Copenhagen, episode 9. ¡In which finalmente viajamos a Estocolmo!

This photo has been a long time coming. Mari and I have been wanting to visit "Estocolmo" ever since watching one of our favorite films, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, nearly 30 years ago. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but like any memory worth treasuring, it only needs to make sense to you and (in my case) the love of my life who truly gets me and appreciates my ridiculously and stupidly simple sense of humor.

Ever since hearing the vigorous Spanish pronunciation of Sweden's capital city repeated throughout the film's third act, we've been anxiously awaiting an opportunity to visit "Estocolmo," I mean, Stockholm. This may not be the best photo to represent that Baltic burg, but the patinaed copper spire of St. Gertrude's Church was omnipresent in our souvenir photos as we enjoyed a few hours of free time wandering the busy streets and shopping centers surrounding the baroque beauty.

The Vasa warship on full display inside the museum (exterior views in my video).

Please click on my YouTube video below to watch some of my video footage from our Stockholm shore excursion which begins at the Vasa Museum, then moves on to the changing of the guard and some additional city views as we wander the colorful avenues and alleys of Old Stockholm on the island of Stadsholmen (a bit like sightseeing in Manhattan, only with actual royalty).

After our city highlights tour which included a stop at the Vasa Museum, we were dropped off at the 350+ year-old Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace) for a free afternoon during which Mari and I enjoyed the changing of the guard ceremony, an unexpectedly gourmet cafe lunch full of local flavor (and incredible fresh butter for the incredible fresh bread), and an opportunity to inject some exchanged krona into the local economy.

That's our cafe whose outdoor dining space was unfortunately not available to two open-air-dining-deprived South Texas tourists famished for al fresco feasting.

In the upper left of my spectacularly skewed tablescape, sandwiched between my strong coffee and (what else was I going to eat during my one and only day in Sweden?!) Swedish meatball special is a misleadingly tiny (but bountifully potent) plate proferring my first of three servings of butter (with bread).

Yes, those are lingonberries riding astride the meatballs and parsleyed mashed potato mounds!

Lingonberries!

(And that is the mushroom soup that Mari has not stopped talking about for the past year.)

At right is a colorful display beckoning collectors into one of the street's tempting antiques shops. Warning: I am a big sucker for displays like this.

I am also a sucker (pun intended)

for candy shops like this.

I am reminded now to remind you about money exchanges.

Be sure to do your research before international travel.


Although their intention was to provide a universal currency for countries within conveniently close proximity, Euros are not universally accepted throughout Europe. Check your travel guides, websites, or even the country's wikipedia page well in advance of your journey. While Euros and British pounds are available at most large banks, you may need to order other currency from your bank in advance of your departure.

In the case of our Baltic cruise, Mari and I were in need of Danish krone (DKK) for Copenhagen; Euros (EUR) for Germany, Estonia (still sad about our missed Tallinn stop), and Finland; non-returnable Russian rubles (RUB); and Swedish krona (SEK). In addition to the krone and krona (not the same), we also had Icelandic króna (ISK) to consider for the next leg of our trip (and Pounds sterling GBP beyond that). I was a little surprised to find three different "krona" with three very different valuations as I began the process of ordering currency from my bank. One of the reasons we selected our bank is because it offers no-fee currency exchanges if you maintain a minimum balance. I was also able to order currency online and have it delivered to my home at no cost. Almost too easy.

Be sure, please, to do any currency exchanges well in advance of your trip and try your best to guesstimate what you will realistically need. This will help keep you on budget while traveling and also keep you from over-exchanging. Of course, you can always exchange (most) currency back into dollars upon your return, but you will invariably lose money in the process.

Now, another (more convenient) option is to rely on your credit card when you are outside the United States. You will be given the best and most up-to-date exchange rate when your transaction is approved, but you may also be charged a "foreign transaction fee" per charge. You realistically want to have a little local cash on hand in case you find an amazing jar of homemade wild strawberry jam from a local vendor who harvested the strawberries herself!

It was just before reboarding our ship in Germany that we came across our strawberrylicious find and we were frustratingly careful not to open the jar until arriving home two weeks later!


Let's get back to Stockholm and that photo of me at the top of my blog, the one I posted to celebrate my 100th episode back in January. That was taken at the entrance to an alley of antiques shops that Mari and I were thrilled to discover as we traipsed our trail around Old Stockholm. I knew I needed a souvenir photo with that rustically appropriate signage and Mari's artful eye and steady hand were right at the ready. Many thanks for a favorite souvenir photo!

The antiques shops themselves down this little lane were plentifully packed with local treasures including beautifully intricate antique furniture and household items as well as books and jewelry.

One of the reasons why I enjoy secondhand shopping so much, especially in other regions, states, and countries, is that you learn so much about a local culture based on what has been collected and recollected. From the fondue forks tucked safely away in the bottom of my luggage to egg cups old and new and even colorful celluloid cat pins, a portrait of a culture emerges that is as distinct and unique and beautiful as the crafters who created these items and the hardworking individual collectors who initially invited them into their humble homes.

To some it may be "stuff" or (gasp) "junk," but to me (to paraphrase my beloved Bard) the memory's the thing.

Allow me to share with you two glintingly graceful yet utilitarian memories plucked from that picturesque antique alley.

The lång gaffel at left is about 8 inches while Mr. Stubby with the 5 (five!) triangular tines is just over 5 inches. Both were on display among a beautiful array of service implements and although it was Stubbs who caught my collector's gaze first, I couldn't leave his buddy behind.

Hardy without Laurel?

Not on my watch!

While I still haven't had occasion to spear then savor pickled herring with my shiny Swedish-crafted silverware (it is most definitely not silver), the 20-kroner-apiece picked pickle implements do serve for me as delicate but durably practical reminders of our Stockholm stop (for all of four dollars and 58 cents).

Finally, we couldn't leave Estocolmo behind without picking up Pippi (Longstocking that is).

A favorite childhood read of Mari's, Astrid Lindgren's beloved nine-year-old adventurer is well known the world over, of course, and Pippi Långstrump is as well known throughout Stockholm souvenir shops as she is still treasured the world over.

As we made our way back up to our tour's pick-up point, Mari and I stumbled upon a Pippi souvenir shop as colorfully jam-packed with goodies as Pippi's playful countenance is covered with freckles.

Mari limited herself to just the brightly-painted enamel-covered metal bowl pictured here which has since seen plenty of practical daily use from colorfully fruited loops (whole grain, of course) to a favorite "Chicago" mix of caramel and cheese popcorn.

Pippi would have especially liked the fantastically flavored little loops.





Our final Stockholm souvenir selfie before sailing back to our familiar Copenhagen was snapped at the end of a very long day full of new adventures and an unfortunately brief glimpse at a spectacular capital city full of fascinating history and an equally auspicious future. Our colorful floating home became a welcome sight after every Baltic adventure.

We share a final Copenhagen adventure next time as we venture out of (Africa) the city.