Week 5: Skokloster, Visby and Medeltidens veckor - Living History in its many forms, a.k.a. the best week of my life

My final weekend in Sweden way surpassed the boundaries of what realistically can be called weekend, and involved so many of the things that I love best that I am not sure that I have ever had a better time. 

On Thursday the film class that I was taking took a walking tour of Stockholm. The rationale was that first of all, if nothing else it is nice to walk around the city with people who are familiar with it, like the film teacher was. The second rationale was that from there we could check out some of the places where they filmed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the American and European versions, since many places were used for both. This is a picture of the place that Liz Salander lives.Stockholm is just a great city.

On Friday I was once again promised that I would finally see one of the places that the Swedes had got to this summer. The International Summer Session organized a group tour to Dalarna, home of the Dalarna horse which looms in tourist legend as the Swedish souvenir. First stop was Carl Larsson's house, where I took one photo inside before the tour guide remembered to tell us that we shouldn't do that. The tour guide was actually a direct descendant of artist Carl Larsson himself, so there was the added dimension added to the tour. 

From there we went to Falun, a particularly old copper mine, that they have dated now to about the 8th century. Legend has it that it was discovered by a farmer's goat, who had ran away and returned to the farm with red stains on his horns, leading the farmer to the mine. One of the most interesting parts was the royal family's signatures embossed with gold on the wall of the mine, seems to me there could be a great debate there. We finished the day in Tallberg, a picturesque town, paradise for rv-ers, and where I got many of the souvenirs that I brought home for my family. All three places were in Dalarna, but they were three of the most different places that I visited on my trip. We capped the day with waffles at the souvenir shop on the hill. 

Saturday Kristina, a fellow classmate from Lithuania, began a few proper weekend adventures, the weekend which I will never forget. We started Saturday with the Odyssey of the three buses and two hours that it takes to get to Skokloster from Uppsala. There is a boat ride that goes right there, which I was told is a lovely boat ride, but they were booked for a wedding. Instead we took a series of buses, and we agreed that while most of Sweden was beautiful, the town of  Bålsta does not fairly represent Swedish beauty. But Skokloster was so beautiful and well worth it. The castle was built by Carl Gustaf Wrangel in the seventeenth century and it houses the oldest known chandelier in the world. The Historical interpreters are all in historical costume and the guided tour take you through one of the most impressive 17th, 18th century armouries I've ever seen, including the world's oldest surviving hammock and kayak. On the grounds I found what may have been my favourite runestone that I saw in Sweden (and I saw quite a few) with this fantastic picture of a mounted man. If you are in Uppsala this is a highlight, and if you have a car, it is not that far away. 

I decided to skip the film class's tour of the studios in Stockholm, and I was a little bummed about that, but only because of my desire to try and do absolutely everything. In fact, the reason why I decided to skip was one of the best things I have done, because on Sunday  Kristina and I took a short flight with Norwegian Air from Arlanda airport to Visby. Visby is a Unesco World Heritage site, because it is a hanseatic city with one of the best preserved medieval city walls. And in August every year it is a Mecca for medievalists when it hosts Medeltidens veckan, Middle Ages week. YOU SHOULD GO, IT IS AWESOME. 

When we arrived we wandered around the town until 6:00, when we took the bus to the Brukshotellet in Roma to check into the hotel and get something to eat. Roma is about twenty minutes outside of Visby, and this is a definite possibility if you are trying to find some reasonable accommodation during Middle Ages week. The drawback is that you really have to be on top of the bus schedule, because you don't want to get stuck in Visby, because there really won't be anywhere the stay. In Roma, there is one restaurant where you can get dinner, which is right by the Snus and Whiskey factory. This is the only place that I was in Sweden where they actually didn't speak English, and we were forced to practice Swedish. Fantastic! 

