Pre-tour: Ottawa to Stockholm — Monday, June 13, 2022

Welcome to our scrapbook of a 2022 Midsomer trip we took across Scandinavia in June 2022. Guided by the welcoming and insightful team at Rick Steves Tours, we had an incredible journey of discovery and camaraderie.

We had never been to Scandinavia before, nor had we ever been on a Rick Steves tour, but Tyson's parents had been on more than 10 (!)... They had asked us if we would like to join them on their next one, and after some really fun deliberations, we decided on Scandinavia. And wow, it didn't disappoint.

Tyson, Cara, Linda and Jim at Safeco Field, where we decided that 

Scandinavia was going to be our summer 2022 travel destination.

After setting up the cats (shout out to Violet and Ghost Hunter!) and an extra set of keys for their part-time caretaker, we flew from Ottawa to Toronto and then on to Frankfurt, where we got a little turned around but eventually made our way onto a small commuter plane and into beautiful Sweden.

We met Jim and Linda at the airport and together we taxied through the picturesque capital to our destination, the lovely Hotel Wellington. We had a light evening stroll, picked up a bottle of wine and some snacks at a local market, and retired to our cozy room with a private balcony overseeing a picturesque courtyard and the skyline beyond. We drifted in and out of sleep as Summer solstice is just days away and as far north as we are, the sun never quite set in the pink-orange sky. 

Our first night in Stockholm and our first time seeing White Nights. Jet lag and 16 hours of travel translated to little sleep that night, but insomnia brought us an introduction to the astounding beauty of the midnight sun. This is the view from our hotel room, 2:20 a.m.

Day 1: Stockholm, Tuesday, June 14

Warm and sunny weather afforded us a lot of walking and exploring the less touristy corners of this magical city. We spent hours walking along the festive boardwalk, taking in the sensory offerings of the Baltic.

Our first full day in Stockholm and what a great walking city! The Gamla Stan, or Old Town, dates from the 13th century but most buildings are from the 1600s and 1700s. It is a glorious labyrinth of charming cobbled streets, alleyways, faded mustard and rust-coloured townhouses and meeting squares. Some 3,000 people live in the Old Town and it is packed with cafés, restaurants, tourist shops, studios, galleries and museums, including the Nobel Prize Museum and the Post Museum.

Following a tip from Atlas Obscura, we headed to the National Library just a few blocks from our hotel to check out the Codex Gigas, or Devil’s Bible, an infamous illuminated manuscript believed to be the work of a single monk (which is estimated to have taken between 20 and 30 years to complete) and containing a fearsome illustration of the Dark Lord himself, which has lead to all manner of speculation regarding supernatural curses and diabolical pacts. Appropriately, it’s sealed up in a high-security underground vault.  It it’s worth the trip just to take in the eerie environs.

After the library, we headed back to our beautiful hotel, where we dutifully took our covid tests (negative, phew) before heading down to the café to meet our tour mates and our cheerful guide, Åsa (pronounced O-sah). We’re the only ones who haven’t been on a Rick Steves tour before, but judging by everyone’s enthusiasm, it sounds like we’re in for a good time. The dinner is a light buffet, including our first taste of authentic Swedish meatballs, gravlax and herring. 

Then we all take a bit of a stroll down to the Söderström river which connects to the Baltic Sea. We saw a plaque to Ingrid Bergman and a bust of August Strindberg outside of the beautiful theatre. We head past the theatre where Åsa explains another statue as that of Margareta Krook, a beloved local actress and icon commemorated in brass at the corner of the theatre, where she would relax with a cigarette between performances. Interestingly, the statue is heated (you could feel it!) so that it doesn’t get buried in snow in the winter, and the nose and belly are shined from good luck rubbing from her admirers. 

Tyson trying to get a laugh out of Margaretha Krook

Åsa explaining the popular arts and crafts trends in Stockholm 

A short trek up the hill to get an aerial view of Stockholm — A city of mysterious and charming rooftops that rivals London 

By the time the walk is over, we have our bearings and we retire back to our room to enjoy the view and the hours-long twilight over the courtyard. 

 

Day 2: Stockholm, Wednesday, June 15

We started the day with a walking tour through cobbled alleyways of Gamla Stan, the Old Town, past cathedrals, the Royal Palace, shops and cafés. We learned about the history of the Swedish monarchy and fluctuations of power centres throughout Scandinavia. We had lunch in the town square and watched the colorful changing of the guard. 

Then we took a ferry across the harbor to the Vasa museum, primarily the repository of the titular, ornately carved warship, which happens to be the model for one of the ghost ships in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. There was also a diving bell and other examples of early deep water exploration technologies.

After the museum, we spent the rest of this hot and sunny afternoon taking in the sights of the bustling boardwalk. 

Our awesome tour guide, Åsa, provided the cultural context for the statue of Evert Taube - author, artist, composer, singer, one of Sweden's most respected musicians and the foremost troubadour of the Swedish ballad tradition in the 20th century. Front of the old bank building, Järntorget, Stockholm.

Stockholm imperative: Visit the statue of Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking, who taught a very little Cara that independent thinking is a virtue, and a suitcase full of gold is a great schtick.

Day 4: Kalmar to Copenhagen, Friday, June 17

Kalmar’s incredible Union monument, inaugurated in 1997 as a memorial of the 600th anniversary of the Kalmar Union (between Sweden, Denmark and Norway).

