After a leisurely lie-in, we hit Stockholm's roads again. We began to use our Stockholm card and knew we had a busy walking day ahead of us.
The day was as sunny as the first, although not as warm. It was lovely walking through the streets, an ice cream in hand.
First we enjoyed a couple of filled baguettes again on our way to our first stop - the Nobel Museum. The exhibition was fascinating, with boards detailing the lives of the many Nobel prize winners. The museum itself was very high tech in its display. We were impressed. Reading up on the hardship of many of the winners, and the political and economic struggles they faced, was humbling. Aren't we spoilt these days here in our western world? So much so we stopped asking vital questions. A thoughtful experience but well worth visiting.
Following the rather serious start to the day we walked over to the Royal Palace, just short stroll from the Nobel museum. We arrived just in time for the changing of the guards, which we watched for a while. But we left the crowds watching and went inside, before we got stuck in the long queues that were surely to form after the guards were done.
So we walked almost unencumbered through the opulent rooms which are still being used for official functions. We also saw the guest rooms of foreign heads of state. My, it's worth becoming a politician!!! The Tre Kronor museum was fascinating too. Staff were friendly, yet remained in the background. Another visit that should be a must-do on any day trip to Stockholm.
For lunch we bought a French hot dog each - a sausage in a baguette! Loved it! No messing about!
After lunch we visited the National Museum for a couple of hours. It was more like a portrait gallery, we thought, rather than a museum about the country. Still, there were some interesting photo exhibitions, but after several rooms of portraits we had enough. The sunshine outside was too inviting.
After a brief sit-down outside, watching the boats in the bay, we decided it to walk over to a couple of islands. A bridge took us to Skeppsholmen, where we wandered past the sailing ship turned youth hostel, af Chapman. We agreed that next time we'd want to stay on the boat! It looked amazing. We strolled past it, on a path along the waterside, past more museums and cottages where locals sat outside in the sun. Would love to live there! And whilst there were other visitors, students, and locals on bicycles, it was much more quiet than the main tourist hubs. We enjoyed the tranquil location, even though we thought that visitors who didn't come this way would lose out. Sitting on a bench, enjoying the sunshine. Bliss.
On the far end of Skeppsholmen we crossed another bridge to the small island of Kastellholmen. There was indeed a 'kastell', an small castle, on the top of a hill on the island. We stayed by the waterside, walking to the end of the island, then climbing the small hill to the peak. The views across to the city on one side, and to Djurgården on the other, was brilliant! We could see for miles, across to many other suburbs further afield.
We took our time on the way home, stopping off for a bottle of Spendrups in a bistro bar in Norrmalm, sitting outside in the setting sunshine. It was ideal for people watching! We found Swedes to be much more stylish than Brits, but in an understated way. They just look better! No chavs, no belts for skirts. Well, maybe those come out at night time in the clubs, but certainly not on a Sunday afternoon in the city centre.
After a brief rest in the hotel, we went over to Gamla Stan in search of a place to eat. We had spotted Sally's the night before, when people were queueing up outside. On arrival, we found it busy but no waiting guests, so decided to give it a go. The menu was more expensive, but the choice was good. You could have pizza, the cheaper option that many guests too. We opted for a two course dinner, duck for Laurence and lemon sole for me. We were given bread and a goose fat spread, which diners of pizza didn't get. It was delicious. Our glasses were regularly refilled with plain water (same for all other guests) which I thought was a nice touch. All that at no extra cost. The food was absolutely delicious! For desserts we had chocolate cake and creme brulee. Again, bliss! Despite the price tag we had no regrets. This was a wonderful meal. The staff were highly efficient, the turnover quick yet not hasty. Many diners came, ate and went, while staff went about busily replacing crockery, glass, etc, they remained attentive throughout. Highly recommended!
Another successful day in Stockholm. We went for a walk again, to get rid of the high calorie intake. It was a mild, if a bit windy evening, ideal for a stroll. Of course we had another good night's sleep in that huge bed. Oh the days began to fly by...
