Scandinavian Sojourn
July 2008
The package also made it easier for friends Diane & Jerry to join us, as they had for the Rhine cruise. And Jerry has Viking (and/or troll?) blood from his Norwegian heritage. We parlayed frequent flyer miles into almost all the airfare, saving lots of $ ̶ so that, as you’ll read, we were able to afford food over there!
Son
Matt off to Germany on Tues. to perform w/ Argento chamber ensemble. Marjorie to Queens
on Wed. to help daughter-in-law Anthea & grandsons Willy & Miles. I drive down Fri., 4th of July:
hotdogs & beans our celebratory meal, plus local La Nueva bakery treats,
NYC fireworks on TV.
Saturday & Sunday 7/5-6:
The trip begins! Nice Hoyt car service driver we’ve had before
for a ride to JFK on a quiet evening: easy drive, quick check-in &
security. Efficiently out of JFK on
American at 11:30pm, an uneventful flight & a little sleep. Early into London Heathrow at 11am. A snack at Bagel Street Cafe during a 3-hour
layover. Departure on British Air
delayed some, but a good tailwind gets us to Kopenhavn Lufthavn about ½ hour late before 6pm. We sit among cricket players ̶ how
European! Mostly sunny & what our
pilot calls “tropical” (tho it’s only 24º C, about 75º F). An ATM for cash. None of these countries uses euros, we’ll
have to figure 3 kinds of kroner:
Danish DKK, Norwegian NOK, Swedish SEK; exchange is $.20 for DEK & NOK,
$.17 for SEK.
Taxi to Quality Airport Dan. Oops, no record of us. Cosmos group is gathered in nearby lounge. We meet our guide Andrej Schergin (Russian, now lives in Vienna) who takes care of our room after the greetings & info session. Hugs w/ Diane and Jerry. First dinner is included, /wouldn’t you know: a fish appetizer right away! I’m not much of a fish person, but in the spirit of things I dig right in. It’s followed by excellent beef & ice cream w/ yummy rum raisin compote. A good start.
Taxi to Quality Airport Dan. Oops, no record of us. Cosmos group is gathered in nearby lounge. We meet our guide Andrej Schergin (Russian, now lives in Vienna) who takes care of our room after the greetings & info session. Hugs w/ Diane and Jerry. First dinner is included, /wouldn’t you know: a fish appetizer right away! I’m not much of a fish person, but in the spirit of things I dig right in. It’s followed by excellent beef & ice cream w/ yummy rum raisin compote. A good start.
Mandag, 7/7:
Of course I’m awake about 3 AM ̶ the
time change plus it’s quite light out already; M does better. Beautiful sunny AM to start, generally good
weather but some clouds & sprinkles in PM.
I take an early stroll thru the mixed commercial/residential
neighborhood. Lots of bikes, Blockbuster
store nearby. BBC news: Italy transport
strike; Nadal beats Federer at Wimbledon tennis. A morgenbad
breakfast buffet typical of our hotels: scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon,
potatoes, fruit, yogurt, cereals, cold cuts, and of course Danish. We sit w/ father-son from Canada here for a Hereford convention; they suggest taking a
canal cruise. Diane, a museum docent in
Santa Fe, disappointed that many Copenhagen museums are closed on Mondays. Marjorie looks into a grocery by the hotel:
as with other shopping here, things are very expensive.
then to Amalienborg Palace: pretty gardens, fountains, grounds. 
Here, as thruout our journey, many statues immortalize people on horseback, and pretty buildings w/ interesting facades & roofs. But foreshadowing later experiences w/ closed churches, the nearby church (Frederikskirke) is closed. Buses everywhere here, but Peter maneuvers expertly ̶ our admiration of his skill only grows thruout the trip.
Tour ends at Rathaus (city
hall) w/ pretty central hall. A lovely
square, interesting fountains, steeples, flags, flowers. 
A familiar cry from
nearby: “Mom, there’s a McDonald’s!” We
stroll w/ D & J in Stroget
pedestrian shopping area. Many amber
shops. I buy a magnet for my office
collection from Japanese salesclerk; the confluence of cultures seems a sure
sign of globalization. An open-air cafe
for Danish favorite smorrebrod
(open-faced sandwiches of various sorts).
Into Helligåndskirken (Holy Ghost Church), oldest church in Copenhagen w/ pretty wooden altars, pulpit, organ area. Diane finds a Georg Jensen store next to Royal Copenhagen China.
We
follow breakfast suggestion of a canal cruise, narrated in Danish, English,
Spanish, for a different perspective on the city. The old naval yard is now very pricey
apartments; more derelict houseboats are in nearby Christiana area. We even see some swans w/ ugly ducklings,
just like you-know-who’s story. Past Nyhavn again; many types of boats double
and triple parked. Under very low
bridges, one we just barely fit thru on the sides; applause after we maneuver
thru! More views of a church w/ an
interesting corkscrew steeple. 
