When we arrived in Stockholm we were greeted by a huge sign welcoming us to "The capital of Scandinavia" and even in the few days we spent there, it absolutely managed to live up to this title.
Although we arrived fairly late in the evening, the never ending summer days of Scandinavia once again played in our favour as we explored the beautiful Old Town (Gamla Stan in Swedish), ice cream in hand, winding our way through narrow streets and admiring the ancient, earthy colored buildings.
The next morning we awoke to a depressing downpour of rain but undeterred we set out to the super cool district of Södermalm, also affectionately known as 'SoFo'. This was a perfect way to spend a rainy day as we darted in and out of endless vintage shops, quirky boutiques and design stores filled with Scandinavian sensibility, and cosy cafes for more delicious pastries.
While Sweden can be an expensive country, I found it considerably cheaper than neighboring Norway, and even managed to find a bargain on a beautiful dress designed and made Stockholm which I will always cherish as my own little piece of Sweden's legendary sense of style.
We ended the day in search of the quintessential Swedish meatballs. Upon the recommendation of new friend Mercury who we met in Denmark, we headed to 'Bakfickan' and were not disappointed. With seats situated around a central bar and walls lined with photos of old school movie stars, it felt so cosy and relaxed that you'd almost never know it shares a kitchen with next door's Michelin star restaurant, 'Operakällaren'. That is until the food came out. After living on a backpacker's budget and way too much pasta, the melt-in-your-mouth meatballs, served with creamy mash potato and the traditional garnish of lingonberry jam, was absolutely one of the best things I have ever eaten.
If you are ever in Stockholm I highly recommend this place. You get a more relaxed, but still amazingly delicious, version of the food at its big brother restaurant in the Opera House bar but at a fraction of the cost.
The next morning saw our culinary successes continue as we decided to stop for breakfast at a little cafe called 'Muffin Bakery' which was appropriately filled with muffins in every flavour combination you could think of. While Sam choose a yummy but healthy option of pear and raspberry, I decided upon the cashiers recommendation of 'chocolate brownie cheesecake'. They came out still warm and with a massive spoon poking out of the top, which was a good thing as once I broke through the crispy top I was left with a heavenly, just cooked, molten batter.
If you've ever had my Nutella brownies imagine adding fresh out of the oven cheese cake to that mix and that's what it was like. Only more amazing.
The rest of the day was spent trying to stay out of the rain and exploring the sights of Stockholm, including its many grand palaces along the rivers edge and the very cool Moderna Museet which was full of interesting and international modern art.
When we ventured back outside we found that the rain was taking a short break so we decided to seize the moment and run up to a bar we'd seen the day before on the edge of SoFo. Although the stairs up to 'Mosebacke' are steep, the climb is definitely worth it for the perfect panorama views it's outdoor terrace delivers of the city below.
As we grabbed a Swedish cider and took a seat, the sun made a miraculous appearance and the surrounding tables were quickly filled with a range of Stockholm locals all enjoying the brief moment of good weather.
All in all Stockholm was an unforgettable stop on our trip through Scandinavia, meeting and exceeding all my expectations from the innovative design scene to its super cool people.
Definitely another place that I will be coming back to, hopefully in the not so distant future!
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