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Europe 2025
  • Terry Gustafson
  • Terry Gustafson

Europe 2025

We combined the Zurich to Paris Viking River Cruise with the Rick Steves Scandinavia tour. We also included an extra couple of days in Paris so we can finally see Versailles. Mary celebrated her birthday along the way! Read more
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  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    The harbor was lovely even on a cloudy day.
    Eurovision 1974 costume when ABBA wonEurovision 1974 costume when ABBA wonThe layout of the Polar Studio where most of ABBA's songs were recorded.

    Stockholm - The ABBA Museum (1)

    July 5 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    OK, so it is a bit cheesy, but we decided to visit the ABBA Museum. It was cloudy on the walk to the museum and raining when we left. The museum was entertaining and fun. We probably learned more about ABBA than we really needed to know, but it was worth the time.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    There were many interactive exhibits at the museum. We did not participate!
    They had amazing costumes.They have sold over 150 million records!From the set of Mama Mia! The Movie.We had a lovely lunch right on the harbor.

    Stockholm - The ABBA Museum (2)

    July 5 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    The costumes and the creativity of the music was fun to see. Of course, the dynamics of two marriages and the resulting break ups added a bit of sadness to the group.

    We walked back to the hotel in the rain. But we had a delightful lunch along the way that gave us a brief reprieve from the rain.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    The old machine shop used overhead rotating pipes with bands connected to machines.This is an original of the first electric refrigerator.This is a refrigerator that used block ice in the top for cooling.The three actors were hilarious.

    Stockholm - Skansen Open Air Museum

    July 6 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    We had a day with little rain, so we made the time to visit the Skansen Museum. This is an open air museum that has acquired homes from around Sweden from different eras. I was amazed that it was started in 1891 and has been in operation since then. We spent 4 hours there and enjoyed it immensely.

    We had lunch in the open air food court. Then they put on a campy short musical about life in the 1950's. The extolled the virtues of DDT to kill insects and how lead improved gasoline. The depiction of traditional roles was also over the top. The satire was rich!    Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    Another memorial to Raoul Wallenberg who saved many Jews during WW II.This memorial symbolizes the railroad track. It leads to the current synagogue.This wall lists the names of all the Jews who survived because of Wallenberg.The King's GardenThe Parliment BuildingThe two-foot drop between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea in Stockholm.A Rune stone used as a part of a buildingIn Hakan's flatThe narrowest street in Stockholm

    RS Day 2 - Walking Tour of Stockholm

    July 7 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    We had a local guide, Hakan, who showed us around the old town of Stockholm. He had great insight into the city and the culture. One of our stops along the way was at his flat in the old town. His building is from the 1600's. We learned much about the political system in Sweden, which is unicameral. They were among the first to include women in their democracy.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    This is a model of what the ship looked like in 1628.
    The aft was really decorated!The support system for the ship.A model of the cross-section of the ship.The coloring has disappeared from the actual ship.As they expect the figurines were painted on the original.It's hard to capture how large the ship is.On the walk back to the hotel.The national theatreAn elegant food court near our hotel

    RS Day 2 - Vasa Museum

    July 7 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Following the walking tour we took the ferry to the Vasa Museum. The Vasa was a 17th century war ship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 after traveling about 1300 meters. The king had the ship built to his specifications and it was top heavy. A gust of wind tipped the ship over and it sank in the harbor. It was not recovered until it was located, in tact, in 1956. It was raised in 1961 and preserved in polyethylene glycol. The museum tells the story of the construction of the ship and the story of the salvage operation. It was worth the visit.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    A panoramic view across the harbor from the city hall.The stairs where the Nobel Laureates descend into the banquet hall.The city hall chamberThe ceiling of the chamber is intended to resemble a long house.1The top of the mosaic is cut off because the artish miscalculated.Our guide explaining the mosaics.The view of the banquet hall from the balcony where the laureates enter.

    RS Day 3 - Stockholm City Hall Tour

    July 8 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Before taking the high speed train to Copenhagen, we visited the Stockholm City Hall. The banquet for the Nobel Prize winners is held here every year.

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    Denmark has a large wind farm in the strait.

    RS Day 3 - Travel to Copenhagen

    July 8 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We took the high speed train from Stockholm to Malmö. We transferred from the train to a bus for the rest of the trip to Copenhagen. We crossed the bridge over the strait between Malmö and Copenhagen, called Øresund (Danish) or Öresund (Swedish), also known as The Sound in English.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    The opera house with the diving board roof!The royal yachtThe Little Mermaid - In the rain!

    RS Day 4 - Canal Tour of Copenhagen

    July 9 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    It had been threatening to rain most of the day, but we decided to give it a go anyway. We got absolutely dumped on! We were soaked through and through. Our guide was a trooper through it all. It cleared up a couple of times in the hour long tour, but just opened up as we made a mad dash to our hotel after the tour.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    Scott and Christa, from Surrey. Christa works with a close friend of our daughter. Small world!
    Nothing is more "Copenhagen" than the Little Mermaid.The statue looked better from the front with no rain!

