What happens when you build a ship so armed to the teeth, that it was meant to be the most powerful vessel of its time; laughing at the face of the scientific theories of buoyancy and weight distribution?  It sinks, of course! And during its maiden voyage too! This is the story of the Swedish warship, the Vasa.  * And for over 300 years, the Vasa peacefully rested at the bottom of the sea until being successfully raised, whole and intact, in 1961!

Continuing on my personal fascination with medieval European monarchs (their stories, homes, and final resting places) I had the pleasure to spend some time at the burial church of the Kings and Queens of Sweden, Riddarholm Church. * And what a fantastic-looking church it is! Located on the island of Riddarholmen, one of Stockholm's fourteen islands, the structure is a nice walk from the Royal Palace and the old medieval area of Stockholm, Gamla Stan.

The Gamla Stan is Stockholm's old town, located on the island of Stadsholmen, full of medieval buildings, cobblestone streets, and picturesque alleyways. If you have but a few hours to spare in this majestic city, every minute of it spent here is a minute worth spent. * When in Stockholm, to find one's bearings, one must look to the sky.

There really is something special about them Scandinavians. From the land of the "world's happiest people", Denmark, we now travel across the narrow strait, to the "world's cleanest country", Sweden. And lets not forget the land of attractive blonde men and women, Swedish meatballs, pop music hits, and ABSOLUT Vodka. At the center of all of this is Stockholm, capital of Sweden; a city spread out across fourteen islands, linked by over fifty bridges. * Stockholm is exactly how I imagined it to be: architecturally impressive, progressive, extremely walkable, and clean.

I personally love long drives. There is nothing quite like spending a day on the road looking at wonderful scenery armed with a good book or a solid podcast on my iPod (yes an iPod), to get the creative juices flowin' and the life batteries rechargin'. There was plenty of this to be had on our road trip from Copenhagen, Denmark to Stockholm, Sweden.   * Our trip would take us from Copenhagen, up the coast to the Danish city of Helsingor, where we would then board the ferry to take us across the Oresund strait, separating Denmark and Sweden, to arrive at the Swedish city of Helsingborg, continuing on across the Swedish countryside until we arrive at its capital, Stockholm.