Tonight
to Tivoli Gardens, reputedly an inspiration for
Walt Disney. A shared taxi with D &
J on a beautiful evening. 
A wonderful
place to wander: flowers & fountains, stages w/ orchestra & band,
theatres & pavilions, carnival rides & games, shops & restaurants. Too bad the famous Pantomime Theatre isn’t
open. 
Tirsdag, 7/8 :
Cooler (maybe 20º C today), blue sky
to start then sun/clouds mix. We have
typical orders today: 7:00 wakeup calls, 7:30 luggage outside rooms for
porters, breakfast, on the bus by 8:30.
Our first driving day: 300 mi (480 km) west then north up the Jutland peninsula to Frederikshavn. Andrej’s rule: 5 minutes late to the bus you
have to sing for us, 10 minutes you dance, 15 minutes you can sing & dance
all you want because we’ll be gone. Appropriate Scandinavian icons ride on the front of the bus. 
Thru
pretty rural areas: beans, corn, cattle & sheep, neat farm buildings, many
white “wind turbines.” Andrej gives more
info on culture & history while we drive.
Denmark’s
a big beer producer, Carlsberg the largest.
Denmark
also has the largest per capita wine consumption; is that why they’re so
happy? But we also hear during the trip
about heavy alcohol use & depression
̶ those long winter days with
little light! Some dark clouds &
rain shortly after we’re underway. Onto
a fast motorway, over 2 very big bridges; the 1st is the 2nd
longest suspension bridge in the world, 6.8 km, Statue of Liberty could fit
beneath. 
Into Odense, childhood home of Hans C A. His “humble” home is closed, but it’s a nice
place for a break & stroll: colorful buildings, flowers, many sculptures, a
pedestrian area. Light rain with breaks
of sun. Pretty city hall and nearby St. Canute’s Cathedral w/ carved altar and light interior
that seem very Scandinavian, but Jerry objects to white paint over the interior
bricks! 
Back on the road, more culture &
history from Andrej. LEGOS comes from
Danish for “play well.” But Andrej
doesn’t overwhelm us with info, we get some quiet time w/ classical music for
naps. Past a Vestas factory, largest
producer of wind turbines in the world; Denmark has the largest share of its
energy (20%) from wind. After a
“comfort” stop outside Arhus, Toronto-Russian couple Nina & Norm are late
returning to the bus (a bit of a habit for them); as penance Nina gives a
spirited rendition of 2 Russian songs. Denmark is very flat but more rolling terrain in
Jutland.
Mostly cloudy now w/ scattered rain & pretty cloud formations as we
travel along the North Sea into Frederikshavn to Radisson SAS Jutlandia. A nice view of harbor & ships from our
room. 
We stretch our legs in a pedestrian zone (very common in cities here). Lots of different ethnic restaurants, but we have included dinner tonight. It’s cooler, jacket weather, dramatic dark clouds looming over the North Sea. Here and some other hotels we learn to plug in the room key card to get electricity. In a nearby grocery M finds some inexpensive wine & stuff for a ferry picnic tomorrow. Outside is a rack of “communal” bikes for locals to borrow & return. A buffet dinner on the top (6th) floor: many fish options which I mostly duck. A quieter, less hectic day, only about 30 photos.
Onsdag, 7/9:
Some chatting w/ Andrej waiting to board the ferry: this isn’t his usual tour; he has an Omaha HS teacher girlfriend, they met on one of his tours. As we board M gets a Curious George pennant, each person gets a piece of candy.
The ferry is a very large catamaran w/ places to shop & eat (Food City NY Diner!), lots of seating (we gather w/ D & J around a table by a window), slot machines, activities for kids. Ominous-looking clouds & light rain, then brighter w/ sunny breaks; a quiet, calm ride; one can imagine very stormy passages here.
It’s pretty coming into Göteborg: rocky coast & lighthouse like Nova Scotia, shipyard & Volvo factory, a towering statue of fisherman’s wife waiting for his return. A quick narrated drive thru the city; one stretch w/ Hard Rock Cafe then Burger King then 7-11, later an IKEA (one of M’s favorite stores)! Norway is the 2nd most expensive country (after Iceland); we believe it ̶ during our travels we see $30 hamburgers, $15 bowls of suppe, $12 Pepsi, $9-10/gal gas! Into the countryside w/ increasing sun & blue sky. Very green, farms & forest, many granite outcroppings. Onto the motorway again w/ stretches of construction using Volvo equipment.
We cross into Norway on a bridge w/ beautiful view overlooking a fjord. Andrej tells more about Norwegian history & culture. It’s a myth that Vikings wore helmets w/ horns. Thru a very long tunnel, 1 of some 100 during our drives. More rugged countryside under bright sun & blue sky.
