Relaxing

Just the other day I took the boat to an island named Grinda, it’s situated outside of Vaxholm which is a spot I’ve been talking about before in these articles. There are two greats benefits to visiting Grinda. First of all you get to experience a genuine archipelago relatively close to Stockholm. Secondly it’s a nature preserve which makes the whole island accessible for all visitors. You can hang around and sunbathe wherever you ike!

The island has two ports and most of the activities are situated around “Södra Grinda”. There you’ll find the most departures from, a restaurant, a bar, hotel and more. The restaurant is established inside of an old, magnificent summerhouse. Go there, and enjoy their classic fish soup and a nice wine on a sunny day!

Have you ever thought about what Stockholmers might do on weekends when having a couple of days off? I´ll tell you…

We hang out along with our family and friends in the archipelago. Either we stay overnights or we head of on a daytrip.

If you’re interested in spending some time along with us locals I warmly recommend you to go visiting an island named Utö. Rent a bicycle, grab a map and head south to a tiny island named Ålö that´s connected to Utö with a small wooden bridge. On Ålö you will find a genuine restaurant in an old boathouse namned “Båtshaket”.

Båtshaket is genuine and authentic. All the locals sit together, eating classic Swedish seafood, having a snaps and a beer and simply just enjoying life. They do their own fishing and preparing. Try some Swedish Lax or their “Silltallrik” if your up for having traditional Swedish food!

To visit Carina at Ålö , take the train from Stockholm central station towards Västerhaninge, at “Handen” change to bus towards “Årsta havsbad” and take the boat from there to “Gruvbryggan” at a island named Utö.

The Swedish landscape has extremely beautiful lakes, forests and mountains that are used by most Swedes all year round. Even inside Stockholm it is possible to find a green park or a peaceful lake where one can relax in contact with the nature.

Another thing that makes this city special is the archipelago which is just a short boat trip east out of town. Even though it is very popular among locals during summertime, as the temperature of the baltic sea allows summer baths, the archipelago can also be rather spectacular throughout all seasons.

Utö is a traditional destination, which allow for great walks and bathing (the water temperature in the baltic is around 20˚C in the Summer). Another advantage of being in one of the bigger islands (as Utö) is that if you want to socialize during the evening, just head up for the local pub where there will be some partying going on. For a more calm experience just pick any small island next to Utö like Ålö and Rånö.

Most of the boats leave from the centre of town or Nynäshamn and are one hour away from most islands. Take a newspaper, a book and your camera, head out for a day in an island of your choice and enjoy a delicious meal at one of the great archipelago restaurants before coming back. But if you have the time for it, why not staying an extra day at one of the beautiful inns opened all year round?

If there are 2 things Swedes love doing, these are hanging out in the sun and drinking beer (OK, maybe they like other things too)! So, when the snow melts and the first sun rays feel lightly warm, you can see all the parks in Stockholm filling up. Vitabergsparken is clearly not an exception.

People come here from all over town to hang out in the sun, relax, have a picnic, make out, read a book, barbecue, listen (and share) music, see and be seen and drink wine or beer! Everything is doable at Vitan. The crowd is usually young and it’s also the natural habitat for the Stockholm hipster during the daylight.

I usually take the newspaper, a book or a friend and grab a beer in Folkungagatan or an ice cream at Nytorget just before hitting for the hill. In fact, if I am looking for something a bit calmer, I just stay at the less flashy Nytorget, typically frequented by families.

Unfortunately sun disappears faster than on the white hill (vita berg). Ah, I almost forgot saying that Vitabergsparken is located above the house level and turned south but then again, is there anyone going there for the sun only?

Sweden is very famous for their fashion designers with brands such as Filippa K, Acne, Cheap Monday (see the Weekday – Cheap Monday article) and H&M achieving international status. I believe that this results from the fact that most Swedes give a long thought about what they wear, thus creating a widespread knowledge and interest in their image. And as an haircut is also part of every-one’s image, it’s no surprise that Swedish hairdressers are also popular. In fact there are around 500 hair salons just inside the small Stockholm Municipality.

And even though there are many good ones, Noir is the spot I pick when it’s time to cut the hair. This is a fairly new place in Stockholm with plenty of extraordinarily talented, fun and young people working there making this salon a relaxed hip place. Also, if you are eager to go out for some drinks or even more serious partying just ask your hairdresser about the hot events for the coming days as they are very updated on Stockholm’s nightlife.