Stockholm, where I left my heart...
September 2008

Grey skies and showers greeted me coldly as I stepped out of the bus in Stockholm's central station. The hope of no rain and a little bit of sunshine diminished right there and then, but the hostel was nice, comfortable and cozy. It turned out to be one of the best hostel bed I've ever slept on; with face towels, bath towels and... a bath robe! Even if the room was on the small side, Hostel Rienstierna is highly recommended.

Stockholm consists of small islands connected by bridges. The best way to experience it is to get lost exploring the quaint little streets. My tall Swede friend was meeting me for a welcome drink at a nice bar called Gondolen towering high above the corner of Sodermalm, looking into Gamla Stan. We went walking through the old streets of Gamla Stan; he was being a full on tour guide explaining the different sights.

The next day, Inta came from the village of Vasteras to spend a whole day in Stockholm. We walked everywhere, to the Vasa Museum where the Viking ship Vasa lost its glory on its maiden voyage, to Skansen to check out traditional Swedish village houses and finally roaming the shops of Gotgatan in Sodermalm. Dinner @ ENTRE' completed the night.

Stockhom is a city that is inherently cool without even trying. People are friendly, they look trendy without being pretencious, stylish without being over the top. Like a perfect cake, it has all the right ingredients... and once again, I fell in love. It was unexplainable. There wasn't any particular thing that drove me crazy, or an event that made my heart melt. It was chemistry where everything fit.

Even if it was 10 degrees weather, grey skies and constant drizzle.

I fell in love.