Stockholm, Sweden - Part I

Two days of rest and it was time to get back on a plane. This time I flew to Stockholm to visit my friend, Seanna. If you remember, back at the end of October, she came to Paris to visit me. I was up so late on Wednesday night finishing up the blogs from Barcelona I didn't get any sleep. I could have had two hours, but I knew that if I went to bed, I would sleep through the alarm, so I just stayed awake. I made it to the airport with plenty of time (a rarity for me) and walked around look at all the duty-free items and grabbed a pain au chocolat and Perrier so that I wouldn't starve on the plane. It took everything in me to keep my eyes open.We boarded the plane and I found my seat next to the window, seat 25F. Thankfully I had an empty row which allowed me to spread out a little and rest. After only an hour or so, the flight attendants brought the carts. I was ready for a Coca Light. To my surprise, he also handed me a meal. This is why Air France is my new favorite airline. Not only do they serve meals on flights that are less than three hours, they definitely let you know you are on a French plane. Chicken with steamed veggies for the main course, peppers topped with a soft-boiled egg for the entree, and a brownie for dessert, with the option of tea and coffee. The meal was so good, actually. My meal was better than some restaurants, and the coffee with a brownie for dessert was perfect. I felt that the coffee gave me a little jolt of energy which allowed me to read a bit until we landed. I looked out the window and had a fantastic view. We were flying over the Baltic Sea and I could see the tip of Sweden. The country didn't look nearly as cold as I had expected. I planned for frozen lakes and snowy land. What I saw were clear skies and a plethora of Christmas trees. Once we exited the plane, I found myself in another world. Sweden does match some stereotypes. There were so many blonde-haired, blue-eyed people all over the airport. The language flooded my ears and almost made me feel like I was in the movie Terminal with Tom Hanks. It is a bizarre language to the American ear. However, the majority of Swedes speak English fluently. They had to adapt since they are the only country that speaks their language. Another impression was of the cleanliness of everything. The restrooms were immaculate. Each toilet had walls from floor to ceiling with even a sink in each one. I made my way through the corridors to the baggage claim, then to exchange money. I waited in line and the woman at the desk greeted me with "Hey!". I thought it was strange to be so informal, especially since coming from France. I just responded back with the same greeting. I exchanged my Euros for Kronors and began my journey to the Arlanda Express, which is an express train that goes directly into Stockholm in twenty minutes. I found it, purchased my ticket (220 Kronors which is roughly $36 - ouch!) and saw a familiar store across from the elevator. It's been so long since I've seen the good ole 7-Eleven.I waited a few minutes for the Arlanda Express in the pristine station. It arrived and when the doors opened I felt as though I was in Back to the Future. I've come from Paris which is relatively unchanged from 100 years ago to Stockholm which is pretty modern and technologically advanced. The doors made sounds which reminded me of the Michael and Janet Jackson video, Scream. I got on and was flooded with orange and yellow. I found my seat and noticed that there were screens posting the weather and history of Stockholm in both Swedish and English. After an all-nighter, I definitely felt I was in a futuristic dream. I arrived at the T-Centralen station, which is the central station for all of the city. I had specific instructions from Seanna as to where I would find the red line that would take me to Ropsten. To make a long story short, I was expecting something way more simple and I took her instruction way too literally. After thirty or so minutes of looking around, I finally found the right train, only it was going to the wrong place. Back to square one. Try again. I made it to Ropsten but didn't see Seanna. I went to the exit Lidingo since that is the name of the area where she lives. I waited. Then I looked around and went back up to the platform. I didn't have her number or address so I was at a loss of what I should do. After about an hour, I went back to the T-Centralen station to find internet access. I remembered seeing some computers when I was lost the first time around. I got online and emailed her my cell phone number. I stayed there for thirty minutes and then went back to my original post. After about four hours of being in Sweden, I got a phone call. I was so exhausted that I couldn't even express my excitement.

