A Weekend in Stockholm

And yes, this post will have pictures!

We went to Stockholm mainly to see the Christmas Markets, and as that was a Project 60 thing it will have a separate post, otherwise I will lose count. But it wasn't all about the markets.

We've been to Stockholm a fair few times over the years but never in winter so this was a new experience for us. I have to say it was cold. Not stay in and moan cold. Not even go out and then look for warm places to visit every 10 minutes cold. Just sort of a cold that felt bright and energising for the first couple of hours and then ever so slowly and almost unnoticed seeped into your bones until all of a sudden you realised you were trying to talk but your facial muscles were so cold they weren't functioning properly and you were producing only gibberish.

 

Be that as it may, we really enjoyed ourselves. We stayed on the small island of Skeppsholmen, which is difficult to pronounce, but at the risk of sounding like a show off (!)  the Swedes I had to say it to all recognised it, so that was good. The hotel itself was once the barracks for naval cadets, so it's not the most architecturally pleasing of places, but the rooms were a decent size, the bathrooms were fantastic and the heating worked. The breakfasts were OK, I don't eat a lot first thing so I was fine, and they were included in the price. The OH was a bit disappointed in the scrambled eggs which are touted as award winning, although as he rather darkly said, they don't specify what award they won! It's very well situated for a walk into central Stockholm and also in the opposite direction to catch the ferry to Djurgarden, of which more in the next post. The décor was very Scandinavian and very calming, and I liked it very much. Here's the view from the window

 

 

 

Of course where we live we have a view of water from our front windows so in that sense it's not a big deal, but for a city centre hotel I think that's good going. And if you aren't lucky enough to live near water then I think that would be a big plus.

 

My standard picture of Stockholm, usually accompanied by rather more flowers and trees, but this has a certain stark beauty if its own I think.

 

The swan feeding station on Lake Malaren. Stockholm lies between Lake Malaren on one side and the Baltic on the other. I'd read that when it gets really cold Lake Malaren looks green, but it didn't look green while we were there. I think that would be beautiful to see though.

 

Christmas Lights. I have to say Stockholm didn't strike me as being as Christmassy as I had expected but these were cheerful.

 

Gamla Stan  - doorways...

... and other interesting details. Indulge me!

 



 

I'm not quite sure when I started taking pictures of doors and windows and coloured brickwork and door masonry, but I think it was after I read the Insight Guide to Tunisia.

 

If you knew me you would realise that this is almost the  most amazing picture I took in the whole of the time we were in Stockholm. I am a less than adventurous eater even at home, and when abroad tend to look for Italian Restaurants where I know I can order pasta. This however is what I had for lunch one day, Swedish meatballs and lingonberries. Very Swedish, very unlike me to order anything so large (although it was our main meal of the day) and although I only managed half of it I really enjoyed it.

 

My adventurousness didn't carry as far as the dessert selection where I went for the pannacotta. It was a bit of a toss up as they had creme brulee on the menu too - I hate it when restaurants do that!