Day #153 - Stockholm - Drottningholm

Drottningholm Palace

The gardens and Drottningholm Palace

Boatride back to Stockholm

Sunset over Lake Malaren

The finish of the Midnattsloppet 10K

Saturday, August 14th

I got a late start today after sleeping in. I headed back into central Stockholm via the train. I went ahead and signed up for the midnight run on-line, because it stated you had to have a t-shirt and wristband to get into the starting corral. I had to pick-up my registration bag at a store in town. It took me a little while to locate this place.

After securing my running gear, I headed to one of the many boat docks throughout the city - I had plans to visit the island of Drottningholm (means 'Queen's Island'). Drottingholm is the year-round home of Sweden's Royal Family (King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia). I had talked with the Swedish family I stayed with about their Royal Family. They told me it was similar to how England was setup, except not nearly as prestigious in Sweden.

I took a 1-hour boat ride across Lake Malaren to get to the island. Spectacular. It was a great, sunny, Saturday afternoon and people were out in droves on the shoreline and on the water. I enjoyed just sitting out on the deck taking in the scenery. When we arrived at the island, Drottingholm Palace (actual residence) was the first thing in view. I jumped off the boat and toured around. This place was magnificent. I walked around the Palace and it's remarkable gardens. You could walk forever between the water fountains and schrubs which extended beyond the Palace.

A couple unique places on the grounds were the Drottingholm Court Theatre and the Chinese Pavilion. The Theatre was built in 1766 and still host operas and ballets today by some of Europe's premier talent. The Chinese Pavilion is one of the world's best-preserved rococo (Late Baroque) environments with Chinese elements. The building was completed in 1769 and exhibits a blend of East and European objects.

I spent about 2-1/2 hours on the island just walking around. Definitely a good day trip from Stockholm. I boarded the boat and headed back into town as the sun was fading in the sky (see pictures included).

Once back in Stockholm, I decided to head back to my hotel and change for the run tonight.

Here's when the day gets embarrassing. I decided to go back into town about 10pm - that would give me a chance to get to the starting area and figure out where I'm supposed to go for the midnight start.

Ok - this run I'm going to do was called Midnattsloppet. It's a 10K mid-night run that has been a tradition in Stockholm for years. This year the total number of entrants was over 21,000. I saw this advertised in one of the local tourist books - so I just went with it. It's 6.2 miles, not so far, and I thought it would be alot of fun.

They gave us a fluorescent yellow running shirt for the event. All participants were required to wear the shirt to enter the starting gates. Once I got into Stockholm, I had to take a subway to an area of town I had yet to tour around. Now - I've done a few runs before. It was around 10:30pm - I didn't see anyone in Stockholm with the yellow shirt. RED FLAG! With 21,000 runners, where are all the people?? I had a VERY bad feeling.

I took the subway for about 10 minutes to my stop - arriving just shy of 11pm. I get off and start to walk up the stairs. I immediately see a few people with the shirt on. Whew - I'm in the right spot. Wait - these people are sweating. Their shirts are completely drenched. Then, a couple younger guys from the train I was on said: "Dude - are you ready for the run, are you going to win this thing" They were just laughing. I look up and see several more runners walking down into the subway I just had gotten off.

It was at this time, Flashbulbs went off in my head. "Son, you are a complete idiot. The run started at 10pm - not midnight". I made it to the top of the steps, out the door, thousands of runners. All with sweat-soaked yellow shirts. Eating bananas, drinking water, laughing, telling tales of their run. I had just pulled off one of the dumbest things one could imagine. Why didn't I ask someone to confirm the time. But, it was a midnight run!!!!! But then think about it. Why is midnight mass held at 10pm in my hometown? Why does the Big Ten have 11 teams? Why do things at the Dollar store not always cost a dollar?

People are coming up to me: "Hey man, you look like you could run this thing again - you're not even sweating". I couldn't take it anymore. Head and shoulders slumped, I went back down the stairs I had just climbed and took the metro back into central Stockholm. Now what? Well, I prepared to run for 1 hour tonight - that's what I'm going to do. I headed out into the streets of Stockholm, by myself, at 11:30pm on a Saturday night. I just started to run. People are like: "Dude, you can stop running man - the race is over". My reply: "Yeh - I'm just trying to cool down". Which, was exactly what I was doing.

Interesting. Running through the streets of a major city between 11:30pm-12:30am on a Saturday night in a neon yellow running shirt. I got so many comments, it was amusing. I deserved to be mocked and ridiculed. The city was spectacular at night. The run was great - therapeutic.

