Today was our last day in Stockholm, and our first bus day. I woke up early, did a quick workout in my room since we'd be sitting on a bus for a few hours and ate my last delicious breakfast at the hotel. The group met in the lobby with all of our gear, and we trekked down the street to meet our bus driver, Pinge, for the first time. We loaded up the bus, did a buddy check and Pinge drove us through town to meet our local guide, Ylva. Ylva (also the partner of Haaken, our guide from yesterday) gave us a tour of the City Hall and Nobel Prize banquet hall. It was really interesting to see the banquet hall! I bought my first mug of the trip (I buy mugs and coffee as my souvenirs!) in the gift shop. We then loaded back onto the bus and started our first travel day!
After our tour ended with Ylva, we got back on the bus and headed towards our stop for the night, Växjö, where we would be staying instead of Kalmar. After a few hours, we stopped for a break in a town called Söderköping, which was next to a beautiful canal. The town was beautiful, with cobblestone streets and beautiful houses. I had lunch with a tour mate at a cafe, then wandered around the streets until we had to meet back at the bus. After driving a few more hours, we pulled over to a rest stop, where Pinge had a surprise for us - homemade cardamom buns (including gluten free buns!) and coffee! We had time to stretch our legs, use the bathroom, and enjoy delicious pastries.
We continued on until we reached Växjö. The hotel was dated, but my room was clean and had all the essentials. Our guide, Heidi, took us on a walk to the cathedral and a park made for Karl Linnaeus. We were on our own for dinner, so many people went off to the restaurants. While we were at the park, I could see a beautiful lake so I decided to go get something quick from a grocery store and sit by the lake and eat. I got my dinner, made a quick stop at a massive candy store for some gummy bears, then ate my dinner by the lake. It was getting dark, and we had to be up early to meet the bus, so I headed back to the hotel for the night.