Into Oslo outskirts about 4:30 to Rica Oslo hotel, part of a major chain here. Excellent central location, smaller but more elegantly furnished room. We appreciate that this hotel has AC, since it’s pretty warm today. CNN: Iran fires test missile, Yahoo is upset w/ Microsoft about something; later we see Jon Stewart w/ Mike Myers.
Beautiful evening & a lovely city to stroll: many interesting
sculptures & fountains, street musicians, one street full of motorcycles ̶ is
it a rally? Up to the Palace w/ pretty
gardens, views back to the city. 
Tǿrsdag, 7/10:
AM sun & blue sky. CNN: Jesse Jackson apologizes for “crude
remarks” about Barak Obama. Indian tour
member hands out pretty bracelets/key chains as gifts. We’re joined by local guide Kirsten. No pennant flying over the Palace means the
King is away, at the sailing world championships. Imposing fence & guards at US
embassy. We pass 1 of 2 Catholic
churches in Oslo; Lutherans dominate here, tho we’re told they don’t attend
much. It’s light now almost until
midnight, but in winter it’s light only 10-3.
To Vigelandsparken: over 200
Gustav Vigeland sculptures of humans in all aspects of life, infancy to
elderly; culminates in a granite monolith w/ 121 figures. A remarkable and moving place: you “can’t
take it for granite,” I say to Diane’s dismay.
It’s getting quite warm; short sleeves a good decision today. 
especially moving images of Nazi occupation, clearly a
central part of Norwegian cultural memory.
Edvard Munch “Tree of Life” in one room.
A fresco in another room includes a boy sticking out his tongue ̶ the
artist added this because they wouldn’t remove a doorway from the wall used for
his fresco. 
We rejoin Kirsten for our first
“optional excursion” (8 were offered, we chose 3). She says it’s 27° C (about 80º F) today,
quite warm for here. Gulf Stream keeps
things temperate along the coast; otherwise the climate would be like Alaska or Iceland. Many boats and marinas; Kirsten says many
don’t really know how to use them, keeping their Coast Guard busy with
rescues.
Onto nearby island w/ many museet, our first the Viking Ship
Museum, ships unearthed from burial mounds dating to the Viking Age of
800-1050. Replica of one was sailed to Chicago; it’s hard to
imagine some 50 Vikings sailing in these.
On to Frammuseet, ship used by
Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, and by Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole
(after being beaten to the North) ̶ it’s getting confusing to remember who went
where!
Lastly the Kon-Tiki Museum with various Thor Heyerdahl ships: Ra I & II, Tigris, & Kon-Tiki. These were used in “experimental archeology” expeditions; their attitude was, let’s try [insert voyage here] to see if it could have been done.
Onto nearby island w/ many museet, our first the Viking Ship
Museum, ships unearthed from burial mounds dating to the Viking Age of
800-1050. Replica of one was sailed to Chicago; it’s hard to
imagine some 50 Vikings sailing in these.
On to Frammuseet, ship used by
Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen, and by Roald Amundsen to reach the South Pole
(after being beaten to the North) ̶ it’s getting confusing to remember who went
where! 
Lastly the Kon-Tiki Museum with various Thor Heyerdahl ships: Ra I & II, Tigris, & Kon-Tiki. These were used in “experimental archeology” expeditions; their attitude was, let’s try [insert voyage here] to see if it could have been done.
Back to the city to pick up the rest
of our group for a drive 110 km to Telemark region. As we leave there’s a view of famous
Holmenkollen ski jump from the 1952 Olympics.
Andrej gives more info about Amundsen & Munch. A pretty drive: farms & forest mix again,
then beginning to get into mountains; seems similar to going from Mohawk River
toward Adirondacks near us. Thru a 3.8 km tunnel. We’re on winding roads that Andrej says will
get worse when we’re in the mountains tomorrow.
Tonight’s lodging is Norlandia Telemark Hotell, a simpler place near a
lake in small town of Notodden. TV has Tour de France, programs similar to
our “This Old House” & reality dating shows. A pretty lake, dark water & very green
hills. We scoop up some sand for
stepsister Mar’s international sand collection.
M spots a Husqvarna store; they make top sewing machines & other
“wonderful things.” Hotel bar has a “Rat
Pack” theme: music & photos of Sinatra & pals. Many ads here & thruout the trip for
“Mama Mia!” movie using ABBA music. A
nice included hotel dinner, then early to bed.
Nothing to do here, just a convenient stopping point, tomorrow’s a long
driving day.
Fredag, 7/11:
The area is sparsely populated, but some pretty houses & elevated barns, sod on many roofs. We pass a big hydroelectric plant. Thru the town of Rjukan in a steep valley where sunlight reaches the town only half the year.