Once I finished running, I made my way back to the subway for my return train to the hotel. I started noticing everyone looking at me at the train station. Specifcally, people were looking at my chest. Why are people staring at my chest? I look down to see that I have blood on both sides of my chest. Fantastic! I won't go into details, but a new running shirt, combined with a long run, combined with a big chest, can lead to problems if not prepared. Embarressment #2 on the night. Can I find a hole and jump in it? Oh well - I basically hid myself behind some pillars - pretending to look at a map until my train arrived. Back to the hotel at 2am.

This will go down as one of the nights I'd love to forget - but I don't think that will happen anytime soon. "Smooth, real slick Mav" - I'm gonna need a beer to put these flames out.

Day #152 - Stockholm, Sweden

Narrow, busy, shopping streets

A view across one of the many waterways in the city

The Grand Hotel - host Nobel Prize winners in December

A look at "The City" - see the many islands and waterways

A Cultural Festival was going on

Friday, August 13th

Friday the 13th - I've always liked this day. I'm a fan of scary moives - it's a good night to chill inside, dim the lights, and pop in a movie.

If I was writing a travel itinerary for today, it would say: "Stockholm, at leasure". This was my typical - get into a big city, walk around, and just figure it out. Stockholm is best viewed by plane in my opinion. It's a maze of islands and lakes. I'm not even sure what they actually call "The City". It's really cool.

I had to look at a map a little quicker than normal because the area was so expansive. I first saw where the Goto Canal came into Stockholm (I mentioned yesterday how this canal extends from Goteborg to Stockholm). I walked around the Royal Palace - an incredible area set aside on one of the islands. I walked over to the Grand Hotel. This is one of the most famous hotels in Stockholm - it also host the Nobel Prize winners during the second week of December each year.

Their was a Cultural Festival going on today as well. Many bands and booths littered the streets - similar to Goteborg the other day - just on a much grander scale. There was a long street where most of the shopping and restaurants were located. It was a narrow street, isolated for foot traffic only.

I spent the late afternoon at the Tourist Center. I created a plan of attack for the next few days. I'm going to be leaving for Oslo, Norway next Tuesday morning - so I have 3 more days to see the sites. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. I've got a couple day trips planned and then I intend to run the Midnight 10K in downtown Stockholm I've heard about these runs and biking events before - but I never participated. It should be interesting. After my day travels, I might come back to my place for a little while before heading back for the run.

Here's to a great Friday exploring the capital of Sweden and the so-called "Capital of Scandanavia"

Day #151 - Alingsas to Stockholm, Sweden

Awesome early morning pictures of Jan & Ulla's lake in Alingsas, Sweden

Early morning in Sweden

Calm, peaceful waters

Thursday, August 12th

I forgot to mention that Goteborg is spelled Gothenburg in English. So, if you look at a US map, you may not see the word Goteborg.

I got up early this morning and went with Jan into Alingsas where he dropped me off at the train station around 8am. A hearty "Thank You" to him and his family for their graciousness in extending their home to me for a couple nights. Onward to Stockholm

I took a 4-1/2 hour train to Stockholm - arriving around 1pm. I finished the Anne Frank book on the way. I had to call and talk with my little niece Madeline about my thoughts pertaining to the book. I don't know - the more I read, the more I was becoming less and less a fan of Anne Frank as the person. The book was great -- thought provoking, intriguing, representing a time in history that few people can forget. Anne herself -- I can totally appreciate her situation, her age, and the pressures of the enviroment in which they lived for 2 years -- still, I'm not sure her attitude and demeanor deserve a high amount of respect. Madeline talked me off the ledge a little bit and told me to focus on the reasoning upon which the book was published. Let's leave it at - "It's a great book, representing a terrible time in history, that should hopefully rally people to become better". Nuff said. Onto my next book - Dan Brown"s - Deception Point. I've read his DaVince Code, Digital Fortress, and Angels & Demons. I have Deception Point and the Lost Symbol to go. I'm a big fan of his books.

Once I arrived in Stockholm, I had some lunch at the tran terminal. Then, I got onto Wi-Fi and found a hotel for the next couple nights. I went to the information booth, found out what train I needed, and took a 15 minute ride to my stop at Barkaby. I'm staying at the Welcome Hotel - Ok place.

