Thanks to SAS, we got a bonus day in Stockholm, and we were excited to embrace it. Our plan was to rent some bikes and explore the island of Djurgården. We had been to the island on Day 3, but had only seen a small part. It’s a big place, and bikes would help us cover some ground. We rented some sweet rides and were off!

Soon after we passed the ABBA Museum, we found a path along the water.

The path then took us by a large building that we later found out was Manillaskolan, a 150-year old building that once housed a school for the deaf and blind.

On the far tip of the island, we found a small cafe — a perfect place for fikka.

After our snack, we hopped back on the bike path. We soon reached a a memorial and art installation called “gravitational ripples.”

The site is covered by a series of concentric circular mounds covered in natural grasses. In the center, there is a slab listing the names of Swedes killed in the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia. The surnames made clear that some of the victims were families.

With our mood a little more somber, we got back on our bikes and followed a series of paths towards the center of the island. This part of the island has been left more natural, and we were soon biking through forests.

Along the way, we spotted a path, so we decided to go on a short hike.

It was remarkable how clsoe we were to downtown Stockholm, yet we still got a taste of natural beauty. Once we were back on our bikes, the trail opened up to a meadow.

In the meadow, there were sheep grazing, again within a stone’s throw from downtown. Apparently, the sheep are there as a green alternative to mowing. And a crack squad of sheep dogs were there to control the sheep. The shepherds sat in lawn chairs and used a whistle, with different dogs engaging the sheep in different ways depending on the tune that was played. We were very impressed.

Our ride next took us past Rosendals slott, a small royal retreat from the 1820s.

It was pretty, but we didn’t linger. On we rode, soon skirting the northern edge of the island, where we found a sculpture park with large pieces of artwork.

The large white one is “Hoop-La,” while “Life Rings” is a 20-foot tall collection of steel hoops painted to look like life preservers.

We had just about circumnavigated the island, so we decided to cross a small pedestrian bridge onto the mainland. Though technically an island, Djurgården is very close to the mainland, so it was a short bridge.

It’s a good thing we had started heading back in the direction of our hotel because the weather quickly shifted. In moments, we were riding the rain.

We made it back to our hotel and dried off. For our last night in Stockholm, we found a small restaurant with a reputation for great meatballs.

In the back of the restaurant was a courtyard with live music.

It was a super fun bonus day. Thanks, SAS!

-Will