Fika and Sightseeing (Mon., Aug. 21)

We had three stops on our sightseeing list today and we took the Hop On Hop Off bus to get around. We aren't fans of this way to get around, but it started right in front of our hotel so how could we resist? First stop was Skansen, which is the world's oldest open-air museum. It consists of houses and farmsteads from every part of Sweden and brought to Stockholm for a display. It opened in 1891 as a Royal Park. The picture at the right is a country church. The park was interesting, but there was a lot of walking, and so we cheated a little by taking one of those little trains that runs around the park. There is also a small zoo, and we went to see the reindeer, but of course they were nowhere to be seen.

The second stop was the ABBA Museum. We aren't big fans, but you can't come to Sweden and not see a museum dedicated to their most famous musical group. The museum was cute and included a lot of their most outrageous outfits and a lot of memorabilia. They even gave you a chance to get on the stage and sing as a fifth member of ABBA and the two women who did it while we were there were amazingly good. You definitely will leave singing. "If you change your mind, I'm the first in line, Honey, I'm still free, Take a chance on me..."

The last stop was the Vasa Museum. It's strange to have a museum dedicated to one of your country's worst failures, but they have it here. The Vasa was a wooden warship which was built and launched in 1628, sailed only a small distance and then capsized in a very light wind and sank. It remained in the harbor until it was raised again in the 1960s and put in the museum which only opened in 1990. Why did it sink? When they built the ship, they built the gun ports too low, and they didn't leave enough room for ballast (stones), so the ship was extremely top heavy. The ship and museum are massive and well worth a visit.

Lastly, I want to report on our cinnamon roll taste test. All three Scandinavian countries were close but we're going to give the nod to Sweden. None of them were super sweet so if you want sweet, stick to an American version. It makes sense for Sweden to win as they even have a word - Fika - for a coffee break with a sweet pastry which is often a cinnamon roll.