There is law in Sweden called Allemansrätten, which essentially guarantees your right to hike, swim, bike, or - wait for it - pitch a tent, almost anywhere public and private. Somehow this law, which harkens back to a less populated Sweden, still works. Stockholm's water is clean everywhere. So people swim, everywhere.
Find a dock, join the crowd and jump in. We've been making use of the good weather while we have it.
Small beach houses on Söder were once awarded to working families who couldn't afford their own pied-â-terre
When you're hankering for a little more structure, you can also swim at the public pools. Eriksdalsbadet was built in 1962 for the European Aquatics Championships. Wish I had been there.
Swedish kitsch defined
Summer in Stockholm: is this Noon, or 21:00? We find the daytime-all-the-time thing very bewildering, but pleasant too.
Dagens lunch, or the lunch special, is how you can score "cheap" meals for about $15
Food is expensive in Stockholm, but you can get fresh Strömming (herring) from a stand in Söder for about $6
Chesley, in the T-Bana/Bat Cave. (A rare appearance, since we get around by bike almost exclusively.) The city's transportation systems are encouraging.
Gamla stan isn't just for tourists, people continue to live and work in the old city center. Tucked into the narrow cobblestone streets are residences, shoe repair shops, and some of the city's best restaurants.
Before we bought our own bikes, we got City Bike cards at $40 for the whole season. You pick up a bike from a station (there are hundreds around the city,) and drop off where it's convenient.
Djurgärdsbron (the King's old hunting grounds) is a massive park replete with museums, victorian manors, community gardens, outdoor cafes, and an amusement park. About fifteen minutes' walk from city center.
Hammarby Sjöstad is a planned neighborhood, restored from an old industrial marina. Algae projects, light rail, and a public library meet condo Williamsburg and High Line design aesthetics. A bit cold maybe, but a - "cool" idea!
Sometimes referred to as the Venice of the North, Stockholm is a series of islands bridging Lake Mälaren to the Baltic Sea
Back in Söder, Trädgården cafe/bar/club feels close to Brooklyn
If food is expensive, great beer can be had for $4 or $5
Nyfiken Gul, or Neverland? You Decide.
Wow, this looks so gorgeous! Love that you can get herring from a stand on the street…
about time!
Where did you get those pectorals? Chesley looks as if she’s having the time of her life. Also: Swedish, as anticipated. Our photos, which is to say, James’ photos, won’t be so technically adpet when we finally figure out how to send them. But they’re stunning. Tonight we’re at a Yao (that’s one of China’s 56 formally defined ethnic minorities) hotel overlooking the peaks and rice paddies of The Dragon’s Backbone, so called because the miraculous paddies up the steep slopes resemble the verterbrae of an impossible being.
Have you been getting my travelogue posts? You are not obliged to read them. I just want to make sure you’re in receipt.
Much love to Chesley, and we all back home look forward to the news of this great adventure.
Much love,
Dad
Your next stop should maybe be the Yulong River, near the current hostelry of James and meself in YangShoa. It’s hard to believe landscapes like these mountains and valleys actually exist, and our camera work is not up to them.
Everything looks great- I can’t wait to hear all about it when Sapna and I get reconnected with the internet upon our return to the Midwest. And I have to agree with Dad on the pecs. I don’t think you had them when I came through Brooklyn in June. But well done.
love
david
Everyone drawing attention to Nate’s pecs has left me feeling scandalized. Good luck finding an apartment!
Oh my! It looks like you guys have an amazing time in Stockholm. So happy to be able to follow you via flickr and this lovely destination. Yay Internet. NYC misses you.