Sweden's Gamla Stan

After Estonia, we embarked on our trip to Stockholm, Sweden. On the bus en route to Stockholm, I was amazed at the vast open lands in Sweden's country side. There were so many trees, farms, mountains, grazing horses on the hills and the road to the city was littered with beautiful purple flowers. All I could think of was getting off the bus to pick up wildflowers. I was impressed at how naturally beautiful the country side is. I told myself that next time, I'll plan on visiting the country side of Sweden. For now, Stockholm will do.

At about 9 am, we approached the island of Stadsholmen and the medieval town of Gamla Stan (Old Town) stood there waiting to be explored.  Gamla Stan emerged in the 13th century and is home to Sweden's Royal Palace. This Royal Palace is one of the largest inhabited palaces in the world with over 600 rooms. In addition to the reception rooms, there are several interesting museums in the Palace, including the Royal Armory, with royal costumes and armor.

Sweden’s national cathedral - Stockholm Cathedral

I love these iconic buildings at Gamla Stan's Stortorget (The Big Square).

  It was one beautiful day in Stockholm - not a cloud in the sky.

  Viking runes at one of the streets in Gamla Stan.

Mårten Trotzigs gränd or Alley of Mårten Trotzig is less than a meter wide with 36 steps down. It is the narrowest alley in the city.

 

The harbour of Skeppsbron, the eastern waterfront of Gamla stan.

The Royal Palace.

Luckily, we were in time to watch the ceremonial changing of the guards at the Royal Palace.



Baby Hats

Brought to you by your friends at babyhat.com.

C, a former colleague, was visiting our office this morning and showing off photos of her newborn, baby D. It was nice to see C after a few months. I have to say, we enjoyed seeing all of baby D's photos especially the ones where she's wearing a super cute pink baby hat. The baby hat photos gave me a great idea that next time a family, a coworker or a friend has a baby, I'll definitely look into infant hats for gifts. Apart from making babies look cute, baby hats keep them warm and safe.

If you or someone you know is looking into baby hats, there are places you can definitely ask for help! Like these sites called babyhat.com or babyhatstoday.com.  These sites can absolutely help you decide which hats would be best for your baby. I was impressed with the variety of hats out there and for someone who doesn't a know a lot about babies, these sites are very informative. These sites are worth bookmarking for current and future references.

Fall With Me

At the Skyline Drive on October 22, 2010, the beautiful shades of fall witnessed a grand event - Kepi's proposal.

Read the story of my engagement here.

Tallin's Olde Hansa

You have to taste a host country's food, that's the beauty of travel.

While visiting Tallin, I really wanted to eat authentic Estonian food, so we walked around the old city to find something that would fit our budget and our taste buds.  We passed through Olde Hansa a couple of times, checked out the other restaurants but we decided to go back to Olde Hansa anyway; we made the right decision.

Olde Hansa had the right medieval feel and the servers were so warm and welcoming; they were also wearing medieval clothing. The restaurant was lighted with old lamps and candles, Estonian music played in the background, the hard wood tables flickered with the candlelight and the walls brightly festooned with draperies. It was the perfect place to fill our empty stomachs, rest our achy feet and wipe our sweaty brows and paws.

Walking around to find a place to eat.

I love the draperies, the lamps and candles.

The servers taking a break.

Candles lighted the stairs to the restrooms. I love the soot all over the wall.

Menus by candlelight.

This stall sells roasted nuts.

 I had a glass of Blackberry juice which was really delicious.

 Kepi had the bear meat. He said the meat was delicious and compares bear meat with beef only a littler gamier in taste.

I had the Wild Boar meat. The meat was tender and really tasty. I will definitely have this again and the berries really complemented this dish.

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To those who'd like to read more about my personal updates, please visit my personal blog - kassidy's notes.

Thank you to those who kept checking on me.

Walden University

Brought to you by your friends at www.waldenu.edu.

Are you ready to get your life moving forward or maybe you are ready for a career change? Have you ever thought of finishing your degree online? Have you ever heard of WaldenU.edu? I think online universities are such a blessing especially these days where we're all trying to play catch up with life and time. With Walden University's online degree programs, you can get your degree without leaving your home. You can still be with your family while you get your education at home.

To learn about Walden University, check out their website and browse through their degree programs, colleges and schools, tuition and financial aid, admissions, Walden difference and more. I love that you can easily talk to an enrollment advisor through their website and that you can request information online as well. So if you're thinking about going back to school, think if online education is for you. You never know, Walden University might be the place for you.

Aloha

My apologies if I haven't been blog hopping much lately. I miss blogging and I miss reading your posts, but some things have taken the front seat these days especially my health and my hospital adventures.

If you'd like to read my more personal updates, please visit my personal blog here.

Thank you and aloha.

Rain Chains

Brought to you by your friends at rainchainlink.com.

We've been getting a lot of rain lately, and I just heard that we'll be getting more rain the next few days. It would have been nice if I have a rain chain. Instead of the noisy gutter, it would have been nice to listen to that soothing sound from the Iron Flower Cups rain chain. If you're interested in rain chains like me, check out this site called rainchainlink.com. I love their designs on this website especially the 8 ft Iron Flower Cups.

