Stockholm

We decided to spend a few days in Stockholm for a few reasons.  Indie music galore and Acne to name a few.  The town is small, the people are beautiful and there is a very cool vibe.  Also, really clean. 

We landed around noon and we were the hotel by 1ish.  We are staying at the Lydmar Hotel.  Centrally located, right on the water.  A boutique hotel with nice sized rooms and comfy beds.  Highly recommend  it. The photographs through out the hotel are pretty amazing too.  Almost worth going to every floor and doing a walk through. 

We are definitely at the point where the kids separate from us which works fine by me.  The girls wanted to hit up the stores and I wasn't quite prepared for that yet.  Josh came with me and Fred which is still a treat.  We grabbed a cab, since it was pouring (but luckily for a brief moment) and hit up the food market, Ostermalmshallen.  Supposedly there are a few food markets in Stockholm and although this one is smaller, it is supposedly one of the best.  There are definitely places to buy your fish, your meat, and other products, but there also happens to be a bunch of restaurants around the circumference of the market.  We went to lunch at Lisa Elmqvist.  We sat at the bar.  Josh had the fish and  chips, Fred and I split the herring and the shrimp skagen.  3 tiny white cups of herring.  Marinated, mustard sauce and cream sauce with a slice of thick brown bread on the side and a piece of cheese.  I happen to love herring.  I grew up with a bottle of marinated and a bottle of creamed herring in the fridge at all times.  I don't keep it now but I do remember as a kid, even when the refrigerator was empty, there was always herring. The shrimp skagen is large helping of small shrimps tossed in a heavy sauce (think mayonaisse) over a piece of toast (no crust).  Not sure any of this was something I will pine for later in life but as they say, when in Rome..

Afterward, we walked over to the old section of Stockholm, Gamla Stan.  We wandered around, had a latte (a beautiful one at that) in the square where there are a bunch of small cafes.  Then we went back to the hotel.  On vacation, we all need the R & R in the late afternoon.