Gamla Stan

This is pretty much the typical Gamla Stan picture. Even before I had been to Sweden, I knew these buildings. 

They are THE buildings to photograph in Gamla Stan. Which means Old Town.

I love all the little streets

Walking across the square

The cafes all have blankets out for their customers to use while it is still cool outside

This is the Nobel Peace Prize Museum

It makes you wonder why American architecture is so non-colorful and non-detailed.

Although, maybe it is and I just haven't seen it. 

Swedes do details so well. 

They also do Dala horses so well

All of us in Gamla Stan. Lindsey had to stay at the airbnb to do some work, so she missed out on our day, but got a lot done. 

The terrific Heidi who spent several days walking through Stockholm to show us all the interesting places and interesting things. She is a nanny in Stockholm this year, but had a lighter week this week since the grandparents of her kids were in town and wanted to spend time with them.

A school on an outing. I love how all the kids wear those reflective vests.

Another cool door with a cool Ashley

Heidi said this may have been a guard box at some point.

See those lovely tulips?

A window that is at least two stories high

Cobble stone street 

Pigeon strutting around

A little Swedish yarn shop that makes me wish I knit.

A cool paper store with a cool window display

Windows open to the warm spring sunshine

Looking up

Little gnomes/trolls

Daffodils were everywhere. Heart eyes!

Another cafe with blankets out for customers

Curving narrow streets

Shutters to block out the endless summer sunshine

Daffodils and pussy willows 

I think this is the ship Heidi said was a hostel

The grand hotel that puts out flags for the countries of notable guests

We were all missing our kiddos and nieces and nephews, so we noticed ALL the cute Swedish babies and kids 

Clover decided someone needed to be photographed near the floppy eared bunny

All this green!! Squeal!

Livie with her weird Swedish hotdog--it is a really long skinny hotdog in a bun with two scoops of mashed potatoes. She said it was pretty good.

Heidi got her hotdog in a wrap with relish, ketchup, mustard, AND mashed potatoes

Trees just leafing out

Happy sigh!

Spring was just SO long in coming to Northern New York this year. I really needed to see green and sunshine. And Sweden isn't the first place you would think of to get sunshine and spring, but it served quite well. There is something so exultant about spring that we wouldn't have gotten to experience if we had gone to lay on a beach somewhere. 

A learning how to ride a bike school

People under the just-coming-out cherry blossoms. I wanted to see this more in bloom, but we didn't have time to go back

But this visit was enough to satisfy my soul for now

Cherry blossoms

Us girls

And now for a ridiculous number of cherry blossom pictures

Flower beds, freshly planted

This is where the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren meet, so there is a bit of turbulence as the two currents push against each other

I think this is city hall, which has it's own island to itself

Some chappy fishing

It was difficult to take pictures with a lot of people around. I had a picture of all of them looking at me, but a lady walked right in front of me as I took it, so this is the better picture

A cool cafe that lets you sign your name on their walls

We wanted to bring home all these Moomin mugs, but it didn't seem practical or affordable. Fortunately, our airbnb had them, so we could pretend we owned them for a few days. 

To be honest, they were rather small cups, so I wasn't as in love as I could have been. 

Cool window display

We ended the day with Sticki Nikki's, a super gelato place

We all needed gelato after walking for miles. 

Or so we told ourselves

Living in the back of beyond, it always makes me sad that I never get to walk by flower stalls. So whenever I saw a flower stall, I always ran over to take a picture. Very non-touristy of me. 

Did I ever mention I love flowers? And color?