On Monday we took the bus to Visby and went to Gotland's museum first thing in the morning. In the hall with the runestones, there was one person dressed in Viking garb and was telling stories to a group of gathered children. My Swedish wasn't quite good enough to identify the tale. There is a fabulous collection in the museum. I probably rushed Kristina a little quickly through the science center section. After that we took a two hour walking tour in Swedish with Monkus Carolus. He took us into one of the tours along the city wall, and into the cellar of an excavated medieval house. And it was an exercise in Swedish comprehension. From there we visited the glassblowing shop in Mellangatan. They were in costume, and it was acknowledged that it was an old art, but what we were seeing was modern glass blowing, though still very cool. Then we visited briefly the Viking Age market where we saw sword swallowing, rocked out with the medieval entertainment and ate traditional foods. From there we went to an improv show in the ruins of St. Karin's Chuch in the Stor Torget. This was followed by a grand tournament in the evening. We supported the black and yellow knight, who was doing quite well, but didn't win the day, and then I bought a toffee apple. I also found out that candied apple is not something they have in Lithuania. We got a warm drink at one of the little coffee shops near the Stor Torget before we eventually caught a bus back to Roma. Best day ever!  

Tuesday we got up early to see the ruins of the old monastery (kloster) in Roma that have been converted into a Shakespearean festival stage. They were putting on an open air production of Hamlet, though with the number of rainy days Sweden had this summer, I bet they had a tough year. Then we took the bus to Visby, and went to the market, which we had only seen a little bit of, before all too soon taking the bus back to the airport and flying back to Uppsala. 

Visby and Gotland is a must for any medievally minded tourists bent on Sweden. The Viking Age and the High Middle Ages have such an interesting and unique history here, including a built history that is all too visible. And Middle Ages week adds such an interesting, campy and so highly enjoyable layer that I haven't seen anything like it. 

Idea for a television show: the campiness of the medieval encampment

I love a good renaissance festival/ medieval fair. I don't care that it's not historically correct, I don't care that it's overpriced, I don't care that it's ridiculously overcrowded and super campy. Many of those things are reasons why I in fact love a good medieval fair. The feeling that I get when I'm at one is part of the reason that I love to study the Middle Ages. 

And I think it would be a perfect setting for a t.v. show. Imagine a medieval fair, one of the ones that is open every weekend, as the setting for a television show. It is a place where so many people suspend their disbelief for so long, and indulge in fantasy, that it is a place where magic actually happens. 

The main character would be a 'business' guy who runs the fair, maybe inherited it from his father (a cliche, but sometimes cliches are cliches for a reason). His friend is this guy who hangs around the fair all the time. Most of the people who come to the fair can see that he is a troll, because they believe in that kind of thing, but to the main character he appears as a regular guy, because he doesn't believe in that kind of thing. He guards the festival and was brought to life by the magic in the place. 

The love interest is a girl who has been coming to enjoy the festival as long as she can remember. Another character is a girl who works there, but likes to mutter things about gender roles and patriarchy at work at a medieval festival. They could take on problems that range from creditors, to other problems actual renaissance festivals have to face, to issues in medievalisms, to metaphors for actual medieval issues. For instance, there could be an episode where they get taken over by pirates (a medieval festival issue) and an instance where there is an investiture controversy dividing the food vendors and splitting allegiances. People could misinterpret the role of the Vikings at the festival, and the whole fair could be taken over by an all consuming mud, a problem medieval festivals face when it rains, but a magic medieval festival even more so. They could do a really interesting episode about a woman becoming a knight, and a man becoming a kitchen hand, highlighting the fact that most people at this point won't stop a woman from being a knight, but that people would have a lot more trouble with a guy fulfilling a woman's role. 

Wouldn't that be fun? Anyone want to back me? Too ridiculous? Campy for sure, but that is one of the things that governs what  I choose to watch. 

Week 4: Swedish vacations

I maintain that Sweden is basically Canada if the Europeans had been there longer, or at least central Canada. The surrounding nature made me feel right at home.