T-Centralen Station with some sort of promotion going on.RopstenWe went to her family's house (she is a nanny who lives in a cottage next to the family) and I was able to meet little Sixten and Klara as well as their momma. It made me realize how much I love the little tikes that age. It also made me miss my niece.

Seanna gave me the quick tour of her cottage and then we hopped back in the car to get some groceries for the night's meal. I said that I would cook. After giving the options, she chose Pasta Carbonara. We grabbed the noodles, creme, eggs, and ham. The store was so big compared to my tiny Proxi where I am so used to grabbing groceries. It was fun looking at the prices of a different currency. We arrived back, I threw everything together and the dinner was finished. Once dinner was eaten, we were both worn out and ready for bed. I stayed up reading a magazine for just a bit, then I was out.

The next day was gorgeous. Seanna had to work till 2 o'clock, so I slept in a bit. Once I got ready, I went over to the house to find the little runts running around and squealing. Those two kids are so incredibly adorable. Zac's cute, but it's amazing how much different two years makes. Sixten is four and Klara is five. They won my heart. While Seanna was getting things done around the house, I played with them. I went a little crazy with my camera trying to get some good shots while they were jumping around. In the middle of a wrestling match with four-year-old Sixten.Klara had been feeling a little sick, so while she was watching The Little Mermaid, I took Sixten out to swing. The cold had definitely come so we had to bundle him up. The children didn't speak much English until Seanna worked her magic, so it was fun talking to them and also learning some Swedish words.

I took a bit of a break and walked around the neighborhood which happens to be a very gorgeous lake surrounded by woods. It had a nature trail that typified some sort of fairytale land. It was amazing to walk around and take in the fresh air while taking all the pictures I wanted. I've realized that I haven't had the opportunity to take many photos of nature since being in Europe. While walking around there were an enormous amount of people walking around. Seanna had mentioned that Swedish people are very active. I understood her after walking around for a while. Each person I passed said "Hey!" which continued to shock me. Then I figured it was probably a Swedish greeting. After asking Seanna, she confirmed that yes, it was Swedish. They were saying "Hej!" I walked around about a fourth of the lake (from what I could see) and saw fun, Swedish signs and breathed in the fresh, cold air while imagining what it would be like to live there.
I don't know what this says, but I think it means no dogs are allowed, but I saw some.
The bridge near Seanna's home.
Bike Trail?
Firs were all over the place.
Once I got back, I relaxed a little bit before Seanna took me back through the trails to this little cafe. It was an amazing walk that seems like a scene from Little House on the Prarie. The cafe even resembled a building you would see on the series. We were both hungry, but wanted to have a good dinner, so we just went for dessert. I walked in and wanted to pack my bags and move into that place. It was so beautiful. I went around snapping pictures, but no one was sitting inside, only outside. We chose our desserts and drinks and found our seats outside. I was so relaxed under the sun, covered with the complimentary fleece blankets, talking to a good friend, all while the birds were chirping. It doesn't get much better than that!

On our walk
The cafeMy dessertSeanna's dessert
Our view from the table.After the amazing midday snack, we walked home, relaxed for an hour or so, then got back into the car for our venture into Stockholm. We walked around through the streets of Old Town, stopped into a few stores, and took in the view of the Baltic Sea that runs through the city.
The narrowest street in SwedenT.G.I. Friday's
The Royal Palace
It was a relaxing night that I fully enjoyed. We went back home, talked for a bit, then found our beds. The men at the pub gave us some ideas as to what we should do with our Saturday and we took their advice.
We went to an English pub for dinner. We each had fish and chips with Pear Cider. It might have been one of the best and most memorable dinners I've had in a really long time. That cider was so good. I need to find that cider in Paris. We sat by two men, both from Sweden, but one now lives in Minnesota. He talked to us about Stockholm, where to visit, and all the tips we needed. Seanna and I never once had a conversation alone, but it was okay, we had a good time talking to those fellas. And another night of good night of sleep followed...