SCANDINAVIA - Afterthoughts

Loved every minute of our trip to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.  But here are a few thoughts on what I would do differently as well as what was just right.

On the path to The Little Mermaid - Copenhagen

When I began planning this trip it was a very busy and stressful time with work and my church calling (organizing a women's conference).  So, I used a travel agent to book flights and help me with a few things.  I let him talk me into taking flights between Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo.  We have always preferred a combination of trains and cars.  The flights were definitely less expensive, but the added stress of airplane travel and such wasn't worth it.  We would have preferred taking the scenic route that trains and cars afford. Even if it took a bit longer or cost a bit more.  Should have listened to my gut on this.  Lesson learned.

Copenhagen Harbor

We also needed one more night in Stockholm to get a better feel for that city.  Two nights just not enough.  I like to pack a lot into touring a big city but I also like at least a half day for wandering and observing--no time in Stockholm for those pleasures.

Stockholm

Norway requires more time on the fjords--pictures don't do it justice.  We met a darling and intrepid couple from Los Angeles, Marjorie and Dave.  They said they once made the same mistake taking flights in between closely connected cities/countries when they knew they preferred the more scenic route, too.  This trip, they spent more time traveling by ferry, car, train and loved it.  And they went deeper into the fjords.  Ferries are abundant and you can hop off and on staying in various villages and hiking as you go.  We met a few families with small children and teenagers who were doing that and loved it.  They unplugged from phones and tablets enjoying each other and the spectacular countryside.

Cute Marjorie and Dave

And, always, always book a Norway in a Nutshell tour. I have been to Norway twice and have booked this tour both times.  You can customize this tour to suit your needs and time constraints.  It is a brilliant plan and is an effortless way to tour the beauty of the fjords and its villages.

Norwegian countryside

We relied greatly on ground transportation to and from hotels and airports and only took two taxis.  The subway/train system in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Oslo is superb.  From what we experienced, there were escalators and elevators galore and no station had only stairs for entry and exit.  Stairs are miserable when you are dealing with luggage.  The trains we were on just sailed right into a clean station with an escalator just steps away.  Heaven.


There was one time we absolutely should have taken a taxi and that was from our Copenhagen train station to our hotel.  Instead dragged our four-wheeled luggage over serious cobblestone streets THE ENTIRE WAY--we felt (and looked) like idiots and I may have used a curse word or two (or at least thought them).

Norway

We packed just right for these cooler weather countries.  Layers work so well for traveling, don't they?  My new found love is the Barbour Summer Liddesdale Gilet.  I wore it every single day over long-sleeved shirts and sometimes underneath a thin unlined Eileen Fisher raincoat, plus a scarf.  Worked beautifully.

STOCKHOLM - More Time Needed...

                     Preparing to land in Stockholm.  It's not often I see a view like this!

First stop:  Vasa Museum.  Built in the early 1600's, the Vasa ship sank on her maiden voyage.  In 1961 she is pulled out of the harbor and preservation begins.  It was fascinating to see this beauty in person!

             
Love, love, love carved wood.  Hard to believe this was sitting at the bottom of the harbor for over 300 years.

                                                                 Nybroplan harbor

                                         Peonies galore - $10 for 5 stems or $17 for a bouquet                          

From the Vasa museum it is a short walk to Skansen - the famous open air folk museum founded in 1891.  Skansen is all about the traditional rural life showing off farmhouses, small villages, gardens, and animals.

There were a few allotment huts to tour and they were darling.  After World War I, families who lived in the city were given a little piece of land to grow vegetables and fruits.  Most of these gardens were tended by the woman of the house.  I'll bet it was a nice little respite from city life to have a little gem of a getaway while planting and harvesting the crops.

                                                       A few of the bare necessities

This cute gal dressed in the outfit of the time reading the latest fashion magazine (from the 1940's) while finishing up her lunch.

                                                               More gardens at Skansen

                      Hollyhocks, red wood siding, paned windows, checkered curtains.  Divine.
             

Seglora Church from the 1700's brought over to Skansen in the early 1900's

This is the fencing just outside the church 

                                               Oh, the lines of a Swedish clock - just right

                                                                       Church ceiling

                                            Framed artwork painted right onto the walls

                                         
                                                This is Gamla Stan, Old Town Stockholm

                       A bit of roaming around Gamla Stan before we had to leave for the airport

           
                                   

                               The architecture in Old Town Stockholm made my heart sing

Here is my regret about Stockholm--wish we could have spent one more day.  We only had two days--needed three.  One day to roam around seals the deal for me in getting to know a city.  We didn't get the full flavor of Stockholm but we sure loved what we did see!  Oh, and the Swedish Meatballs were the best ever!  Onward to Norway...