DENVER TO STOCKHOLM

Arrival Day

16.08.2010 - 17.08.2010

Am I crazy to travel solo to Sweden? I arrive at Aarlanda, Stockholm’s gloomy airport, on a rainy, windy August morning. The short Swedish summer is definitely on it’s way out. After I collect my bags, I pass through customs and a larger than life size wall poster of Sweden’s King and Queen. I arrive without a real plan but with a real purpose. I’m in search of roots….connection…..place...and my search begins with my deepest roots...the Swedish Lake Country. To accomplish this, I set out for Vadstena, the heart of this beautiful and historic area. Stockholm Aarlanda

Stockholm Aarlanda

The next few hours present a nightmare that any sensible traveler should avoid. I arrive at 7 am but my rental car is not ready until noon. Once I get into my Volvo, I realize it’s a standard shift. When is the last time you drove a standard?? For me, about 30 years ago.

Then I negotiate Stockholm traffic through murderous roundabouts where Swedish cars and trucks fly around like projectiles spun out from a centrifuge. Speed signs seem to be posted every 10 kilometers and the speed limits are constantly changing. Your car feels like a yoyo. Warning!!! There are speed cameras everywhere.

Rather than make a sensible decision like finding a hotel in Stockholm, I decide to drive to Vadstena that afternoon. My travel agent warned me that this would be a poor decision. It was. Sweden does not have conveniences like Holiday Inn Express along the interstate nor fast food drive-ups. What they do have is McDonalds. I find one, off the road, in Sodertalje. I order in English and the attendant is the soul of sweetness enjoying an opportunity to practice her English. Later when I can’t figure out where to throw my trash, a busboy is very rude to me. That was the only rudeness I encountered in Sweden in my entire month long stay.

Several hours later, I arrive, mentally trashed, in Vadstena.

Beautiful Vadstena