My excitement was soon tempered by the icy reality that there were, in fact, no dragons at Birka. There were several Vikings on the island--making bread, spinning wool, chopping wood, roasting boar, selling prepacked ice cream--but none training the flying beasts that I expected to see. The degree of my disappointment was only dwarfed by the amount of sheep caca that littered the path leading through the archaeological site.
Here’s a couple of the stories about the giants that I found particularly interesting:
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There are so many things to see and do in Copenhagen, just make sure you give your stomach and your camera roll the treat that is Copenhagen Street Food. Make it there before 2018, when the island’s owners are reconsidering how to best use that space. If you ask me and the 160,000 other satisfied customers, we’d say keep the street food on the streets of Copenhagen. So, travel around the globe, but save on the airfare and enjoy the foods of the paper island. Sources:
Although Tallinn is small, it's history is vast and rich (and if you’re as much as a history buff I am, that’s enough of a draw). You could easily spend three days exploring the Old Towne and its attractions, and even maybe a week if you wanted to venture into the Estonian countryside. Be aware that many people have discovered its charm, and I was a bit overwhelmed by the throngs of tourists dispatched from several nearby cruise ships, pushing their way through narrow cobblestone streets and jabbering in dozens of foreign languages. Tallinn itself features more than 70 museums and attractions, including a marzipan museum that claims the invention of the first marzipan, a historic pharmacy where you can find Advil and well as a Mysterious Cure for the Broken Heart, and the menacing office/detention center for the former-KGB. So be ready for adventure, and wear flat-soled shoes -- the streets are treacherously rocky and uneven!
You may want to start your visit of Tallinn with the free walking tour that begins at the tourist information center and ends in the market at the Town Hall. It will give you a two-hour rundown of the history of Tallinn, and since it is the capital of Estonia, it also reflects the general history of the whole country. I found it interesting that, although they do have a Viking legacy, Estonians seem to focus on their history since medieval times -- the 15th century, when it began to erect its magnificent walled city. Climbing winding paths over magnificent, man-made mounds of sculpted sod and stone, you will reach a stunning view of the city, with its ornate Russian orthodox church domes and stately baroque buildings. Woven into this fairytale are quirky details, such as the story of Old Thomas, the legend of the giantess who cried Tallinn’s nearby Lake Ülemiste, and the dark purpose of the Maiden’s Tower. But the fairytale ends there, because in the 15th century, Tallinn was a profitable trading city on the Baltic Sea. As a result, it became highly prized by other nations, and the overwhelming theme of the present is a reclaimed Estonian nationalism, driven by years of a tug of war over Estonia, who relentlessly battled the Swedes, Danes, Germans, and Russians. Manipulated and oppressed by foreign powers for hundreds of years, what is left in Estonians is pride, fear, resistance, endurance, and feisty indignation. These sentiments carried over into the other attractions I visited. I highly recommend taking the Bastion Tunnel Tour based in the Kiek in de Kök Museum. We threaded our way through a stretch of dank tunnels that have served a wide variety of purposes in their varied and colorful history. Our guide, Kadi, provided a riveting commentary about the tunnels’ use as a bomb shelter, a military stronghold and arsenal, a secret retreat for dissident punk rockers and homeless during the Soviet Era, and even a dungeon for Katherine the Great’s arch nemesis. Cloaked in mystery and riddled with legends, the tunnels are fascinating. But bring a jacket-- both the spookiness and the underground chill will make the hair on your arms stand up! After our tour through the tunnels, my travel group managed to befriend our guide, and Kadi led us on a second tour, zigzagging across the Old Towne, through the city walls to a new Soviet Era world that is vibrant, filled with tempting smells from food kiosks, hip music and pick-up ping-pong games. This is where the young locals have out -- the Estonians and Russians mingle together under graffiti and in gentrified factories left over from Soviet occupation. We enjoyed a delectable meal here and wandered back to Old Towne through a sculpture garden, past a World War II bomb crater, and over a sidewalk timeline of Estonian history. On the way, Kadi told us about growing up in Estonia in the 1970s and 80s, the death of her grandfather in a Soviet gulag, the horror of the Hungarian Revolution, and the rocky the transition to independence. My curiosity about the occupation of Estonia was piqued, and on the next day we visited the Occupation Museum. This museum is not about jobs in Estonia, but rather about the series of occupations by the Soviets and the Germans (and then the Soviets, again) beginning in 1939. It is fascinating to hear the lingering resentment in the voices of our tour guides. Here you see the plight of Estonia, Hungary and other satellite nations in vivid black-and white-film and technological artifacts from WWII and the Cold War. It is here that I finally understood Estonians delicately expressed bitterness of their neighboring nations. So, despite its dramatic appearance as a land of fairytales and towers begging