Stockholm

March 4th, 2018

We stopped over one day in Stockholm on our ski trip to Lapland in Northern Sweden.  I put in the stop mostly for convenience and cost savings---that's just how the flights best worked out---but we wished we had planned to stay in Stockholm longer.  There was a lot in Stockholm to see and do (and eat) that we didn't have a chance for.  That being said, it was super cold and windy in Stockholm, so perhaps a trip in the spring or summer would make more sense.  

 We visited the royal residence and had dinner at a nice, traditional Swedish restaurant (called Tradition, in fact).  We were interested to hear that the palace we toured is the actual residence of the royal family and is open to the public every day.  And it was practically empty!  We only saw a handful of other tourists there.  We were given access to some of the family's actual living space as well as ceremonial rooms and guest suites.  It is quite an elaborate palace, calling to mind Versailles in some parts of it, although other parts had a distinctly Scandinavian feel to them.  We even saw one room outfitted in modern Scandinavian furnishings and contemporary art.

   

Kate and Glenn in the old section of Stockholm

Perhaps the highlight of our day in Stockholm was our hotel, though, the Downtown Camper.  The furniture and interior styling took its cues from Danish Modern, but was way more fun and quirky.  The mood was relaxed and casual and playful, and the hotel had lots of cozy nooks for relaxation and spaces for indoor recreation.  And our room was great, too.  And the buffet breakfast was one of the best I have ever had (think thyme-roasted root vegetables, house-baked bread, local butter, artisanal lingonberry jam, etc.).  There was a custom-made hardwood ping pong table in a lounge near our room.  I took plenty of pictures of it, because that is exactly what I want my next dining room table to be.  (Obviously, we will make the net removable.)

Sitting area in the lobby with a lounging net suspended above

  

My future dining room table