Our first full day in Stockholm was a great one. With the sun high in the sky and a perfect temperature of 72, this city in daylight was making a good impression on us. We crossed the bridge from Normalm, near the city center, over to Gamla Stan, the Old City, where we had been the previous night. Walking around the narrow cobblestone streets reminded me of Bologna, Toledo, or other small towns in western Europe with old world charm. I was in fact surprised to see an Elk Burger on the menu at this restaurant in Gamla Stan. So maybe you are right, dad, there could be a market for ROAM here in Scandinavia.
We cruised around a bit more, not entirely sure of where we were going, but content to do some mapless exploring. After a while we found ourseleves down by the water on the island of Sodermalm (Southern Island). We had heard that a boat ride tour of the islands was one of the best ways to see everything, and bought some tickets for the ferry that was departing soon. Ivan needed a snack, and we stopped by a kiosk in the little harbor area. When smoked reindeer sandwiches are on the menu, you order them. Our attendant kindly obliged when I asked if we could take a picture of her holding the sandwich. A stout, friendly German tourist with a fanny pack and dad jeans was behind us in line. He asked if we wanted a pic of him holding a sandwich as well. Nein danke! Pretty funny though.
And here Ivan can be seen in what has become his eating pose, chowing down on Rudolph's distant cousin. I tried the sandwich. Just tasted like smoked meat, NBD.
The waterways were pristine, and we even saw a boat dedicated to cruising around and picking up stray garbage, which it didn't seem like there was a lot of to begin with. We passed by the Royal Palace and National Museum (below), which was closed for renovations. It looked nice from the outside though.
Our tour guide pointed out other cool landmarks, like the ritzy street where Bjorn Borg had a home, or ABBA's house, tucked into a grove on the banks of the waterway. There is no official maritime registry for boats in Sweden, but an estimated 750,000 people have boats, representing 7% of the country's population. So, chances are, unless you are a real loser, you've got a friend who's got a boat. Or maybe a friend of a friend.
Below is the "God, our Father, on the Rainbow" fountain sculpture, a tribute to the UN as a symbol of peace in 1946. We were told by our guide that the UN rejected the sculpture due to religious undertones. So, there it stands, kind of looks like a dude peeing. Maybe that's the real reason it was rejected.
Back to the harbor, and off the boat, we returned to our new accommodations, a 1BR flat in the Vasastaden area, a northern suburb of the city. We had made dinner reservations for a place that locals had recommended, called Sturehof.
Sturehof had all of the right elements from the exterior; a cool awning and lots of lights, a bustling patio with well dressed patrons. I had a good feeling about this place.
To start, you are given a big basket of crackers with whipped butter mixed with chives and some kind of fish roe. I wish I could remember exactly what it was.
Turns out it was crayfish season, and we started our meal with a half of a kilogram of the little guys. It was going to be a messy affair, and bibs were strongly advised by our server.
The crayfish were big and juicy...and messy as advertised. For our main courses, we shared arctic char (are you getting familiar with this setup?) and a minute steak with a raw egg and "horseradish sticks." The fish was good, but I may have had my fill of char for the trip. The portions were just right, and feeling satisfied, we headed out, making the 15 minute walk back to our apartment. After a couple of late nights, we called this one early, to get rested and ready for another day in the city.
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