By the time I arrived and checked in, it was getting close to 4pm. I was pretty exhausted, so I decided to just relax the rest of the day. I took a nap, grabbed some dinner at the hotel, caught up on my blogs, and talked to some of my family via Skype well into the early morning.

Tomorrow - let's see what Stockholm is all about.

Day #150 - Goteborg, Sweden

Jan and I in the double kayak

Getting my first experiences in a sea kayak

Waterfall at Liseberg Amusement Park

Alot of fun on cultural day in Goteborg

Wednesday, August 11th

Today I got up early and went into the city of Goteborg with Jan. It was about a 45 minute car ride from their lake house in Alingsas. Jan had some appointments with work for the day, so he let me out near the bus station and I was off to visit the 2nd largest city in Sweden. We would meet back up later around 5pm for our return trip to Alingsas.

I first had to take care of some errands and find a post office to send a few cards out. I then set out to see the sites. Right away, what I noticed about Goteborg is the amount of lakes and canals running through the city. That always makes for some great scenery and atmosphere. The 'Goto Canal' connects Goteborg on the North Sea with Stockholm on the Baltic Sea. This canal stretches for 322 nautical miles, was dug out by 60,000 soldiers who removed 200 million cubic foot of earth and rock, and has a series of 58 locks.

There was also a cultural festival going on today. This meant that there were many little bands playing on small stages and several booths scattered around town. I stopped in a few of these tents (some better than others -- Jan & Ulla know what I mean here). I walked down to Liseberg Park. It's a huge amusement park area in town. (It's unique here in Scandanavia so far - the amusement parks are generally right in the main town. This is different than my experiences in the states. In St. Louis - Six Flags is way west of the city. In Minnesota, Valleyfair is south of the city.)

Other top attractions of Goteborg were the many museums (history, art, and sciences). There was also a large botanical garden area for walking. It was an all-good day. I did have some rain in the afternoon - but that's why that make rain coats.

I met up with Jan and we drove back over to Alingsas. We had talked the night before and Jan mentioned that he kayaks alot out on the lake. He has both a single and double kayak. He had asked me if I would be interested in going out on the water. I jumped at this opportunity. I've never used a real kayak like this before.

We had returned about 6:30-7:00pm from Goteborg. We quickly switched into lake gear and took the double person kayak out for a test run. I listened to his instructions and gave it a whirl. My only hesitations about kayaks have always been - if the thing flips - will you be able to get out of the boat. Jan said: "No problem - easy to get out".

We took a ride up and down the shoreline. It was awesome! No flipping. It took me a little while to get the hang of it. I was in front and had control of the foot pedals connected to the rudder in the back of the boat for orientation. (I didn't know kayaks even had foot pedal controls). I could see how this sport would be alot of fun. Your close to the water, it's fast, it's peaceful. We got some pictures of us as we neared the dock. A "Thanks" to Jan for this really cool experience.

We followed this with a feast for kings. We had fresh crab for dinner - recently caught and provided to their family. What a treat! Some great conversations again and it was getting pretty late.

Another fun and unique day on my journey.

Day #149 - Copenhagen to Sweden

The lake in Alingsas -- a little like northern Minnesota (with moose as well)

Great beach

The perfect Lake House

A look out from the balcony of my little cottage

Tuesday, August 10th

I'm currently sitting at a McDonalds in a small town in Sweden called Alingsas. I'm waiting for this extremely kind Swedish family to pick me up.

So, the money thing (both conversions and overall cost) has been on my mind. I just talked with a couple guys on the train and they had told me how Norway and Denmark are 2 of the most expensive countries in the world. I had to do some searching on this.

According to the 2010 City Mayors Report, the most expensive cities in the world are (I'll only list Europe and US):

(4) Moscow, Russia

(5) Geneva, Switz

(8) Zurich, Switz

(10) Copenhagen, Denmark

(11) Oslo, Norway

(15) Milan, Itlay

(17) London, England

(17) Paris, France

(22) Bern, Switzerland

(26) Rome, Italy

(27) NY City

(28) Vienna, Austria

(30) St. Petersburg, Russia

(31) Helsinki, Finland

(35) Amsterdam, Netherlands

(37) Bratislava, Slovakia

(40) Athens, Greece

(42) Dublin, Ireland

(44) Istanbul, Turkey

(47) Prague, Czech Republic

(49) Barcelona, Spain

(50) Frankfurt, Germany

I think this list is fascinating. It says alot. I haven't researched this topic at all until today and I couldn't agree more with it. I felt things in Switzerland were crazy expensive - now I see why. I felt like Copenhagen was outrageous - now I see why. Before the end of my trip, I'm hoping to have visited every single city listed above. It's going to be interesting to see if my take-away is consistent with the results shown.

