stockholm weekend pics, hågelbyparken

we ventured out to hågelby to lunch at wärdshuset, the cafe in the park. i wanted to roam around this manor house - built in 1915 - in which the cafe is housed and peek out its windows. 

unfortunately, it was closed.

what do you do?  thankfully, a stroll down one of paths took us to another cafe where lunch, as always in these cafes in the park, was delicious.  we especially loved their shortbread cookies.

hågelbyparken is popular with young families thanks to its farm animals. i fell for the horses. 

posing with my little guy

cafe with delish shortbread cookies

i LOVE this happy boy

shenanigans in the park

it was such a fun time, to be with my boys.

midsummer on fjäderholmarna

with midsummer eve being the main event. most swedes get to finish work early and so shops and restaurants are closed for the day or open for only a short period.  midsummer is a huge deal across sweden... perhaps as popular as christmas.

if at all possible, i like to leave stockholm for the countryside where traditional midsummer celebrations happen.  we've been to the island of grinda, nacka (not countryside but close) and then this year we hopped on a boat to fjäderholmarna... 

the day is often threatened by rain (see our time on grinda here) as was this year but then just as we were getting ready to decorate the maypole, the sun came out.

we did that frog dance around the maypole... love this!

and, we ate smoked shrimp :)

this time of year when the darkness of night is replaced by a lovely twilight (the sun sets just for a few hours) has me smiling ear to ear. woohoo for light!