July 23: Venice of the North
What a wonderful city! Today’s ride took me into the heart of Stockholm, a collection of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges and sporting many charming canals and waterways. I wandered along the water, ate at a little café, watched the boats float by, and checked out the most frequently visited museum in Scandinavia.
What a great day to visit the “Venice of the North.” When I walked outside this morning it was warm and sunny, my bike was parked several feet away, and I only had a few things to load up for the day. Heading east and entering the city center, I was immediately struck by nostalgia. The red double-decker tour buses and tall, old stone buildings nestled close together surrounding large parks and green areas reminded me of visiting my grandmother in London.
Crossing over a few bridges to the island of Djurgarden, I hit the lottery by finding a parking spot in the small lot right next to the Vasa Museum, a maritime museum with an almost fully intact 17th century ship. Reveling in my good fortune, I decided to walk along the shore of the canal, check out a few of the eating establishments, and have a snack before visiting the restored ship.
At a little café right on the water, I ordered Toast Skagen, a traditional Swedish dish with shrimps, mayonnaise, dill, horseradish, lemon, and butter fried toast. While enjoying my food I was able to see boats of every kind drifting by, enjoy the warm air, and watch while the waitress gently guided three ducks back to the canal who were looking for scraps from the tables.
After paying for my ticket at the museum, I passed through three tall, thick heavy doors. Apparently, the entrance helps maintain the inside temperature to exactly 70 degrees to better preserve the ship inside. I walked around the ship, watched a movie about its history, and went on a guided tour.
What an amazing story. Apparently, the ship took two years to build and was decorated with intricate woodwork and statues but sank on its maiden voyage because it was too tall and not wide enough. The builders did not have the necessary experience and the person in charge of doing a failed stability test was afraid to tell the king about the problem. Unfortunately, 30 people drowned as a result.
Making my way back to the hotel, I decided to make it an early night, eating nearby and having a little down time to do some trip plan and even color my toenails. Another great day on the road.