A stop at Vermork museum at dramatic site
over a gorge, transferring to a small bus to cross a narrow bridge to the
museum. We learn about heavy water Nazis
wanted to use to develop an A-bomb. They
were sabotaged by Brit & Norwegian resistance fighters, the subject of Kirk
Douglas movie “Heroes of Telemark.” This
is now the Norwegian
Industrial Workers
Museum. We’re followed in by a Globus group, our
higher-priced cousins; did they get to sleep in longer? Getting brighter as the sun tries to peek
thru. 
Very rugged deep gorges before
terrain flattens out onto Europe’s highest
mountain plateau at over 1000 m elevation, above the tree line. Andrej talks about flora & fauna: wild
reindeer here, lemmings are “the most interesting rodent.” Many beautiful vistas, rocky w/ lichen &
moss, little white flowers, ringed by mountains topped with patches of
snow. If we were driving ourselves I’d
be searching all the time for places to pull over to take photos.
Lunch & toaletter stop at Haukeliseter pass, a skiing/hiking resort area at 3300’ ̶ the highest elevation of the trip and we’re looking down on snow! Beautiful lake reflections, huts along the shore. Pretty rosemaling (decorative painted woodwork) inside, tasty mushroom soup & rundstyykke open sandwiches, I skip the porridge.
Lunch & toaletter stop at Haukeliseter pass, a skiing/hiking resort area at 3300’ ̶ the highest elevation of the trip and we’re looking down on snow! Beautiful lake reflections, huts along the shore. Pretty rosemaling (decorative painted woodwork) inside, tasty mushroom soup & rundstyykke open sandwiches, I skip the porridge.
To Utna, at the confluence of 3
fjords: a pretty hotel w/ beautiful traditional furniture, M buys juicy fresh
cherries. Toalett rundt hjornet (can you guess what it means?). A ferry across Hardangerfjord. 
Lots of sun
& warm now, more vistas including salmon farms. We stop at Fossafun waterfull; I hike up to walk behind the falling
water. Shops here sell reindeer skins,
trolls of all sizes, Viking helmets.
Some try on helmets to check their Viking look. On the final leg, Andrej says some consider Bergen the most beautiful
Scandinavian city. They get 260 days of
rain a year, and it’s pouring as we near
̶ but then a rainbow! 
Lǿrdag, 7/12:
A chef talks to M about his fish cakes that include “some kind of onion” ̶ M tells him they must be leeks. We get a taste, but decline smoked whale.
Up
the hill to Mariakirke, but it’s
another closed church. Nearby is a
pretty area of shops in old warehouses w/ pretty roofs. We bump into Andrej, tell him that M does
wedding cakes, just in case he needs one.
We learn a purse & wallet have been stolen from our group. 
Back to the harbor and a Christmas shop where
M finds a pretty ornament (well, we have to buy something!). And other pretty shops. 
While M joins D & J poking around shops, I head back to last night’s restaurant (passing a talented 4-man brass ensemble in the square) to see if M left her umbrella there; no sign of it, but they insist we take one of theirs ̶ everybody has been so friendly and nice here!
The four of us take Flǿibanen funicular to a splendid panorama overlooking the city & surrounding area. Pretty sun/cloud mix w/ excellent visibility. Back down for light lunch at Kjottbasaben: apple pie/cafe latte for me, sandwiches for others.
D & J head for the art museum, M
& I decide to walk to what Frommer’s says is Europe’s
best akvariet (aquarium, that is); M
uses her “new” umbrella in a light rain.
But the price is rather more than our book says, so we decide Norwegian
seals & fish can’t be that special.
Still, it’s a good walk and we enjoy the walk back thru residential areas w/ many pretty roses, colorful houses, views of harbor & city. A grocery stop to pick up tomorrow’s lunch: oranges, cheese, bread, etc.
Sondag, 7/13:
Much Saturday night carousing in
streets outside, then it starts getting light so early that I don’t get much
sleep. CNN: major mortgage bank IndyMac
collapses. Norwegian Elmo on TV. Hardly any traffic as we drive out, tho it’s
apparently a good bet they’re not in church.
Cool/cloudy, very green countryside, many tunnels (some more than a mile
long). Thick forests, steep mountains,
lakes & rivers; one stretch seems like Bear
Mtn. Bridge
on the Hudson. Cute little bus stop sheds w/ sod on
top. We pass Dale, home of famous
sweaters, to a stop in Voss, birthplace of Knute Rockne. Many water sports here, we see a colorful
parasailer; have to keep an eye on Marjorie after her comment while in Switzerland
that a hang-gliding crash would be a romantic way to go. Large troll displayed outside a souvenir
shop. And another closed church! Off again, past pretty tvindefossen (twin waterfalls).
