternoon!

Caption from top: photo courtesy of the Hallwyl Museum (my pics weren’t so great); a rainy day for the Stockholm Marathon

Since I arrived in Stockholm, whenever people start talking about unique museums I should see, someone invariably mentions the Hallwyl Museum. The palatial home in the middle of town was left by a countess to the government when she died, with one stipulation: It must be made into a museum, and more or less, left exactly as it was when she passed.

I have to admit I was a bit intrigued, especially when people mentioned that the countess was quite a collector. Would this be like some fancy version of the TV show “Hoarders”? There is only one tour in English a week, so despite the torrential downpour, I trudged out to the home-turned-museum for a peek. The tour was definitely interesting, and I learned a lot about this fascinating woman and her husband (the count). Although a bit ornate for my tastes, the interior was incredible. She spared no expense and gave the architect and decorator carte blanche in the home’s design. (Supposedly, this single family home cost more to build than one of the local cathedrals.) 

While I was inside learning about the countess and her collections (mainly art, and nothing too scandalous, unfortunately), thousands of runners were braving the elements to complete the Stockholm Marathon. Not a good day for a run!

Caption: Craig and I visit the Vasa Museum

Craig’s last full day here (May 30), we visited Vasamuseet (the Vasa Museum) to check out Sweden’s most famous—or infamous—sailing vessel. Vasa was a warship built in the 17th century and designed to be one of the greatest in the king’s fleet. Decorated with ornate carvings that depicted scenes of power, the Vasa was truly a sight to behold. After two years of construction, crowds gathered around the Stockholm harbor to watch it set sail on its maiden voyage on August 10, 1628.

The only problem: the damn thing was top-heavy and couldn’t stay afloat. About 20 minutes after setting sail, it encountered a slight breeze and blew over sideways, sinking to the bottom of the sea as the crowds watched. It laid there until 1961, when a crew was able to extract it, move it onto land, and eventually clean and archive the remains.

Although it took a few hundred years, the Swedes were finally able to make lemonade out of lemons. In the 1980s, a competition was held to design a new museum and the winning design was literally build AROUND the ship. This great blunder of shipcraft is now one of Sweden’s most popular tourist attractions, bringing more visitors each year than any other museum in the country.

Caption, from top: Tivoli at night, cotton candy (called candy floss), walking the canal in Nyhavn, Craig bouncing on a trampoline, herring smørrebrød, me with The Little Mermaid

Craig and I just got back from a weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is only a one-hour flight from Stockholm. Here are the highlights from our 36-hour adventure:

• If you can only visit one site in Copenhagen, check out Tivoli, the picture-perfect amusement park that inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland. Opened almost 170 years ago, Tivoli still has a relaxed and authentic old-world charm that is absolutely enchanting. The rides were fun, there were 40 different restaurants serving all types of food, and at night the place comes alive with colored lights and concerts. Best of all? We didn’t wait more than two minutes in a single line all evening.
• The most photographed site in Copenhagen is The Little Mermaid, a bronze statue on the edge of the sea that pays homage to the tragic heroine of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. After one too many beers, I climbed right down on the rock next to her, and nearly fell into the sea. At least I know from the fairy tale (and Disney movie) that she would have rescued me!
• I loved drinking beers as big as your head and eating smørrebrød, a traditional open-face sandwich of rye bread and various toppings, such as pickled herring. The only downside is the crappy exchange rate for Americans—think $40 breakfasts and $80 lunches. Ouch!
• For more photo ops, we hit Nyhavn, a 17th-century canal lined by colorful buildings, and Rosenborg Slot, a beautiful Renaissance castle that rises right out of a park in the center of town. Sun-starved locals covered the grassy lawn outside the castle to catch some rays.
• At every turn, there were people riding bikes, bikes, and more bikes. More than in Stockholm, more than at the Tour de France, more than I’ve ever seen. Anywhere.

Although the trip was brief, the weather was beautiful, and there was no shortage of sights to see. And, of course, it’s always great to check a new city—and country—off my list!

Caption, from top: churches (2), Restaurant Day (4), Bar Loose mural, punk bagpipe players, Design Museum, and booze cruise

This weekend I discovered another amazing thing about living in Europe: seeing a new country is just a quick plane or train ride away. This weekend marked my first side trip: a quick hop over to Helsinki to visit Zach Stovall, a fellow Floridian who is currently doing the GROW program in Finland.

Before moving here, I had made the same mistake most Americans do in grouping the Nordic countries together in my mind, but the longer I am here, the more I see how different each is. For Helsinki in a nutshell, check out the quote above—it really sums up the differences, aesthetically anyway. In Stockholm, there is a very well-groomed and preppy vibe: even the hipsters look like they belong in some sort of catalog. The same is true of most of the architecture.

Helsinki, on the other hand has both Swedish and Russian influence, so there is a bit of edginess in terms of design and personality. Also, because Finland was originally part of Sweden, then occupied by Russia, national pride is important to Finns and they have really attempted to create their own identity separate from their neighboring nations.

I was in Helsinki for a busy weekend: the world hockey championships were entering the semi-finals and then finals, and it was also Restaurant Day, an event held four times a year that allows anyone to open a pop-up food stand or restaurant for the day. Between food and hockey, you can guess which event excited me more.

I arrived Friday just in time for dinner and drinks, and then Saturday we started our Restaurant Day crawl at 11 a.m. The weather was perfect, and I had great company: Zach, and also Tiki, who works at Bonnier Publications in Helsinki and did the GROW program in the U.S. We tried a pretty wide assortment of food, ranging from BBQ to blinis to tacos to cupcakes to fried fish. I also relaxed my vegetarian rules for the weekend and tried reindeer—when else would I have the chance to do that? The day culminated with wine, enjoyed on a sunny bench on the Esplanade. Then a few bars, of course.

Sunday continued with a guided boat tour of the islands surrounding the city, sightseeing at some of the more famous churches and squares, and a trip to the Design Museum. Finns love celebrating all types of design, and Helsinki actually is the current  World Design Capital for 2012 (a new city is chosen each year). 

After dinner, it was back to the airport and a quick 45-minute flight home. Home—Stockholm is already feeling like that in some ways. Not like Orlando or Louisville, but definitely a home away from home. I had a great weekend (thanks to Z for hosting!) but getting back to Stockholm—which had warmed up quite a bit!—put a smile on my face.