23 / 52 weeks

kai: morning giggles.

neighourhood watch: mariatorget

when we aren't strolling stockholm's countryside, we love spending time eating, drinking and shopping our way through a lovely neighbourhood.  mariatorget is one such neighbourhood - the grassy public square, loads of restaurants and boutiques, and art galleries.   

one grey and wet day we decided to do mariatorget a little different... visit places we haven't yet been too!  so, we made a plan and walked and walked.

first on the agenda was small island chocolates and coffee, a kitschy jamaican shop.  i had a hot chocolate while my boys opted for, well, chocolate.  the walls were lined with chocolate, i don't know how they ever made a decision.

we then grabbed lunch at marie laveau's cafe serving louisiana-style food.  we devoured our sandwiches given fun names like porky pig, big bird, and tofu fighter.  i had the latter and it was finger licking good but i think kai's big bird was the best.  so much flavour in these sandwiches.

hopping into shops was next on the agenda much to kai's dismay.  but he figured out how to have fun along the way; hide and seek behind the clothing, trying on floppy hats.  

i loved papercut.  they stock the most amazing magazines, i was drooling.  i would have happily whiled away many hours in there.  another favourite was nitty gritty, clothing and accessories to swoon over.  i'm still thinking about that purse i didn't buy.

herr judit

uniforms for the dedicated

nitty gritty

we ended our neighbourhood walk with caffeine, of course.  we desperately tried to find kersh kafferosteri but in it's place was a mole diner so we were a bit confused.  but we settled not too far, at cafe mariaberget.  a cozy little cafe serving very good carrot cake :-)

then it was time to head home but before i sign off here are some other notable mentions... falafebaren serving tasty falafell wraps and salads; ginkgo blommor och inredning is a shop exploding with gorgeous house plants; johan och nystrom which is stefan's favourite coffee shop; sandqvist with their bags galore, lovely functional swedish bags; folckers for ribbons; and finally brandstationen, a gorgeous vintage store.  the list could go on and on but i will leave it there for now.

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.

 

we ended our excursion with stikki nikki ice cream, always so good.

i hope you had a wonderful weekend too!