sightseeing

One of the advantages of staying here for two months is that we can take in the sights at a leisurely pace. Here are some places we have visited recently:

• Hagaparken (pictured): a large nature area just a few bus stops from our apartment.
• Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum): illustrates Swedish life through displays of everyday objects (an exhibit of footwear in the fashion wing, for example, includes everything from clogs and 19th century farm boots to Birkenstocks and tube socks).
• Tekniska Museet (Museum of Science and Technology): we met up with our Berkeley friends on a rainy day last week to go to this hands-on science museum similar to the Exploratorium in SF.

more on playgrounds

We have been able to while away many happy hours in nearby parks and playgrounds. In addition to the usual sandboxes, swings and slides, some of the playgrounds have climbing walls, trampolines, pedal-powered merry-go-rounds and a variety of tricycles. The bigger playgrounds have a building with a bathroom, an indoor playroom, and a small kitchen that has a refrigerator and a microwave. They even provide, for a small fee, coffee for parents and caregivers. There seems to be an on-site staff person who keeps an eye on the playground, brings in the toys at the end of the day and replenishes the coffee.

getting around

Mostly we get around on foot. Other means of transportation include:

• Bus: there is a stop right outside our building and we rarely need to wait more than about five minutes for a bus to show up. Kids ride free with a paying adult.
• Subway (or Tunnelbana as it's called): the Rådmansgatan stop is "our" stop. We don't really ride the subway that much. I prefer to see what's going on outside.
• Train: of course, we have to take the train to get out of Stockholm proper.
• Taxi: we took a taxi when we first arrived and once again when it was late and Leah was exhausted. Funny to see taxis that are Volvos and Saabs; we even saw a Prius taxi.
• Trams: there is a historic tram line that has been restored. We can pick it up right outside Keith's office. Probably -- like the SF cable cars -- only tourists ride it.
• Ferry boats: We took a 10-minute ferry ride from Gamla Stan (Old Town) to Gröna Lunds Tivoli amusement park on Djurgården Island. Stockholm sits on an archepeligo and sometime before we leave, I'd like to take one of those touristy cruises that goes along the Stockholm waterfront and the nearby islands.
• Bike: then, of course, there's Stockholm City Bikes (see our July 9 entry).