Swedish Details Contd.

Easter Sunday
(click on the photos to enlarge)

We left the island on the noon ferry to go to Stockholm. Hans met us on the other side and we were in the city by 1pm. Stockholm is incredibly clean and quiet for such a big city. There is no graffiti or litter to be seen. I loved it.

We managed to get to the palace in time to see the changing of the guard. It took ages! The was an announcer guy with a microphone who talked to the crowd, explaining (in Swedish and English) the history of various voluntary service branches in Sweden. From the lifesaving service to the military. Representatives from every branch take part in the special holiday changing of the guard. After 30 minutes we decided that we didn't really need to see the changing of the guard so we left. Click here for more info about the Swedish royal family.

As we left the palace square we heard a marching band approach.

So we got to see the guards after all. After the parade we walked to the cathedral which is right next to the palace. Unfortunately all the photos we took are on the 'real' camera. But there is some great information about the cathedral here.

The palace and cathedral in the oldest part of Stockholm, called Gamla Stan. Tiny winding streets and lots of shops.

We stopped for lunch at a kiosk selling roast reindeer (suovas). It is cooked using a 3000 year old recipe from Lappland. They really knew what they were doing back then. The meat was salted, smoked and roasted, and then smothered in chanterelle gravy. Sooo tender and had really good flavor. We washed it all down with lingonberry juice (jop).

A pretty church on the way back to the car.

After our walking tour of the city, we drove to the Solna Kyrka cemetary where R's grandparents are buried. We planted some yellow tulips on the grave.

And then it was time to head back to the island. All that walking and sightseeing in the fresh air made us tired! That evening we built a fire and roasted marshmallows. A new experience for the Swedes.