our travels

I arrived in Stockholm at 11 and immediately realized just how much bigger this city was from the last. My bags are also just too heavy! (more on that later!)

A taxi ride across the bridge, through Gamlastan (the old town) to Sodermalm ( this should have an umlat but I can't find it on the keyboard!) and I was at my very very cute hotel. Luckily for me my room is on the 3rd floor ( which meant 4 flights of winding stone steps). I had to make 2 trips. I am SO going to send more home!!!!!

Although I had wanted a nap once inside all I wanted to do was to take pictures. The window of my room is a small dormer and through it is the magical view in my gallery. Spidery winter tree branches mask the sky and trough them is the spire of St Katerines kirck. A gorgeous baroque church with a snow covered graveyard.

I redressed, washed my face and went to explore.
The winding back streets near my hotel had a mixture of imposing apartments and historical 'protected' wooden cottages from the earliest settlements on the island ( the largest in Stockholm) but suddenly they opened out to an amazing view of Stockholm. 180 degrees of old cultural buildings interspersed with the greened copper spires of a number of churches and state buildings. WOW!

Walking through the cobbled back streets of Gamla Stan I started to take pictures of all the textures. This place is a goldmine.

I made it a long way. Through the old town (winding my way backwards and forwards, past the Royal Palace, up Drottinggarten teeming with tourists and shops to suit them and to the Central station (yes I was here earlier!). I purchased my ticket to Copenhagen, checked my emails and then got a tube home. A small nap later and I was starved! but what to eat? Unlike the expected Smorgasbords all I can see to see are hamburgers, kebabs, Hotdogs and pizza (unless I want to spend a fortune!) The receptionist suggested Thai mmmmm so I went for a walkabout, walked into and out of two other restaurants that after 10 minutes hadn't even spoken to me let alone served me.. Checked out the local bars and then got takeout to eat in front of a movie in my room. I needed a night like that.. I crashed hard at 12! two days of sub 6am starts and I was dead!