2014

On our way to Sweden we had a BONUS 24 hour layover in Iceland.  We landed in the morning and had the day to explore.  The airport is tiny and super user friendly.  Our rental car was awaiting us right outside in a small parking lot.  We jumped in and drove to Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital.  We parked right in front of Hallgrimskirkja, a beautiful steeple that soars above the city’s skyline.  The church took 40 years to construct.  It’s architecture is said to resemble the trap rocks, mountains, and glaciers of Iceland’s landscape.  After climbing to the top and snapping a few photos, we then took the city by foot.   We had a quaint lunch at Tapas Barrinn, which was cozy and delicious.  We did alittle shopping, all I have to say is Icelandic Wool.  Icelandic Wool is warm, waterproof, flame retardant, and self-cleaning….WHAT?  I purchased a pair of long wool socks and a blanket.  The blanket is and will always be one of my all time favorite purchases.  I tell everyone who is traveling to Iceland not to come home without a blanket.

An old roommate of mine, in Boston, did a photography internship through The Museum of Fine Arts in Iceland in 2000. She came back with the most amazing photos.  One of my favorite photos was taken at The Blue Lagoon Spa located in a lava field near Grindavik on the Reykajanes Peninsula.  I had been waiting for years to visit!  It’s geothermal seawater is 70% ocean water and 30% freshwater, enriched with silica, algae and minerals.  The water heals, rejuvenates and nourishes.  I booked us both water massages.  After soaking  in the healing water we swam over to the massage area where we floated on yoga mats while being massaged…UNREAL!

The epic landscape of Iceland is like no other.  It’s green grass blowing against the black volcanic lava right up against the ocean..it’s breathtaking!  We wish we had more time to further explore’s Iceland’s natural treasures; glaciers, volcanoes, northern lights, etc.  Next trip.

On to Sweden!

We flew into Stockholm and took a taxi to Hotel Hellstens Malmgard.  It is a VERY cool historic hotel/bed and breakfast in the southern part of the city.  We were surrounded by hip shops and restaurants all within walking distance.  The train station was right there but we ended up walking everywhere.  Everyone here bikes!  More than 70 thousand locals take to their bikes each day.  Stockholm is home to 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites- Royal Palace at Drottingholm, Skogskykogarden (The Woodland Cemetery) and the Birka archaeological site.  We only made it to the Royal Palace.  Stockholm is a booming  metropolis that sits on the water and feels completely intimate.  It’s gorgeous!

We opted to take a boat ride tour to get our bearings.  Of course Stockholm has a hop on/ hop off boat AND bus tour…SCORE!  We toured around while listening to Stockholm’s history.

We visited the Abba Museum, which was interactive, full of ABBA facts and SUPER fun.  We also visited the Vasa Museum.  The Vasa ship capsized and sank in 1628, 30 minutes after leaving shore.  YIKES!

We visited Moderna Museet, a super modern and contemporary art museum,  Fotografiska Museet, Stockholm’s Photography Museum and Stockholm City Hall.  We LOVE our history!

We then decided to take a ferry over to Visby, an amazing12th century medieval town located on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Visby is another UNESCO World Heritage Sites named for having “outstanding universal value”.  The town is surrounded by a 3.5 kilometer medieval ring wall.  It’s full of botanical gardens, historical churches, towers, delicious seafood, beautiful streets and homes…AND Pippi Longstocking was filmed here.  We were able to find a local who rented us his Mercedes Benz filled with candy (BONUS), so we rode around in style.  I would HIGHLY recommend visiting here.