Day 11 (Elva): Medeltidsmuseet & Hornsbergs Strand

We decided to spend our last full day in Sweden visiting the places with the most letters in their names. The first one in the title refers to the Medieval Museum of Stockholm, a quirky little place built under an overpass adjacent to the palace. Turns out when they were excavating for a parking garage in 1978 they discovered thousands of remains and lots of history so they turned the garage into a museum instead. Among the items on display: A 16-ft section of Stockholm's first wall, built in the 16th century, and a partially reconstructed Viking boat that dates back about 1,000 years. So cool I bought a t-shirt.

Lincoln in front of the aforementioned wall. At its height, they estimate the wall was 15' high and encircled the city.

A shame Jack's knee wasn't down a little, but this was a reconstructed Medieval something-or-other that was entirely dark until my flash lit it up.

The Viking boat.

Kira giving the thumbs up to the scale model of Stockholm in 1528.

Kira in something or other!

After a late lunch at a funky place called "Joe & the Juice," we hopped the subway to a hip part of town, where apartment buildings are soaring into the sky and the young urban professionals have claimed the waterfront as their personal beachhead. Thousands of diverse young people picnicing and drinking and generally frolicking on docks and piers. Our kids kind of enjoyed the experience, but it was a very urban thing --- the water had a fair bit of debris in it. Jack and Lincoln liked jumping off the higher wall, about eight feet into the drink. I tried like hell to get them in the perfect "jumping off the pier" pose.

Dinner was a lovely affair at a tapas joint a block from the beach called Taperia. The menu was only in Swedish, so Anneli translated for us and we ordered one of everything good -- serrano-wrapped asparagus, chorizo marinated in some sort of blow-your-mind chili sauce, chicken skewers with spicy aioli, salmon with bèarnaise, etc. etc. etc. A lovely final evening repast.

The waiter said he's been working on this candle "statue" for four months.

Tomorrow we're on a plane at 8pm local, so I probably won't blog. It's been fun, folks. If you weren't a reader before this trip, bookmark this page. I try to be funny and insighftul at least three times a week.