Snow at mountaintops again.
We
reach Gudvagen at noon for 3-hour cruise on 3 fjords to Laerdal. We start on Naeroyfjorden, the narrowest fjord, finish on Sognefjord, the longest (200 km) & deepest (1300 m). We’ll reach the northernmost part of our
trip, almost as far north as Anchorage. Naeroyfjorden
is especially dramatic: near-vertical mountain walls, many waterfalls spilling
down.
Some sun, then rain causes people to scurry from the top deck, then periods of bright sun and sun/clouds mix ̶ it’s interesting to see different lighting conditions. Seagulls hover alongside hoping for treats. We glide past little villages w/ no road access. Rich marine life here, we might (but don’t) see porpoises.
Some sun, then rain causes people to scurry from the top deck, then periods of bright sun and sun/clouds mix ̶ it’s interesting to see different lighting conditions. Seagulls hover alongside hoping for treats. We glide past little villages w/ no road access. Rich marine life here, we might (but don’t) see porpoises.
Back on the bus past Laerdal tunnel,
world’s longest mountain tunnel at 24.5 km.
Thru a beautiful valley w/ steep walls, cultivated fields below. We choose a detour on Historisk Rute from before the tunnels were built, along a tumbling
mountain stream.
A stop at Borgund &
oldest stavkyrkje (stave church, so
named for its vertical planking).
Interesting mix of very old & recent headstones in the
cemetery. Back on the bus, Andrej
relates info on Vikings, who were both warriors & merchants; some pretty
disgusting stuff about personal hygiene, sacrifices of slave women when a chief
died. Swedish Russ tribe became the
Russians.
More pretty scenery, one vista
after another. We again go above the
tree line, then across the watershed; rivers now flow into the Baltic instead
of North Sea. We reach Fagernes a little
before 6:00: Quality Inn and Resort, a fancier resort hotel on a pretty lake w/
nearby island, fountain, colorful seaplane.
More sand to scoop for stepsis Mar.
A beautiful evening, dinner in an elegant dining room overlooking the
lake. A big spread: 1 table devoted to
cold fish stuff, another w/ salads, many hot entrees, variety of desserts from
yummy raspberries w/ cream to rhubarb cake that resonates w/ M’s Wisconsin heritage.
After dinner we stroll along the lake.
Beach volleyball anyone? ̶ there’s a court set up.
Mandag: 7/14:
Sunny AM, the lake is especially beautiful. More good väder today? Frokost buffet includes koldtbord (cold table) w/ delicacies like herring, goat’s milk cheese. Several tour groups & their luggage create elevator bottlenecks. Today’s our longest driving distance (300 mi) but much is on motorways. Partly sunny then more clouds, pop music on the sound system as we drive thru more pretty scenery: mountains, forests, lakes; the other side of the bus can see reindeer along the road (I catch just a glimpse).
Sunny AM, the lake is especially beautiful. More good väder today? Frokost buffet includes koldtbord (cold table) w/ delicacies like herring, goat’s milk cheese. Several tour groups & their luggage create elevator bottlenecks. Today’s our longest driving distance (300 mi) but much is on motorways. Partly sunny then more clouds, pop music on the sound system as we drive thru more pretty scenery: mountains, forests, lakes; the other side of the bus can see reindeer along the road (I catch just a glimpse).
As
we near the border Andrej gives clever accounts describing Swedish men &
women, marriage & family customs. Välkommen till Sverige a little before
3:00. Time for currency exchange, VAT
refunds for those who bought enough, snacks.
We use remaining Norway
coins on cookies & chocolate.
Driving again, Andrej resumes Swedish history & culture. He talks about people displayed on currency,
including Jenny Lind: the “Swedish Nightingale” inspired some of Hans Christian
Anderson’s stories but didn’t return his love.
Sweden
has avoided war for some 200 years, tho neutrality in WW I & II annoyed
their neighbors. Swedes “born free but
taxed to death.” On a roll, Andrej has
the bus laughing with his cultural accounts; we later learn some of his clever
material comes from “The Xenophobe’s Guide” (see xenophobes.com).
To Karlstad and Clarion Hotel Plaza at about 5; another nice room, even a little sitting area. It’s near a pedestrian area & pretty Town Hall square. M finds “Exotic Snacks” at a grocery. Good pizza & salads at Kebab House. Exchange rate & prices are a little better in Sweden. It’s quite cool, nothing much going on ̶ except a street character singing & dancing to his own boom box music ̶ so we head back to the hotel. Comparatively quiet on photos during a mostly “moving day” to get to Sweden.
