Sweden

Sweden isn't the most popular country in Europe for tourists. And...I can see why. Its biggest city Stockholm isn't the most exciting or glamorous city out there. Stockholm is still worth a little trip on your itinerary if you are in Europe for an extended vacation. There are some places in this city you can't see anywhere else. 

1. The Royal Palace

The King of Sweden lives in the Royal Palace from 1760. It has 600 rooms and is one of the most beautiful and biggest palaces in Europe. It is one of the oldest castles in the world that is still used by the royal family of the country. 

The palace is open to the public and there is also a guided tour offered daily:

This was my favorite part of the palace:

2. Vasa Museum

One of the most visited museums in Northern Europe, this museum has the only original, fully-intact 17th century ship, called Vasa (hence the name of the museum). 

This is a replica model of the ship with sails:

This is the actual warship. It is massive at 69m long:

The detailed sculptures on the ship:

Miniature ships in a row:

A map of where the war ships were stationed and the route they took:

3. The ABBA Museum

"Ooh You can dance, You can jive, Having the time of your life

Ooh, see that girl, Watch that scene, Digging the dancing queen~"

Are you a fan of the legendary Swedish group ABBA?

I adore 70s and 80s music, Michael Jackson, Prince, The BeeGees (My favorite genre is 90's Gangsta Rap, though), so I had to get a pic here!

Some original costumes of the ABBA members:

This was my favorite:

4. Textil Museet

As an (aspiring) designer/tailor, I had to visit the Textile Museum.  It's very comprehensive, showing fashion not only in Sweden but in all of Europe throughout the ages. 

My favorite styles of clothing that I'm trying to get into are dresses, such as Zuhair Murad and Valdrin Sahiti. (I can make bikinis too!) But I love all styles of clothing, from hip hop to punk. I love this whole outfit!

This is what I'm trying to get into! This is an older style of a wedding dress, but I can totally see it being worn today:

5. Nobel Prize Museum

The Swedish prize is renowned and desired by professionals in their field all over the world. So it is befitting that Stockholm should have the only Nobel Prize museum in the world displaying the creative ideas and dedicated works of more than 900 scientists, artists, and activists. 

This museum is closed on Monday, so plan your trip/visit accordingly!

6. Riddarhuset

This is the center for parliamentary assemblies and administration, built in the 1600s. It's a building that keeps records on the Swedish nobility. It is open to the public but I has limited time to go inside. I was too hungry and wanted to try some Swedish food, haha!

7. Stockholm

Food

Fish, especially herring, are a huge part of Swedish cuisine because they are right by the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea. Surstromming, the notorious fermented herring, is enjoyed throughout Sweden on bread. Or...at least I saw cans of the infamous fish. I did not get a Surstromming (I had no desire to get a whiff of the scent), but I did try fried, fresh herring at a nearby marketplace:

Just walking around the streets of Stockholm is probably the best thing to do in Stockholm. The city is very quiet, clean, and the buildings are beautiful. A lot of locals and tourists stroll along the waterfront:

One of Sweden's biggest national symbols is the "Dala horse"--or the wooden horse. The "Dala horse" is a part of Swedish folk art. Horses were highly prized in Swedish history as they were a symbol of status--providing transportation, fighting alongside humans in wars, and being trusted friends. Swedish artists and local people carved them out of wood, and the "Dala horse" has been a part of Swedish folk art for centuries. This museum feels almost more like a shop. You can pick up some cute souvenirs:

One of the best things about Stockholm is the easy transportation. The Arlanda Express takes you from the airport to the heart of the city in less than 20 minutes for only ~300 SEK (about $30). I did not have to cab at all as buses and public transportation is frequent and very clean:

Overall, I would say Stockholm is a good place to stop by on a European vacation trip for about 1~2 days. Flights within Europe to different European countries are pretty affordable (I found prices to be better than traveling to different states within USA), so I highly recommend setting maybe 2 weeks for Europe to go "country-hopping"!

England--London & Stonehenge

London in many ways reminds me of NYC, so it does lack the "exotic" factor for me. Nonetheless, London is different because you get centuries-old structures along with modern skyscrapers. I feel like European cities in general have a more "quaint" vibe than American cities.

1. London Eye

The London Eye is one of the biggest ferris wheels in the world, and is the biggest cantilevered observation deck in Europe. By far, it is my favorite "observation ferris wheel". It's definitely worth a spin! 

It has 32 capsules, and the 25 passengers in each capsule all have plenty of space (and time) to sit and walk around to get a good view of the London skyline. Tickets area around 30 pounds per person:

2. The Shard

I always try to go to the highest skyscraper in a city to get the best view of the city. It's even better if I get to go around sunset time. The juxtaposition of the beauty of nature with the beauty of man-made structures just makes me feel a certain way. The Shard is the tallest building in the UK standing at 309.6 meters tall. 

