Stockholm! Hej hej hej!
Gamla Stan
We stumbled upon Brazil day
From our room in the Gustav
The Vasa
Picnic 47
Death Island
Bravo!
Sweet combo there
What's this mum?
Bunny!
Sweden! Yep, Stockholm excursion. We made plans to go here pretty much as soon as we got to London, with only the smallest of persuasive talks from Guy to get the ball rolling. We get into Västerås airport and get a bus (1.5 hours of scenic Swedish counrtyside ) into Stockholm city, and get down to the area called Slussen, on the island Södermalm and the boat we have to stay in. The Gustav af Klint, the backpackers boat with a bar on top and musty bathrooms down below. We get sorted into our room – I call bottom bunk as I’m doubting my skills at not falling to a painful awakening, it is a boat after all – and we head up top for a beer, which was a local called Spendrups. And it was good.
Now it was Sam’s birthday a few weeks ago, and I’d given him a (SWEET AS) towel and some fudge, and he was stoaked. YAAY a TOWEL and MMM fudge YUM THANKS! Which was awesome, but there was this festival on in Stockholm the day we arrived, and so me, Sophie and Guy had all secret squirreled on getting tickets and sorting how to get there and convincing Sam that NO we were NOT going to get biked on Friday night geez, haven’t you seen this awesome looking random spot on the map we thought we’d go look at...So after the beers at the boat bar, we are off to find this ‘park’ and everything is going fine until we realise we are going in the wrong direction woops, then on to another train and here’s a tip, if you go to Stockholm and count the subway stations on the map, don't count on it being the right number of stops. As we found out. One stop over, nevermind, back we go! Sam’s wondering what the sound is and we’re all trying to pretend like we don't really notice, then he stops to read a poster and wow Arcade Fire is playing sometime, dunno when the signs all in Swedish (good good) and finally we are walking down the path towards the music and I hand Sam his wee ticket and SURPISE! His confused face and whatthehellarewedoinghuhwhatsthisthingwhat? was pretty cool. As we are walking in The Go! Team is playing and oh yay, its Friday, I’m outside drinking beer (and cider!) with sweet peeps n music and all that's missing is Danny Glover. And maybe Casa. But instead they have this awesome cider that tastes like bubblegum so I actually like it and mmmm. The Go! Team are awesome, and after we get some ‘Nachos’ which were terrible. Ah well! Then Arcade Fire come on and are definitely doing better than sliced bread, really really. We walk halfway home through the misty almost rain then get (the right!) train home.
In the morning we head out for a walk and some breakfast, and roundaboutsly get to these 2 other little islands called Skeppsholmen, which was a nice place to sit about for a bit in the sun and watch the boats and people get on with things. We also went and watched the amusement park, still not keen to get on the rides. Vinpearland, you may have scarred me for life. That afternoon we decide on a bread-cheese-and bits dinner down by the festival, along with beers (some free from a cruise ship go-er with a temper, well done nabbing them Sam) and a goon. We sit up by the fence in the sun, on the flat, not under the bridge in the grass where people were going to the loo, aye guys, aye. Yeah. So we make this Swedish friend who comes and sits down and stays with us the whole night, which was pretty cool. I finally found out how to say Lykke Li properly, (just as I was about to see her later that night woo), and had a go at saying some other things that my tipsy brain didn’t hold on to that well. But thanks Joakim! There was also a random bunny hanging around the hill where everyone was pre-drinking, which was pretty cute. Festival night number 2 is also awesome, more bubble gum cider and I’m away laughing.
All you can eat brekky on the boat, and 400 mouthfuls later we head out to Djurgården to go see the Vasa, a 17th century Swedish war ship that has its own museum built around it. Yep. It was pretty epic and amazing to see that kind of thing, especially the ‘how it was painted when it was new’ miniature replica. Looks like they may have spent far too much time painting it than making sure it could sail, coooooooooooos it sunk after 1500m or something. Still amazing to see it all preserved and together and on display, after 333 years underwater.
The longest mission to try find a supermarket so we can buy bread n cheese and general picnic things again, then to find a sweet spot beside the water on some grass and in the sun, then a beer mission. They have a funny rule about small super markets only selling ‘light beer’ which is 3.5 or under. Interesting. They also have a law that Stockholm has to be 1/3 parks, 1/3 buildings and 1/3 water at all times. Sweet deal.
Some op shopping and bike rides and some more beers, then plans for a final picnic in a new spot. Last day boo. Holidays are too good. Even when they go quick. We get some Swedish gin and juice (yea snoop) and go find a new viewy/watery/sunny/sweet spot, in a new park and set up at a well worn picnic table. The tables probably regular residents come striding past a while later and sit at an average one looking our way and drinking their beers in the shade. There was also a LOT of people exercising wearing a red top and black pants. A secret uniform for serious exercisers? Maybe. I can’t stop staring at some gal who’s doing all kinds of mixed stretches/dancing/yoga? I don't know, but I’m pretty certain she pulled a few muscles at one point.
A bottle of gin and a movie later, that wraps up the bulk of the trip. Stockholm, where all the pretty people are. Crickey there’s a lot of them. Being at the festival was like swimming in a blonde sea. A TALL blond sea of hotties. A little bit too much trend for me, but hey, the rest of it was awesome. See ya Sweden! I’m coming back to see a moose someday!
P.S- and as requested photos 22 and 28 were taken by SAM!
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