stockholm weekend pics, an idyllic stroll

saturday and sunday are market days in stockholm.  it starts with the hornstull marknad - so good! - in may and then others will join as the season continues.  my little family will most likely visit the food markets again and again, right through to september. 

the hornstull market stretches along the water, making it a lovely place to eat and stroll.  the flea market tables add to the experience, you can browse even if you don't buy.  stefan and kai devoured pulled pork burritos while i had chicken on rice with yogurt sauce, we bought peppercorns (a guy travels the world in search of unique peppercorns, how cool, right?)... we enjoyed the sunshine.

the pepper quest guy

we walked along the water after the food market taking our time - sitting on the rocks to play a game of cards, kai messing around with sticks and climbing trees, stopping for a fresh juice, and watching the boats be craned into the waters.

and to admire the cutest garden sheds, nestled between the city's high rise apartments and the water.  founded in the early 1900s, they were introduced as a way to help the poor grow their own food and benefit from the outdoors.  today, some continue to grow vegetables and fruit but their are also an array of flowers and trees on the small plots.

eriksdalslunden is the name given to this area by the water and it's one of the largest allotment communities in the city.... there are about 25,000 allotments throughout sweden.  each plot has a tiny cute house and a small area of land surrounded by picket fences... some transformed into livable spaces in the summer.

i'd move in!  but there is a loooong wait list, anywhere from 4 to 25 years and i hear the latter is the truer estimate as they can be passed down from generation to generation so it requires patience.  i also hear there are rules to owning an allotment... the sheds and land should always look pretty and cared for. 

and this area doesn't only look good in the spring and summer months, come fall the greenery changes colour and then blanketed in snow during the winter... charming year round.

hope you had a lovely weekend too!