Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Tour Adventures

It took a little effort to navigate into Stockholm. We re-discovered the classic European Tradition of naming Geographic/Community Areas on Highway Signs and NOT listing the Road Identification Code (like E4 or A23) or if the road were listed, it is listed by name (like Valhalla Highway) which added to navigation time and frustration. All big cities are best navigated by use of a GPS, but we sans GPS.

We are making our way southward toward the Stockholm Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace/Castle) through a Promenade that is closed to vehicular traffic.

Above Left: Sweets Shop.

Above Right: Bank Building.

Above: We're viewing east to south in the photo. The Parliament Building is due south; we have to walk through its portico. I actually thought this was the Palace, silly me, an on duty police officer helped us (me) and would not allow us to take his picture. We had to walk south across one more small island.

Stockholm is actually a collection of a few hundred islands.

Above: This is a south to west view from roughly the same spot as above and it shows the Parliament Building to the far left, the Riddarholmskyrkam (oldest church, 1200s), and the Stadhuset on the far right. The Stadhuset is the City's Government building (same at Rathaus in German). The Stadhuset is where the Nobel Peace Prize Dinner is held.

Apparently, magic happened in the camera photo (I moved).

Above Left: Decorated Cement Barriers to keep motor vehicles out of pedestrian and bicycle only areas.

Above Right: The porticos of the Parliament Building.

Above: We're at the front entrance of Stockholm Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace/Castle). It's huge, it takes up about 8 city blocks, it has no barrier or cannonade walls, it is more like a giant Hapsburg Estate. It does have guards and the guards all speak English and they are allowed to talk or help tourists with verbal information. One thing that I like is that the guards all carried AK-5s (Automatkarbin 5, Assault Rifle) with red dot sights. It is the Swedish made version of the FN FNC assault rifle) with cold weather modifications. The AK-5 is the service rifle of the Swedish Armed Forces. More importantly, all of the guards carry two-way radios.

Above: Two model views of the original castle.

Above Left: Royal Swedish Palace Guard, they actually are looking around and are fully cognizant of events going on around them.

Above Right: The Front gate (which is on the waterfront side of the palace). I imagine, like in other European Countries, that no one is allowed to have or display a Crown except for Kings and Queens and their direct descendents.

Above Left: Terry Struck and a Swedish Guard, near the entrance of the Palace Visitor's Entrance (we are waiting for it to open).

Above Right: Canons at the rear entrance (where the guard garrison is billeted). No one is allowed near the Canons. The guards are assembling for a 2 hour formal relief of the guard (NOT a changing of the guard).

Above: Palace Guards and Royal Canons.

Above: Palace Southside, looking toward the waterfront.

Above: The beginning process of the changing of the guard.

Above: Change of Guard.

Above Left: The guard has changed.

Above Right: But, of course.

Stockholm Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace with Residents) Tour

Above: We only have a few pictures. I was intercepted and told that there is no photography at all, not even in the hallways.

Above: No more Palace Photos Allowed.

Walk About Stockholm Gamla Stan and Stortarget (Plaza)

Above: Storkyran Plaza: Storkyran (church) in the back center, Russian War Obelisk in the front, building on the left is unidentified, and Palace southwest corner on the image's right side.

Above Left: Time for snack, rest, and beverage.

Above Right: The crumb cleaner-upper.

Above Left: Hers (Varm Choklad).

Above Right: His (Orange Flavored Latté).

Above: We walk by the Palace Guards on the way to see the Vasa War Ship.

Above: Rapid Walk along the Waterfront to Djurgården's Vasa Museet. Tomorrow we will have bus and train passes.

Vasa Warship and Museet on Djurgården Island

Above: The Vasa (Wasa in Svede) was the King's dream (direct specifications from King Gustavus Adolphus). The ship was the very first war ship with a double row of canons, completed in 1628, about 150 years before the American Revolution. It sunk after about 20 minutes into its maiden voyage because the all of the gun ports were open by the Captains orders and in its first strong wind the lower cannon deck went below the waterline and filled the ship with water.

The Vasa happened to sink in briny mud that served to protect the ship from worms, rot, and oxidation and it was recovered in 1961. The Swedes built a dry-dock specifically for the Vasa's recovery, the ship was floated in wet, dried in place, and the dry-dock became a humidity controlled, covered, Museet (Museum) where 30 Million visits have occurred.

Pronunciation Note: Swedes pronounce the 'W' letter's sound as a 'V' and Germans pronounce 'V' letter's sound as a 'W'. I learned later that the Swedish ship 'Vasa' is actually spelled 'Wasa' in Swedish Text (but of course it is pronounced 'Vasa' in English).

Skansen, Open Air Museet/Village of Preserved 'Old Way of Life'
Beautiful Sunny Afternoon

Above Left: Kaknås Television Tower (Open to the Public).

Above Right: Kids teaching themselves Tennis in front of the Skansen Open Air Museet.

Since Terry and I just bicycled in the back woods of remote Sweden, a lot of what we are about to see here in Skansen was seen by us on our Bike Tour on Days 2-8 (see page top index).

Samevistet / Sami Camp / Sámisiida

Above: Stroller Ramp happens to benefit bikes too. [This is not the greatest sun angle for shadow control or photo presentation, but the photo does capture the Stair Step and Ramp concept].

Stockholm Harbor Walk, Late Day

Above Left: Helga, from Norse Mythology (Odin's Mate).

Above Left: Bow Nose lifts for Ramp Operation.

Brunnby Hotel, South Stockholm's Årstaberg Area
Evening Check-In

Above Left: It's a nice room and has a daily continental breakfast and is about $200/day less than the recommended conference hotel.

Above Right: The view is not great but we only sleep here, more Stockholm adventures yet to come. Tomorrow, we buy Rail/Bus passes for a week.