You could make alot of assumptions from this list. Only 1 city in the US (NYCity) is in the top 50. Switzerland and the Nordic countries are extremely expensive. I'm looking forward to travelling in Germany - Berlin, Munich or Hamburg did not make the list. A city missing is Stockholm - I wonder why. I can tell you just from the cost at McDonalds right now - a family of 3 bought dinners in front of me. Remember how it cost roughly $15/meal in Copenhagen. Here, it was about $9-10. If that says anything - you can see maybe why Swedish cities would not be on the list. But why is Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsinki in the Top 50 -- but not Stockholm --- inquiring minds want to know?

When folks from Europe come to the US - it must be like kids in a candy store. They have to be throwing money around like it's playtime. It would be the equivalent of us going to Kilimanjaro, Africa. The guys on the train also said that people make more on average in the Nordic countries. I'm assuming this would need to be true - just to survive in the economy.

Good stuff - I'm just fitting things together.

__________________________________________________________________

LATER

I was picked up by Jan at McDonalds at 5:45pm. We drove back to their lake house where I met his wife Ulla, and his 2 sons - Henrik and Staffan. What a tremendously nice and friendly family. I felt right at home. They live the summer months on this beautiful lake - the look and feel is very similar to northern Minnesota in my eyes.

We shared some stories and had a great dinner. It all reminds me just how small the world really is sometimes. I worked with a fanatastic lady in Minnesota, who opened her home up to Jan many years ago as an exchange student, and now I'm here visiting them through this connection. Additionally, their son Henrik will be coming to the states within the next month as an exchange student himself. Hopefully I can hook him up with some contacts on my end. The circle keeps going around. As Jan stated, you just keep 'Paying it Forward' and things may just come back in your favor one day. Outstanding!

After dinner, we had more conversations. I've come to realize how little I know about today's popular music or even the popular TV shows. I generally watch sports if I watch TV, sometimes the occasional reality show (Amazing Race) or some reruns of the half-hour sitcoms of the past. I'm a huge fan of music and listen to everything - but am not so great on the new pop groups. I learned that most music in Sweden is performed in English. This dffers from many of the southern European countries. Staffan and Henrik are huge golf fans. We talked alot about the British Open and St. Andrews. Why I didn't realize Annnika Sorenstam was from Sweden - I don't know. It was fun to hear about Jan and Ulla's travels to Hawaii and New Zealand. I can listen to travel tales all night - it provides insite into areas and places that maybe I'll get to one day. By the end of the night, I was convinced that Sweden is more similar to the US then I could have ever imagined. Really, when it comes down to it, most people in the world are very similar - it's just the little differences that make us unique.

We called it an evening about 11pm. I stayed in their 'guest house' - a small little cottage right by their place. How great would it be too have a place like this?

Here's to a great first day in Sweden and a big "Thank You" for the hospitality of my new friends.

Day #148 - Denmark - Odense

The Daemon Roller-Coaster -- Tivoli Gardens

Walking to Egeskov Castle

Waiting outside a small, middle-of-nowhere train station

Fairy-tale house ouside Hans Christian Anderson's Museum

Birthplace home for Hans Christian Anderson

Monday, August 9th

Today I took a train to the island of Funen,Denmark -- specifically, to the town of Odense. It was about a 1-1/2 hour train ride from Copenhagen. Not too bad. Denmark is pretty accessible to all parts of the country. This differs from Norway, Sweden, and Finland - whose long-bodied countries stretch near the North Pole.

I wanted to see a new part of Denmark. I walked around the city for some time. Pretty low-key. Although the 3rd biggest city in the country, it felt small. I toured around the streets and made my way to the Hans Chrisitan Anderson house. Born in 1805, HC Anderson is best known for his children stories. 2 of the stories that I've read are: "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Mermaid".

They had a museum and across-t0wn was the home he grew up in. I toured around both sites. Pretty interesting and very focused on kids. The coolest thing about the museum was this story-book type house outside along this small pond. I guess Anderson was a big traveler. He has published a number of long travelogues. Interesting.

