SWEDE SENSATIONS ...

It was a picture perfect day in Stockholm today, ideal for exploring the nooks and crannies of this fascinating city.  I started by hiring a Tour Guide to show me around Gamla Stan, the Old Town dating back to the 13th Century.  Jenny, my guide, was an expert on the history of Stockholm and didn't mind telling me where all the skeletons are buried.  Take Christian the Tyrant, for example.  In 1520, he took over Sweden and -- with the help of a band of mercenaries -- set-up shop in the Royal Palace at Gamla Stan.  He threw a party shortly after taking over and, of course, invited all of his former opposition.  Midway through the festivities, he locked the doors, dragged off his guests and had them all executed in the City Center, at what is now the site of the Nobel Museum.  Some "Peace Prize," eh?  Then there's the "Mysterious Rabbit Square."  Nearly 200 years ago, a popular restaurant in Gamla Stan specialized in Rabbit Stew, a dish with a taste so rare it attracted a cult-like, international following.  One day, however, an expert arrived on the scene and declared "This is not rabbit!"  Closer inspection revealed that the restaurant had been serving-up Cat Meat for years.  Locals were so shocked, they burned the restaurant to the ground.  Today, the site is one of the few quiet courtyards in Gamla Stan, an ideal spot to read under the shade of an Oak Tree that stands where diners once enjoyed their "Fancy Feast."  From Gamla Stan, I made my way to the Vasa, a warship with an Ignominious History.  Built by King Gustavus Adolphus in 1628 as a spare-no-expense statement of Swedish Naval Supremacy, the Vasa sank in front of an audience of horrified spectators mere minutes into its Maiden Voyage.  It was raised nearly intact in 1961 and today can be found in a Museum on the Island of Djurgarden.  Of course, throughout the day I've been mindful of a Special Request from "Garnett109," who posted a comment yesterday urging me to "send pictures of the Buxom Blondes."  Inside Sources suggested I check-out an Intimate Little Establishment called "Marvelous Meduza and Friends" but, alas, it was closed on Sunday ...!