My fourth weekend in Sweden was spent living it up in the outdoors, and save for a few details I could have been in Muskoka. But it is a must for a longer trip to Sweden, because if you don't go out, away from the cities then you will have no idea where the Swedes have actually gone all summer, as they are certainly not in Uppsala.

One of the three excursions that you can elect to go on with the UISS is to Varmland, to take part in some outdoor adventures and to sleep in cabins. When you sign up you can choose one of three activities: the first is rafting along the Klaralven, the second is hiking through the wilderness, and the third is the adventure trail, which involves rappelling and zip lines. That is the activity I chose.

It takes between 6-8 hours to get to the Vildmark i Varmland campsite (Wildlife in Varmland) from Uppsala. When we arrived on Friday, once we got settled in a few of us went down to the river to see if swimming was possible. It was possible but much too cold to be pleasant, though that didn't stop us from trying. Then those who chose rafting had to start building their raft. Seriously building their own raft. It sounded weird, but if you watch the river for awhile you see people who have clearly made this their vacation, with their boat tied to the raft. You can apparently raft down this river for about five days. The rest of us not building a raft could elect to go on a Beaver Safari, which is exactly what it sounds like. Apparently the European Beaver and the North American Beaver are so distantly related now that they don't share enough genes to mate, though they sure look and act the same. We got eaten alive by bugs when we stopped to make some food, but I guess we should be happy that everyone had a good meal.

Saturday we all went on our respective adventures and the rain held out just long enough for everyone to make it back to the campground. Next was the all too Scandinavian of adventures, the sauna. The sauna at the campground (yep) was right next to the river, just perfect for going out for the obligatory cold dip. In the evening we were served fresh moose, cooked over a grill on an open flame.

Sunday morning we woke up and cleaned our cabins (proper camping). On our way back to Uppsala we stopped at the home of Selma Lagerlof, the woman on the twenty Kronor note and one of Sweden's most famous authors. She was the first female author to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Her house at Marbacka was a museum even while she was alive.

Week 3: The capitals of the Swedes

I have recently been trying to follow Gwyn Jones's very complicated arguments about the Swedes as the tribe that emerged from Uppsala as the dominant people in what we would now call Sweden. I'm sure it has since fallen out of some favour, but I think what I am getting out of it is that the 'capital' of Sweden, if we can impose that anachronistic idea on history, has moved from Uppsala, to Sigtuna (which makes the claim that it is the first capital), to Stockholm. In week three I visited all three places.

Friday the Uppsala International Summer Session organized a trip to Stockholm. They charted a bus from city to city, and scheduled some group activities. First we went to the Royal Palace and had a tour. After the tour we had some free time so I purchased a spinach and feta pie (which means quiche here, bit they just call it 'paj'). Some of us went down to the Royal Treasury to see the crown jewels and royal regalia. That is worth it if you are doing it as part of the whole experience, but is actually quite small if you are paying for that separately, which we did since we had got into the apartments on a group rate. We came back up for the changing of the guard.

Then we took the bus to the Stadshus, which was in some ways more spectacular than the Royal Palaces. I had seen the outside when I waited for the boat to Birka, but the inside is well worth seeing. After the tour we had free time, so a few of us decided that before it closed we would sneak in what is arguably Stockholm's most spectacular museum, The Vasa.

We took one of the hop-on hop-offs, but I would actually recommend the ferry as more direct and frankly more useful. The Vasa Museum seems huge on the inside, as it is built to accommodate this 17th century warship which was sailed out into the harbour in Stockholm before it simply rolled over and sank. Perhaps most spectacular is the conservation which has been done on the vessel.

We took the ferry back to Gamla Stan after we had had a French hot dog and wandered past Grona Lund, the local amusement park. This left a little time for exploring the old city, which is beautiful, before we had to make our way back to the Royal Palace to catch the bus.