To Karlstad and Clarion Hotel Plaza at about 5; another nice room, even a little sitting area. It’s near a pedestrian area & pretty Town Hall square. M finds “Exotic Snacks” at a grocery. Good pizza & salads at Kebab House. Exchange rate & prices are a little better in Sweden. It’s quite cool, nothing much going on ̶ except a street character singing & dancing to his own boom box music ̶ so we head back to the hotel. Comparatively quiet on photos during a mostly “moving day” to get to Sweden.
Tisdag, 7/15:
Wakeup today at 7:30, on the bus by
9:00 ̶ how relaxed!
My 1st pretty good night’s sleep, but my snoring disrupted
Marjorie’s; guess we’re taking turns sleeping.
Hope we have the energy to give Stockholm
its due; this is longer than our usual trips and we’ve seen so much! Some of our fellow travelers seem confused
about where we are, what day it is. If
it’s Tuesday, it must be Sweden. BBC: New Yorker cover depicting Obama as
Muslim & wife as terrorist decried as “tasteless & offensive.”
Breakfast in a pretty courtyard that’s also used as a nightclub: includes meatballs, pancakes smothered in blue/straw/cloudberries; “O’Boy” hot chocolate to fill Jerry’s yen. Beautiful AM, cool & sunny for our last driving day, only 200 miles on fast roads. On the bus Andrej says: “Norm’s wife is missing . . . we’ll find him another one.” More amusing info on local culture. Sweden established a socialist social welfare system so “everyone’s on welfare.” The Swedish military “as a last resort defends the country with fermented herring.” M & I have now rotated up to front seats overlooking Andrej & Peter, but less leg room. We pass Nobel’s hometown & Bofors arms factory he owned, then thru “the plains of Sweden:” more farms & forests, lots of fields w/ pretty yellow rape seed flowers.
Breakfast in a pretty courtyard that’s also used as a nightclub: includes meatballs, pancakes smothered in blue/straw/cloudberries; “O’Boy” hot chocolate to fill Jerry’s yen. Beautiful AM, cool & sunny for our last driving day, only 200 miles on fast roads. On the bus Andrej says: “Norm’s wife is missing . . . we’ll find him another one.” More amusing info on local culture. Sweden established a socialist social welfare system so “everyone’s on welfare.” The Swedish military “as a last resort defends the country with fermented herring.” M & I have now rotated up to front seats overlooking Andrej & Peter, but less leg room. We pass Nobel’s hometown & Bofors arms factory he owned, then thru “the plains of Sweden:” more farms & forests, lots of fields w/ pretty yellow rape seed flowers.
Back on the road, Andrej distributes Cosmos questionnaires saying he needs them from all of us and implying that he hopes we’ll have good things to say. I tell him that I teach survey methods, he’s violating some cardinal rules about coercion & influencing responses! He’s unimpressed.
We reach Stockholm about 3:00, to Scandic Brommo hotel in a suburban area (the “other” Cosmos tour got the usual hotel they use here, but this is fine).
M explores nearby grocery before boarding the bus again for optional walking tour & dinner in the old town, Gamla Stan. Nina & Norm are late again, Texan Glenn grabs the mike to tell a joke; “Deep in the Heart of Texas” is sung later in the back of the bus; is Andrej losing control at the end? Pretty ride into the city. Stockholm is “Venice of the North,” set on 14 islands at the confluence of Baltic Sea & a lake.
We meet local guide Ylva. An excellent tour; Ylva is informative &
humorous w/ many interesting stories. At
the “smallest statue” an older women volunteers to rub its head ̶ “now
you get pregnant,” says Ylva. 
Views everywhere, including up & down, narrow old cobblestone streets, interesting squares w/ sculptures & fountains; many photos! They’ve had to shore up sinking buildings, including world’s oldest central bank. A Swede invented paper money to replace very cumbersome coins; then defaulted and was beheaded! The King insisted on changing the cathedral exterior from Gothic to Baroque to match his palace; M’s bad joke: “If it ain’t baroque, you do fix it!”
We descend into the 14th C cellar of a restaurant, part of the catacombs, for a dinner of Swedish meatballs (what else!) & yummy apple cake w/ custard. Very atmospheric: old brick walls, curved ceiling, candlelight. Chatting w/ Andrej we learn he’ll rendezvous next week with his Omaha sweetie in Vienna (how romantic!) & visit Omaha in November. Men playing bocce in the square as the light dims. We head back to the hotel, all feeling very content, now even Peter is telling jokes. Marjorie really likes Stockholm!
Onsdag, 7/16:
Another nice AM & a perfect
day: bright sun, puffy white clouds, mid-70s.
On the bus into the city Andrej plays his farewell song: “Precious
Moments: When Will I See You Again?”
We’re w/ Ylva again for included city orientation tour that starts at
city hall, an imposing brick building w/ twin towers, lovely interior
courtyard.
