Another hassle free train ride from Karlstad to Stockholm, although this time the train was almost of the "red rattler" variety. We managed to navigate our way through the Stockholm metro system and had soon arrived at our very charming hotel in the old part of Stockholm, known as Gamla Stan. Think narrow, cobbled streets, restaurants, bars and as many souvenir shops as you can imagine. Too early to check in we decided to have a walk and get our bearings. Stockholm is built on an archipelago of about 14,000 islands, so not surprisingly you can generally see water wherever you are. The next day we decided to explore the archipelago a bit more and booked a ferry tour to Vaxholm, one of the largest and most popular islands. It certainly gave us a much better appreciation of the geography. Back on land we headed to the most visited museum in Stockholm, where the the Vasa ship is on display. The Vasa was the pride of the Swedish King when it was launched in 1630. Unfortunately it sunk after sailing 1400 metres. And there it lay in 32 metres of water for the next 333 years. It was raised in 1961, and was basically intact. To see it on display in a purpose built facility is quite surreal. Stockholm is a very easy place to be and move around. A great public transport system certainly goes a long way. Our final day in Stockholm was primarily spent at Skansen, which was the world's first open air museum when it opened in the early 60's. It aims to capture the history of Sweden, with many original buildings having been relocated there, along with a collection of Swedish flora and fauna including lynx, bison and moose to name a few. And so our time in Sweden has come to an end. An early morning flight will have us in Helsinki in time for morning tea.