Stockholm Part 1

There were two main things we went to Stockholm for - apart from just the fact that we haven't been since before Covid and before Covid we went there quite a lot. We don't normally go for a week, but we did this time because it flitted nicely between the two Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Recitals. And the two main things we went for were a performance of Rigoletto at the Royal Opera House and a visit to the Christmas market at Skansen. 

We did a few other bits and pieces as well. We did a Winter Lights walk at Skansen, we had a traditional Julbord or Christmas Buffet at the hotel one evening, we visited the national gallery - at long last re-opened after several years of renovation and refurbishment, we went to the Marzipan Boat, we visited the shop and cafe at the Vasa Museum ( seen the ship twice, don't need to see it again) and also went to a part of the city we've never been to before to meet up with a longstanding penfriend and her partner. Oh and on our last day at great risk to life and limb we went to Gamla Stan, the old - and nowadays most touristy - part of the city. 

So this is what it looked like outside our hotel when we arrived 

my camera didn't do it justice, what looks like a stream of water is actually a cleared path and the things that look like mudflats are actually flowerbeds covered in white snow.  

This is our table in the very calm and soothing breakfast room the next morning

We spent our first day at the National Gallery where they have this rather lovely indoor courtyard

various statues of Gods - Nordic ones, naturally, this is Baldur

they have great restaurant where we had lunch; this is what Scots know as Leek and Tattie soup, but this was a posh version with smoked salmon in the bottom of the bowl. A bit too much dill for my taste, (it's not a favourite!) but it was very nice really. 

They have a fabulous collection of Carl Larsson pictures, which is what we mainly went for, and which I enjoyed, but didn't take any photos of in case my flash went off accidentally. There's also a very very nice shop where I bought only a fridge magnet and a few postcards as we didn't have space for much bringing back of stuff. Next time though ....