for a Rapunzel, Tallinn is far more complex and interesting. It’s spelled E-S-T-O-N-I-A, Estonia, and I think you should see it. --Miranda Danku As I walked into the massive stone plaza of Amalienborg Palace one of the first things I noticed was the Danish Royal Guards that were dressed in attire similar to that of their British counterparts; consisting of a “bouffant” bearskin headdress, dark blue jacket and light blue trousers with white stripes. There was one guard stationed at each of the 4 buildings that make up this Royal compound of palaces. The pacing of the guards was done in synchronization. I had to chuckle a little when I noticed one guard looking over his shoulder to see when his neighbor was getting ready turn and pace the opposite direction. This was reminiscent of a young child’s school play performance where everyone in the class is watching the ONE kid who actually knows what they’re supposed to be doing and when. I then headed inside the part of the palace open to the public to see how the rich and famous live. I was shocked to find this was the most normal looking palace I’ve ever seen! I believe several of the rooms could have been found in my grandmother’s house. Pictures of family members galore and desks that are scattered and strewn with items from a long, tiring day of work. This is a palace that definitely has that lived in feel, unlike the often overtly elegant, and regal palaces I witnessed in Stockholm.
I stood somewhat awestruck as I witnessed 4 guards marching along the dark bricked path from one guard station to the next. What played out before me was an almost tight circle around the guards, following them from station to station, clicking away on their cameras as if they were the paparazzi. At one point a guard even had to kind of push a person out of his path. Where were the ropes holding gawkers back? Shouldn’t there be a Royal band playing? Why was there not an evident military presence, as I witnessed at the Swedish Royal Palace? This no frills changing of the guard...as I thought it was...seemed so lackluster in comparison, though still very “neat” to witness.
Upon further research, I was initially disappointed to discover that all I actually witnessed was a shift change, not the actual changing of the guard. This shift happens every two hours, with the guards marching from station to station simply switching out for the next person. My disappointment quickly faded when I realized that I still caught a glimpse of something steeped in tradition, that the majority of people have never been privileged enough to witness. --Jennifer Underhill When looking over the itinerary for the two week stay in Stockholm, I was pleasantly surprised to see the option to hop over to another country for additional cultural exploration. Copenhagen delighted me with the possibility of delicious Danish treats and colorful sights. As we kept walking, we stumbled upon the entrance to Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania. This too had been in my guidebooks.
Walking further into town you began to notice more than just color. Scents from my college days awakened my senses, as I realized I am no longer in wonderland. The culture of Christiania allows and permits the open selling of hash which is illegal in Denmark. This majority of trade happens on Pusher street which runs through the town. As a travel tip, do not take pictures in this area. The locals prefer to keep their pastimes undocumented.
By Jessica Bass
I’ve always found that what interests me most about traveling is getting to know the local people in the country that’s hosting me. Cultural norms in different regions can make this an easy task in some places, or nearly impossible in others. For this trip to Sweden I had a brand new “Meet the Locals” game plan I’d never used abroad before: Meetup Groups. And what better time to make a first impression than 5 hours after arriving with only two hours of sleep in the last 30 hours? So off I trod, following the blue dot moving along the path on my phone, to English Meetup at an outdoor cafe. Time to meet some Swedes! As I introduced myself to the other people around me, I met Alex from Ukraine, Hawar from Iraq, Sabrina from Germany, and Sharon from China. Hmmm…..not quite as I anticipated. They were all interesting people, nonetheless, a silent cheer rose up in my heart as a tall, blond woman pulled up a chair next to me and introduced herself as Francie from Sweden. As I explained to my new acquaintances that I was here with a group of teachers visiting Sweden due to their stellar school system, a chorus of interjections sprung up around me. “Why would you come here when Finland is so close and so much better?” Alex wanted to know. “It used to be so much better here,” Francie chimed in. “When I was a student we didn’t have as much say, and we actually had to do work. Now the students are just lazy and the teachers can’t do anything about it.” Well that was news to me! The conversation strolled on to maternity leave, took a turn at history, and paused at cultural norms. “Swedes are very reserved and private,” criticized Francie, who had recently returned from a long stay in Italy, and missed the warm and open culture there. “For example, if you have a roommate here and they are cooking, it’s respectful to wait for them to cook, eat, and clean their dishes before you use the kitchen. It would be rude and inconsiderate to try to share the stove or sit at the table and crowd them while they eat.” As it neared 3:00 I was having trouble overcoming my jet lag, so I said goodbye to the crowd at the cafe and wandered back to the hotel. Attempt 1 of “Meet the Locals” had been