Stockholm day 2:

We started the day with a very yummy breakfast buffet, which gave us plenty of energy for all the walking we had planned to do.

Since the National Museum was closed, we walked along the Strandvägen and crossed the Djurgårdsbron bridge into Djurgården to go to the Vasa Muséet.

The Vasa museum is quite an amazing place, a lot more interesting than it seems at first: it displays the only almost fully intact 17th century ship that has ever been salvaged, the 64-gun warship Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. It is the most visited museum in Scandinavia, which at first seems like an insult to some of the amazing art museums in the region. But once you visit it you realize why it is so amazing:

– The story of the Vasa ship itself

– The titanic (no pun intended) effort to salvage it

– The incredible source of historical evidence that it is

– The great job of preservation that goes into caring for such a massive object (and the thousands of contents found inside and around it)

After that massive learning experience, we kept walking along Djurgården, past the Circus, and into Skansen.

Skansen is a very large park with period buildings “collected” by its founder, Artur Hazelius, in 1891. Of course it has grown since then, and now it encompasses many more different buildings and activities.

We got to see lots of animals, like wolverines, reindeer, bears, seals… but also pet goats and “talked to” geese. We wandered around marveling at the perfectly preserved buildings, beautiful gardens, and tranquil ponds.

Since we had dinner reservations for much later than the park closed, we asked if we had to leave or if we could stay, and surprisingly they let you stay as long as you want even after the park has closed! So we took advantage of it and spent most of the time by ourselves in that amazing oasis.

Before going, we were worried that it would be too cheesy and corny, but on the contrary, It was truly delightful and enjoyable, and completely recommended.

We ended the day having dinner at Oaxen Slip.

In 1994 Magnus Ek and Agneta Green founded a restaurant in Stockholm that has changed names and locations throughout the years. But one thing remained constant: quality. It was named one of the 50 best restaurants in the world five years in a row by Restaurant Magazine. Last year they received a two Michelin star rating.

Needless to say dinner was excellent, surprising, delicious… and yet the atmosphere and service were unpretentious and quite charming.

What a great way to end our trip!