The Due Date - Stockholm

Well, it was December 3rd, Melinda's due-date, and everyone was very excited to hear if I was an new uncle! Unfortunately, I had to leave my computer and any news of my first niece/nephew behind because I was off on an adventure! Maddis and Joran (sp? "your-on") were taking Dave and me to do some sightseeing in Stockholm then on a one night cruise to Aland, an island between Sweden and Finland.

We'll begin with our visit to Stockhom. It was a cold, wet, rainy day that would have been perfect spent curled up by a fire with a good book or snuggled in bed with a movie. Instead, we braved the elements withouth umbrellas so get a real glimpse of Stockholm. It is the capital and largest city in Sweden, built on islands with a lot of history.

The buildings were old, but beaultiful. Our plan was to walk through the old part of Stockholm first, through the castle and other governmental buildings. We didn't get far before I was struck by the most peculiar sight ever. It being December third, and the thought that Melinda could be bringing new life into the world as I walked the cobbled streets, what would I spot graffitied on the side of a power box? None other than the little guy himself:

It was the most incredible and timely sight of my life. I stopped to take a picture, I just HAD to, and the rest of the gang kept walking. When I ran to catch up I had to explain the story. Dave thought it was interesting, but something was lost in translation for Maddis and Joran. They smiled and nodded. I thought, "I hope Caper is born today so one day I can tell him the story of how I was in Stockholm and saw him plastered on the side of building as a sign of his arrival."

We continued on to the old sights, and I'll share a few of those the pictures here. First, the old castle where apparently royalty still live. The guards outside don't quite have the same discipline as those at Buckingham, but they're loaded and fixed with bayonettes. I didn't want to get too close.

This is the parliament building. It sits right along the edge of the water with a spectacular view of a few other islands. We didn't quite get there in time to go in, but we were able to walk around and under the arches you see in the center of the picture. It is just beautiful architecture and the rain gave it all a sense of majesty.

We walked through Old Stockholm and around to some of the more modern parts. We ventured into a fish market where I'd swear they were pulling these things right out of the water and placing them in the ice for sale. The meat smelled like it had been cut from the cow, deer, or pig just 10 minutes prior. It's incredible how lean all the meat is. I don't know what they're doing to raise the animals, but the meat is always so tender, and pre-cooked doesn't appear to have any fat on it. Yummy.

I'll drop a few more random pics of Stockholm just so you have an idea of what I saw. There were statues everywhere, a few different sort of farmer's markets, an outdoor skating rink, everything beginning to get decorated for Christmas.

Because it was such a cold and wet day we decided to stop into Stockholm's oldest coffee shop to warm up a bit. Yes it's the oldest, established in something like 1783, and so naturally it's also the most expensive, about 6 bucks for your standard cup of jo.

Here are Maddis, Dave, and Joran in the shop, decorated to celebrate the past Kings and Queens of Sweden. I felt slightly out of place dripping wet in my HUGE Adidas Jacket, but there were lots of out tourists as well.

As I've mentioned before, I haven't seen much wildlife since I've been in Sweden. I've spotted the occasional deer or "dun" as they jokingly call them, but not nearly as many as you'd think given the environment. It wasn't until the streets of Stockholm on our way to the ship to embark on our cruise that I spotted what I've been waiting to see since the moment I arrived! Holy Bullwinkle!