Ohhhh myyyy! It’s been a busy two days. I landed in Stockholm yesterday and hit the ground running. First I met up with my group from Global Education Allies, which consists of about 30 educators from across the US who are eager to learn more about the education systems in Sweden, Estonia, and Finland. It’s been really cool to meet teachers and administrators from various schools. I look forward to building lasting connections with my new travel buddies!
On the first day in Sweden, I went to Gamla Stan (Old Town), Storkyrkan Church, the Royal Palace, the Royal Canal Tour, and the Photography Museum. I finished the day by eating at Herman’s Restaurant, a fabulous vegan restaurant.
This morning I woke up to the sound of pouring rain, which I love! So, I started the day by visiting the Vasa Museum. It consists of a warship that was built during the reign of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. It was part of a fleet of warships commissioned by the king in 1625 when Sweden was at war with Poland and was built by an experienced shipbuilder called Henrik Hybertsson. The Vasa began its voyage on August 10, 1628. However, minutes into the journey, the passengers and crew noticed something terribly wrong. It began to sway violently and tragically sank within 30 minutes. The sunken ship was left in the Baltic Sea for over 300 years. A small team of commercial divers worked tirelessly for over 18 months before the Vasa Ship was finally rescued on April 24, 1961. It’s considered one of the world's largest jigsaw puzzles as each piece had to be carefully restored. I was fascinated to learn that today the Vasa Ship remains 98% original to its architecture in 1628.
Next, I explored the Viking Life Museum, the Museum of Spirits, and the Skansen Open Air Museum. We then visited and ate lunch at the Nordic Museum. In the afternoon, I went to the Nobel Prize Museum and decided to go back to the Gamla Stan (Old Town) because I had fallen in love with it the day before. It’s full of great food, cute shops, and beautiful architecture. Tomorrow is our last full day in Stockholm before we make our way to Estonia….stay tuned for more adventures!
