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The AIR Tour in Europe kicked off again this week, and I headed out early to get acclimated and to get a little time to play tourist. Once the tour actually starts, there really isn't much tourism time. The first venue on the tour was Stockholm, Sweden, which took around thirteen (13) hours via plane, with a layover in Munich, Germany.

You're never really sure what to expect on your first time to a new city, not to mention a city in a new country. Luckily, the last AIR Tour Europe leg left me somewhat better equipped to handle the jet-lag, currency and difference in food likes. I did some research before departing as well and found a few different places I wanted to visit to take pictures. I didn't know it, but there was also an event that took place that weekend.

I was staying at The Grand Hotel, which is in a perfect location for touring Stockholm.

My first stop was Gamla Stan. Many areas of Stockholm are made up of small islands. Many of the islands are close enough to one another to be accessible via a short bridge. Gamla Stan is one of those islands, but it is also the original location of Stockholm. Gamla Stan is the location of the Royal Palace, which is a massive 600+ bedroom building, that is still used by the royal family. The rest of Gamla Stan is packed with various buildings and small alleys. The narrowest of these alleys measures 32 inches across and can barely fit two people passing through at any given time.

Many of the team started arriving Saturday, which also happened to be the day of the Stockholm Marathon. If you think a marathon event normally brings a city to a halt, imagine a small European city such as Stockholm. It was during this event that I decided to avoid taxis and explore Djurgarden. Djurgarden is yet another small island, accessible by bridge, that was originally designated as a playground for the royal family. These days it's still very much a playground, filled with parks and activities, but open to the people of the city.

Also located on Djurgarden is the Skansen living museum. Skansen was my Sunday activity. The area has a rich history, but for the most part, serves a primary purpose for conserving Sweden's history. The vast space includes several different and complete houses from the 1600's to the 1800's. Many of them are open for you to explore, beautifully maintained, and staffed by individuals wearing period clothing. You get to learn all about life in Sweden as it was 400 years ago up to just 100 years ago.

Skansen includes not just farm houses, but a church (Protestant), post office, and even a complete manor (reserved for the wealthy, who had to staff two members of the country's army). There is also a main street that includes era shops from printing, to pub, to groceries, to glass making, and more. There's even a small "nordic area zoo" in Skansen complete with wild boar, bison, horses, and so on. While Skansen is already hands-on enough to keep most kids happy, there's also a children's area.

I can't say enough about Skansen. I learned so much. I walked around the are for four hours, and still hadn't seen everything. Sadly my brain was already on overload, and I need to get back to prepare for the tour. If you get a chance to visit Skansen, even as an American, I think you'll find it a wonderfully educational experience. My one tip would be that rather than walk there that you take a taxi, or better yet, one of the water taxis which operate regularly and make quick work of the short trip.

Stockholm City Hall backed by the new office buildings in the T-Centralen area. I liked the light this day. I took this photo from the island just south of here called Sodermalm.

BTW, Stockholm City Hall is the building on the right. That's where you pick up your Nobel prize....

The boats are at the main dock for ferries on the lake Malaren side (as opposed to the Baltic sea side). Lake Malaren is beautiful. One if the boats has a dinner tour from here to Drottningholm. It's a fun thing to do in the summer.

The Stockholm Sheraton Hotel is the brick building on the right side of the photo.