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The final stage of our European honeymoon included a layover in Stockholm, Sweden. Apparently, the easiest way to get from Rome to Florida is to go way North for a quick stop in Scandinavia. It didn’t really make any sense to me at the time, but I’m so glad it turned out that way. I don’t want to downplay Lake Como or Rome, but I’m pretty sure Stockholm was our number one city while we were aboard. The culture and pace of the city just spoke to us and we’re planning to go back as soon as possible! I’m trying to convince David of a quick trip for his 30th birthday this March, but we’ll see. For as much as I daydream about travel, you would think he would start to plan along with me.
To get you guys as excited about this city as I am, I want to share with you our quick 48 hour itinerary. Those two days were done in a blink of an eye and wasn’t anywhere near enough to see everything. If I get at least one reader to add Stockholm to their bucket list, then I’ve done my job. Does that mean I caught Stockholm Syndrome?
Thursday
- Our flight from Rome to Stockholm landed around 12, giving us plenty of time to explore the city for the day. We flew with Norwegian Air which I couldn’t recommend more. It was comfortable and the best price, by far. As you fly in, you’ll notice that the Stockholm-Arlanda airport is kind of out in the middle of nowhere. By car, it would take almost an hour to get to the city center, but there is a solution. The Arlanda Express is a train, leaving every twenty minutes, that takes you from the airport to the city in under 30 minutes. The tickets are around $30 USD per person and by far worth it.
- Next, we checked into the Haymarket by Scandic Hotel. It has a super convenient location of being a quick 5 minute walk from the City Center train station. Plus, you can walk down to the Historic District of Stockholm in under 20 minutes. Along the way, you’ll walk down super clean streets and way more restaurants and shops then you’ll know what to do with. I’m not kidding, I feel like almost every corner had an H&M.
- After a day of traveling, we walked into the Historic District, called Gamla Stan, to get our bearings and find something to eat. We had our first plate of French fries since we left for our honeymoon and enjoyed every bite. We started to fade (and fast) and made our way back to the hotel for a much needed nap.
- Later and dressed for dinner, we got up and made our way to the hotel bar, The Americain. It’s honestly one of the best hotel bars I’ve ever been to. The staff was amazing and went above and beyond what you expect. Our bartender recommended a spot called ‘Gondolen’ for dinner. It was a little past the Gamla Stan, but gave us more to explore. We were surprised to find that the restaurant was actually part of a crane, soaring high into the air and giving perfect views of the city. The sunset over historic Stockholm was one of the best I had ever seen. Because we were so much closer to the North Pole, that didn’t happen until around 10 at night, but beautiful nonetheless. David and I each had options from their fixed menu, which was definitely the way to go.
- Even though our late dinner didn’t get over until around 11 o’clock, there was still dusk in the sky. We wandered through the Old Town, back to our hotel and had a Scandanavian food induced sleep like you would not believe.
Friday
- Friday morning, we got up bright and early to walk around and explore the city. Because the sun official rose at 4 in the morning, we felt so blessed to have blackout curtains in our room. If you indulge in one sweet treat on a trip to Sweden, it needs to be a cinnamon roll. Traditionally, there are two kinds to pick from and I highly recommend getting both. The first is called a Kanelbullar and it’s what we are probably the most used to in American, flavor wise. The biggest differences are minus the frosting and they run a little bit smaller. Don’t worry, you’ll still get your fill. The second kind is called a Kardemummabullar. It’s the same style bun, but is instead filled with a spice called cardamom. I personally thought it tasted like a stronger kind of cinnamon with hints of ginger, but you’ll have to try and decide for yourself.
- Our stop for cinnamon rolls and coffee was a local chain called Fabrique they have locations all over the city, but this one was right next to our hotel. We grabbed our breakfast to go and walked to a nearby park, which are everywhere in Stockholm, for some peace and quiet.
- One of the sights we were the most excited to see was the Nobel Museum. It really spoke to the nerd in both David and I. Located in the heart of Gamla Stan, this museum houses mementos donated by many Nobel laureates. They also have a library where they keep books from the Nobel authors. You can scan through them and bookmark parts or quotes that stand out to you. It was so nice to see the positive messages people, from around the entire world, left.
- After the museum, we followed our noses to the Hairy Pig Deli, just around the corner from the museum. Words cannot even describe how amazing this meal was. The location itself was this hole-in-the-wall place that problem housed some kind of restaurant since the very beginning. You have to order homemade sausage with tapas. It’s probably not like any tapas that you ever had before though. The board that came out was packed with good, old-fashioned comfort food. I had the best potato salad ever and grilled goat cheese with orange marmalade. You can wash it all down with one of the drafts from a local Swedish brewery. I would honestly return to Sweden just to revisit this restaurant.
- On our way back to the our hotel for a nap, we were so lucky to see a demonstration of the ‘Changing of the Guard’ at the Royal Palace. It had all of the pomp that would expect, but with very fetching royal blue uniforms and spiked helmets.
- Three words: Swedish. Reality. Shows. While we were relaxing in our hotel, I became straight up hooked on Swedish TV. You will find American staples, like Seinfeld and Friends, dubbed in the Swedish language. I also got really invested in a dating show called Bonde Soker Fru. It translates to ‘farmer seeks wife.’ Think of it as The Bachelor except the men are all farmers and they are seeking a wife to run their farm with. It’s good and wholesome with only the slightest touch of backstabbing and crazy. Aka, not what you find in the US.
- For our final dinner in Stockholm, we made our way back to the Old Town for dinner at Den Gyldene Freden. It happens to be the oldest restaurant Sweden, but really grabbed my interest was that it’s also an unofficial meeting spot for the Nobel Academy. In fact, if I understood right, they actually own the restaurant. The food was the perfect way to cap off a stay in Scandinavia. I had the traditional Swedish Meatballs that would put anything you find here to shame. It was comfort food without being overly filling.
- After dinner, we decided to have a quick night cap at our hotel bar, The Americain. What actually happened was a very late night of cocktails and becoming friends with the bartenders. You know… What usually happens with David and I. We all talked about the city, the cocktail scene history in Stockholm, and local favorite drinks. It was the perfect way to finish off the night.
- Across the street from our hotel was a McDonalds, and I was in major need of a midnight snack. It’s such an American thing to want, but I had been craving a hamburger and Diet Coke like no other. I got my soda and ordered their Angus Truffle and Cheese burger. If the US McDonalds ever catch up and add that to their menu, I’m in serious trouble. So. Dang. Good!
Saturday
- Because we needed to sleep off the late night and very rare (for me) fast food meal, we decided to sleep in for the first time on our entire honeymoon. It was much needed. We eventually got up, had our standard Swedish breakfast and did some light shopping at H&M and window shopping at the designer boutiques down the road. I learned very quickly that Stockholm is a shopper’s paradise. It’s probably a blessing I didn’t figure that out until the last hours of our trip.
- Sadly, it was time for us to make our way back to the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, again via the Arlanda Express. Be sure you give yourself extra time because, while they are extremely efficient, security for flights back to the United States is tight. Expect to show your passport and ticket at least half-a-dozen times. Once again, we flew Norwegian Air to Ft. Lauderdale. They provided two meals, snacks, and had a great selection of movies to pick. The 11 hour flight was over in no time!
Since coming back from Sweden, I have become a bit of a spokesperson for them. I will tell anyone who will listen how much I loved it there. Because we were only there for two days, there was so much that we missed! I can’t wait to go back and explore of this city and the entire country!
Love from NYC,
Katie
