CHRISTMAS MARKETS AND STOCKHOLM ENCHANTMENTS
Leaving behind the beauty of white-covered landscapes, it’s the final leg of our Sweden trip. Since we must fly out of Stockholm, we decided to stay a little while and see what magic it offers. We’ve visited two Christmas markets in Copenhagen, but we wanted to make it full circle and end with a Christmas market.
Christmas Markets.
We prefer a quiet no-fuss kind of Christmas. We love eating good food, but then again, we always love eating good food, so this is just another regular good food meal for us. Family visits tend to be better without the pressure of creating a perfect Christmas. Gift giving doesn’t feature, since our travels are usually our gifts to each other.
I know what you must be thinking by now… “SHE’S THE GRINCH!”
Well, not really. We love the build-up, the pretty decorations, the jolly Christmas music, and, once again, the food (always the food). Add to all this a pictures European backdrop and some snow, and you’ve got yourself a Christmas spirit fan.
In my mind, a cold European Christmas market is the physical form of the Christmas spirit feeling. We usually eat and drink too much, but we had to try the Bailys hot chocolate, Glogg, and some yummy treats. T invested in some cosy socks for the cold, and we enjoyed watching the Christmas spirit encapsulate people around us.
Stockholm.
Coming from the countryside, we weren’t ready to face city life full on just yet. We opted for an amazing Airbnb in a suburb outside the city. This made travelling around a bit more challenging than anticipated, and it would take us around an hour to get into the city and another hour to get back.
We love to travel, and I would even go as far as to say that we live to travel. However, travelling can be exhausting. I know, I know, that’s a good problem to have, and I agree 100%. The problem is that if we decide to take a chill day and relax, we feel guilty for not maximising our trip, but if we go out every day, we get tired and don’t appreciate the beauty of the surroundings.
I think somewhere between these two decisions, Stockholm became “meh”. It’s by no means a “meh” city, but we didn’t feel it as much as we were supposed to.
We also once again explored the city by boat and bus. Although a tour by boat always gives a new perspective, it wasn’t as memorable as Copenhagen.
I know it’s probably wrong of us to compare Copenhagen and Stockholm so much, but it’s in the same trip so it happens naturally. We did enjoy Copenhagen more, but Stockholm has more impressive architecture going for them.
Stockholm – Changing of the guards.
While exploring the city, a marching band caught our attention. We followed them into the palace courtyard and were fortunate enough to see the changing of the guard ceremony. It’s quite the ritual and lasts about 40 minutes, with marching, flags, drums and trumpets.
Food and treats
We try and cook as much as possible as this helps with the budget. That budget goes out the window when we come across pastries and treats. While out and about, we would also grab something on the fly and soon realised that the Swedes love their pizza and pasta. Liquorice is one of their favourite treats (safe with both T and me). There are many different kinds, and the salted liquorice looks like a particular favourite.
Stockholm animals
On travelling day, we decided to explore the neighbourhood instead of dashing out and running like crazy to try and see something new and rush back to be in time for the airport.
We were ecstatic to see squirrels playing and swans feeding in our backyard. Once again, we realised how much love we have for mother nature.
Conclusion.
We were able to add another fantastic chapter to our story. Sweden, and especially northern Sweden, is something we will never forget. We can’t wait to go back to the arctic and, hopefully, next time, be able to tick off the Auroras from our bucket list.
Again, I must thank T for being the best part of any trip. I also have to thank him for always embracing the ideas and wishes I throw at him.
Next…
T is needed in the Netherlands, so let’s make a trip out of that.
Wandering off now…
T & Me