Tickets to The View at The Shard is about 30 pounds per person. On Level 31, there is an upscale restaurant called Aqua Shard that serves contemporary British cuisine. The Bar at Aqua Shard serves drinks that you can enjoy while watching the sunset. 

The sunset that particular night was such a beautiful hue of magenta:

The London skyline, like NYC skyline, is far more beautiful at night when the whole city is lit up:

There are restaurants and private residences at The Shard. While coming down, I saw this adorable chess set of the most famous buildings/landmarks of England:

3. Tower Bridge

The bridge that many people think and picture in their minds when they hear the famous nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down" is actually the Tower Bridge, not the London Bridge. The Tower Bridge is over a century years old and opened first in 1894. At the time, it was the most sophisticated bascule bridge in the world, and to this day, it is one of the most, if not the most, beautiful bridge in England:

Walking across the Tower Bridge is free and more than 40,000 people cross it daily:

The Tower Bridge is famous for opening up to let large ships and vessels through. This is not regularly done however, so it is quite rare to catch it "lifting". You can check their website to see the schedules for the lifting times as the bridge can go days or even weeks without lifting. I was lucky enough to catch it lifting without planning for it! The whole opening and closing process takes about 3~5 minutes:

4. Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4

If you're a huge Harry Potter fan, the 1st Harry Potter Shop in the world located at the King's Cross Station is a must-visit! I actually won the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when from a drawing contest when I was 9 years old and I have been hooked ever since. 

King's Cross is a real station in the complex London's "tube" system, and as you guessed it, Platform 9 3/4 is located between the real-life platforms 9 and 10:

You can take a commemorative photo at Platform 9 3/4, but sometimes the wait can be over 1 hour. The shop offers you various props from the different houses to wear for your photo-op (I chose Slytherin ofc!):

The shop is so artistically well-decorated, and closely follows the details of the books and movies. So many Hedwigs and acceptance letters:

With this many wands, the wand will surely choose you~

They have all the different snacks and candies, too. My favorite, Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans:

4. The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Before I even discovered Harry Potter, I fell in love with Sherlock Holmes, who solved many of the mysteries and murders of England that not even the Scotland Yard could solve~

The pipe-toting detective has his very own museum where his home is, on 221B Baker street:

This museum replicates Holmes' flat as faithfully to the books as possible so you can feel the presence of the famois detective!

The sitting room where Holmes surely talked about the complicated details of his cases with Dr. Watson:

The Hound of The Baskervilles was one of my favorite novels (sadly Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote mostly short stories) when I was a child:

The museum is full of memoirs from some of Holmes' most famous cases. 

Some of my other favorites include "The Speckled Band" and "The Norwood Builder":

5. Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace may need no introduction--it is the 300+ years old home of the British royalty and the Queen. The State Rooms are open to the public for 10 weeks from the end of July to early October, and a few select dates in the winter and the spring. You do have to reserve in advance and no pictures are allowed inside: 

The Queen's Guard work in 2 hour shifts, and you can observe the Changing of the Guard at the Palace:

6. Museums/Galleries

There are numerous museums and galleries in London, with the most famous being The British Museum, which is free. I had the time to visit the National Portrait Gallery. It's quite small but there are various portraits and busts of some of the most legendary figures in history. 

7. Big Ben

Big Ben is the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. It is thought to be named "Big Ben" after either Sir Benjamin Hall who was the 1st commissioner of works, or after Benjamin Caunt, a boxing champion who was known for being very heavy, just like this clock!

At the time I went in 2019, Big Ben was sadly under construction so I did not get to see it light up at night:

8. Greenwich Market

This indoor market from 1737 is a really nice place to get some handcrafted souvenirs and find some local arts and snacks:

9. Stonehenge 

I first learned about the Stonehenge when I read one of my favorite novels of all time at 9 years old: Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Nobody knows for sure what the exact purpose of the Stonehenge was--was it for a ritual? was it a temple? (as Angel Claire told Tess in the novel, it could have been a place to worship the sun?), but this is the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe. It was built about 5000 years ago by Neolithic humans who had no technology and limited tools. It is astounding to think about how much humans are capable of achieving and creating through sheer willpower alone: 

You can take a train from London to Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire to see the Stonehenge:

In terms of Europe, I still loved Paris the most because I love fashion and Paris really is such a fashionable, romantic and cozy city. However, London is much bigger and has more sites and places to visit. I definitely could have spent a few more days here to see everything I had on my list, but I was pleased with the trip overall. London is just as expensive, if not more so than NYC but it is possible to save on food because "fish and chips" and tea are available at various prices literally everywhere. 

Good-bye London!