Day 6

Saturday (Day 6) we took an off-the beaten path adventure!
We had high hopes of going out to tour Gripsholm Slott (Slott=castle) in the town of Mariefred until we found out at the Visitor's Center that it was "an all-day affair".
We had hoped to spend 1/2 day or 2/3 of the day there and still have time for something in the evening.

Saturday was the celebration of Midsummer when everyone in Sweden celebrates the summer solstice. There was a celebration at an open-air museum that we wanted to go to on Saturday afternoon.

The traditional route to Mariefred to see Gripsholm Slott is via a 3-hour steamboat (S.S. Mariefred) and either the steamboat or a 2-hour steamtrain ride back to Stockholm. We discovered that an express passenger train runs to a small town about 2 miles from Mariefred. So, we bought tickets, took a map, and took the 1-hour train. We high-tailed it down Route 223 and about 40 minutes later we were in Mariefred! The train ride was less than scenic, but the walk through the countryside to Mariefred was amazing! Touring the castle was so much fun and we enjoyed our short little walk around the town itself. I fell in love with Mariefred & would have loved to spend all day there.

We returned to Stockholm and headed to Skansen, an open-air museum that displays replica buildings and houses in various regions of Sweden. They also have regional animals on display, have a zoo, an aquarium, and craftsman shops. We so enjoyed watching an artisan create glassblown figures. It was amazing! We brought home a beautiful blue & yellow (Sweden's colors) glassblown bird and a lovely glassblown flower bloom. Because of the midsummer festivities, Skansen was beyond crowded. We were able to see some of what the celebration is like, and indeed it is a celebration.

Sweeds typically celebrate the summer solstice by singing & dancing around a maypole. The women and children wear handmade flower and greenery wreaths around their heads. There are picnics on the lawns around the maypoles with traditional Swedish fare (lots of herring & other fish, breads, & cheeses).

It was another busy, fun day!