Dancing Queen

 The tour has given us the final afternoon to roam as we please. There is one sight in Stockholm that every visitor should see. It is definitely a must-see sight.

The Vasa is a 64-gun warship, built in the early 17^th century and was considered the mightiest of its time. There was much pomp and circumstance at it's launch in 1628. She left the dock and within 1,000 feet, she sank. The ship's design, which was top-heavy because of an extra gun deck and the heavy bronze cannons is believed to be the cause of the disaster. There was a light gust of wind and over she went. She sank about 400 feet and for the next three centuries, she was left at the bottom, covered in mud. In 1961, the Vasa was raised. 98% of the structure was still intact. A museum was built around her and I'm here to tell you it certainly qualifies as a must-see sight. I might even use the word glorious.

Here she is!  She is about 226 feet long and 172 feet high.

The stern

This model show the paint job that was on the stern

The official tour has ended, most of my fellow tourists have left town, but there are a few of us that are sticking around for another day.  Besides Vasa, what else is Stockholm know for?  Well ABBA of course and wouldn't you know there is a museum dedicated to ABBA.  One of the woman on my tour grew up on ABBA.  ABBA to her was like Elvis, or the Beatles - basically the second coming.  What fun to go with somebody like that.  I think she had a perma-grin on her face the whole time. The museum was fun, there were lots of interactive exhibits. You could get on stage, sing in a studio and dance in a music video.   I was particularly fond of the Silent Disco where everybody puts on headphones and starts dancing.  Did I mention that every headphone was playing a different ABBA song.  There is a picture of me dancing but I was moving so fast, it is nothing but a blur.  

After a couple of hours, I had to tell Lisa that I absolutely could not hear Dancing Queen one more time. I left her there, in her happy place, immersed in all things ABBA.  

The Fotografiska Stockholm had an amazing exhibit by Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn.  Corbijn is "a film director, and music video director.  He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2" Wiki  

David Bowie

Pavarotti

Johnny Cash

and my most favorite:

Nick Cave

Swedish Landscape

 

Morning arrives and we head for the train station again. Traveling to Sweden combines a bridge, a tunnel and an artificial island.The Oresund Line is considered an engineering marvel, combining the two countries. Much excitement was had...that is until we starting traveling across southern Sweden.

One Day In Copenhagen

 After a hearty breakfast on the ferry/cruise ship, we debarked, checked into our hotel (Copenhagen Strand) and set off to explore Copenhagen. We had a free morning to explore on our own. What can we find?

Oslo, Clean and Quick

 

The train trip from Voss to Oslo is about six hours. It cuts right through the center of Norway, cuttng through mountain ranges and valleys. The nature in Norway is always stunning. 

This Day Just Got Better And Better

Today we are leaving the metropolis of Bergen and heading out to explore a little bit of the naturescape that is wild Norway. It was a twenty minute walk across town from our hotel to the train station. I was very excited because we were heading to Voss. When I was looking up things to do in Voss, I came across the Bordalsgjelet Gorge, a spectacular gorge and a short walk from the town center. In my mind, this was going to be one of the highlights of the whole trip. But, through a series of unfortunate incidents (due to my ineptitude), it was not to be. 

The Tour Begins

 

I finally met the fellow participants that were going to discover Scandinavia with me. There were nine of us, which is just about the most perfect size for a tour group. It made it easy for our tour guide, Paula, to keep track of us all. She was constantly counting to make sure nobody got lost. I was the only American, there were three people from New Zealand, three from the U.K. and two Canadians. They were all solo travelers, with the exception of one couple from New Zealand. 

Scandinavia Here I Come!

I arrived in Bergen, Norway the day before the official tour started. When flying long distances, I like to get there a day early so that I can get over any jet lag or tiredness. I also can spend my extra day exploring on my own. I don't know why, but not too many people like to do some of the things I like to do. 

Troll Hunting!!

 I have finally completed a task that took me twelve years to accomplish and I must admit I am rather proud of myself for completing it. 

On The Way Home!

 

It is time to start heading home. Checking my maps, I will be traveling along the southern edge of the Great Lakes. But look!! Just a few miles north of the freeway, is the hamlet of Detroit! I've only been to a few concerts in Detroit (Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin), back in the day, perhaps it is time to actually visit the area.

Another Day, Another Museum

All of a sudden it dawned on me that it was going to be Memorial Day weekend. In the camping world, weekends and holidays , especially during the summer is when it becomes very hard to find a camping spot.

Weird, Spooky and Oh-So-Interesting Glover

 

Don't know what is going on in the Northeast Kingdom, but Glover marches to it's own drummer.

Gorge Love

 

After all the excitement of the Cousin Reunion, it was time for us all to go our separate ways. I found that for remedial purposes, a little medicinal gorge hiking might be the ticket. 

Family Is The Best!

 I have relatives in New Hampshire, some of my most favorite people ever. When I mentioned that I was going to be in the neighborhood, a grand plan was put in play. We are going to have a Cousin Reunion!!

Three States, One Post

It used to be that my blog would be very waterfall centric. I have not lost my love of waterfalls but glass, glass, glass! The eastern United States is a hotbed of studio glass and I'm loving it.

Childhood Love

 The sun did not shine.

It was too wet to play.

So we sat in the house

All that cold, cold, wet day.

I Do Love Glass!!

 Back in 2016, I made a trip out east to the Finger Lake district of New York. I saw amazing sights – Watkins Glen, Lake Erie, the Birthplace of the American Suffrage Movement, all of which made my heart sing. Right up there, among all of these treasures, ranks the Corning Museum of Glass. This is one of my most favorite American museums. It is the end-all and be-all for glass lovers.

Western New York

 Mad Magazine used to do parodies of TV shows and movies. Everything I knew about birds came from their take on the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds”. It scared me beyond belief. Anytime I see a large flock of birds, I must admit I start to worry. Lately, though, that seems to have changed a bit. I'm finding them to be rather interesting and eye-catching. Is this a sign that I am now an old person? 

Off I Go!

 

Akron is known as Rubber City. Back in the late 1800's, Benjamin Franklin Goodrich (also known as B.F. Goodrich) moved his rubber company here. Firestone, Goodyear and others soon followed and Rubber City was born. But, that is not why I'm here.