Now that the light is finally shining at the end of Sweden’s long, wintry tunnel, I am feeling the urge to climb out from under the thick duvet I have hidden under for the last 6 months and plan some final Sweden activities before I leave for the Mumbai chapter of my life. As I only have 12 weeks left here in Stockholm, I need to get moving. Here is what I have lined up for the next 3 months.
Visit Another Balkan Country
In April I will add Macedonia to my list of Balkan countries, after my European Summer trip of 2013 introduced me to Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Serbia. I will be in staying in Skopje for 4 days, in which time I hope to get to know the city, visit nearby Matka Canyon, and eat copious amounts of kajmak and burek.
Stay On A Medieval Island
Hopefully I will spend the first weekend of May in Visby, a perfectly preserved medieval town on the scenic island of Gotland. We will take the boat from outside Stockholm and spend a few days relaxing in, what will hopefully be, wonderful Swedish sunshine.
Walk On a Rooftop
Also in May, I will participate in a hike across the rooftops of Stockholm’s Old Town. I must admit that I am a little nervous, as some of the walkways seem very narrow and high up—but I have the utmost trust in Swedish Health & Safety, so know that there is nothing to worry about! We have booked our trip with this company in Stockholm.
Visit Sweden’s Second Largest City
In June, I shall spend a weekend in Göteborg (Gothenburg in its anglicised form), commonly regarded by Stockholmers as the capital city’s little brother. However, according to the New York Times, Göteborg has retaliated in recent years by reinventing itself with a funky, alternative arts scene. Is this a correct assessment of the city? Who knows? Hopefully I shall find out when I visit.
Eat Good Food
Stockholm has plenty of restaurants, and you can find food from almost everywhere (although Mexican food seems sadly lacking). Strangely, however, there is a tendency to ‘swedify’ many international foods – don’t try fajitas in Sweden if you actually really like fajitas, for example, and expect béarnaise sauce to be pretty much the only accompaniment to any type of grilled meat. Stockholm restaurants are also really expensive, so if you can only afford to eat out occasionally, you’ll want to choose your restaurant wisely. Thai food is actually pretty good in Sweden; most likely because many Swedes spend their winters in Thailand, and there are two Thai restaurants in Stockholm that I want to try out; The Thai Boat for good food in a quirky location, and Koh Pha Ngan for the full (albeit pricy) backpacker experience. I would also like to check out ‘Flipping Burgers’ for an allegedly AMAZING burger experience, and go back to Jebena for some authentic North African food.
Kayak in the City
Stockholm is surrounded by water, so what better view of pastel buildings and church spires than from the peace and quiet of your own kayak?
Explore Sweden’s Titanic
Moments into its maiden voyage, the elaborate warship Vasa floundered and sank; less than 400ft from where it left. 333 years later, the ship was recovered from the seabed, becoming one of the most perfectly preserved warships in the world, as well as one of Stockholm’s most visited attractions.
Party On A Boat
“Patricia” by Alessio Maffeis
It is hardly a surprise that Stockholm’s night scene has capitalised on the city’s proximity to water, because who doesn’t love partying on a boat? There are plenty of boat hostels and bars lining the quays around the city, and Patricia is one of Stockholm’s most well-known clubs. Hopefully, I’ll get to visit it once before I leave. It seems that I have plenty to keep me busy in the next few months! Of course, I will also be arranging my Indian visa, cleaning out my apartment, getting rid of my winter clothes, packing up my things, saying goodbye to friends, and making a flying visit to Cornwall to see my family. Once July arrives, my daily environment will look completely different, and I’m sure that I will be making some new and exciting plans.
Phew! It’s going to be a busy few months.
Do you like making plans? What have you got coming up in the next few months?
Ooh that rooftop tour sounds amazing! Definitely filing that one away for when I’m there.
I’m really excited about trying it out, if a little nervous! It doesn’t seem that widely publicised, I just stumbled across the website when I was looking up something else. I will write a post about it, for sure!