Stockholm!

After a long bus ride yesterday, I've finally arrived in the beautiful capital of Sweden. On my last visit here, it was really cold and rainy the entire time, which made it a miserable visit. Thankfully, it is forcasted to be clear and sunny for most of this week, and I can't wait to make up for last time and explore this incredible city. I also just uploaded four days worth of pictures, that I hadn't been able to put up thanks to shoddy internet. Look them up!

Stockholm is really a wonderful place; it sometimes gets called the 'Venice of the North', but an Italian friend of mine told me that he thought Stockholm was much prettier. I have no opinion, I've only been here. Stockholm gets such superlatives because of how it interacts with the water. It's built on an archipelago at the point where Lake Mälaren drains into the Baltic Sea. Similar to Oslo, the city's geography is its most distinguishing feature. The many islands and bridges, boats and waterfront buildings, give Stockholm a tremendously unique character. It also feels much more 'Scandinavian' and less 'European' than does its chief rival Copenhagen, although it still has much more resemblance to the grand continental capitals than do truly Scandinavian cities like Oslo.

In fact, I think Stockholm bridges those two city feels quite well. Like Oslo, it feels built into the natural environment, as opposed to imposing itself on it. It relishes in the water, and never fails to emphasize it. Where it differs from Oslo is the proximity of the forests and mountains, which feel ever present in Oslo, but quite distant in Stockholm.