We started the day with a walking tour of Kalmar, learning about the rich cultural legacy and geopolitical significance of this region. A visit to Kalmar castle (whose original tower was built during the 12the century) provided the historical context for understanding the past millennium in Scandinavia’s global identity.

Our excellent castle tour guide took us through the decorum and etiquette of a medieval Scandinavian feast. 

Lovely day for a tour of thousand-year-old royal digs. Apparently people were much shorter then.

We stopped in Ronneby for an al fresco luncheon, which Åsa and Leif had planned impeccably. After lunch, we all huddled for a group photo.

After our picnic, we hit the road once again, and had a beautiful day for taking in the sights from our bus. Åsa gave us plenty of notice to get our cameras ready as we approached Öresund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Denmark. It is the longest in Europe with both roadway and railway combined in a single structure, running nearly 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the Swedish coast to the artificial island Peberholm in the middle of the strait. The crossing is completed by the 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) Drogden Tunnel from Peberholm to the Danish island of Amager.

Day 3: Stockholm to Kalmar, Thursday, June 16

This morning the group visited Stockholm City Hall, the home of the Nobel Prize banquet. We were blown away by the dozens of ornate mosaic murals in the Golden Hall, especially The Queen of Lake Mälar, pictured above.  Then we had some lunch on the picturesque Gota Canal where we saw some rustic public art and a gothic lutheran church with a somewhat ominous looking bell tower.

We had one more stretch on the bus through some lovely birch forests and countryside before arriving in the midwives seaport of Kalmar. Later, we stretched our legs on the trails and parks surrounding the town where we were delighted to find a number of compelling sculptures.

Today we met our awesome, affable bus driver and fount of Scandinavian cultural knowledge, Leif. He will be our bus driver for the rest of the tour.

Day 5: Copenhagen, Saturday, June 18

Hey Copenhagen, have we met? Cara getting acquainted with the city’s lovely and welcoming waterfront.

Today was all about Copenhagen and we had a thorough introduction with Åsa as well as a local guide. 

Fan of the Danish political drama Borgen? 

Behold the real Borgen.

Later, apart from the group, we had an interesting visit in the semi-autonomous hippy/anarchist enclave of Christiania (no pics allowed, unfortunately).

 

Of course, Cara had to get a selfie with the father of Existentialism, Soren Kierkegaard, because “existence precedes essence, man” (at least it does for a statue).

 

We also found some time to visit the legendary Tivoli Gardens, which we learned was Walt’s inspiration for Disneyland.

Tyson taking in Tivoli.

We’d seen the iconic Little Mermaid statue with the group already, but stopped by for a closer look as we took an afternoon stroll along the harbor. We also found our way to the less well-known “Genetically Modified Little Mermaid” which is part of a larger group of surrealist sculptures tucked away on a residential pier not far from the original. The artist, Bjørn Nørgaard said he intended the work as a “a provocative and humorous look at postmodern society” as well as a commentary on GMOs.

Tribute to a national treasure

Day 6: Copenhagen to Æro, Sunday, June 19

Timelapse of the view from our hotel window in Copenhagen

After breakfast at the hotel (we can’t get enough gravlax), we visited the Viking Ship Museum and Roskilde Cathedral, the first brick-built gothic church and resting place of 38 kings and queens of Denmark. It was surprisingly small and had some unique painting additions that seemed to be akin to graffiti that had been added over the years, such as the curious cartoon face adorning a hole in the vaulted ceiling. 

Then we took a ferry ride to Æro. When we arrived, we were treated to a local guided tour of Old Merchant’s Court from a local character who regaled the group with the islands history of sailors, merchant marines, and recent economic rejuvenation by becoming an inclusive international wedding destination. 

Åsa and Leif put on quite the show for us in celebrating “Christmas in June,” with the hospitality of a local pub owner. 

Another traditional feast was had at a cozy cottage before we retired to our lodging, an agreeable suite in a villa replete with a living room and kitchen that we shared with Linda and Jim.

The excellent restaurant where we had our first dinner in Ærøskøbing. They served local fare in a charming atmosphere.

Day 7: Æro, Monday, June 20

We had a leisurely, enchanting day exploring Æro on foot in the morning, taking in the characteristic painted doorways and porcelain dogs the locals display in their windows. We wandered along the shore where we made the video above of Cara auditioning to be a Rick Steve's tour guide (fingers crossed!). 

Some of the colorful doorways of Ærøskøbing homesteads

On board the bus in the afternoon, we explored the length and breadth of the windswept island, taking in an array of thatched cottages, farms, and bluffs, and assembling for a traditional smørrebrød lunch. 

Tonight we decided to take advantage of a nearby grocery and the kitchenette in our suite to actually prepare our own meal for a change, some burgers and a massive mixed salad, for a family meal.

Danish cereals at the local grocer in Ærøskøbing

Day 8: Aero, Copenhagen, ferry to Oslo, Tuesday, June 21

Today we reboarded the bus and cruised back into Copenhagen for some lunch at the market in the city center. 

Our tour of the island brought us to Bregninge Kirke — a 1000-year old church full of medieval frescoes, including a Pietà-style painting with an age-appropriate Mary.

We had some time for a walk in a lovely park and then it was time for our big (18-hour) ferry ride through the North Sea and into Oslo. We found a passenger lounge that nobody else seemed to know about, and had it to ourselves as we enjoyed the long, late sunset on the shortest night of the year.

Like Hamlet? Behold the real Elsinor. View from our  ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo

Frederikshavn, Denmark. View from

 the overnight ferry, 11:42 p.m.