Sweet Stockholm Sweden

Sweater: IRO (similar) / Jeans: Levi’s / Tennis: Kenneth Cole / Scarf: Anthropologie (similar) / Leather backpack: Neiman Marcus Last Call (similar)

Sweet is definitely how I would describe Sweden. The Swedes are some of the kindest people I’ve met around the world, up there with Thai and Irish! They all speak English and even the kiddos. On the last day I explored by myself because Michelle and the fam left earlier back to Prague. I was in the dark in the Nordic Museum in this Northern Lights simulation and my iPod was on from the translation tour and I couldn’t turn it off so I asked the kids, I was in a room full of like 3rd graders. A kid came over turned it off, I said thank you “tack” and he said, “No problem,” and it was the cutest little accent. Even the children are sweet!

I felt so welcome and I think the people there are so beautiful. I was rubbernecking it (I cannot remember the last time I ever used that word!) Michelle found it comical. I couldn’t take my eyes off some of the drop dead gorgeous girls, was it even possible to be that stunning? You have to go for yourself, it’s where the most beautiful people in the world live, I swear.

Stockholm had a lot of things to do over the 3 and a half days we were there. Here’s a list of what we did – which I was told by a taxi driver I pretty much did the most popular.

• Gamla Stan, Stockholm Old Town (shopping on an island)
• Ferry Stop and Go Boat Tour – around the island
• Vasa Museum
• Nordic Museum
• Skansen Open-Air Museum
• Royal Palace
• Parlament Building

Skansen Open-Air Museum

If you want to see how the Swedes used to live back in the early 1900s, Skansen is an open-air museum and amusement park. With a zoo, and some kid activities you can watch characters make flat bread, make dolls, glass blowing, jam, and participate in making crafts. This is a preserved area of actual homes you can check out – classrooms, homes, I know so many of you would love this.

And if you have kiddos, there are playgrounds for them to get their energy out.

There’s also a farm and garden. I want share more details of the homes in a separate post because there are so many things you would have loved with details so I best save that for later.

I died when I saw characters! This guy was outside the hardware store just reading his book and showing off his camera. This woman inside was making jam with berries we don’t have here – lingonberry, I bought some jelly from the airport because I had to try it! You can say Michelle was in her element and could already pick out out her character in the kitchen. I would be a gardener, of course.

^^ This was just perfection and I want to lay out all my veggies like this forever. It was just picture perfect.

Gamla Stan, Stockholm Old Town

The place to shop – but stores don’t open until 10 or 11 am. Michelle and I had so much fun just us girls (the kids and Mike went to an amusement park for kids on the water, pirate themed). We just shopped, ate, had fika (coffee with a biscuit), took a boat around island and went into the royal palace and saw jewels and the amazing rooms.

It was the perfect girl’s day!

^^ Michelle picked up an antique Swedish cup and saucer for her little girl Avery. She gets her a teacup for her birthday every year.

Royal Palace

For about $25 we went into the Royal Palace to see the museum inside, royal jewels and the over the top rooms and historic clothing and metals. There were some cool stories we overhead from the guided tour which we didn’t do.

Parliament Building

We took a walk in the evening and just explored and came across some lovely sights, bridges, old buildings, the water.

Suede Cap: H&M / Jeans: Eunina (similar) / High tops: FitFlop / Bomber: Banana Republic / Stripe bodysuit: H&M, old (similar) / Leather backpack: Neiman Marcus Last Call (similar)

The sky was just so gorgeous we found ourselves staring at it and just taking it all in.

^^ Me in my happy place, exploring another country!

Vasa Museum

The only fully intact Sweden war ship that sank on her maiden voyage for about 20 minute before it sunk (holes for the canons too low and it needed to be 1 meter on each side wider and it would have been fine). It was preserved underwater for over 333 years since 1628! The water because it’s freshwater mixed with sea water helped preserve the wood.

Take the guided tour which lasts about 30 minutes. You need only 1 hour of time to see the Vasa, there’s also a video you should watch too. So amazing to see history like this in person.

^^ This is a small model of what the colors were originally.

By the Water/Old Town

Nordic Museum

On the last day the family left early to head back to Prague and I had my flight out at 4:30 pm. I decided to take an Uber and explore on my own, I went to the Nordic Museum because I had seen it and wanted to learn more about the Swedes.

I spent a few hours inside learning about hosting parties, fashion – the brides used to sleep in their wedding dress the night before because it was so not enough time the wedding day to get dressed. Sounds so awful, I wouldn’t get any sleep!

After the gift shop I saw this gorgeous cemetery and walked around. I don’t know about you but I think cemetery’s are quite peaceful.

Also, here’s our rented air b&b, see it here.

I looooooved Stockholm, you must go, you’ll become best friends with everyone and just fall in love with it.

Also, RIP my beautiful scarf. It’s by Subtle Luxury and I should be more careful when I do laundry. It’s a wool blend and by the time I pulled it out of the dryer it was a crumpled wool ball. I wanted to cry because it was my favorite, so sad when that happens, but I suppose at least I took enough photos in it! :)

Check out my video of Stockholm here!