The next day, we went dogsledding. I was excited…until the wind hit my face. Boy, was it cold! The dogs barked and jumped because they were ready to run. When the sled took off, snow flew everywhere. My toes felt frozen, but I was smiling the whole time. We raced through trees and across wide white fields. It felt like being inside a winter movie.
After a few days in the Arctic, we took the train back to Stockholm. The city felt busy after quiet Abisko. We explored museums and famous places. One stop was the Nobel Prize Museum. We learned about people who won prizes for science, peace and books. It made me think about how one person can change the world. We also visited the Viking Museum. I loved seeing the old Viking ships and learning about how they sailed across cold seas long ago. Another day, we walked to the Royal Palace. The building was huge and beautiful. Guards stood outside in neat uniforms. We watched the changing of the guard and learned lots about the current Swedish monarchy.
One afternoon, we did something new for the both of us. We went ice skating on a frozen lake. Yes, a real lake! The ice was thick and smooth. We were nervous, but locals seemed confident in the ice's safety. Families skated together. Some people even pushed strollers across the ice. I had not skated since high school, but I managed not to fall. The trees were covered in frost, and the sky turned pink as the sun went down. It was peaceful and quiet.
Our final adventure was taking a ferry from Stockholm to Gdańsk. The ferry ride was 18 hours overnight. It felt like a mini cruise.