moderately successful, but I was hoping that there might be a few more native Swedes at Spanish Conversation Meetup a few days later. As I entered a cozy basement cafe in Gamla Stan for my next attempt, I met Samantha from Spain, Stefano from Venezuela, Martin from Chile and Letizia from Italy. And this time no tall, blond woman appeared ready to give me insight into her country. I asked the group around me if there were usually some Swedes that came to these Meetups. Everyone chuckled. “Occasionally,” Stefano answered, “but after living here for over a year I’ve realized that most Swedes aren’t that interested in making new friends.” Everyone nodded in agreement. “They’re super nice and helpful,” Samantha added, “but they’re not the type to spend time with people they haven’t known for a long time. For example, if I invite one of my coworkers to come over, they will always come up with an excuse because they know that they would have to reciprocate the invitation. They like for everything to be even.” “Exactly,” agreed Martin. “This one time I went skiing with some friends, and my Swedish friend came -- “ “You have a Swedish friend?!” Letizia interrupted. “What’s your secret?” Samantha exclaimed in admiration. “I’ve been here for 12 years,” Martin explained, “and I have about two or three Swedes that I can say are my friends now.” He continued his story, “Anyway, for the ski trip we decided that I would pay for everything and divide up the cost as the end. So afterward I told everyone that they owed me 2,000 kroner, and everyone paid me without any problems, except for my Swedish friend. He was like, ‘How could it come out to exactly 2,000 kroner each? That doesn’t sound accurate.’ In actuality it had been 1,989 kroner, but everyone else understood that rounding just made sense, but this guy paid me exactly 1,989 kroner. They really like for everything to be even.” As the evening marched forward I heard story after story that reinforced this opinion. Everyone seemed to have a positive experience in Sweden and seemed to enjoy their new home, coworkers, and lifestyle. But they all found the Swedes an incredibly difficult group to befriend, while a perfectly nice and respectful society to live and work in. Unfortunately since my “Meet the Locals” strategy failed to result in meeting many true locals, I guess I’ll just have to take the temporary locals’ word. Stephanie Cifers
I came here excited to see the runes and it was a bit like a scavenger hunt trying to find them. You can stop in the town hall off the main street to get a map of the area, although whoever drew the map wasn’t that great with scale. Each rune that can be found in town is marked on the map with a Viking-esque “R” and you might have to wander a bit in the area to find it. Just seeing the runes is a treat – there’s nothing like it back home. I ran my fingers along the etching and tried to imagine myself transported back to 1000 AD when these were erected as memorial stones for those gone, or soon to be gone.
--Heidi Miles When told that we were going on a hiking tour of runes, I was more than thrilled as hiking is my favorite thing to do. But my dreams were quickly squashed when the tour guide told us that we would be bussin’ around. After I got over the fact that our adventure would not be how I imagined it I was able to embrace the beauty of sitting between stops and not walking miles and miles for hours. Our Vain Viking Tour started the second we got on the bus as Yan drove us to the first stop. Alex, our colorful tour guide, gave us a brief viking history complete with complimentary handouts. As they were passed out my teacher self celebrated! Ever since my first tour in Sweden where the guide name dropped a million swedish royals that (1.)I had no idea how to pronounce and (2.) didn’t know. I finally had some context and a family tree! The first stop brought us to the Viking Jarlbanke’s causeway. Jarlbanke was one of the vainest of all the vikings as he built several rune stones for himself, hence the tour name. Rune’s typically were built as a memorial to those who were gone, however, Jarlbanke created not only one but 10 runes to indicate how important he was. The two Runes below welcomed you to his estate via his “bridge” or causeway and stated that this was HIS territory. Jarlbanke’s family framed the whole of our tour and after a few questions we were back on the bus! The next stop brought us to a little spot on the side of the road with even more rune stones and the burial mound of Jarlbanke’s grandmother Estrid. Estrid was one of the only females that had several Runes mentioning her, as typically males were the only ones who the Runes were memoralizing. The best part about this area was that it wasn’t touristy, you never had to fight for a good shot on your camera, and you were able to get up close and personal with these ancient artifacts. The third stop brought us to a Rune Stone that was in memorial of Jarlbanke after he died. Alex was also able to tell us what these various Rune Stones said and would read them to us in Swedish and English. This one said “Ingefest had this stone raised and made the bridge for Jarlabanke his father and Joruns son and Kattilo for her husband. Opir carved.” The last part indicated who carved the Rune Stone. This stop was by far my favorite of the tour as we finally got a chance to wander around and enjoy the nature, my favorite thing in life. The flowers were so beautiful and there was even a field full of horses, one of whom came to say hello! The last two spots featured a church and a Ting house where people were judged for their wrong doings and had meetings to be judged and talk through.