After touring around Odense, I took the train south to the small town of Kvaerndrop. When I say small, this would be in the middle-of-nowhere. I walked a couple miles to the Egeskov Castle. I didn't give myself enough time and I had arrived close to 5pm. The place was closing at 6pm so I didn't pay to get inside. This was a really neat site. I'm disappointed that I couldn't see more. Unlike other castles I've toured, this place was much more than that. It had over 30 acres of ground. It had mazes made of shrubs. I've always wanted to do one of these. Wouldn't that be pretty cool? The castle itself was much more interesting in appearance than many others. It was an island castle accessible only by a suspension drawbridge (unique). It was constructed in 1554 - known to be Europe's best preserved Renaissance island castle.

So many interesting things to see - you could spend a day at each site. I'm in 'stick and move' mode however - so I pick my battles and where I can spend the time. I took the train back into Copenhagen.

I had a free ticket to get into Tivoli Gardens. The park is across the street from the train station so I decided to check it out. Character. That's the word that comes to mind. This place has it. Old, genuine, filled with alot of character. I walked throughout the park first. Then, I went up to one of the younger guys working a booth and asked: "I'm wondering who the best is - the best roller coaster in this park". His respone: "Dude, it's the Daemon man, it's awesome, you gotta try it man - it's awesome. You gotta do it". Solid - with that sales pitch, how could I not try it.

I'm a huge fan of roller-coasters. The taller and faster they are - the better. Some buddies and I went to Cedar Point several years ago. This is a legendary park outside Sandusky, Ohio (along the shores of Lake Eerie) which houses some of the best roller-coasters in the world. I don't think the Daemon could match - but I had to try it anyway. It was this twisty, upside-down, type coaster. You were seated but your legs were hanging free. It was an awesome ride. Way too short - but still awesome. I didn't hang out too long in the park. This is one of those things that you just don't do by yourself. It was definitely fun to see. It was a Monday night - the place was completely packed. All good.

Back in the hotel. Tommorrow I exit Denmark and head to Sweden. Plus, I have some great news. I'm meeting up with this Swedish family I was telling you about. I'm meeting them at a McDonalds at 5:45pm tomorrow night. They have 2 sons, 1 of which will be coming to the US in a couple weeks as an exchange student. This should be great sharing stories providing some perspective of US life while also hearing all about Sweden.

Day #147 - Copenhagen, Denmark

Sunday, August 8th

So last night I signed up for the Iceland - Reyjavik Marathon on August 21st. I haven't run over 13 miles in a couple months. Today I needed to get some confidence by going long.

I slept in longer than I had planned. It wasn't going to matter as far as heat goes, it was raining when I awoke. I headed out to the 4 long rectangular lakes (actually 5 lakes - the first one is separated by a road). The temperature was perfect - so the rain didn't bother me. I actually enjoyed it. I ran 3 loops around the lake - each taking about 45 minutes or so. I wanted to run without stopping for the first 13 miles. I then walked another 5-7 miles. It hurt - but I made it through. I won't be breaking any records in Iceland - but I think I can do it.

After running, completely drenched from head to toe, I headed to church (which started at 6:30pm). I've missed the last couple weeks because of travel, but I wanted to get there today. It was on the other side of town. I was cold and wet, so I stopped in and grabbed a large coffee for the walk. Denmark is pretty expensive when it comes to food and drink. I had ducked into a Burger King for the coffee - 15 Danish Frank for a small cup ($3). Sodas are 28 Danish Frank ($5). The lady in front of me ordered three meals, 2 for her kids and herself. Cost = 260 Danish Frank ($50). Should a hamburger, fries and a drink cost $15 at Burger King? Anyway, I walked the few miles to the church. I couldn't get in. It was crazy. I could hear the music inside but couldn't find the door. Maybe I was out of it from the run (I don't doubt this). But, I circled the place 5 times, checked every door, and even went through some alley ways. Not successful. It was in a little remote part of town, maybe they lock the doors after the mass starts. Hopefully the thought counts. I had good intentions - I just wasn't able to make it happen.

On the way back, I stopped by a 7-11 and got some groceries for the night. It's strange - there are 7-11 stores all over Copenhagen. I don't think I've seen a single one of these in my 140+ days in Europe. Here - they are everywhere. They don't have any Super Big Gulp cups however.

I'm currently vegetating in my room. All good. I moved hotels yesteray - this is my second place in Copenhagen (much better). I'm actually staying in the Tivoli Hotel. It's about a 15 minute walk from the amusement park. They give you free tickets to the park for 1 day with your stay. I had planned to go this evening, but with the rain, I'll do it tomorrow.

Tomorrow I head to the island west of Zealand - the island of Funen. Let's see what the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson has to offer.