Last month I trekked all the way to Sweden to see my friend who goes to school at the Karolinska Institute. I set up my trip for 8 full days, and I'll be honest - afterwards I decided I could have had the most fun in only 4 if I was only there for the sights. The added time was nice though because I got to spend time with my friend after not seeing her for two years!
The old architecture was the main part of my "touristy" agenda for sure. I love the idea that an entire area is based on buildings that date back to the 13th century and even earlier. Modern shoe stores and cafes are in buildings surrounded by medieval alleyways and cobblestone streets that transport you to another time.
Pro: Absolutely gorgeous landscapes and building structures that have a lot of detailing and artistic add ons (Best spot: GAMLA STAN and OSTERMALM!).
Con: They all look the same after 3 days and get boring. Thus, if this is a major part of your trip, you can see most of Stockholm in 4 days.
FIKA is a mainstreamed daily necessity, even for professionals during the work day. This is the time in the middle of the day you stop what you're doing, get a banging cup of coffee and TREAT YO SELF with a piece (or 2!) of delectable sugar artistry. I actually loved this one cafe so much for my fika break (Vete Katten) that I took the time and went back several times during my trip. My top fave pastries included the traditional cinnamon bun, smultron, and a mini chocolate mousse dome cake-which was so rich, it took me 30 minutes to eat it! Also, go to the bathroom while you're here before leaving because: 1. It's a gorgeous mini bathroom with french doors 2. You gotta pay to go everywhere else that's public!
Speaking of desserts, let's talk about regular food. Believe it or not, Sweden does not have it's own "cuisine" per say.
YES I KNOW SWEDISH MEATBALLS, but that's not a full menu cuisine! (However, delicious Swedish Meatballs can be found at Meatballs for the People!)
What I did notice is that Stockholm is quite the melting pot for amazing international cuisines including Austrian and Ethiopian. The Ethiopian place I went to was called Gojo, and the Austrian place I went to was called Moldau. FYI this was the first time I ever ate Ethiopian food thanks to my widely cultured friend Victoria!
If you want to see more details of where I went, take a look at the vlogs below! (Full list will be updated within the next week for full vaca experience!)
PS: I recommend picking up a Papyrus note card set to give little thank you's along the way while you're traveling! They are a nice touch to give a little extra love to the people who make your traveling special =) The Lela Rose set I used is HERE.