tiramisu: stockholm weekend pics, happy swedish national day

we had a long weekend here in stockholm thanks to swedish national day. mostly we took it easy and ate really well each day; a jazz brunch, garden bbq, and taste of stockholm.

jazz brunch at södra teatern (saturday)

södra teatern is a place of entertainment. in an ornate old building (established in 1859), they have two restarurnats, outdoor terraces with great views and seven stages to host indie bands and plays. it's a really cool spot and a very popular place for after-work drinks.

we always mean to wander down for an evening cocktail - it is a hop and skip away from us - but we can't seem to make it happen. but we did, finally, book a jazz brunch; sweet jazz music played live, an amazing buffet with all the classic swedish breakfast items and more, and of course a view.

garden bbq in nacka (sunday)

we were way overdue for a visit with ximena, petter and their girlies. it was the perfect afternoon, lounging and bbq-ing in thier garden.

while the big boys tended to the meal the ladies and kiddos went for a walk... with the sweetest dog ever. arm in arm with my friend, the kids running ahead, we wandered into the forest which is basically at their doorstep and walked towards the water where the dog had plenty of fun catching sticks. did i mention, i want a dog. more specifically i want this dog.

we returned home to the meal on the table and what a meal it was. look at that spread, yum! it was amazing we ate all that meat - i'm going to blame the kids, such carnivores! - and roasted veggies are divine. then, dessert. my favourite almond cake served with the reddest strawberries.

i wish i was still sitting in that garden, with a dog nearby, good food, and most importantly in the company of good friends.

smaka på stockholm (monday)

after a lazy morning at home, we strolled towards kungsträdgården for the taste of stockholm event. along the way we came across signs of sweden national day with blue and white balloons, a woman dressed in traditional costume entering one of the modern war ships on display, and even the palace guard dressed up for the occasion.

arriving in kungsträdgården be made a bee line for drinks. with a glass of rose wine in hand, we took a peek at the restaurants and food trucks on offer; flippin' burger, melanders fisk (awesome fish soup), nya carnnegie bryggeriet were a few familiar ones but there was also classic swedish fare too. so much choice to be had.

with bellies full, we then walked along the water towards stadshus - city hall - located at the tip of kungsholmen island. we have always viewed it from across the water but never up close. it's not the most impressive building but i did love it's arches and i learned eight million bricks were used to build it! it's also the venue of the nobel prize banquet held each year.

athough we didn't go in, we did enjoy the grounds, especially kai who had fun climbing its walls and running through the sprinklers. but, we will need to visit inside next time, you can go up the tower for great views of the city and one of the rooms - the golden room where the noble laureates dance after dinner - is laid with 8 million gold mosaic tiles!

we looked across the water to our neighbourhood on sodermalm... pretty cool this place we call home.