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After checking out of our floating hotel we took the opportunity to walk around Gamla Stan and walk up to an oberservation point. The weather was surprising mild and were soon reduced to 't' shirts.
Picked up our bags and grabbed a T bana to T Central and our regional train to Uppsala.
The train could be compared to the Wairarapa service except it left on time, and was electric. The train only stopped twice (now that is different to my local train). No tickets to clip, everything is electronic so all the conductor has to do is scan the bar code on your self printed ticket (a hint here for the Wellington Regional Council).
The actual trip to Uppsala took around 28 minutes (for a 40 km journey), wow we need this type of service in the Wairarapa.
Once we left urban Stockholm it was farming country, from what I could see it was arable rather than animal farming. All the paddockes had either been plown or had stubble on them.
The weather was cold and overcast, a good autumn day, with a little rain.
The temperature at Uppsala was pretty cool, breath condensed etc. Found the hotel (ver modern and warm) and then waited for Evan to arrive and take up the role as tour guide. He took us to a very old but impresssive church, called the Domkyrkan. It was where the early Swedish royalty was buried ( a Westminister Catherdal type situation. The inside was equally impressive with two pipe organs etc.
From there we walked to the castle, called Fredens Hus slottet. Not like a medieval you see in picture books. But, still pretty impressive. From the top we looked down on a botionical garden which is named after Linneus ( an important Uppsala University prof who inventedor created a classification system for naming nature e.g. Homo sapiens for humans. the quote is "God created the world and Linneus categorised it".).Walked through his botianic garden then onto the Unniversity main building. Evan attend a lecture/address from Kofi Annan recently. He was also stopped from leaving as the Swedish Crown Princess was behind him (he thinks he was deemed a security risk).
Did a general walk through town. In many ways this town is similar to Otago University in Dunedin. The town relies on the university for its business. The town and university are very old, around 500 years. The university is ranked 75th in the world (2012 rankings), so it attracts a large number of international students.
After our walk about, retreated back to the hotel for coffee and a little tour planning as Evan has a week off from his law studies and now will travel with us to Copenhagen and Gothenburgh.
Both boys has there firdt taste of swedish meatballs for supper.
Plan for tomorrow is Gamla Uppsala (old Uppsala ) with its viking burial mounds and a trip to the most swedish institution - Ikea. The Biggest warehouse of them all.
Well,we didn't make it to ikea. The day was sunny but cool. a definite autumn feel. took a bus out to Gamla Uppsala (about 5 km out of town. There are 3 burial monds that date to around the time of the vikings. At the heart of these burial mounds are the remains of thee kings or queens (they were cremated prior to burial. Two of the mounds have been excuvated to date. One was thought to contain the cremated remains of a woman, so who they were is any ones guess. The mounds are built on an esker ( glacial-fluvio sediments layed down in a glacier, made up of fine sand).
This area was once under the Baltic Sea, howver since the end of the last ice age the land has risen, causing the sea to retreat ( called isostatic re-adjustment). Hard to believe that this area was once covered by water with a series of small islands.
After we came back to Uppsala we wandered around along the local river ( called Fyrisin). very scenic. However, you have to keep a wary eye out for cyclists, they are everywhere, riding their 1940's style bikes. During the course of the afternoon we revisited the catherdal and fort/castle (which was rebuilt in the classical french style. Also took the opportunity to visit the university museum ( which was interesting).
Took the train back into Stockholm (it runs on time, so unlike the Wairarapa line) and we are currently on a very fast train to Copenhagen at the moment. The train is cruising at 200 km/hour and leans in the corners. The service includes free Wifi which is a bonus. Evan is currently eating his 3 course meal while Regan and I look at the scenary in the fading light.
Tomorrow Copenhagen.
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