London & Sweden

With an easy flight from San Francisco to London Heathrow on my sister airline, Virgin Atlantic, I arrived in London around noon after a 9 hour flight. My long time friend and her toddler were back in the U.K. Visiting friends and family and I had come at the right time, well almost. I had caught Valerie and the toddler, Mawuko, a bit off-guard and off schedule. They weren't quite in town yet so I proceeded with a temporary plan. And at the time I was still processing the fact that I was in London. I had seen advertisements for the Heathrow Express and decided to start there. For 15 pounds, it took me straight downtown to Paddington from there I noticed there was a Hilton Hotel central to the location and I managed to use my points for a night in London. After a quick refresher I referred to the tourist map and chose a few landmarks that I hadn't seen before in London. When I came 5 years ago, I saw Big Ben, went on the Eye of London, and a few other prominent tourist spots. This time around, I chose Portobello Market, Kensington Palace, and Hyde Park. I decided to walk the route, but of course I got lost almost instantly. Fortunately my confusion led me through beautiful neighborhoods and eventually little Venice. The mossy river with short and long boats quietly moved down the river while pedestrians walked alongside the water or surrounding parks filled with flowers and foliage. At first I was nervous walking around by myself as I did not know the condition of the areas I was in, but by the time I kept my chin up, admired the traditional communities, and remembered to look the opposite way when crossing the street; everything turned out splendid. I eventually walked through Portobello Market, which vendors showed off vintage cameras to hand carven art pieces. The buildings were bright and colorful, and the crowd was diverse. There were a lot of great looking food shops a long the way that I passed up, only because I couldn't choose! I decided to end my seven mile walk with a visit to Hyde Park and Kensington palace. I found a new appreciation for the parks in London. They are huge, spacious, and so abundant. To go from English inspired buildings to wide open green parks was just the ultimate combination. Having a haven in the city is just miraculous. I ended the evening with an Italian dinner back in Paddington before retiring for the night.

The next morning I got in touch with Valerie and we decided to meet up in the afternoon. After doing some online mapping, I figured I would have to travel about 7 miles to her mate's place. I had time, so I decided to go for another long walk. And once again it was worth it. Just to get into another town in London you walk through parks, pass museums, get to see the iconic busses, and hear the different languages spoken from all around you. The best part is that London is flat. The next few days, Valerie, Mawuko, and I spent our time traveling throughout the city to catch up with old friends over a variety of cuisines. From riding busses to taking the underground, or calling uber we traversed through this beautiful city with excitement. We also took Mawuko to the zoo to finally show him what his favorite exotic animals looked like.

After a lovely stay in London, the three of us travelled to Stockholm, Sweden for some tourism. Valerie was presenting at the annual World Water Week convention so we decided to go a few days earlier and enjoy the welcomeness of Sweden. We planned this trip about 48 hours before our arrival so we were limited on our options for lodging, but we found an adorable apartment in a small town an hour from Stockholm. We already planned to rent a car, so staying outside of the city excited us. The town of Strangnas was the perfect opportunity to experience a quainter version of life. We were just a few block from a canal on Lake Malaren and woke to a sun lit attic apartment with different views from each side.

The next morning we woke to sip on some coffee and tea before starting our day in sunny Stockholm. The drive was nice, as the road infrastructure is flawless-though none of the road signs are in English which caused confusion for the majority of the first day. We headed into old historical Stockholm first to start our quest. We managed to drive up through a cobbled road surrounded by spectacular buildings that boasted with character. We were so amazed how beautiful the city as a whole was. We also scored a spot right in front of the royal palace and church. We walked every direction we could because each corner we passed, looked more intriguing than the last. The presentation of Stockholm is probably my favorite historical city I have visited. Every stone, window, roof, statue had a purpose and fit perfectly with the trend. The city is made up of small islands which allows you to feel open and endless. The three of us stopped to enjoy a classic lunch in a courtyard of the buildings, I had Swedish meatballs and Val enjoyed a veal and mash entree. We then took a long and narrow boat through the water to see different angles of the city. Mawuko especially loved the boats' thrust as we kicked through the water. After a good 6 hours exploring, we decided to head back to our apartment. With much surprise, I came back to a 1200sek parking ticket ($150usd) for failing to pay for parking. We knew it was too good to be true to get a spot right next to the royalty's property. Although disappointing, I learned my lesson to always assume parking is not free, and to maybe do a quick google search or ask a shop owner since nothing was posted in English.