Ylva explains architecture
& construction. Large interior hall
is used for a big party at the Nobel Prize ceremonies; but the Peace Prize is
given in Oslo ̶ Norwegians were considered more peaceful
people than Swedes. Jerry’s pleased they
nixed plans to paint over bricks here.
They’re very attentive to security due to recent assassinations; groups
aren’t allowed to stop in “political area” of offices & meeting rooms.
There’s beautiful wood in council
chambers. Ylva stresses how
representative the council is: more women than men (as is true in Stockholm’s
population) & various ethnic groups among its members. Thru a lovely hallway w/ frescoes by a
painter prince & into another hall w/ incredible gold mosaics made of 18
million pieces; hope M doesn’t get any ideas here for our bathroom
remodeling. Ylva: in the socialist
tradition, this is a “palace for the people.”
We drive thru the newer more
commercial area of the city: lots of shopping ops, large NK and H&M
department stores, a big concert hall.
Ylva says there aren’t fixed hours for shops, listed times are when
shopkeepers “pretend to be open.”
They’ve closed post offices, handling those tasks in other ways. Pretty parks, wide boulevards, an ornate
theatre. People ousted politicians who
proposed building skyscrapers here.
We
pass Parliament on its own island, past old Parliament & “House of
Nobility,” & onto “Island
of Nobility” w/ a church
used for royal burials. Up to a
viewpoint overlooking Baltic side of the city, & local Tivoli amusement park. Ylva gives more info on politics and royalty:
current King has French heritage, no Swedish blood.
We drive thru the newer more
commercial area of the city: lots of shopping ops, large NK and H&M
department stores, a big concert hall.
Ylva says there aren’t fixed hours for shops, listed times are when
shopkeepers “pretend to be open.”
They’ve closed post offices, handling those tasks in other ways. Pretty parks, wide boulevards, an ornate
theatre. People ousted politicians who
proposed building skyscrapers here. 
We drop some of our group at the palace and
head off for the last optional excursion: Warship
Vasa Museum
that Frommer’s calls “the top attraction in Scandinavia.” It’s a fantastic 17th C vessel
that sank in the harbor 20 minutes into the maiden voyage! ̶ too
narrow, too tall, too many cannons, too little ballast. Seems amusing, except some 50 drowned
including sailors’ wives & children along for the festive first
sailing. 
We return to Gamla Stan, into a little cafe for lunch: sensible quiche for M but
I splurge w/ applestrudel varm med
vanilyj säs & huge mug of hot chocolate (hope there’s a favorable
exchange rate on calories). More
wandering: many shops, including “Rock Town” & the ubiquitous 7-11s, pretty
windows w/ everything from Pippi Longstocking to beautiful painted horses of
all sizes (a distinctive, and too expensive, hand-made craft here).
We “do the Palace” w/ a combination ticket
(even tho no photos allowed!); Ylva noted that this is larger than Buckingham Palace by 1 room. A brief stop for an organ concert in the
royal chapel, then up an imposing staircase to State Apartments. Once again it’s confirmed that it’s good to
be King . . . or even a guest.
Beautifully ornate rooms & halls, lovely furniture, tapestries,
ceilings w/ sculptures reaching down.
Rooms are still used for some meetings & banquets when the King is
“kinging” (as Ylva put it). A
spectacular gallery leads to a banquet room.
Displays of fancy clothes, chivalric regalia. Into the Treasury w/ fancy crowns, bejeweled
swords & sceptres; but the collection seems less extensive than what we saw
in Vienna. We sit in the courtyard for a brief rest
& ice cream.
Then the Tre Kronor
Museum, into the cellar
for info & artifacts from the medieval history of the palace. The last stop and our favorite: the Armoury,
w/ weaponry, armor for man & horse, royal clothing & artifacts
(especially interesting stuff for royal children), & ornately decorated
state coaches dating to 16th & 17th C.
We “do the Palace” w/ a combination ticket
(even tho no photos allowed!); Ylva noted that this is larger than Buckingham Palace by 1 room. A brief stop for an organ concert in the
royal chapel, then up an imposing staircase to State Apartments. Once again it’s confirmed that it’s good to
be King . . . or even a guest.
Beautifully ornate rooms & halls, lovely furniture, tapestries,
ceilings w/ sculptures reaching down.
Rooms are still used for some meetings & banquets when the King is
“kinging” (as Ylva put it). A
spectacular gallery leads to a banquet room.
Displays of fancy clothes, chivalric regalia. Into the Treasury w/ fancy crowns, bejeweled
swords & sceptres; but the collection seems less extensive than what we saw
in Vienna. We sit in the courtyard for a brief rest
& ice cream. 
Thursday,
7/17:
No wakeup call! Another nice sunny AM. Sport news: American League won the longest
All-Star game ever, at Yankee Stadium in the last season for “the cathedral of
baseball.” CNN: Wall Street surged as
oil prices declined. Coffee farewells w/
D & J, who leave earlier. We have
breakfast later; it’s much busier than other days, w/ many Iron Maiden rock
band t-shirts that must be from a concert.
