The first time I went to Stockholm was on a 48 hour stop over between Geneva and Amsterdam. While it was minus 20 celsius (!), I found the people and the city charming, vibrant and fun.
I was meant to be just picking up the keys from a brother of a friend’s fiancé – they were out of town but lending me their apartment. But when he realised I was alone with no plans, I was invited to hang out. Next minute I was enjoying cocktails by the fireplace at his famous musician friend’s house, playing piano and enjoying their hospitality. Then we all went out for a midnight dinner of meatballs and herring in a jovial restaurant bar, and I was walked home at 2am.
The next day I met a friend of a friend for a Japanese meal in the old town, and after dessert his eyes lit up and said he wanted to show me “something special”… on the other side of the railway tracks. As I was trudging through the snow in the dark alone with this stranger, my sense of adventure was briefly questioned by a moment of trepidation… It was dark, not a soul in sight and …
“Look up!” he beemed.
And there it was- the station clock from this angle, at this time, had shadows on it that created a looming face. The snow, the trudge there, the dampened sound of the wintry city, the adrenaline of the potential danger, and the relief rendered the image all the more poetic.
Minus 20 sounds horrific if you’re antipodean, but it was somehow less terrifying than -8 in Geneva with La Bise wind from Siberia (shudder).
The warmth of the apartments, the restaurants and the people compensated for the freezing temperatures .
It also helped that my friend’s friend had generously left me her cosy, well heated home and some seriously good jackets.
My last hours the next day were spent window shopping in the slick stores and lunch with the brother. I gave back the keys and promised to be back…
Stockholm in summer is an entirely different kettle of fish! But any time of year, I hope you’ll enjoy a trip and find the locals as hospitable, fun and welcoming as I did. The restaurants, the museums, the galleries and the shopping will keep you busy and inspired.
Enjoy this travel guide I wrote for The Big Bus Tour and Travel Guide. And for the tap dancers out there- Easter is usually the time to go for the fabulous Stockholm tap festival!
