Stumbled upon Swedish royalty

Breakfast

Jog är svenska flika 

Josefine 

In the crowds trying to photograph the royal family and the hot single prince!

Sneaking photos in the palace

Royal palace outside

Dinner at Josefine's

Our first day in the motherland started off wonderful with a very swedish breakfast- partridge, lingonsylt, mjölk, bread, skinka, äspplenmos och smör!

Thank you Jan-olvo and Gladys for our metro/bus/ferry tickets! We felt like locals using public transit to get to central Stockholm to visit with Josefine (another cousin). 

We hadn't planned anything for the day, but it so happens that the king of Sweden has been in reign for forty years and there was a celebration. We walked the old town of Sweden, ate salmon and spinach pie, heard the king's speech and then got the chance to enter the palace! 

You wouldn't believe how many people were there and how long it took us to get into the palace courtyard. We were squashed by many people with the same idea in mind- take pictures of the royal family. It was a great royal experience that has never happened before (they don't usually let people into the palace courtyard). We stumbled upon free entrance into the palace while searching for a WC (bathroom). We snuck many photos and were in aw of the ability to imagine ourselves royalty living in the palace. 

After our royal galavanting, we made dinner and apple pie at Josefine's cute IKEA furnished apartment in the central Stockholm. 

What amazing random day we could experience here is Sverige! Loving it so much! We rode two different trams to get home, finding our way with the little Swedish we are learning! 

We will be heading back into the city tomorrow to explore by ourselves! We hope and pray to find Kirdy's kindle in the SJ train lost and found tomorrow!

Godnatt

Love

KJ's

Everyone in Sweden shops at IKEA

So tired after an hour sleep but on the train to Sweden!

Kelsey studying Swedish 

Gladys och Jan-Olov

Once we were finished our amazing breakfast at our hotel in Copenhagen, we strapped on our backpacks and headed to the train station. Thank goodness we arrived to the ticket counter early because a line formed after us. We activated our eurail passes and off we went. 5 hours later and one lost kindle (pray its in the sj train lost and found, we will look tomorrow), we were greeted by Gladys and Jan-Olov (our parent's cousin). They showed us stockholm as we drove through a marathon (literally..), but we found our way. Two comfy beds awaited us at their cute IKEA model apartment. Gladys made us soup!! Then we walked the town, as we had a swedish lesson.. One of many. They made us dinner- stew and rice, with lemon cake for dessert. Our beds were calling for us and we finally slayed the jet lag monster and fell asleep (at 9pm). Our first night of sleep in 72 hours! Ah, so good!

Love

KJ's

Our day in kopenhaven

Royal palace

Danish bar with Megan 

Smörgåsbord 

Shocked, as we looked at the clock, reading two pm. We had indeed missed our free breakfast offered by the hotel. Still tired, we got dressed and headed to get some food. Latte and chai with our crassants as we saw fellow travelers and Danish enjoying their coffee and wine. 

We then walked to a spiral tower that looks over the entire city...only a thousand (plus) steep steps to walk up!!! :) We met some lovely other tourists on the way. As we walked further, we stumbled upon a castle with a huge courtyard and some fury hatted guards. They stood/walked, straight faced as we tried to sneak a picture with them. We then searched for the little mermaid and along the way we saw more amazing architecture. The city has really come together for us, as we know where some things are and, most importantly, our hotel. 

Later, we met up with Megan, Kelsey's friend who is studying aboard in Denmark, for pizza. We experienced a danish bar where the bar tenders wore suspenders and beer maiden costumes and jägermeister on tap. We continue to blend in with the Nordic people as we repeatedly get spoken to in Danish.

Kirdy has decided to try a beer on each city we visit to compare and alert the world of the best beer. Copenhagen beer tasted like a wheaty, yeast laden Budweiser. 

After the bar, Megan showed us the studio that she studies architecture at and we met some of her classmates. Everyone has been very friendly here in our travels. 

That night our jet lag continued and we were awake till 5:30am only to sleep an hour to catch our train to Stockholm! It has been our dream to go to the motherland ever since we learned what varsågod och tack så mycket meant! 

So excited

Love, 

KJ's