I apologize in advance for the sound tracks that may go through your head after this post - it's been a few days and I still find myself randomly humming ABBA songs. Yep - we spent the last few days in Stockholm Sweden, home to the talented and fun singing group ABBA. We kicked off our visit with a tour of their museum - such fun!
We weren't sure what to expect - but it really was great. Each of the singers did their own voice recordings that are used to guide you on the tour providing a lot more background and some personal glimpses - it was fun to hear the stories in their own voices. And, even though neither couples' marriage survived they appear to have found a way to remain civil and remember the love they had in the past. There is one room dedicated to Mama Mia - including a replica of the car used in the movie. Of course we hopped in! Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the actual car :)
They also have a ton of costumes on display - both from the band and the movie. It was funny, there was a group of younger girls walking through with us and Craig heard them say "I can't believe people used to where these clothes!" ABBA certainly was known for their costumes - their own unique style :)
The museum had a lot of great history of the band - including each of them talking about their childhoods and how they started their musical careers. It was pretty cool to hear each of them - they all were passionate about music from very early ages and worked hard to develop their talents. Bjorn and Benny were in different bands that ended up playing at the same event. They hit it off and ended up talking all night while playing Beatles songs on their guitars. Anni-Frid and Agnetha joined later and were originally just supposed to be backup singers. One day as they were working on a song that didn't sound quite right, Anni-Frid and Agnetha started singing it together - and as Bjorn said it was magic. Luckily the guys were smart enough to recognize that their talents were in writing songs that the girls could sing. The museum included replicas of their studio, manager's office and early homes - it was cool to see.
They also had wax statues of the band - which were really lifelike and, honestly, a little creepy. Along with some smaller caricatures.
Finally there was an opportunity for a photo shoot with the famous park bench picture. Unfortunately the guy who took our picture didn't do a very good job of getting the full effect - it just looks like we were photo bombed by Agnetha.
Stockholm is really a beautiful city. There is water everywhere. Apparently it is known as the "Venice of the North" because of all of the canals and how much boats are used as a means of transportation. Our guide told us that 1/3 of the city is water, 1/3 is nature (so many lovely parks) and 1/3 is urban landscape - really a great balance. It also is very easy to get around with public transportation, bikes or just walking. There are over 50 bridges connecting the various islands and countless ferries if you want to go by water. We loved exploring the city and were lucky to have some really nice weather - no coats one of the days!
Gamla Stan is also home to the Royal Palace which is one of the largest in the world with over 600 rooms. From our vantage I was only able to get a few of the rooms :)
Stockholm is also the home of the Nobel prizes. Here's a picture of the museum. You can feel awesomeness around you thinking of all of the brilliantly talented people who have been honored here.
Here are some more pictures from our walks. Always have to take the obligatory picture with the naked statue - it's Europe right?!
The last night at our hotel we had a traditional Swedish dinner - meatballs! - really yummy.
As we were finishing the lights all of a sudden came on brightly - followed by an alarm. Wondering if it was real we saw all of the workers moving quite quickly - yep, not just a drill. We had to evacuate the hotel and wait for the firefighters to arrive. Craig was quick thinking and brought our wine glasses - which unfortunately were confiscated once we got outside. Thankfully it wasn't that cold and the all clear was given rather quickly. Always something :)
We were also reminded that fall is here - leaves are changing and the days are getting shorter - especially in this part of the world! It's still hard to believe we started this journey mid summer and now are almost through with September. What an amazing ride it has been.
And remember "when all is said and done" "the name of the game" is not about "the winner takes it all" or "money, money, money" but instead about "knowing me, knowing you" and finding a way to "take a chance on me" while embracing your inner "Fernando" or "Dancing Queen".
My apologies :)
Enjoy the Ride!
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