Day 17 - Stockholm and THE Smorgasbord

Some rain forcasted for today, so we decided to make our first stop the island of Djungarden, an outdoor park and historical center.  This is Stockholms Central Park, but with dense, natural wooded areas as well as the original open-air museum called Skansen.  It's the oldest in the world and has served as the open-air 'concept' museum for many other countries.  A Swede named Artur Hazelius hated the fact that much of his beloved Sweden, and way of life, was disappearing due to the industrial revolution.  In 1891, he started bringing homes and traditional buildings to this island.  Today, Diane and I visited an 18th century church, watched a woman in traditional dress making thin bread (just like Diane's immigrant great-grandmother), and a carpenter building a tongue and grove cabinet (just like Diane's immigrant great-grandfather).  It actually made me cry - how sappy is that? - as it reminded me of Nanna and Bobbob.  There were many other crafts exhibited (pottery, glass blowing, printing, shoemaking, book binding, leather tanning...goes on and on).  Different regions of Sweden held different homes, farming lands with crops - pretty amazing stuff and actually not boring.

Next, off for a short stop (because it was free with our hoho boat ticket) at Gruna Lund Tivoli - Sweden's equivalent of Magic Mountain but on a much smaller and gentler basis.  Diane hit the roller coaster and was pleased...got to ride the thing twice because she was first in line after a rain period.  Then back again to the HoHo boat for a full ride around Stockholm to be dropped off at the Vasa Museum.  Now, I'm starting to worry about Diane and Christopher's ethnic background when it comes to ship building.  You know that the Irish-built Titanic sank on her maiden voyage.  But you may not know that the Swedes also made a mighty three-masted warship in 1620AD.  It too sunk on it's maiden voyage, just a ways from where she departed with the King of Sweden watching.   Embarassing to say the least.  And a real drag for the 50 crew who went down with her. Anyway, she was located and raised after being on the bottom for over 300 years.  Get this:  I saw her in 1976 (when I was Diane's age), and had to wear a raincoat to protect me from the chemicals they were spraying her with to stop her detoriation since she was now exposed to air.  Today, the Vasa is in a new protected building, is completely restored and can be fully viewed from 7 different stories of the huge building that holds her.  Paint is on restored sculptures, rigging is up - I know nothing about boats, but even I can appreciate that I'm looking at something really special.  A very cool museum.

Off to the Stockholm Grand Hotel. Michelin 5-Star and the location where the Nobel prize winners stay before they receive their special dinner and award.  Diane and I experienced the "Ultimate Swedish Smorgasbord".  1st plate - brod (bread), potatis med cream, smor (butter), and herring:  pickled, with beets, with onion, with capers.  2nd plate - brod, smor, potatis, cheese, herring, sill (salmon), lamb, chicken (all the cold smorgas), and salads.  3rd plate - the hot smorgas:  lamb, roast beef, pork, Johanssan's Temptation (potatoes with anchovies), korv (sausage), meatballs, lemon chicken.  4th plate - cheese of every type and sliced fruits.  5th plate: Desserts: rhubarb crumble with vanilla sauce, cheesecake, lemon and choc cupcakes, torts, och glass (ice cream).  Proceeding these plates, there are numerous toasts with aquavit  (a Swedish kick-butt aperteif made from anise and fennel seed) plus some of the best beer I have ever had in my life (and I don't like beer).

Our waiter was Robert and he was the perfect image of "Joe" in The Princess Diaries movie with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.  An extremely dignified smorgasbord instructor who obviously takes his job at The Grand Hotel Stockholm very seriously, and shows a very dry Swedish sense of humor.  During dinner, the street outside our window table was swarming with Polis (police) as 'someone' was leaving the Grand Hotel.  When I asked Robert (Joe) who the dignitary was, he responded, "I am sworn to secrecy and unable to tell you.  But you also need to know that if I overhear anything from your table I am sworn not to divulge your information to any other source."  Very James Bond.  Loved it!   And he was serious.

Walking back to our hotel, took fabulous photos of Stockholm glowing and reflecting in the water.  Stunning.  It was about 10:30pm, and and only dusky.  There is no darkness at night at this time in Sweden - rather surreal.  Off to bed now, and ready to start our week with our Swedish relatives who are inviting us into their homes!