They have a variety of styles and designs. They offer rain chain cups, rain chain links, rain chain extensions, rain chain basins and more. I think that this is THE place for all your rain chains needs. It's easy to shop on this site. I love that each of their items come with a photo and a full product information. I really enjoyed looking at the different chains rain designs they offer. If you're ready to install that rain chain for your home, this is a great place to start.

Climbing St. Olav

Here's a little history of St. Olav's Church:

St. Olaf’s Church or St. Olav's Church (Oleviste kirik) in Tallinn, Estonia, is believed to have been built in the 12th century and to have been the center for old Tallinn's Scandinavian community prior to the conquest of Tallinn by Denmark in 1219.  Its dedication relates to King Olaf II of Norway (a.k.a. Saint Olaf, 995-1030). The first known written records referring to the church date back to 1267, and it was extensively rebuilt during the 14th century.

A legend tells that the builder of the church, named Olaf, upon its completion, fell to his death from atop the tower. It is said that when his body hit the ground, a snake and a toad crawled out of his mouth. There is a wall-carving depicting this event in the adjoining Chapel of Our Lady.

Around 1500, the building reached a height of 159 meters. The motivation for building such an immensely tall steeple must have been to use it as a maritime signpost, which made the trading city of Tallinn visible from far out at sea. Between 1549 and 1625, when the spire burnt down after a lightning strike, it was the tallest building in the world. The steeple of St. Olav has been hit by lightning at least eight times, and the whole church has burned down three times throughout its known existence. Following several rebuildings, its overall height is now 123.7 meters.

From 1944 until 1991, the Soviet KGB used Oleviste's spire as a radio tower and surveillance point. It currently continues as an active Baptist church.

The tower's viewing platform offers panoramic views over the old town and is open to the public from April through Nov, daily 10:00 - 18:00. Admission 30kr (1.92 €). ( Source here.)

 I'm short but I still had to stoop when I entered this door.

 The spiral stairs of St. Olav's Church.

 While climbing, make sure to hold on to the rope because the pathway is narrow and the steps are uneven.

 Small window.

 I was soaked in my own sweat while climbing the tower of St. Olav. I was puffing and huffing, but all my tiredness was swept away when I saw the spectacular panoramic view of Tallinn.

 Really worth the climb.

From here, I could smell the sea.

After descending from the tower, we spent sometime exploring the church.

If you find your way to Tallinn, I highly recommend climbing the tower of St. Olav's Church.

Old Town Tallin's Shops and Restaurants

As I mentioned in my previous post, the shops at Tallin's Old Town are charming and such a delight to visit. I love that their crafts are handmade and are authentically Estonian. One of my pet-peeves is seeing souvenirs sold in a country like for example Germany but their souvenirs are made in China (just an example). Just my opinion, but it doesn't make sense buying a souvenir if the souvenir is not made in the country I'm visiting.

A cobblestone street in the Old Town.

Old Town's market square.

One of the well-known restaurants in the area - Olde Hans - that serves authentic Estonian cuisine.

A peek into the Master's Courtyard - full of craft shops.

Shops at the Master's Courtyard offering handmade items and souvenirs.

How would you like to eat here?

Another restaurant.

I think this one is cute - a pig window box.

Another charming craft shop.

Titanium Rings

Brought to you by your friends at www.titaniumstyle.com.

At my age, most of my friends are getting engaged, getting married or having babies. I think this post is for my friends who are looking to get engaged or get married. I think that occasions like these should be special and what could be more special by proposing with a titanium ring. If you're not familiar with the quality and beauty of titanium rings and tungsten rings, check out titaniumstyle.com. This site offers classic titanium rings, hammered titanium rings, inlaid titanium rings, tungsten carbide rings, titanium necklace and chains and more.

I am quite loving the domed titanium wedding band, and I love that this site includes a photo and a complete product description of their items. Their online order form is so easy to fill up which makes ordering the right size and ring a breeze. So why order on this site? To mention a few, they offer: (1) lifetime warranty; (2) 14 days money back guarantee; (3) free lifetime refinishing service; and, (4) fast production and delivery and time. Check out their website for more information.

Visiting Tallinn, Estonia

Setting aside my current health issues, here's reminiscing my travel to Tallinn earlier this year. What I found most intriguing with Tallinn is the small, old town feel. The people there were welcoming and I love the abundance of shops and authentic Estonian restaurants. Although our visit there was quick, I found myself mesmerized by the Old Town's charm, the warmness of the people and the good ol' feel of a historic medieval town.

It was early in the morning when we walked to the Old Town. It was still quiet.

These passage entry way to restaurants are very common in the Old Town.

Church of the Holy Spirit or Puha Vaimu Kirik - the oldest church in Tallinn.

This church building is dated all the way to the 13th century. 

According to the church pamphlet, this is the first congregation where services were held in the Estonian language (1531).

The painted pictures inside the church are called as the "pauper's bible."