Saturday I went back to Stockholm myself by train. I walked from Central Station to the Historiska Museum, or the Museum of National Antiquities, which is a central location for Sweden's pre-history, including their Viking history. In addition to the numerous artefacts, hoards and rune stones on display, they had museum workers in the courtyard dressed as Vikings and educating children interactively.

Having spent several hours there I then walked back to Djurgarden, the island which also houses the Vasa Museum, so that I could go to Skansen, the worlds purportedly first Open Air museum. They host a collection of mostly 18th and 19th century buildings gathered from all over Sweden, as well as a Scandinavian animal zoo. I felt a little like the creepy adult who comes without their children, but it was fairly spectacular, and it is complemented by many pavilions of kids rides and exotic animals, which add a theme park atmosphere to the grounds.

By this point I am a little exhausted from walking, but I did find my way back to Gamla Stan and ate at one of the cafes. But I topped off the evening with a visit to Medeltidskrogen Sjatte Tunnan - a bar built in the tunnels that run underneath Gamla Stan that has a medieval theme. They sell their drinks in ceramics instead of glasses, and you sit around barrels on sheep skins while someone plays a medieval instrument. An entirely interesting and enjoyable tourist experience, though lets face it it is for die hards and for tourists only.

Sunday, fairly exhausted, I took the train and a bus to get to Sigtuna, which claims to be the first capital, though now it boasts Sweden's smallest City Hall. Founded in 980, the city retains some of the medieval planning. The importance of the city around the years 1000-1200 can be seen in the multiple church ruins around the city, and the many rune stones. I walked along the main street, then one street behind to see the ruins, and then walked down by the water. After getting some food I went to the museum where I saw this very famous artefact, which I recently saw again as the first page in Gwyn Jones's book, The History of the Vikings. The museum is located in the same place as the first mint and the first King's residence was. 

All in all, capital weekend (sorry)!

Week 2: Uppsala, Birka and Viking tourism

My activities during my second week in Sweden were largely dictated by the fact that the Unesco World Heritage Site Birka, which I was determined to see,  between July 9-15 was hosting a Viking Market on site, so the place would be just teeming with Viking Age re-enactors. So this was the Viking weekend, where everyday I did at least a little bit of Viking Age tourism. But I also found out a lot more about religious history in Sweden, Carl Linnaeus and Gustav Vasa.

I started touring around Uppsala on Wednesday after class, when I went over to the Upplands museum, which had a very interesting display on the Upplands prehistory, which included their Viking Age material.

Friday I decided to look around Uppsala. First I went and looked properly around the Domkyrkan (Cathedral). The Cathedral is one of the finest in Sweden since Uppsala has been an important religious site here since Adam of Bremen wrote about the country in the second half of the eleventh century, and probably earlier as the remains at Gamla Uppsala would suggest. At around 10:00 am Friday morning I decided to wander around the cathedral and then paid the admittance fee to go up and see the treasury, which was well worth it.


After treating myself to lunch at Max (basically the Swedish fast food restaurant) I took the #2 bus from outside of the City Hall to Gamla Uppsala, which I was very excited to see. When I got off the bus two British tourists asked me where the entrance to the museum was, and I said it looked like it was off to the left somewhere. They told me that they were not expecting my accent. I spent several hours exploring the Gamla Uppsala museum. In fact I wandered around, took the tour and had to be kicked out when it was closing because I was stopping to read everything. I then went to the Odinsborg restaurant, a restaurant that local s say has been associating the mounds with the Viking Age for them for as long as they can remember, though the mounds are in fact from earlier in the Iron Age. It is also Adam of Bremen and successive nationalistic writers that have continued to make that association. I then went to St. Erik's church on site and explored all over the top of the mounds. The whole of the site drips in a past national romanticism, which the heritage people are quick to point out is one major part of the history of the site.

Instead of taking the bus back I walked along the St. Erik's trail (Eriksleden), the path of the procession of the relics of St. Erik on St. Erik's day, May 18th. The relics would be moved from the old religious centre at Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) to the new one in Uppsala on that day, and this is the path that they would take.


