Stockholm is our first stop on a 12-day trip in which our primary destination is Central Europe.  It might seem like an unconventional itinerary, but we were enticed by low fares for a new Oakland-Stockholm route offered by Norwegion Air

Our home for the next few days.  The af Chapman, a hostel on a tall ship!

Compact but comfortable cabin, with a great view!

Spring is in full bloom, but the air is still chilly.

Our visit to Stockholm was short, but we made the most of our short time, beginning with an amazing dinner at Speceriet.  This restaurant is a “back-pocket” to a Michelin-rated restaurant next door.  We were not familiar with this concept, but apparently it is very common in Sweden to have a lower-cost, casual option next door to a high-end restaurant.  Recipes are tested, and guests can sample the talents of the chef.  The seating at Specieriet was limited and communal.  We ended having great conversations with the diners to our right and left — between us, we represented 4 countries!

The next day we visited the Vasa Museum and saw the famous ship that was commissioned by the king in the early 1600s and sank on its maiden voyage.  In 1961 it was finally excavated and over the course of many years reconstructed.  An amazing story and sight to see!

We finished the day with a long walk around Gamal Stan, otherwise referred to as Old Town.  Like many such places, parts of it were overrun with cheap tourist shops selling trinkets, but once we got off the main streets, we enjoyed wandering through residential areas, and even found a cosy spot for a cup of tea.  We love the lamps at each table, no doubt to accommodate the short days of winter, but welcome on a cool, spring day, too!

A few other random observations from our 2 days in Sweden:

–Loved seeing many dads walking babies in strollers, without mom along.  (You don’t really realize how much rarer this is in the US until you see it somewhere else — it was striking!)

–We understand why so many Swedes settled in Minnesota.  The countryside between the airport and the Stockholm is so reminiscent of the northern Midwest in the US!

–Nearly everyone speaks flawless English – it is clear that students here learn two languages from an early age.  Impressive!

Now, on to Hungary . . .