Stockholm When You’re Seven

After a year in Stockholm we felt as though we had achieved a pretty good understanding of the environs of our new hometown.  Well, that was until our seven-year old grandchild arrived for a two-week visit.

Accompanied by his Aunt Karen, Devin arrived last week after a long fight from Atlanta, Georgia.  Exercising grandmotherly authority, Helen organized the two-week calendar of events for the visit with a simple formula, “For the first three days, we go where I decide.  Afterwards, Devin and Karen each get to choose venues and adventures.”  What a great deal!

Devin at History Museum

In the first few days, there was a boat ride among the islands of Stockholm, a visit to the Natural History Museum and a visit to the Vasa Museum.  Then Stockholm came alive through the eyes of a seven year old.

A trip to Skansen, the world’s first outdoor museum, was a day of fun playing on a snake slide, having a chargrilled hamburger lunch and more fun climbing on the Spider Web at the playground.  The moose was also way cool. 

An early evening clown show performed by a professional clown of 35 years from America along with his Swedish girlfriend was more fun then we expected.  But the day at Stockholm’s renowned amusement park, Gröna Lund, was a scream…really!

Helen & Devin on Skyview

Other adventures included a ride on SkyView that takes one on the outside of the huge Globe sports arena just south of our apartment.  There was also a visit to see the changing of the guard at the royal palace, an evening visit to the Nobel Museum and opportunities to roll down a grassy hill or play on the apartment playground.

And just to confirm that there was a seven-year old in charge, we had lunch at McDonalds, several visits to the video store (Harry Potter, Shark boy and Lava girl) and a request to have “breakfast for dinner” inclusive of cereal, scrambled eggs and bacon that was honored.

Jay and Devin put together a three-minute video of some of the highlights of Devin’s two-week visit. 

Rosendals Trädgård

Saturday was a picture perfect day of sunshine and mild summer temperatures, so we pulled out the bikes and rode to Djurgården.  Originally designed as a royal hunting preserve in the 16^th century, Djurgården remains a wooded parkland as well as home to amusement parks, museums, walking trails and gardens.   

Djurgården, which is about an hour’s walk from our apartment, has remained something of an undiscovered area in our Stockholm adventure.  So with pedal power at our disposal and with no specific destination in mind we just headed out to explore this island woodland.

Near Gröna Lund Entrance

We pedaled past Gröna Lund, the island’s large amusement park, and savored the funnel cake-like atmosphere that accompanies any seaside amusement park, regardless of location.  Think Jersey shore boardwalk gaiety, only in Swedish.

We continued on the paved roadways before turning onto gravel walking and cycling paths into the island’s interior.  It was then that we discovered another Stockholm gem, Rosendals Trädgård (botanical garden).

The Orangery and Flower Beds

In the 19^th century, the Swedish royals developed the area around Rosendals Trädgård into an English-like park.  In 1848, King Oscar I built an orangery, a building to grow fruit trees and exotic plants and palms.  The early history of the garden, not surprisingly, includes helping farmers plant and grow orchards of fruit trees.

Picnickers enjoying the grassy orchard

Rosendals Trädgård is still a working botanical garden, but appears now to cater more to the wine sipping, cheese munching crowd than farmers clad in overalls. A large grassy area filled with benches and picnic tables shaded by apple trees provides a delightful sitting area to enjoy either a purchased or carried picnic. The gently sloped approach to the old orangery is no longer filled with laboring farmers, but a rose garden populated with giggling children and doting grandparents. 

Hothouse Tomatoes

The working history of the garden, however, is seen in the preservation of several multi-purpose glass hot houses.  One glass hot house was filled with a well-tended tomato crop.  Another offered seed choices primarily for urbanites seeking vegetable and flower options for their small gardens or apartment balcony flower boxes.  Yet another offered latte options and a table display with an array of pastries.  Working comes in many forms.

Greenhouse cafe

Pears Grown Inside Bottles

We browsed the wares in these glass houses, but passed on lingering for a meal.  We mounted our bikes and continued our island tour.

Another beautiful day and another great “find” to add to our Swedish adventure.

Visit Home and Back

A short pause was placed on our blogging in June due to our vacation travels from Sweden back to the US.  We are now back in Stockholm and are providing a quick summary of our wanderings in the States.

Family Reunion

We timed our travel primarily to attend the yearly family reunion so we could celebrate Jay’s Mom’s 90^th birthday.  

Mom's sister Ginny, Mom and Ellen

Four generations - Oldest & youngest

We had cake, sang Happy Birthday and marveled at the sight of generations mingling with the family matriarch.   

We also gave Midge a birthday gift of a day of yard work.  Her mind is still sharp, but her body is no longer willing to participate in the stooping and pulling needed to beat back Mother Nature’s desire to grow weeds in flower beds.  Our restoration of a pachysandra bed around the stump of an apple tree that once provided shade and climbing joy for Jay and his brother Keith was greeted with hugs and an unending stream of “thank you’s.”  We were glad we could give her a present she truly wanted.

Home Sweet Home

After four days in New Jersey we headed to our home in Roswell, Georgia.   Here we had an opportunity to give our kids hugs and extend our many thanks to them for taking care of our two dogs and two cats.  It was nice to be back among family and friends and have our pets follow us from room to room reconnecting with us as though we had never been gone.

We conducted our own battles with Mother Nature regarding her weed growing and branch dropping habits, but it was nice to be back puttering about in our own yard. 

Choir members at UUCA

There were also several breakfasts and lunches where we had chances catch up with friends.  We happily accepted the many hugs at church on Sunday.  When asked, “Are you back?” we replied we still have a year to go on our Swedish adventure.

Even Janice, our friendly cashier at our local Kroger greeted us with a warm Southern “Hey!” and noted that she had not seen us for a while.  We shared our story about living in Stockholm.  As we finished purchasing our groceries for a family dinner she bid us safe journeys adding, “You two live a storybook life.” 

On Sunday at a family dinner, all our kids and grandson were with us and we held a combined celebration of Jay’s birthday, Sean’s birthday and Father’s Day.

On Monday bags were re-packed.  Supplies of vitamins, peanut butter, lotion and other day-to-day products that are just so expensive in Stockholm were strategically placed in our luggage, pushing our airline weight limits to the max. 

Many hours later, we opened our apartment door and were greeted by Millie, our landlord’s cat, who lives with us. She follows us about…but it’s just not the same.