Matt asked for a bit of help fixing up the new family condo outside of Stockholm, preparing for a Christmas first. In order to help – he had to get me to Sweden. It was well worth the trip. This trip I learned much about Swedish culture, the customs, traditions and history.

Close neighbors and longtime family friends, Bjorn and Anja, were so much fun while guiding us to special restaurants and museums. More importantly Bjorn was a fount of information on staining new furniture, rebuilding an inherited floor lamp, and hanging mirrors so they were actually level with the floor. After a good days work, there were of course nights of doing what Swedes do. In Bjorn and Anja’s family that involved kickboxing training. Their 14. year old daughter Lilly actually holds Sweden’s title for her age group. She impressively beat her Dad (and coach) in a training round. A true Viking in training:)

The VasaMuseum was the hands down favorite on this trip. This amazingly well preserved Viking vessel is a trip down history lane. As you view the rooms on every level, you get a feel for life aboard these well crafted quality crafts. Unfortunately for this very expensive ship, everything seemed to be state of the art, at least three centuries ago, except the top heavy design. It actually sank in Stockholm’s harbor on its maiden voyage. The silver lining is that three centuries later Matt and I, along with visitors from every country, got to visualize what life aboard a Viking ship was like.

Bjorn & Anja generously gave us the use of their jeep during our stay; however on the last day Matt and I opted for the subway for the experience. The Swedes are great admirers of art and the subway is no exception. There was so much to see in the tunnels, you forget you’re not in an art gallery. No time for the art galleries of Stockholm, but looking forward to that experience next time.