Saturday I woke up really early and took the train to Stockholm. The Stromma boat for Birka leaves from the Stadshusbron (bridge), right by the City Hall (Stadshus). I was able to explore the City Hall outer area a little before catching my boat to Birka. It is a long and windy boat ride, but the guide points out a few places along the way that are interesting for people going to see a Viking Age site. The Archipelago is also lovely. When I got there I wandered around the market and the reconstructions, and I walked up to St. Ansgar's cross (erected in the 19th century). I took the guided tour (really worth it), went to the museum, ate Viking Stew at the restaurant and then had to take the boat back. It was worth it to go at the time of the Viking Market. It was very lively and always something to see.

Sunday I went to see more things around Uppsala. First I went to the Botanical Gardens and wandered around. Carl Linnaeus, scientific giant, was based at Uppsala University so flowers are very important to the history and culture of the city.

From there I went to the Uppsala Slott (castle) for the art and the guided tour. Gustav Vasa built the original castle when he was trying to convert the country to Protestantism. Since this was perhaps the most important religious site the castle is here so that there can be a permanent presence felt by the powerful church.

Next I went to the Carolina Redvivia, the library for Uppsala University. The collections that they have on display are some of the very best treasures I have ever seen, including a 15th/16th century map of Mexico which shows spaniards whipping along their indigenous slaves, one of Mozart's notebooks and, of course, the Silver Bible, which is the best example of the Gothic language and lettering anywhere in the world. It is spectacular. But I was also interested in the 13th century manuscript that they have of Snorri Sturluson's Younger Edda.

Finally I made my way over to the Carl Linnaeus and University's garden. I took the audio guided tour around the house until they kicked me out, and then I wandered around the gardens until I was so exhausted that it was time to go home.

Week 1: Helsinki, world design capital of 2012

My first weekend in Sweden there was a scheduled trip to Helsinki. What this means is that at about 10 days into my trip to Sweden I had actually seen much more of Finland than I had of Sweden.

Helsinki has a lot to offer for the historically minded. However, it is the design capital of the world this year. In many ways I struggled to see evidence of this while I was here. Not that I didn't see interesting architecture and the simple and elegant designs that I always see in Sweden, but because my tourism focuses more on history than design I struggled to appreciate that aspect of the city. There was an exhibit at the Kiasma, or modern art museum,which tried to expand what we think about when we think of design, but not having a real base in design basics I think I wasn't the exhibits target audience. It was entitled Camouflage and it explored how design can be hidden in other things. I thought the exhibit about the traditional Russian tourist kiosk incorporating elements of design was the most interesting portion, but I am interested in historical tourism which is why this piece spoke to me more than any other.

But for the historically minded, here is an example of a possible weekend trip to Helsinki. To get to there Stockholm you can take one of the ferries through the archipelago. That is worth doing on it's own. We took the Viking Line cruise ship. It is a fully fledged cruise, complete with Scandinavian style smorgasbord. The boat is often very cheap because they want you to come on-board and drink or go to the smorgasbord.The archipelago is extremely beautiful. It is absolutely unique and special in it's own way, but it did remind me a lot of the Georgian Bay 1000 Islands, just as much of the wilderness in Sweden (what I have seen so far) does rather remind me of Canadian wilderness. I think it is something about similar latitudes.

We arrived in Helsinki after a fitful night sleeping on the boat below sea level. A few of us wasted no time. We checked into the hotel and headed right for Unesco world heritage site Sveaborg/Suomenlinna. You have to take the ferry from the Open Market, but the ferries are frequent. We spent from 12:30 - 4:00 at Sveaborg and then returned to the mainland. We ate food in the Open Market (a good bet because Finland is expensive), wandered along the Esplanade and turned in for an early night.

