Sveirge - Day Three

On my third and final day in Sweden, we headed for Stockholm..but not without some coffee in an adorable cafe in Uppsala first. 

Kafe at the Café Linné

It took us about 30 minutes by train to arrive in Stockholm, and from the train station we headed towards Gamla Stan. On the way there we passed one of countless waterfronts. Stockholm is just a series of islands strung together by bridges. I'm told that back in viking times this was more than convenient as water travel was far easier than land travel, and once it gets cold enough the entire area freezes, so walking across the water to another island is completely possible. 

On the water in Stockholm

The boats

On the water is the Stadshuset- City Hall. It was surprisingly ornate and had a large courtyard in the middle. I didn't have a good picture of it, but the clock tower on the building is beautiful. Instead I just have this funny spire with a crescent moon.

Stadshutset

From there we walked to Riddarholmskyrkan- the cathedral pictured below. It's no longer a church, but a museum- that sadly was closed when we got to it. The cathedral is on Gamla Stan, the Old Town, where we ended up spending most of our day.

Riddarholmskyrkan 

Fun statues all over the city

There we saw the Royal Palace- the largest palace that is still used for its original purpose. I saw lots of fun pictures of the Swedish royal family while I was there and apparently a baby was just had by the princess. The palace has fun guards too- that aren't completely motionless and silent.

Kungliga Slottet - The Royal Palace

Clock tower in Gamla Stan (Old Town)

I'm pretty sure this building was of no importance...

Water everywhere

Thea and I ducked into a cafe in old town for a proper fika. Fika is the midday coffee and pastry break enjoyed here. I like that it must include a pastry. I'm very much a fan of countries that understand the necessity of sweets in the middle of the day. Of course, we went with kanelbulle. 

FIKA!

The perfect little man

As the day progressed, and the sun was noticeably dipping, Thea thought it would be fun to watch the sunset from atop the city. We ended up on a bridge-like contraption that hovers over southern Stockholm to appreciate the city. 

Our view from the bridge in the sky 

Thea at sunset!

The second the sun dipped below the buildings, it got real cold. Fast. So we bundled and began our search for food and drink. Instead of stopping in at one of the many pubs, bistros, and cafes, we decided on a cavern. It was a cellar actually, but it felt like we were in a cave. The entrance is tiny and necessitates a crouched entry. But once inside the tiny bar was adorable and just what we wanted. The Europeanness of the evening was overwhelming as we ate a giant cheese plate while sipping beer and pear cider. We ended up having one of the side rooms all to ourselves, which gave us a nice chance to be as inappropriate and raucous as always. Alone best friend time in a cellar in the middle of Stockholm. Perfect for our last hours together.

The cellar at the Mistela Bar 

Our cheese plate

Thea and her guidebooks

And after our 'dinner,' Thea brought me to Debaser. It's this great club that is partially underground but looks out on the water from the back door. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but it's just under a street on this random stretch just next to the subway. There was no cover before 9pm so we strolled in, got drinks, and waited for the bands to start. Playing that night was The Orange Revival. There was another band after, but we only had time to see the opener. And very little at that. Thea had to catch the last train back to Uppsala, so our time at Debaser was brief. I wish we had had more time there, or really just together. But getting home at a reasonable hour was kind of necessary.

The Orange Revival at Debaser

So, at about 11pm, Thea helped me find the hostel I was staying in for the night. We passed the glimmering buildings and a very visible moon as we said goodnight to Stockholm. We hugged and said our goodbyes, knowing not to be sad because we plan on seeing each other again very soon.

Goodbye and goodnight!

I stayed at a tiny hostel that was clean and nice and safe. I met a few people before I passed out on my bunk. I had to be at the train station at 4am to catch my bus to get to the airport in time. So, my time in Sweden was brought to a hazy end as I tried so hard to stay awake on the bus, then the plane, and eventually on the métro once I was back in Paris. The rest of Sunday was dedicated to sleep and the memories flying around my head. I'm so completely happy that I chose to go to Sweden on a whim. And even though I probably have to live on bread and water for the next month to save some money, I don't regret a second of my trip. I loved seeing Thea, experiencing her life in Sweden, seeing a whole new country and culture that I knew very little about, and most of all- being surprised by myself and doing things I never thought I would. This is the year to say yes to every experience thrown my way...including experiences I seek out myself.