#uppsala shenans

[andiabroad]

Am safely with family for the next week, and the bed they have me in is miles better than the last two I've had, I didn't want to get out of bed this morning! Got the informal walking tour of Uppsala today, with my aunt giving me the history of things (since most things are in Swedish).

Plans to go to Stockholm for tomorrow are underway, but tonight I'm probably gonna crash early, my messy schedule the last month is catching up to me finally.

[andiabroad]

And for today - went somewhere Beth and Anya haven't been before! We went to Birka, a UNESCO heritage site! It's one of the oldest if not the oldest village site in Sweden. It's from the Viking age, so there's a lot of reproductions around the site and museum. (Also - how adorable is that dog library?) The cross is a monument to the first Christian missionary to Birka, even if he was overall unsuccessful at converting the viking heathens. (Birka was then abandoned by the converted King, and when the villagers left the town for Skultuna, the conversion was more successful.)

Tomorrow is a lot of time on planes and in airports, so I'm off. Thanks for coming along with me on this trip!

[andiabroad]

Sunday: Gamla Uppsala, "Old Uppsala". Took it relatively easy today. There's a lot of history here, from when it was the seat of power. The large hills are burial mounds, where kings were buried. There's a familial connection here, actually; according to the genealogy my grandmother did, one of our ancestors claimed descendancy from the Ynglinga kings, who were supposedly buried in the mounds. (This was before Norway and Sweden were distinct, separate entities, so. Still 100% Norwegian on mom's side 😋)

ALSO, the guy who created centigrade (his name is literally Celcius, which totally isn't confusing in conversations or anything) is buried in the church in Gamla Uppsala! His grave is actually under the carpet of the center isle in the church, so no pictures of it, but the plate in the last picture used to be set into the stone!

[andiabroad]

Part two, the Vassa museum!

There are not words for the size of this ship; I'm sure I'd be less affected if it was on the water like it belongs, but seeing it like this, the sheer size made me dizzy. It's an old wreck; it capsized immediately after departure and was preserved in surprisingly good shape. It's a fascinating story, both the wreck and the preservation efforts, since having it on display affects its longevity.

[andiabroad]

Went to Stockholm yesterday! Going back today too, hopefully I'll remember to post an update tonight instead of on the way back into the city 🤪

Part one, city walking tour! Gorgeous architecture tbh, a lot of lovely views. Caught the end of the military band playing. Took the ferry to a museum, which is part two....

[andiabroad]

Hi! I'm Andi, and this is my travel shenanigans sideblog. This is where I hope to document my experiences this summer (and possibly beyond?) for ease of access to friends and family. I'll keep my travel plans updated in my blog header, and this post will update with my current location. I will also add tags to this post as my travel continues, so you can click on them to see what I'm doing in a given location. Laissez les shenans commencer!

I am currently : back home

Next stop : Concert trip!

summer '23 shenans:

June 1-4 Chicago

June 17-July 15 Galway

July 15-19 London

July 19-25 Uppsala