Return To Sweden, Part 4

This fourth installment of David Anderson’s Return To Sweden, documents the first full day in Sweden and ends in a very surprising and unexpected place.   If you have missed the near real time trip updates, go to Trip Highlights .  Editor

June 4, 2014  Stockholm

There are several places where one should always talk in respectful tones and they include: libraries, religious sites of any kind, cemeteries, and Houses of Government.  We found ourselves in each of those venues today in Stockholm!

The world’s first open air museum in the world is one that should be at the top of the list of things to do in Stockholm.  The number and age and style of buildings assembled from throughout Sweden is amazing.   Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts is modeled on this idea.  Skansen is on a hill that overlooks Stockholm where you can spend a full day walking about.  You walk by the baker’s house and smell fresh pastries coming out of the oven.  The baker, who has been there for five years, confessed that he no longer can smell the sweet aroma wafting from his endeavors.  He can only take the word of those who pass his window.  Sad but true. 

Skansen.  Debbie who is a nurse having her photo taken at the Apothek (pharmacy) shop's door.

Seglora church is an old wooden building with painted ceilings, and is one of the most popular places in Sweden for weddings.  There are even tombstones outside that really give the feeling that you are in a rural parish church yard. 

For a light lunch we had a waffle with ice cream and berries – which was a great taste treat.  Skansen is not only a place to view old buildings, farm animals, implements, but it is also a good place to view native plants, some of which are endangered, and birds. 

We ran out of time to visit the Nordiska Museet, but it is worth it.  The building really needs to be seen.

I collect old postcards by the publisher Axel Eliassons Konstförläg.  His early views of Sweden special since they now show times past.  But, the views in some has changed little.  We ended up walking back to Norrmalm along Strandvägen so I could photograph places that appear in some of Axel’s views. 

We had an appointment to meet up with our distant cousin Caroline Lingmerth at NK on Hamngatan. 

Kungsträdgården.  American Cousins, David and Debbie, meet their Swedish cousin Caroline for coffee.

I had previously met Caroline and her parents, uncle, and brother Stefan on our previous trips to Sweden and wanted my sister Debbie to meet our Swedish relatives.  Stefan works at the Riksdagbiblioteket in Gamla Stan, and after dinner at Fotografiska wanted to know if we wanted to see where he worked!  We both knew that this was an honor and privilege to be taken on a behind the scenes tour.  After visiting the library Stefan wanted to know if we would like to go down to the basement and walk thru the tunnels over to the Riksdag building, and he would show us around what he could in Sweden’s house of Parliament.  I think both of our jaws hit the floor!  We were honored, overwhelmed, amazed, couldn’t say enough at the privilege and honor to be able to view what we could of Sweden’s house of government.  We both kept saying WOW. 

What a way to end the first full day of visiting Stockholm.  It is truly amazing where the search for one's ancestors takes you unexpectedly today.

Riksdag (parliament) at night.