Baltic Cruise Day 1: Arriving in Stockholm

We left Phoenix yesterday morning, and flew to Newark, NJ. Landed this morning about 7:15 AM at the Stockholm airport, and took a train to downtown, about 30 miles away. They have the train thing down--there is free wi-fi on the train for the whole trip, and the cost was minimal. We both thought the countryside looked like Missouri, all green with trees and farms alongs the tracks. Make that Missouri with pine trees. Everyone we've met so far has been very helpful, and just about everyone speaks English. We have not been to a single shop in which the salespeople or the wait staff don't speak flawless English. And so far, when I hear them speak Swedish, I don't think of the chef on Sesame Street. After we dropped our bags at the hotel, we took a walk. Realize it was about 9 AM on Sunday, so not much was open. Near our hotel there was a flea market in a small square. It looked like every other flea market we've ever seen, except most of them in Arizona don't have stuffed otters and other wildlife available for purchase. We headed toward the embassy area of Stockholm. We didn't see the American embassy, but we walked by the Egyptian embassy, and that of Israel. Anyhow, we kept going until we reached our goal, the English-speaking Anglican church. The sermon this morning was given by a guest pastor, who is Scottish, and is a pastor in the Church of Sweden. She said she was a little confused herself this morning. She spoke from Matthew's gospel, the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. It's nice to go to church in different places now and then, I think. After the service, we walked along the docks and shore, until we got to a restaurant, where we had Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and salad. One meal was plenty for both of us. Then, we boarded a tour bus, the double-decker open-top variety. Whenever we go to a new city, we like to get these bus tours early in the trip, so we can find out what we want to come back and see. Stockholm is a city of about 1.9 million people, including the suburbs. It is built on about 14 islands, so you are never far from the water. I know these things because I read them before we arrived. Unfortunately, the moment I sat down on the bus, I rested in the arms of jet lag, thus missing everything the guide said. Our tickets are good for tomorrow, so we'll try again. After a nice nap in our hotel room, we headed out again. A note about our room. It is large by Scandinavian standards. We can open both suitcases, although we had to relocate some if the furniture for that. There is a window, which helps to avoid claustrophobia. All the furniture, both our hotel and everywhere else, helps us to understand Ikea. After the nap, we headed for Gamla Stan, or Old Town. The Swedish Parliament and the Palace are located on this tiny island, and it has become a destination for tourists, as it has very narrow streets and very old buildings, along with a great number of shops and restaurants. Think of Scottsdale, older and speaking Swedish, with water. Okay, don't think of that. Never mind. Many of the doorways we saw had inscriptions above them with the dates the building were constructed, and most were in the 1600's. Coming from Arizona, where an old building might be 50 years old, the antiquity of these buildings just boggles my mind. We stopped for dinner in a very busy steakhouse, and ate outside. Denise had salmon with tiny shrimp and mashed potatoes, and I had a cheeseburger. All haute cuisine for us, don't you know. The food here so far has been good, but it is quite expensive. Our dinner with tip was over 700 SEK, about $100. Ouch. It was nice, but not that nice. We haven't decided yet whether to eat at the most intriguing restaurant we've seen: the Taco Bar. There are quite a few of them, all subtitled "A Small Piece of Mexico." I'm thinking, "Maybe not." We might be able to resist their charms. Well, time for bed. The rain is pattering outside, and it is cold outside, but warm in our tiny room. I think I'll sleep well.