    RS Day 5 - Walk to the Little Mermaid

    July 10 in Denmark ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    We had the afternoon free after our tour of Rosenborg Castle. After lunch we walked to the statue of the Little Mermaid. It was a warm and sunny day in Copenhagen, so many people were swimming in the canals. We had dinner at a very busy market with Scott, Christa, Paul, and Terri, along with two Danish guys.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    We got to dress up as vikings on a model of a viking ship!They built this ship with traditional methods and sailed it to Ireland and back.The viking platter

    RS Day 6 - Roskilde Viking Ship Museum

    July 11 in Denmark ⋅ 🌬 68 °F

    On our way to the island of Ærø, we stopped in Roskilde to visit the Viking Ship Museum and the Roskilde Cathedral. The remains of the six viking ships were less intact than what we saw at the Vasa Museum. These ships had been sunk intentionally to block a passage into the harbor during an invasion.

    We ate lunch at the museum - their "viking platter." It was interesting.    Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    This is the room where the weddings are held for John's wife's business.We got to sample three local beers, with Nina serving us.11

    RS Day 6 - Ferry to Ærøskøbing

    July 11 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We drove from Roskilde to Svenborg where we caught a ferry to Ærøskøbing on the island of Ærø. Ærøskøbing's houses and streets are delicately restored to retain the character of the olden days. Most of them are one story tall, and the oldest ones date back to 1645. The island was a major smuggling / trading center. Ærøskøbing is often called a fairytale town. The town almost died out, but it has become a major destination wedding site. The wife of our guide, John Maloney, started a wedding business as part of the effort to revive the island's economy. And it is working.

    We shared an apartment with Scott and Stephanie. We had only one bathroom, but we had a lovely room and a beautiful living room. This is the first time we've ever had to share a bathroom on a Rick Steves tour.

    After dinner we walked down the the harbor. There was a light mist and we got to see a beautiful rainbow and an incredible sunset.    Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    We visited the Bregninge Kirke, a 13th century church on the island.The drawings were ancient that had been covered in the reformation.The church had ships hanging from the ceiling since it was a maritime island.SmørrebrødYou could see the Jutland pennisula from the island.

    RS Day 7 - Bus Tour of Ærø

    July 12 in Denmark ⋅ 🌬 66 °F

    We had a relaxing morning before going on a bus tour of Ærø. We stopped at a church on the island and had lunch at a place that only prepares lunch for Rick Steves tours. We had smørrebrød, a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich, characterized by a slice of buttered rye bread topped with various meats, fish, cheeses, spreads, and garnishes. It was delicious. We also went to a scenic overlook.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    The weather on the ferry back to Svenborg was not as pleasant as the way over.1Mary thought of her sisters when she saw this statue.Kronborg CastleLooking across the very narrow strait to Helsingborg, Sweden.

    RS Day 8 - Helsingør and Kronborg Castle

    July 13 in Denmark ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    After breakfast we left Ærø and took the ferry to Svenborg. Then we drove to Helsingør (Elsinore) where we had lunch and a short visit to Kronborg Castle, immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The lunch venue was a quirky warehouse / food court, with eclectic furniture all over.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    Irish folk group in Sweden!1The park across from the hotel had three statues of a man climbing and jumping off a post.

    RS Day 8 - Varberg

    July 13 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    We drove from Helsingborg to Varberg. We stayed at Hotel Gästis in Varberg. It is owned by a staunch Leninist and has classic posters and art work from the former Soviet Union. And there are books everywhere! The place is classic Rick Steves accommodations.

    We did a short orientation walk and then Mary and I went for a long walk along the coast. We found a folk group singing Irish music along the way.    Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler

    RS Day 9 - Vitlycke Rock Carvings

    July 14 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We drove from Varberg to Oslo and made two stops along the way. The first was to the bronze age rock carvings at Vitlycke. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The outlines of the carvings have been enhanced with a natural pigment to make them more readable. One of the carvings shows up on the Swedish 50 K note.Read more

  • Terry GustafsonEurope 2025Traveler
    Hannah, the daughter of the owner, explaining the meal.
    The view from the restaurantThe view of the restaurant (2nd floor) from the dockThe first group to take the boat rideThe second group to take the boat rideMany Norwegians (see flag) bring their boats and camp out in the islands.Some farmers take their goats / sheep to the islands to graze for the summer.This is a portable sauna that they move to spots among the islands.

    RS Day 9 - Lunch at Everts Sjöbod

    July 14 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    We ate lunch and had a boat ride at Everts Sjöbod Bed & Breakfast in Grebbestad. The lunch was a delicious mussel soup, along with bread and butter. The boat ride took us among the off shore islands. It was a beautiful day and the boat ride was refreshing. This area is one of the warmest areas in Sweden because of the current that circulates along the coast.Read more

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