After breakfast the next morning (another smorgasbord provided by the Grand Marina Skandic hotel) I walked along the harbour to the Mannerheim Museum. A little hard to find, but if you walk along the harbour past the Olympia terminal and keep your eyes out for signs you will find a path up the hill. When you get to the top of the path turn right to get to Mannerheim. They provide a guide and it was for me one of the highlights of the trip. So very interesting, and I learned so much more about Finnish history. They open at 10:00. I took a tour almost right at 10:30 and was finished in about an hour. From there I walked back up the Esplanade. At the end of the Esplanade, right behind the Swedish theatre there is a bus stop that leads to Folison.

At about 1:00 we took bus 22 to Folison/Seuresaari, the open-air museum in Helsinki. It is the last stop on the bus route. We wandered a little and took the guided tour in English at 3:00. After that we took the bus back at 5:00 to the main square and had dinner one street back from the main street so as to avoid high prices.

In the evening I wandered a bit around the city. I went to the Helsinki Cathedral, which is open until midnight on most days in the summer. I walked to the outside of the Uspenski cathedral, which was not open. Those are the two cathedrals that decorate the city skyline when you come into the harbour. From there I wandered around the point by the Viking Line terminal. Probably best not to wander at night too much, but as the sun hardly goes down it doesn't seem like a problem.

The next morning I caught the guided bus tour in Swedish and English at 10:30 from the Olympia terminal. I found the bus smelly and the large guided tour rather impersonal, but if I hadn't done that tour I wouldn't have had such a good sense of the city and I also wouldn't have seen two of Helsinki's real treasures, the Rock Church or Temppeliaukia Church and the Sibelius monument in Sibelius park. Those are the two stops the bus makes. After that, at around 12:00 I did go into Uppenski Orthodox Cathedral. I then took the bus to the Finnish National Museum, located on Mannerheim Rd. beside the Finnish parliament. I spent about an hour and a half in the museum, but could easily have spent a bit more time. I then went to the Kiasma Modern Art museum and spent maybe 1/2 hour. There I couldn't have spent more time. I do like art, but historical context can be as important for me as actual content. Essentially, I prefer a museum.

In the Finnish national Museum is where I found these Viking Age artefacts on display. Viking Age artefacts found in Finland largely demonstrate trade routes between Sweden and the East. A tendency to trade with the east can also be demonstrated in the high Viking Age finds in Sweden.

At 4:00 pm the group caught the boat back to Stockholm.

If you are in Helsinki for a few days there are a lot of good things to be said about getting the Helsinki Card. I did get one for three days for 56 euros and found it was entirely worth it. At the same time, as you can tell I worked really hard to make sure that it was worth it and tried to take in as much as possible. With the exception of food, everything was covered under the card, including admission to all these sites and public transportation. If you like to take in a city in a more passive (perhaps saner) way then the Helsinki card is not really for you.

The saga of Megan's trip to Sweden

The trip was actually a bit more like a Greek Odyssey than a saga. In either case, on the whole there was much less genealogy.

I have a goal. I jump on any bandwagon that I think might bring me a little closer to that goal. Like Odysseus (if I may be so pretentious) the sailing has not gone exactly as I have planned, but unlike him I feel each experience adds to my journey, maybe it brings me a little bit closer to my goal of being able to do this kind of thing for the rest of my life. I feel I have now over/misused that metaphor.

...

This summer I have decided to take the trip to Sweden. I wrote in my earlier blog about why and how I was choosing a mainland Scandinavian language to learn. Well, even though I decided to do a PhD in English at Western Michigan University with Dr. Jana Schulman, instead of a PhD in Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin Michigan, I still felt that I was lacking real experience in Scandinavia and that I should go there given the opportunity. I had already sorted out how I would get here and what I would take. And a Scandinavian language will most certainly put me in better stead for the future, so I took the opportunity.

