Walking ,Biking and Boating In Stockholm Sweden

HEJ FRÅM SVERIGE
We are enjoying a weekend of on and off rain here in Stockholm. We arrived here on Friday afternoon from Orebro with a load of bags and thankful for a taxi to help us get to our prison cell. We are staying at Langholmen Hostel on an island in the middle of Stockholm. Our room is an actual old prison cell and the last prIsoners to stay here was in 1975. They have refurbished the prison beautifully.
On Friday when we got settled in our room, ate at WOK Grill lunch and then CJ and I went off to explore the islands and see what was going on at the Skansen Folkmuseum for Mid Summers Day. Graham decided to stay in the cell and hang out play his guitar, watch TV,work with photos on computer, relax..he has been here before.
CJ and I took the subway and then the bus so we could get there fast and not miss any more of the days events. We got to see up close the children and adult folkloric dance troupes in full swedish costume do folk dances and dance around the may pole. Too bad I went and forgot my tape recorder in the prison cell...darn ! I would have had some nice music to listen to. There were tons of families all having picnics on every dot of grass available to sit and enjoy wine, cheese, beer, fresh strawberries...They love their candy and licorice too...many old fashioned candy stands with big sucker pacifiers, cones of hard candies, chewy gummies in various shapes and flavors, big thick cords of flavored licorice...
Then the rain came and everyone in the park tried to hid under their umbrellas or the eaves of many an old building, while the dancers got out of the rain in their traditional costumes which shouldn't get wet. When the rain let up we walked around the zoo, peeked at the animals had some popcorn and cinnamon rolls.
CJ and I then walked back along the river and to Gamla Stan where the old medieval winding streets were full of people eating in Italian restaurants and looking for souvenirs. We stopped and had a salad for supper and watched the first half of the Turkey /Croatia soccer game. Turkey finally won after overtime in the shoot out.
Saturday we slept in and then had a great buffet breakfast here at the prison. We all then went for a walk on Sodermalm along the river and then back a different direction to Gamla Stan for some more sights on different streets. Then we made our way back to the hostel walking into a headwind and driving rain. The sun came out shortly after that, so CJ and I decided to rent bikes. Graham wanted to hang out again, so we took off and of course the rain let loose as we struggled to drive up hill and over the highest bridge above the city. Needless we got a bit wet, but shortly after we were riding along the river the sun came out and we enjoyed our 3 hour ride and saw many different sights from many different angles along the river.
CJ and I made a full circle loop when we rode over the area we walked with Graham earlier this morning and we made it back to the prison just as another squall of rain blew us the last mile home. Graham came home a bit later soaking wet from his hour run as well.
Showered and hungry, we then went down to a city stage eat, drink beer and to watch the Netherlands and Russia game. Tomorrow after our buffet breakfast we hope to take a boat ride out to some other islands in the archipelago.
Hej då
Karla and pjolkenar