Laurie at Airport: I couldn't resist having Amanda take my photo next to the mural of Alfred Nobel. These murals were lining a long hallway leading to the outside of the airport where we were to meet Amanda's mother, UllaBritt, and her good friend, UllaLena.

Let it not be said that I don't offer variety on my travelblog. Below is a series of phtos detailing what you might see in a typical Swedish bathroom.

Upon reaching Stockholm, I realised that I had not taken any photos of the differences in homes between the U.S. and Sweden.

Door Knob Unlocked: In Sweden, you have to look at the color of the circle under the door knob to see if someone is in the bathroom or not. The white color denotes that the door is unlocked.

Door Knob Locked: In Sweden, you have to look at the color of the circle under the door knob to see if someone is in the bathroom or not. The red color denotes that the door is locked.

Tub Bath & Shower: All the tubs I came upon were free-standing (and located away from the wall). They all have a shower hose, no shower head plumbed into the wall, so you hold the shower hose to rinse off with. My first experience with these was confusing. I tried bending over and hugging the outer rim of the tub, next to the shower curtain, so as not to splash water over the rim at the back.

Tub Plumbing: Ah...there's the plumbing under the tub, again externally located. This bathroom was on the second floor of an apartment building, and also had a vent pipe coming out of the floor opposite the tub.

Sink Plumbing: Sink plumbing tends to be external as well, whereas in the U.S. we tend to have a cabinet present to hide the plumbing.

Swedish Toilets: You've got to love those Swedish toilets. Sweden really goes all out in conservation of water. With these toilets, you can hold the top button down for as long as you need to flush the waste down. Unfortunately, you have to have the lid of the toilet open to see what is happening, and water tends to splash out as it is a very energetic flush.

August 15...(Day 23)...Next Stop, Stockholm South Station

We took a train to the South Island of Stockholm for a tour of the city.

Cycling in Stockholm: One of my first impressions of Stockholm, the capitol city of Sweden, was its bicycle friendly atmosphere. Sweden encourages its citizens to use alternative transportation (buses, trains, and bicycles) to conserve fuel.

Stockholm Harbor: Stockholm is a big shipping port. There are many interesting buildings and ships to be seen. I could have spent a few hours just sitting and watching the boats cruise by.

Grona Lund Tivoli Amusement Park: Across the water from the south island of Stockholm, is a very popular amusement park which was attended by Jonathan, and his cousin Evelina. They had an exciting day while Amanda, Jenny, & I did our sightseeing.

Stockholm Central Shoreline: Stockholm is comprised of 14 islands connected by bridges throughout the city. It is huge. Here you can see Stockholm Central. The castle is located in the Gamla Stan section of the city. I took this photo from the southern portion of Stockholm.

Alley Steps to next level: There are two street level in this town, and we went up these steps to the next level on our way to the King's castle. Here you see Amanda in the foreground, and her cousin Jenny in the background.

Typical Buildings in Old Town: We walked around the Old Town portion of Stockholm, and had views of many old buildings such as these. Note the typical ochre colored plaster found on buildings dating back to the 1700s. This is my favorite photo of the trip. I love the perspective. I had seen a photo similar to this, in one of my guide books, and wanted to emulate it. I think it turned out quite well, if I do say so myself.

Cafe Kallaren: This cafe, in Stockholm, has been used as a prison and a monastery in the past. Note the date of 1300 on the door. It is found in the dark understory of the city.

Steps down into the underground cafe: We had to duck down when going into the cafe as the ceiling was quite low. I wonder how many other rooms/shops/prisons are located under the city streets.

Amanda in Cafe: We had an enjoyable meal here, and could not have chosen a more interesting cafe to eat at if we had tried! I took this photo from the old kitchen when this underground building was used by monks in the year 1300.

Cafe: The cafe had several small seating areas and in may small rooms. The murderer of one of Sweden's Kings was held prisoner here.

After a tasty lunch, we meandered over to watch the ceremony of the Changing of the Guard: Changing of the Guard outside the King's castle in Stockholm. I was not in a position to photograph the actual ceremony due to the great number of spectators, but I did get to see the guards, some of the parade, and a most awesome military band.

Crossing bridge toward Parliament building on right: After watching the Changing of the Guard at the castle, we crossed a bridge next to the Parliament building, and made our way to the train station.