Sweden’s history includes a rich Viking culture. I was eager to take a walk back in time to examine this myself, during the final day of my visit to this country. An all day bus tour was the perfect way to explore the ancient Swedish villages. I nibbled on a couple of sweets that I had purchased a couple days prior, as a quick breakfast meal.

Our first stop was the site in Taby where the Jarlabanke Runestones are located. Runestones are raised stones from the Viking Era(8th to 11th century) with inscriptions using the runic alphabets. Jarlabanke was the founder of the settlement. He had the stones erected during his lifetime, to honor him as the founder of the town and the builder of the local bridges and roadways, as well as to acknowledge his family members. Runes typically are inscribed with text and graphical imagery in bright orange color.

A short drive up the road brought us to Arkils Tingplats by Vallentuna Lake, where several Rune stones reside. A circular stone formation on the ground, stands where the ancient Vikings would hold their assembly gatherings.

A small 12th century church in Vallentuna contains several runic inscriptions on its walls. One stone declares that Jarlabanke controls the entire region, while another rune tells of a shipwreck. Sweden’s oldest book is housed in the church.

Our group proceeded to the village of Granby. The medieval village of Granby is home to the largest rune rock carving in Sweden. The inscription to a mother, father, and other family was carved by during the 11th century.

My tour group spent a relaxing break having fresh fruit and tea at the local cafe.

Next, we headed to the ancient village of Sigtuna. This is the oldest town in Sweden. The Vikings gathered there to buy and sell their goods at the many markets and shops.

The tiny, old town hall showcases its history with displays of documents, photos, and items from the building’s past.

Delightfully colorful wooden buildings in the charming town center are a popular tourist destination for those seeking to shop for a variety of goods such as clothing, crafts, or food items.

One of the shops even offered clearly marked vegan skincare products.

Sigtuna was founded as the first Christian town in Sweden in the year 980. The ruins of medieval period “St. Olaf’s Church” contains a navel, a chancel, and a tower. Excavations have discovered the remains of another stone church beneath it.

After time on our own to explore the village, I had a few spare moments to grab some takeaway lunch for the tour bus. One of the restaurants in the old town center prepared a tasty vegan salad for me.

The Royal Mounds of Gamla Uppsala were thought to be pagan burial grounds for kings of the earliest Swedish dynasty, according to ancient legend. They measure between 9 and 10 meters high. During the 19th century, excavations proved that these were actually the tombs of young children.

Old Uppsala church, located acroos the road from the Royal Mounds, stands on an old pagan temple. By the 12th century, it had become a Christian church. Anders Celsius(temperature)is buried under the center aisle. The church is now the parish church of Old Uppsala Assembly.

Our tour bus brought us to our final destination on the tour: Uppsala city. We received a guided tour inside the towering cathedral of Uppsala. This gothic-style cathedral is the largest in all of Sweden. Erected during the 13th century, it stands at 1118.7 meters. Originally built as a Catholic cathedral, it then became the location for the coronations of the Swedish monarchs from the Middle Ages until the year 1719. One of its chapels houses the relics of Eric The Great, patron saint of Sweden.

We made a final photo stop at the 16th century Uppsala Castle. The royal castle is currently the residence of the governor of Uppsala County.

Although we had returned from a full day of sightseeing, the afternoon was still young and more fun was to be had. Upon arrival back in central Stockholm, I hopped on the local ferry to nearby Djurgården Island, only a few minutes away. What is located on this small island? The ABBA Museum!

This interactive museum, dedicated to Sweden’s 1970s pop group ABBA, opened in 2013. It houses the iconic music group’s tv appearances videos, their awards, written and audio recordings of their individual musical beginnings, clothing from their concert performances, and other memorabilia. I personally enjoyed the reproduction of their record album scene with the group members sitting on a bench. Visitors to the museum can take a photo of themselves sitting on the bench with the ABBA members images. Visitors can even try a karaoke ABBA sing-along booth and a room where guests may record a video of themselves dancing to ABBA music.

After my visit to this fascinating museum, I boarded the ferry for the return trip to central Stockholm. The Gamla Stan view from the waterfront was indeed stunning.

For my final night in Stockholm, I decided to have dinner at Herman’s Restaurant(Herman’s Restaurant). This all vegan restaurant offers an evening buffet and a Summertime outdoor barbecue. The bbq consisted of grilled peppers, zucchini, squash, and eggplant with bbq sauce and a side of hummus and soy sausage. From the buffet table, I selected the chana masala, veggie lasagna, rice and peppers in curry sauce, and grain bread with tapenade and curry marsala sauce. For dessert, I received a tray containing a licorice ball, cayenne ball, and an orange ball; a chocolate cake, a blueberry cake, and a pecan torte; as a gift from the restaurant owner. It was followed by a gift of two vegan ice creams: creme caramel and chocolate. My entire meal was absolutely delicious! The desserts were very flavorful! The restaurant offers spacious indoor and outdoor dining at a reasonable price, overlooking the waterfront from a hilltop view.

After my fabulous meal, I walked back to my hostel, while observing a stunning sunset over the city.

Since the sun sets later during Stockholm Summers, I decided to take another stroll around Gamla Stan:”Old Town”. I peeked into some of the shop windows to admire the local crafts, jewelry, and traditional clothing.

My walk took me onto hilly cobblestone roads and winding alleys. Colorful 13th century architecture abounds in this charming neighborhood where residences, shops, and restaurants abound.

I called it a night and went back to my hostel to get some sleep. An early morning rise and I took a taxi directly to the airport for my return flight back to the United States. Norwegian Air offers a vegan meal for $45 each way, when ordered in advance. The vegan lunch option was a dish of beans, rice, mushrooms, and a salad. A side of salad and raisins accompanied the meal. My lunch was quite good.

For dinner, the vegan option offered was a veggie sandwich in a wheat pannini bread and fruit salad. Again my vegan meal was tasty and satisfying.

As my flight headed back to Boston, I reminisced about the incredible time I had experienced during my vacation in Sweden, from my tour of Stockholm’s museums and Gamla Stan to Gothenburg’s canal cruise to the Viking region’s historic sites. And of course, I appreciated the variety, the quality, and the availability of delicious vegan food throughout my holiday.