Jess woke up at 7 am to full sunlight and had to put on a sleep mask to get back to sleep. When the alarm went off at 8:30, Jess got up and showered, letting Jer sleep in. Then we got dressed and had a breakfast of yoghurt (strawberry and apple-vanilla), bread (some with mushroom cream cheese, some with butter and marmalade) and tea.
We took longer than expected to get going, but finally we headed out. After some wandering, we found the metro and headed to the Old Town. Our first destination was the Royal Palace, which we found with no trouble. We hit the highlights, which included the silver throne in the Hall of State, an exhibition in honor of Crown Princess Victoria's 30th birthday (which was Jess's too), the crown jewels of various Swedish monarchs in the Treasury, gorgeous coaches and sleighs (along with uniforms, court dresses and armaments) in the Armory. We also caught a glimpse of the Changing of the Guard.
Hungry, we wandered over to Kaffegillet, a cafe Jess had located online. We were able to get a lovely outdoor table, and we ordered the lunch of the day, which turned out to be butter-fried fish (perhaps halibut) with tartar sauce, boiled potatoes, salad, bread, butter and tea. It was quite tasty and a steal at 95 kr (the same price as some à la carte appetizers)!
Sated, we set off to see the Cathedral. After wandering around we located the German Church, only to retrace our steps and determine that we'd eaten lunch next to the Cathedral! It was quite lovely inside, despite having very little stained glass remaining. The pulpits were particularly ornate and decorated with gold and silver. Strangely, there was a very nice replica of a ship hanging inside the church.
Leaving the Old Town, we headed for the ferry stop to the island of Djurgarden. The ferry ride was quick but scenic. Our first stop was the Vasa Museum, a museum depicting the very brief lifespan of the Royal Warship Vasa, which capsized and sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and remained underwater for over 300 years. In addition to the well-preserved Vasa itself, there were interesting exhibits about the process of raising it from the seabed, life aboard (if it hadn't sunk), the original decorations, etc. We learned that the Swedes are master model-builders, so all aspects of the Vasa saga were depicted in miniature. Behind the Vasa museum, we were able to board a lightship and an icebreaker (both from the early 20th c.) that were part of the collection. Jess was fascinated by the former, while Jer enjoyed exploring the latter's engine room.
Next, we ventured further into Djurgarden. We ran across the Aquaria Water Museum, a small aquarium with a fascinating exhibit showing night, day and a thunderstorm in a mangrove forest, as well as the usual exhibits showing lion fish, tangs and other colorful tropical fish, etc. There were also a number of exhibits about their sea trout breeding program.
Next, we stopped at an outdoor cafe for a fabulous pick-me-up of fresh waffles with strawberry jam and whipped cream, along with some tea. They were delicious. Thus refreshed, we wended our way along the paths to Skansen.
Skansen is a unique place, a huge outdoor park that houses old buildings from all over Sweden, arranged to give some indication of what farms, villages and other settlements looked like in the 17th c. People in period costumes engage in typical activities in some of them. We watched a woman sew in an old farmhouse and we glimpsed a shopkeeper tending the counter in a village shop. There was also a reconstructed Sami village (the Sami are nomadic people of northern Scandinavia, also known as Lapplanders), with teepee-shaped houses made of birch branches and bark. At the northern edge of the park is a small zoo focusing on Scandinavian animals. Though we missed the European bison and were not fortunate enough to spot the mink or the lynx, we did see a number of animals. Jess spotted a wild bunny before we even got to the exhibits. Once there, we saw reindeer (the herd even ran around for our viewing pleasure), a resting elk, several lolling seals, a playful otter, several peacocks and peahens, three fuzzy brown bears, three wolves (one of which was an adorable pup), a wild hog that looked like a rock with ears, and a snoozing wolverine. On our way to the exit we passed several domesticated animals, including two rams and a fat pig.
After leaving Skansen just before 9 pm, we walked back to the ferry stop and waited a bit, until Jer finally noticed that the last ferry left at 8 pm. As we began walking to the nearest bus stop, we met a guy from Long Island who was visiting St. Petersburg and Moscow after Stockholm. We had a nice chat as the three of us made our way back into town. He got off near the Old Town and we continued on, hopping off at the bridge to Kungsholmen.
Sadly, we got back to Kungholmen just before 10pm, when the grocery store closes. Instead, we headed to 7-11, where we picked up Knorr pasta carbonara and dill potato chips for dinner, and yoghurt and eggs for breakfast. Thus provisioned, we headed back to the apartment and Jer made dinner. The pasta wasn't gourmet but it wasn't too bad, though we couldn't imagine it becoming one of our staples.