Well, here we are in Stockholm - in the Old Town, Gamla Stan (pr Stawn- rhymes with lawn). It was dark when we arrived after a somewhat confusing exodus from The Central Staion, whence we had come from the Airport by "The Arlanda Express". Nevertheless this is the place to be, in the back streets, not too far from the main sights and within striking distance of the waterbuses that ply the harbour - they call this the Venice of the North, but as Senator Lloyd Bensen might have said to Dan Quayle "I know Venice and ... " We head over to the TI and pick up the Stockholm Card, then back to the (downtown) Palace for the changing of the Guard, complete with Military Band that plays for 30 minutes. Then we head down to the nearby quay and get on one of the "Hop-on, Hop-off" boats included with the Card, to the Vasa Museum - you remember, the big warship that capsized on its maiden voyage in 1628. It's huge! but small compared to Nelson's flagship HMS Victory. Vasa was 61m overall, weighed 1,500 tons and carried 64 cannon, compared to 69m, 3,500 tons and 100 cannon. On the way back it pours torrentially, so we find a neat Bistro near our digs for happy-hour, then eat out in an Italian restaurant. The digs are not what we hoped for - the room is certainly larger than the one in Danhostel, Copenhagen, but there is no en-suite, and no breakfast. Oh well!
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