Toward Stockholm

Towards Stockholm
Oslo Gardermoen to Stockholm Arlanda

Friday, August 8, 2014

Our friend in Oslo gave us a ride to the Oslo Gardermoen International airport from our Hotel. The ride was pleasant as we chatted about our trip to Bergen and our friend updated about his family.

We picked up our luggage from his spacious Volvo car and run inside the airport as we had about an hour left before our scheduled departure to Stockholm. We were thinking it will be an international departure and hence more than 1 hour is needed. Fortunately for us we had more than 1 hour, the flight to Stockholm was delayed by 1/2 hour and the flight was more like a local flight and the crowd that morning was thin.

We picked some coffee and boarded the plane Blue1 for an 1-hour flight and arrived in Stockholm by 10:40 AM local time. Fortunately both Sweden and Norway were in the same time zone.

We then picked up our luggage and as we exited the arrival lounge found the Information Center. There we picked lots of information about Stockholm. Then we bought the to-and-fro tickets for Arlanda Express (since they were on sale for the summer), Stockholm Card for two days.

We then boarded the Arlanda Express and went to the Stockholm Central Station. Since we had difficult time in Oslo, we booked a taxi and arrived at the Omena Hotel at Torsgatan. As it turned out the Hotel was less than 3 minutes away and we decided to walk back on our return journey that way saving 110 SEK.

We arrived at the Hotel before noon and hence our pre-sent codes didn't work. We picked up the lobby phone and called the front desk. They checked to make sure our room was ready and it was and gave new codes to enter the building.

We came inside the room took shower. VtS and I went out to look for his record store and laundry. We couldn't find neither the coin-laundry nor his store. But found a dry-cleaner but he was closing for the weekend.

We then took some rest and in the evening walked around the neighborhood of the Hotel and visited the near by park. The park at Norra Bantorget was flanked by Olaf Palmes Gata and Torsgatan and we then picked some breakfast items at the corner 7Eleven and went to bed early for tomorrow's trip to Gamla Stan.