Stockholm: Day 4, April 14

Monday was our last day in Stockholm, and we decided to do something Henry would enjoy. So, we headed to Skansen, "the world's first open-air museum and zoo." It's a pretty impressive collection of historic buildings gathered from all over Sweden. From a 14th century home to a full replica of a typical 19th-century town, Skansen is the perfect place to learn what life would have been like in Sweden a hundred or so years ago. We were lucky enough to have a beautiful sunny day, perfect for running about the old buildings and the children's zoo.

Our first stop, was a beautiful demonstration of glass blowing. We saw a man create a glass tumbler right before our eyes (no photography, darn). A 19th-century furniture making factory was next door, with some of the original tools and machinery. Henry toddled down the cobblestone pathway to the bakery, where we purchased a sugary roll and a sweet cinnamon roll. Ahh---so delicious! Once Henry had a bite, he wanted the whole thing. Sweet things go very quickly with our family--and even faster now that Henry is helping eat.

 After our delicious pastries, we headed to the zoo section. We saw reindeer, wolves, lynx, wild pigs, European Bison, grey owls, seals, and even an adorable otter, fast asleep. Our favorite was definitely the family of brown bears. A mama and three cubs! We arrived just after they had been fed and they were running around playing. We stood and watched the cubs eat, play, and pester their mother for about ten minutes. Henry wanted to climb in the pit and cuddle them, and I couldn't blame him--they looked so fuzzy and sweet.

After our lunch (PBJs and grapes, go figure), we let Henry run around and play for a few minutes on the cobblestones, his favorite. Derek and I enjoyed looking at the old buildings, an old wooden chapel, a pair of windmills, and the tallest belfry in Sweden were our favorites. I wish Henry had been about three years older, because I know Skansen would have been even more fun for him. As our sweet little baby, he was happy to eat his pastries and run down the cobblestone paths holding his daddy's hand. But he did get tired. Thank goodness Daddy was there to lift him up on his shoulders, where Henry could rest his chin on Daddy's head and see the world.

Isn't this horse a beauty? :) Henry and I sure adored him!

We spent the majority of the day at Skansen before one last walk around Gamla Stan. We were planning on finding a restaurant and eating meatballs, but then we checked out the prices--yeah, it didn't happen. Once Henry decided he was just too tired to keep looking for an inexpensive place to eat, we headed back to the apartment and had dinner there. We called it an early night in anticipation for our travels home the next day--a good call, I think.

I couldn't believe how amazing Henry was throughout the whole trip. We didn't have a cot for him in the apartment, so we put a spare mattress behind the couch and used a cushion to barricade him in (you know, just in case he decided to go clubbing in the middle of the night). He slept the whole night through and wasn't upset at all when he awoke to the sun shining on his face in a strange place. He was that easy going the whole time (except for a bit of hyperness and exhaustion, expected of a one year old). He learned how to be careful when stepping over the raised thresholds in the apartment, took naps in his buggy while we were out, and was good and patient with all our wanderings.

So---my assessment of Stockholm. A gorgeous city, with dozens of museums to explore and history to discover. I think Derek and I could have spent weeks exploring the museums, wandering the streets, and immersing ourselves in the city. I am really glad we went! We had a wonderful time relaxing as a family. We didn't do any homework, I didn't have to work, and we spent every minute together making memories. And isn't that what really matters about a vacation?