Sleepy in stockholm

We arrived in our apartment in Stockholm around 1 am after a 3 hour delay in Oslo and then about a 1.5 hour ride from the airport and then city bus to our apartment so needless to it was a sleepy start for me to visit Stockholm after a great breakfast buffet. The cold weather helped wake me up before too long! Stockholm is the bustling capital of Sweden. It is a mix of modern buildings, eco parks dedicated to green living, a busy metropolis which blends Old world charm and modern technology. We started our day with a Royal canal tour with commentary which provided us with a good floating tour of the city and included with our Stockholm card (which also provides us with access to all museums over the next 2 days.

Notice the picture of the marina - approx 7% of swedes have a boat - that means 700,000 We then continued walking past the royal palace to Gamla Sta, Stockholm's Old Town which is filled with history, charm, antique shops, street lanterns, and surprises. Until the 1600's all of Stockholm fit on Gamla Sta which is surprising when you look at the expansive city that Stockholm is now. I stumbled across the store Hilda Hilda which I had read about and produces some lovely textiles, woven placemats and things for the home in one of the last factories in Sweden. I couldn't resist. Pics from the lovely narrow streets of Gamla Sta..

Our fuel stop today..

We didn't take the usual coffee break in Sweden referred to as Fika, it's the Swedish word for drinking coffee, tea or juice alongside a baked good, hopefully tomorrow. There are plenty of reminders, this was on the boat tour..

A walk through the royal palace, Stockholm's first castle and still used for state events..

We also stumbled upon a wedding in old town..

People kayaking in the canals beside folks bicycling.. Have to mention that it's about 5 degrees outside..it's true about Scandinavians being a hearty folk!

Some interesting signs..

Some more streetscapes..

Another full day in Stockholm awaiting for us tomorrow, a few more museums and adventures being returning for one last full day in Oslo before returning to Canada on Tuesday.