Beauty on the Water

Stockholm, Sweden

Goodbye United Kingdom and hello Scandinavia!

We were in the Swedish capital of the world that was built on 14 islands and connected by 57 bridges earning it it’s nickname “Beauty on the Water.”  However, its official name, Stockholm, was actually used for the first time by the Swedish statesman Birger Jarl as early as 1252!

Unfortunately, you better hurry to see all its beauty because there are only about six hours of daylight during the winter, however if we were here in the summer, there would be about 18 hours of daylight!

And just as crazy as the varying daylight hours, were the temperatures.  We went from decent and pretty mild to literally freezing within the blink of an eye.  From lows in the single digits to highs in the single digits!  And did I mention snow?!  Yes, it was our first snow of the year!  

And even though it was bitter cold and the white stuff was everywhere that didn’t keep us in the hotel for long.  With only one day off after travel day before we opened the show, we decided to make the most of it regardless of the cold. 

We headed into Old Town and around the canals and to our pleasant surprise, most natives spoke perfect English which was a big relief.

There were a few differences though that not all of us were used to.  A majority of the places around where we were staying closed even before the show was over and not many places accepted cash.  Sweden relies more on the usage of credit and debit cards than it does cash for safety reasons. 

And it’s one thing to have dry hands in the winter at home, but this is a whole new level of dryness and static.  Make sure you keep a bottle of hand lotion, a jar of coconut oil, and Vaseline on hand at all times.  Maybe that’s why all the children had on full snow suits walking around town?  When I was little, we just wore those to go sled riding, but here the snowsuits are full attire in the cold temperatures. 

But with a slight warming in the temperatures, it was time to head south and change coasts.  We were off to Gothenburg.