Jag älskar Stockholm.
Every person I've had a conversation with about Sweden have always expressed how much they adored Stockholm. Most of the time, they validated the physical attributes of Swedes that one typically reads or hears about: tall, blonde, blue eyes, good looking and stylish. Other times, they talked about the beauty of the city itself. With each passing conversation, it only made me want to visit more and more.

If you read my post Summer In Sverige, you would know by now that I traveled around Sweden and did visit Stockholm. The weather had welcomed me with all of its hyped up summer glory. This allowed me the comfort to explore and enjoy the scenery by foot and bicycle (cycling really is the BEST way to see any city). As I toured around Stockholm, I saw a romantic quality to it. The kind of quiet romance that came from landscape and scenery: clear blue skies, deep blue bodies of water, cobblestone alleyways, old town (Gamla Stan) and old architecture. The air around Djurgården had a gentle breeze that whispered to you and the sun would sparkle like little fireworks on the water. As the sun was setting, it made the city even more dream-like. To the west, an ombré of yellow and orange haloed the sky and to the east, the moon was already out; all this while it was still slightly light out! The city was so beautiful it was like being on a fantasy set. In fact, the cityscape from Stadshuset, Djurgården, Vasamuseet, and Gamla Stan made me feel like I was on a Game Of Thrones set because in the middle of the city, the buildings created this elusive wall around the water. At one point, I was standing underneath Stadshuset (Stockholm's City Hall) and I likened the current scenery to Arya Stark in Game Of Thrones, when she arrived at the House of Black and White in Braavos. The size of the building was so massive I was afraid that I had developed vertigo just by looking up.

As I reminisce about cycling through Stockholm, the ease of parking my bike on the street while I made pit stops at the weekend market, NK and mid day fika, added to my positive notes of Stockholm. This made me question why I had chosen to live in a city where most people have had their first bike stolen and leaving your bike unattended, meant there was a 50/50 chance you'll come back to nothing or just a frame (I'm sure bikes get stolen in Stockholm too, just the risk may not be as high). I suppose you need to live with a little edge in your daily life so that travels like these are appreciated and that much sweeter.