Hello to Sweden

We crossed the unprotected border ( sort of like we used to have with the US) and entered Sverige easily. We are getting further away from the Gulf Stream, so it is getting colder. In fact Jurg was so impressed that we went through Are, a World Cup Ski Race. We stopped there, to have a coffee of course..It is a big resort but the season is over so most things were closed. We ended up in a hamburg type joint where the coffee machine was broken. Had the hamburgs, sans coffee and pushed on. Winter still has its hold on this area...trees aren't blooming, things are neutral coloured and snow still is caught in the valleys and troughs of the area. And it was cold! brrrr
As we drove on and descended to lower altitudes, things greened up and one could see spring was well on its way. The area looked very much like northern Ontario..lots of birches, conifers, lakes and rocks. We spent the night in a cabin at a resort that used to be a farm in the 1700's. It was actually quite lovely and they served us a great breakfast in the morning in the main building. A good deal too...less than $100!
Then yesterday we continued on toward Stockholm, stopping in Upsalla. What a beautiful town, the opposite of Upsalla Ontario, where we have also been. The Swedes who went to Ontario should have stayed in Sweden and prospered! A beautiful cathedral and the oldest university in Scandanavia are the stars of this small city. And the sun is shining again.
So yesterday we arrived in Stockholm. I went on line to find a hotel and there was nothing...except for one worth $1000 and a Contact Hotel where they had a bunk room available. Guess which one we took. This "Quick Sleep" Room is an inner room with no windows, a double bunk bed and an LCD TV. Rosmarie and Sozon's room has 2 twin beds and a window...but both rooms have a bathroom down the hall, which is very modern. It is unisex...except for the showers..so I have to get used to brushing my teeth next to a guy. But the price is right...$300 American for the 2 rooms for 2 nights including breakfast. We take a 10 minute train ride on a fast commuter train to get into the city...which we did last night and today.
Stockholm is a fabulous city...beautiful, vibrant, well planned. It is spread across several islands with Gamla Stan being the old city area from Mediaval times. We visited a fabulous museum today...the Vasa Museum. It contains a boat the sunk in the 1600's in the harbour here and was raised intact in the 1960's. Fabulous look at the life and times of Sweden in those days. Stockholm has great transit...more subways than Toronto, terrific buses and lots of bicycles. The buildings are incredible and we went up the City Hall tour for a view over the city. The Nobel Prize Dinner is held in the city hall here. We ended our day with a traditional smorgesbord at the Grand Hotel...Jurg is already snoring in his upper bunk as I write this.
Tomorrow we head toward Trelleborg where we will catch a ferry toward Sassnitz in Germany on Saturday for a 4 hr ride ..
Chus!