S:ta Clara Kyrka

And across the water we went... We were imagining the same type of ship that we had crossed in from Italy to Croatia. And we had been reliably informed that this particular trip was known as a "booze cruise", with people taking the trip to stock up on duty free and party. So what we therefore expected was a naff ship filled with boozy louts.. especially when they hand you the thingy you hang in your windscreen which helpfully reminding you of the drink drive limit in Sweden...

But we were so wrong! Yes I can imagine a lot of people come on the boat to party but they must do it in style! There were various restaurants, a two storey night club, outside cocktail bar, casino, spa, live bands and not to mention the duty free shopping world 😳 and in walked us the great unwashed from our cabin in our casual clothing. Looked a little out of place next to the couples ballroom dancing.. We made the most of it with a nice meal and a lovely cocktail and waved goodbye to the beautiful Finnish sunset (see picture 1).

On arrival into Stockholm the next morning (see picture 2) we were greeted by a stunning view of the city skyline. We were so early that we left our car near our next Airbnb and travelled into the centre. Gamla Stan, the old town centre, was already busy with fellow tourists. We joined them through the streets and the had our first Fika. Fika is a Swedish tradition that I suppose would be called a "lifestyle" concept, It is traditionally in the afternoon (so we were a bit early for that too) when people meet to drink coffee, eat their body weight in cake and socialise. I can definitely recommend the Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun). Most definitely something I could get used to, and some may argue in my family we already do practice Fika!

We returned to the Airbnb to await our host. After an hour of waiting he came down apologetically telling us his phone was broken (which I now think was a little untruth). Warning signs went off as we were shown upstairs past the pile of rubbish he had been removing from the flat.. Inside the place was quirky and not very clean. We also realised that the "free parking on premises" was actually "paid parking on street". When he left the four of us looked at each other.. the further we looked the worse it got. But we thought (well half thought) we could put up with it. After a night sleeping on top of the bedding, the morning came and the electricity went and the host couldn't be contacted. With even the most hardy of us deciding it was the last straw we showered in the dark packed our bags and left. Airbnb helped us with the cancellations and on explaining the situation they alluded to the fact this wasn't his first offence,

We trawled the internet at lunch - tasty salmon and shrimp salad - and at an Espresso House - Swedish coffee chain - for alternative accommodation. We even randomly met an Airbnb host when on a walk from the guide book who showed us some great views of the city. He approached us when we were studying our map and evidently looking very lost. Unfortunately his place was booked but he told us a lot about the history of the city and the buildings we could see.

Ended up finally booking a hotel at 7pm. A beautiful - and budget busting - hotel but definitely worth it to enjoy our last days in Stockholm!

In a more relaxed mood on our final day we visited the Saluhall - a covered market full of Swedish treats. We took a ferry to the Vasa Museum which is the number one thing to do in Stockholm. It tells the history of a warship that cost 2% of Swedens then GDP and sank in Stockholm harbour on its maiden voyage in 1628. The ship was salvaged in 1961, watched by millions and 98% of the original ship is now on show in the museum.

Things we discovered in Stockholm:

It has really long escalators;
There ARE a lot of blondes;
Restaurants close early;
Snapchat.

Before dropping the girls back to the airport we popped into IKEA and had a 5kr hotdog. Well, when in Sweden...Read more