A Hop, Skip and jump to Sweden

With flights for £14 each way plus a hostel bed, the idea of a long weekend to visit a city in a new country for me seemed like a great idea. As I sit here with coffee and delicious cinnamon pastries for breakfast, I am grateful for having explored Stockholm under crisp, blue skies and sunshine, as well as some light overnight snowfall (exciting!) 

As usual my visit was pretty unplanned - no set agenda, nothing pre-booked, just got a pocket guide out of the library and read it on the plane. During my first few hours in the city, I was stopped numerous times to be asked for directions - no idea why! One fellow traveller, who I ended up exploring the city with one day said it must be my blue eyes! Who knows?!

I filled my days with mostly walking (Stockholm is easy to explore on foot,) with the highlight being Gamla Stan, the Old Town with its winding streets, bustling squares and beautiful buildings. The City Hall dominates the skyline and looking across to Södermalm as the sun was going down to see the buildings reflected in the icy water will be a fond memory of this city of islands.

I had time for a bracingly cold boat trip around part of the archipelago to see the array of colourful, architecturally stunning buildings from the water and a visit to the photography museum (Fotografiska,) as well as seeing the cathedral and travelling on the metro to see the amazing art work at some of the stations. 

If you have been reading my blog, you’ll know that a highlight of travelling for me is the unexpected encounters. This trip was no different. Popping into one of the city’s churches, Klara Kyrka, it was heartening to see that the population of homeless people were welcome to seek the warmth and shelter of the building. There was also a small service being held with African inspired singing, which again those visiting could warmly join in with. It was uplifting;  the spread of smiles on people’s faces as they listened to the music.

Other highlights for me were stumbling across cosy cafes, conversations with fellow travellers, my first sauna experience (yes really) and a visit to one of the public libraries, where people padded around in socks!

I will end this post with some advice. Firstly, don’t bring a lot of cash. Stockholm is trying to become a cashless city, so most restaurants, bars, shops and cafes only accept cards. Secondly, don’t let minus temperatures put you off visiting countries in the winter. With the right clothing, it’s absolutely fine. Finally (and this applies to wherever you travel,) try wandering without a plan and if you’re drawn to something - a building, a street, a cake in a window, go for it! You will have the best time.