The next day we had was a lazy and local Friday. The morning was rainy so we decided to extend our coffee and tea social until noon when the rain stopped. It was to our surprise we were only 2 blocks from the town center of Strangnas. But that made our lazy day even better. We walked through the town, stopping at grocery stores to get some essentials. We then had pizza and fish at the local marina. Afterwards, we walked along the bank and enjoyed views of old buildings, boats, and water. Two young boys noticed we were tourists and took us to the direction of the city wind mill which had promising views of the city. This pleasantly surprised us how kind Swedish people are. We enjoyed our walk along the water, taking photos and admiring the architecture and overall beauty. We lucked out with the location we chose. The stores were just two blocks away, churches and landmarks were walking distance, and the town was picturesque and friendly.

The next morning Val showed me the cover of a book and said she wanted to go there. I flipped through 300 pages and found the river picture that matched the cover. The town was called Trosa and was fortunately only an hour away. The drive was through quiet farm land and when we arrived we were greeted with welcoming buildings and shops. We were hesitant to park anywhere because of our first experience in the city, so we decided to ask some shop owners and all they could say was "yeah you should be good". We realized this would be our only challenge during our stay here so we decided to trust what the locals said and enjoy our time. This area was exceptionally charming due to its boat filled canals in which people enjoyed the quiet and beautiful environment around them. The canals were placid which displayed reflections of tree and bridges on its water. We walked through the small historical town following a map which pointed out the landmarks of the area. We unfortunately saw this as comical because the landmarks were of small pedestrian bridges that alleged certain historical facts. Although a bit funny, we enjoyed the beauty of this unique town. After a walk through, and a stop at the playground for Mawuko, we had a delicious lunch with burgers and salmon before heading out. I think it is important to note the cultural differences that Valerie experienced at restaurants in Sweden. Menus are rarely given, as the options are written on boards at the front of the restaurant. It seems as though a patron would then call service to a waiter or more often order and pay at a walk up spot. We never really caught on to the service standard of Sweden but even with our confusion, the locals were always there to explain and assist with a smile.

The next day we toured through the neighboring city of Mariefred. It turned out to be conveniently located near our Airbnb and offered a great steam train and steam boat day tour. We started on the authentic open window steam train for an hour to a castle. It was a fun ride and Mawuko enjoyed passing by the deer and feeling the commotion of the train. Upon arriving at the distant train station, we had a small walk to the castle where countless people joined to snack on beautiful cakes and desserts. It was a typical "high tea" moment and the castle was elegantly and warmly decorated. We went from sitting outdoors to moving inside due to the evening chill that was blowing in. But after an afternoon snack, we made our way to the steam boat just down the hill. After another hour long ride, we arrived back into the small town, this time at the marina which had a great view of the second castle in the area. This one was much grander with circular designed roof structures and an orange color. By the end of the day we were exhausted. Although, tired, it was our last day in Sweden and we still had not gone to an IKEA. I have been wanting to visit the IKEA museum in Sweden, but it turned out to be a 5 hour drive away from Stockholm. Instead, we drove to the nearest IKEA to grab some fare from their canteen and shop for blankets for the flight home. It was very cool to be in an IKEA where all those oddly named furniture pieces finally made sense. The furniture selection was also a bit more elegant and looked very put together. It was neat to stroll through the Swedish store before heading back to the US.

It was a sad feeling having to depart Sweden, and more importantly Val and Mawuko. Sweden was a great place for the little family vacation we had. Towns and cities in Sweden were small and walkable. The people were so nice, and then scenery was so pleasant. I would definitely return to Sweden for a more in depth exploration, and maybe even drive to Norway while over there.