Tag Archives: vikings

ScandiRAYvia 2015, Travel
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This post will be short on words and heavy on pictures.

Stockholm has pretty much everything an American traveler could want.  It’s staggeringly beautiful, both in its natural setting and its layout and architecture.  It’s got a really superior public transportation system, including subway, buses, trams and boats.  It’s very tourist-friendly.  There are a million things to do, both indoors and out.  It’s populated by very attractive, friendly people who all speak beautiful English.

IG_Steeple

I’ve wanted to see the city for so many years, it’s surprising that it lived up to my expectations.  But it did.

This waterfront street is Stockholm's most expensive address.
This waterfront street is Stockholm’s most expensive address.
Through the porthole into the past.
Through the porthole into the past.

But How Are The Mens?

Swedish men tend to be cuddly and/or buff Vikings with very well groomed strawberry blond beards.  Not short, but not exceptionally tall.

Yes, this is a real thing.
Yes, this is a real thing.

Conclusion

I’d go back there in a minute.  Particularly for a reason I’ll tell about in a later post.

Here’s some more pictures of lovely Stockholm and its archipelago:

shore_house_1

 

shore_house_2

 

shore_house_3

 

shore_house_4

 

vax_holm

 

red_tower

 

 

I have no idea who this important-looking person is. I was too zonked that day to figure it out.
I have no idea who this important-looking person is. I was too zonked that day to figure it out.

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ScandiRAYvia 2015, Travel
5 Comments
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Why would I want to visit Scandinavia in the first place?

Oh, come on.  It’s Sweden. It’s Denmark.  It’s Norway.

I’ve been drawn to these places for as long as I can remember.  There’s just something magical to me about all those beautiful storybook cities sprinkled across little archipelagos.  The snow, the mountains, the lakes, the politics:  It’s just always clicked with me.

There are a million reasons to go.  Aside from all of the obvious ones, here’s a few really specific ones for me:

Trollstroll_hunter_blu_ray

I’m a documentary junkie, and one of my all-time favorite documentaries of Trollhunter, which tells the shocking true behind-the-scenes story of how the Norwegian government secretly controls the wild population of trolls.  I hope to see some troll action while I’m in Norway.

Vikings

I don’t really have to explain this one, do I?viking 1 viking 2

 

The Scream

The one by Edvard Munch.  Okay, there’s four of them, but one of them is in Oslo.

scream

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edvard Grieg

Peer Gynt.  “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”  (See Trolls, above).

Pining for the fjords

ex-parrot

The Girl with the International Book and Movie Franchise

Did you READ these books?  Did you SEE the movies?  If they’re not enough to make you want to visit Stockholm, you’ve got no blood in your veins.  And the Millennium Trilogy is merely the most famous of the exploding film and fiction genre of Nordic Noir.  If you haven’t seen it, you should check out Headhunters, and read the book as well!

I already have my ticket to the Millennium Walking Tour!  Gonna get my Lisbeth Salandar on!

Girl_with_Dragon_B_RJ_VER

 

Train Rides

I’m a huge fan of train travel, and I’ll be doing a LOT of that on this trip, including  a very special journey that I’ll discuss more in an upcoming episode.

There are more reasons, but these are plenty enough to get started on.

Are YOU drawn to Scandinavia at all?  What would you be interested in seeing there?  Let me hear from you in the comments!

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