Hello from Stockholm, also known as the Venice of the North. It is so beautiful here that it makes my heart ache. Of course that ache also stems from the fact that I grew up here, so I have formed a familiarity and attachment to Stockholm. I walk around and just soak it all in. The old buildings with all the beautiful details, the cobblestone streets, the breath taking views, the green parks, the wind from Lake Mälaren that comes over you when you walk or relax on a bench close by the water. It is so beautiful I have to blink away the tears when the emotions take over.
Let me share some of my day around Stockholm today with you. I met up with my friend Monika and went straight to Vete-Katten for fika. I love that place and so do many others, there was a full house today. It is a large café with many sections to sit, so if you ever end up there (I am referring to the location on Kungsgatan) make sure to explore the different areas to sit and enjoy your fika, like Kajutan for example where it is dark. Vete-Katten was established in 1928.
A couple of hours later.....I don't know how we can fill hours upon hours with conversation but we can. I so appreciate my friends!
Then we started walking.....here are some places we ended up.
Admired the view from Observatorielunden.
Continued walking and arrived at Tegnérlunden with its statue of August Strindberg sculpted by Carl Eldh.
Here you can also find this sculpture of Astrid Lindgren (she is the author of Pippi Longstocking and many other amazing books.
A pretty view of a street in Vasastan, one of Stockholm's districts.
Brantingmonumentet, another creation by Carl Eldh. It depicts Hjalmar Branting the first Swedish Social Democrat prime minister talking to a group of people on May 1, the working class people. "Han väckte slumrande krafter hos folket och ledde dess kamp för frihet och rättvisa." Basically it talks about the people's fight for freedom and justice.
Gustaf Vasa church by Odenplan.
There are many stone lion statues in Stockholm.....such beauties! Love them.
Sergelfontänen.....I have passed this so many times from childhood until now.
Then it was time to head home, ready for another round of fika with friends tomorrow!
In the early morning a few days ago I boarded an airplane in Portland.
And I got off in Stockholm the following day. I have not been home to Sweden since 2019.
I am staying with my Mom and she made me my favorite soup, barszsc. Very delicious.
I am going to eat a lot, my Mom is always telling me to eat more like I am starving or something. Like most Moms do. I will definitely eat lots of local berries and meet my friends for many long FIKA sessions. My social calendar is busy when I am here.
My fave cake.....Prinsesstårta.
And I love blåbãrssoppa (blueberry soup) so that will be a part of my daily diet.
I woke up to another beautiful day here in Stockholm. I am going to walk to the store to get some filmjölk for breakfast and start my day.
Tokyo is green, trees, flowers and many parks all over. I walked a lot in Tokyo, easily more than double than I do at home.
And I visisted several parks. Here are a few.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Beautiful, serene and known for its scenic cherry blossom trees. A must place to go for all the people that visit Tokyo during cherry blossom season.
Close to Shibuya station I found Miyashita Park, I walked up a flight of stairs and found a small park there in between the rooftops. I visited a couple of more parks similar to it.
This next park I liked so much that I went there twice. Yoyogi Park. Full of flowers, large trees and nice walking paths.
Statue of Quetzalcoatl, did not excpect to see that in the middle of Tokyo.
If you find yourself in Tokyo and wonder what you should see I recommend going to Asakusa to get a feeling of old Tokyo and past traditions. Walk through the Kaminarimon Gate (Thunder Gate) and start exploring. The original gate was built around 1000 years ago. I thought Asakusa was very beautiful and if I ever go back to Japan and Tokyo which I hope, I will visit this area again. Afterwards you can walk to Tokyo Skytree and that right there is a full day of fun in Tokyo.
If you ever find yourself in Shinjuku look up and take in the giant 3D cat experience. It is super cute. There are a few more 3D billboards in Tokyo. You can find Hachiko in Shibuya (both the famous statue and a 3D version), I also saw a 3D panda in Shibuya.
I watched this cat for a while, it is a she and she is active (awake) from 7 am until 1 am. I loved her of course. So cute!
The cat is getting tired....it is exhausting putting on a show for people all day (I know how it feels). Time for bed.....Goodnight!
