A Tourist in Stockholm

A month ago I went on a most exciting trip!  It was almost a year in the making, but finally the day came when I departed for an eight-day solo adventure to Sweden.  Once I arrived in Stockholm, I wasn't really alone very much, but I did purposely arrive a full day early for my teaching commitments so that I could be a tourist in the city. In this post, I'd like to share some of my photos from that fantastic day with you. It started with an early morning (thanks, jetlag) 35 minute commuter train ride into the Stockholm Central Station.

Stockholm Centralen; I love train stations. My favourite in the whole world is now an art gallery - the Musee D'Orsay in Paris.

Once I stepped outside, I got my bearings on the tourist map I'd brought along and started walking towards Gamla Stan, the oldest part of the city that is home to the Royal Palace, the Nobel Museum, the Storkyrkan (church), many tourist shops, antique stores, cafes and also historic homes.  I was in town by 8:30 on a Thursday morning, so the streets were very quiet and free of much pedestrian traffic. The sun came out intermittently throughout the day and I think it was around 10 Celsius - perfect!

Gamla Stan can feel very enclosed, with it's narrow pedestrian alleyways and 5-7 storey apartment blocks.  Everything was very tidy, clean and organized.  I wandered the streets, looking up at peekaboo views. Eventually I stepped into the Nobel Museum for an interesting hour, reading all about Nobel himself, especially his radical and unexpected will that gave the world a new way of recognizing achievement. I also did quite a bit of shopping in the amazing museum shop!

One of the things I most enjoy about travelling on my own is the ability to mindfully stroll and take in small views through the lens of my camera without having to worry about holding up companions. 

On guard at the Royal Palace

That is a taste of the old town for you. I then took a ferry across the harbour to visit the Vasa Museum! I'll share some pictures of that incredible battleship in my next post.