Sweden is actually not the most obvious choice for someone interested in Norse history, and certainly Norse literature unless you are hoping to study runes or look at the archaeology of the early religious sites. I am hoping to specialize in neither of those things. But there is a rich Norse history here, which I am going to try and take in every chance I can, as well as visiting historical sites that have cropped up between then and now. One thing that is my specialty, however, is how we use history to give us identity. Having already had a stop over at the Leif Erikson airport and traveled to Finland on the Viking Line cruise ship (complete with their plethora of Viking themed booze) I feel I will have lots of material.

...

I flew out with Iceland Air, but had to take the Air Canada plane through Boston first. I'll just say, flying through the United States, less than pleasant. It didn't help that when I arrived at Pearson International airport the computers were down. I had to join a huge line to check in my bags. I was three hours early for my flight, but had about one hour by the time we checked in the bag. Then the lady at the check in told me that my ticket was actually just a stand by ticket. I told her 'well, that's nice but I have two connecting flights to catch, each with only one hour in the terminal.' She said that I should remind the person at the gate, just so that they don't forget. It is at about that time that I leave my mother behind to worry about how I'm actually getting to Sweden.

So now I have to go through the American checkpoints, with the rather intensive security procedures. Apparently I look a bit suspicious (I know that's not how it works but I am pretending) because I get stopped for the physical, you know the one where they check the bottom of your feet. At least there were no witches turning people into pigs (okay, I'll stop now).

I get to the terminal. No trouble actually getting a seat, but they do make you worry. In Boston I have to change terminals to get on my flight to Iceland. Everyone speaks in this lovely Boston accent, but I managed to figure it out. The lady at the check in point is actually babysitting some kids while checking in passengers. Strange, but also really cute.

When I arrive in Iceland the Leif Eriksson airport is tiny. It is also the middle of the night, but since they are so far north and it is early July/late June the sun never really sets. In the most brilliant move on my part I walk out of the bathroom without my purse. I notice about two minutes later when I find it at the customer service desk.
*Facepalm*

There is an exhibit here about the Norse in North America. I am not really surprised, but I am a little excited to see it. The European arrival in North America is such a powerful moment in history. So because there is a universality to its power (though that power will affect different people in different ways and for different reasons) it is interesting to see where and how often it is made reference to.



Thankfully the only real delay experienced is on the last flight, when I am not connecting with anything else that has been timed. The computers in Reykjavik are also down, and we can not board the plane for an extra 45 minutes.

The plane arrived in Arlanda, Stockholm on July 1, Canada Day. I find a computer to let people know that I have arrived. My bag, sadly, has decided it will go it's own way. Three flights, one from stand by, I was actually expecting it. I have been studying my Swedish, but everyone here also speaks English, so we arrange for me to call to have my bag delivered when it sees fit to arrive and when I know where the heck I should have it sent to.

I take the bus to Uppsala and am super early to check in to the Uppsala International Summer Session. Which is actually good because I get good and lost looking for the check-in. I saw a lot of the city centre though and found that not having my big bag with me was a great blessing.

I checked in, listening my darnedest to the Swedish for some sort of comprehension. But finally I made it to the little apartment that someone has left for me over the summer. It is super stylishly decorated.

My bag came to school one day later. Inside there was a little tag from the TSA letting me know that they had opened my bag to inspect it. What can I say, I am really suspicious. But both bottles of maple syrup were still there and in tact.

All in all, remarkable journey. Tiring, slightly invasive, unnecessarily worrying but ultimately the smoothest it could actually possibly go. And they even hand delivered my bag to me. What service.

Things I will be sure not to miss while I am in Sweden:
1. Gamla Uppsala (I mean I'm already right here)
2. The Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm
3. The Viking Market on the Island of Birka

(I'm going to save a trip tot he Foteviken viking Museum for a trip to Denmark, because it is actually way closer to that than to where I am here in Sweden. For more information about Viking heritage tourism in Scandinavia check out the Scanbalt website).

Looking forward over these six weeks to seeing some of Sweden, to exploring the history of the country and talar svenska.