All of this was beautiful and interesting to learn about, but honestly my favorite part of this tour was Alex. As I’ve found out from doing about 5 tours so far in Sweden I have realized that the tour guide really makes or breaks the tour. Alex not only had extensive knowledge on Runes but also on anything Swedish. On the bus Alex was willing to answer any and all questions we had and even tell us a few off color Swedish jokes. Since Alex was a former Kansanite turned Swede for the last 20 years he was able to offer us a unique perspective on Sweden. Before coming here I think a lot of my friends and I had put Swedish Education on a pedestal and Alex squashed this thinking by pointing out some major flaws in the system. Specifically, he talked about how Swedish children are the guides of their education and teachers do what the kids want. He also talked about how Sweden let in over 100,00 refugees which has caused a lot of political shifts, specifically a rise in the Nazi party, and has thrown educators for a loop. We also learned that Sweden has closed its borders, something a lot of us had not realized. So, if you are looking for a hike, I don’t recommend Viking Vain tours, but if you want a unique perspective on Swedish life and an extensive background on how and why Runes were erected, then I highly recommend touring with Alex! Oh and he even runs a Swedish cooking class out of his home! Happy Travels! For Swedes, it may seem so normal to see fortresses, castles, and palaces in the backdrops of cities. But for me, it is definitely still a novelty. There is something very magical about palaces to me and I was super excited to visit Roserberg Palace – one of the Royal Palaces of Sweden. Situated on the breath-taking shores of Lake Mälaren, on the outskirts of Stockholm, it was built in the 1630s by the Oxenstierna family and became a royal palace in 1762. In and around Stockholm there are quite a few palaces. Some of them that appear on multiple tourist itineraries to visit, while others only experienced when venturing a bit off the beaten path. Roserberg Palace is truly one of Sweden’s hidden gems. Get a true feel for the palace on a guided tour around the rooms and halls to experience a true unaltered royal atmosphere and learn more about royal interiors and art from the late 18th and early 19th century. On the morning of our tour, there were no crowds in sight. I didn’t feel like I was being pushed through every room and squeezed through all the doorways. I didn’t have to wait for the “perfect shot” to capture the colorful, elegant and sophisticated royal rooms.
The trek to the 17th century castle is just under an hour’s drive from Stockholm, though good ole’ public transportation coupled with a bit of power walking can do the trick in just under 2.5 hours. Because I was not feeling as adventurous, I traveled by chartered coach with 16 of my closest travel companions and a driver named Joe. Upon first arrival to the grounds of the castle, I was teased with glimpses of Lake Mälaren, a familiar site that I have become acquaintances with over the past several days during my trip to Sweden. As we parked and began our walk to the castle’s entrance, the aromas of Swedish chocolate balls and freshly brewed coffee served as invitations for our group to enjoy after touring the castle. The Skokloster Church was nestled between the parking venue and the castle and served as a reminder of the seriousness of purpose that was required when touring historical landmarks. As I made my way through the cemetery of the church, I gained a glimpse of the church’s historical significance, which dates back to the 13th Century. I later learned that this church is Sweden’s second oldest brick church and houses the remains of the castle’s original owner, Carl Gustaf Wrangel. The gravel filled paths from the church to the castle were lined with lime trees that provided a gentle reminder of the significance and affluence of this castle’s original owner. Our group opted for the guided tour, which consisted of a tour guide and access to specific areas of the castle that are not available with general admission. Our tour guide was dressed in period costume that helped transport my group to the 17th Century in Baroque-style Sweden. Prior to entering the first room of the tour, I was greeted by a familiar friend: a folding chair. With each step, I was immersed in the lives of aristocratic Sweden with all of its glamour, romance, and enchantment. I can only imagine the allure of being an invited guest at the dinner table of Carl Gustaf Wrangel during Sweden’s Age of Greatness. It was evidenced by the shimmering wallpaper and elaborate paintings and furnishings that the Skokloster Castle truly is a testament to an exemplary era in Swedish history.
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