Peter is off to Copenhagen
to work locally, then another tour in a week.
Andrej is off to Vienna for a week off, then leading his usual Baltic
tour: 9 countries in 12 days! At an open-air
market by the hotel parking lot M buys some bread for Matt & Anthea,
pastries for us from a young woman wearing a Canada sweatshirt. We share a taxi about 30 mi to Arlanda
airport w/ Indian couple Maya & Motilal from our group. We use our last SEK on kaffe latte & last O’Boy varm
choklad for me. Maya & Motilal
inadvertently go thru an emergency door that bypasses passport control; things
OK after a couple of chats w/ security (& we vouch for them, surely a
significant factor). On-time 3:40
departure, a little early into London Heathrow & a 3-hour layover, then
about on time into JFK a little after 11pm.
Easily thru passport control & customs ̶ you’d think they’d be suspicious that we
bought so little! Matt picks us up. There’s been developmental progress while
we’ve been gone: Willy is successfully using the potty & Miles has started
crawling. We planned to stay only
overnight, but Matt could use some help with the kids tomorrow. But when I’m wide awake at 5am we decide I’ll
drive back to put our affairs in order.
A Triboro Bridge sunrise, easy out of the city & up the Thruway
home. We’ve come back to high humidity,
temps in the 90s. M takes the train home
on Saturday.
Thinking
back on all the people and arrangements, everything worked out so well! Andrej was an excellent guide: friendly,
well-organized, & informative, w/ a sly deadpan sense of humor. He watched over us very well while keeping
everything on course. I can still hear
his call to action on the bus: “OK, Peter, let’s go!” Although we gave up our usual travel
independence, to be honest it was nice to have someone else handle most of the
details for a change.
We
had a diverse group of 41 travelers, we Yanks a definite minority ̶ others
from England, Scotland, Australia, India, Pakistan. Many veteran travelers, some continuing
travels begun before, others continuing on after. Two weeks seems plenty long enough for
us! Interesting & congenial
companions; to name a few: friendly Jo & Glenn from Waco, Scottish Bert w/
his cane & charming but hard to decipher brogue, deep-voiced &
enigmatic Brit Richard, Aussies chatty Charlene & quiet Annette,
Californian Laurie interested in M’s childhood Wisconsin haunts of Portage
& Baraboo. The age range represented
by George traveling w/ teen grandson Chase.
We especially enjoyed the extended time with Diane & Jerry, such
good long-time friends.
Hotels
were very nice; good quality chains tho not the smaller quainter places we
usually stay. Some variation in room
size, most w/ no AC, common in Europe but can
be a bit stuffy when it gets warmer & noisy when windows need to be open at
night. Typical European variety &
challenges in showers: some w/ no tub or enclosure, just a curtain or swing-out
door & a drain-- water gets all over despite your best efforts.
Some
relatively lengthy driving stretches in the bus. A lot of ground to cover ̶ 2,550+
km total. Can’t say we’re eager to get
on another bus right away, but we needed to go such distances to see the
fabulous sights spread across a large area in this part of the world. The bus was reasonably comfortable, seats
were high for good visibility above traffic.
We rotated seating each day; except Aussies Charlene & Annette
decided to stay in their back seat perches, which nobody seemed to mind. The bus seated 52, so some days we enjoyed
extra room to spread out. Generally good
spacing of stops for sights or “comfort.”
It was challenging to take photos from a moving bus; some good, others
not so good. Having had occasional
trouble w/ congestion & sinus infections on past trips, I took “Airborne”
for long flights & bus rides. I
stayed healthy: prevention or placebo?
We
had very nice weather, what rain there was seemed mostly to make things more
“atmospheric.” Temps from mid-60s to
high 70s (about 18-27 C). As may be
gathered from this account, things were expensive! A relatively “inexpensive” meal could run
about $25, a “nicer” restaurant typically $40-50. Every meal seemed like a splurge, but you
just have to go with it and enjoy. Thank
goodness for the large buffet breakfasts included w/ the hotels. And sorry dear readers, we didn’t do our
Christmas shopping over there.
Marjorie especially was surprised by
how much there was to see. In general, I
plan trips and she likes to “discover” the fruits of my labors as they unfold,
but even I was not fully prepared for the spectacular scenery & beautiful
cities. My biggest photo trip, over 700;
another 250 by Marjorie. And this is probably my longest trip journal. So it’s official: A wonderful trip!!
Quiz
answers:
toalett rundt hjornet = toilet around the corner
ha en fin dag = have a nice day
Bonus
answer:
“we
don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”: is from movie “The Wild Bunch” (1969, William
Holden et al.)
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