This is one of my first digital photos. I haven't bothered to digitize any of the pictures I took when I lived in Japan, so I have to rely on a few pix from my trip in February 2003. I visited a former student who was living in Nikko and she took me to see the temple. It looked particularly beautiful in the snow.
Click on the photo to see a larger version on flickr.
note the blankets provided for outside seating; brilliant!
We caught the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace.
The pomp and circumstance was diminished slightly by the silly shiny helmets. And the Swedish sense of humor was in evidence when the band started to play the Indiana Jones theme!
We ducked into the nearby church to warm up. The weather was sunny and clear, and cold!
Walking around Skeppsholmen, we saw...
...men fixing the sails on a ship
view of Södermalm from Skeppsholmen
...and the Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art). Giant moving sculpture by Alexander Calder:
and other larger-than-life, colorful outdoor sculptures. These must help provide some relief during the stark, snowy winters.
Stockholm is a very cycle-friendly city.
We tried to rent city bikes. Unfortunately we decided that it was too expensive for the short amount of time we wanted to use them. In the end, we walked, rode buses and took the metro instead.
We activated our free 24-hour Stockholm cards (courtesy of expedia when we booked our tickets). We started by visiting the Katarinahissen elevator.
check out the temperature: 3 degrees! brrr
While the view from above was impressive, they foolishly placed the elevator in such a way that you couldn't see the best bits.
view of Gamla Stan and Norrmalm, behind here. you'll just have to trust me.
In that respect, I had to prefer the Elevador de Santa Justa in Lisbon. Sorry, Stockholm! Still, only one mark against the Swedes. Not bad.
From there, we walked around Södermalm. This mosque:
overlooks this skateboard park:
Djurgården features several miles of park land, dotted with museums, a zoo, an amusement park, and other entertainment.
bread rolls served on a skewer; with butter, pesto butter, and sea salt
pork confit; with green beans, sauerkraut, roasted garlic...
and pureed mash served in an individual le creuset pot
crème brulée
pears and figs in port with pistachio ice cream
From our seats at the bar, we could see into the kitchen. We enjoyed watching the dessert preparation. The blowtorch got a good workout from all the creme brulee they were serving. It almost felt wrong to order the same thing as everyone else, but it was delicious. We were also intrigued by the foamy substance served on top of one of the appetizers. A brief chat with the friendly chef confirmed that it was the sauce for the lamb testicles. Hmmm, maybe not so yum!
*****
My main mission in Stockholm was to replace my red patent leather clogs. I had various options.
In the last few minutes before dashing to the airport bus, I decided on these black patent leather clogs. I know they are not as cute as some of the patterned ones, but I was able to wear them to a Board meeting at my parent company the following day. I know I'll get good use out of them, and they will remind me of Stockholm.
*****
Happy anniversary, S! I'd like to thank you - and my credit card - for a wonderful getaway.
