Judith reporting from the Nordics, today .. Sweden

This report is written by Judith de Graaff from Joelix and all images are by Judith.

When heading to Stockholm we stopped at Gränna. This is where the typical Swedish candy is made. It is a bit of a tourist trap, however it is so nice to see how the peppermint rocks are actually created. Great for kids too! Of course you'll have to treat them (and yourself) on some red&white polkagris afterwards.

 
Stockholm is often referred to as the Venice of the North. And, indeed, there is water everywhere but... you don’t need a gondola to get around. The underground system works perfectly well and gets you everywhere. It is a very green city too; there are lot of parks which fill up rather fast when the sun comes out. At the end of the day we were so exhausted by the extremely extensive exhibitions at the Moderna Museet that we decided to go on a refreshing boat trip. Unfortunately there were no boats going to the Stockholm Archipelago (Skärgården) anymore. We were told by many Swedes that this is one of the most magical places of Stockholm.

Instead of starting our day in the city center, we decided to walk through the Södermalm area, which was very quiet when we visited. You'll find another hairdresser on every streetcorner. Which makes sense when you see all the well cut Swedish people around. Some of the shops we visited were Acne(of course! Nytorgsgatan 36), 6/5/4 (Nytorgsgatan 27) and Regn (Högbergsgatan 30). At Regn you can buy an updated version of the traditional Swedish raincoat. A very very good looking raincoat.


When you visit Stockholm you should absolutely drop by Kon-stig (Åsögatan 124). It's the very best art bookshop I've ever been to. Here you'll find a superb collection of art books, limited editions, one-of-a-kinds and out-of-print books. It is one of this places you don't leave empty handed.

 
Grandpa (Södermannagatan 21) is another nice shop you shouldn't miss. They carry nice brands like Minimarket, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair and Hope. As Emma from Emma's blog suggested they have some real treasures in their basement: vintage school furniture, biology posters and much more. Also visit their neighbors at Appartement (Södermannagatan 19). They sell cute homewear (by Hay, RoyalVKB, Lego, Roommate, ...).

 
The Gamla Stan area (the old center of Stockholm) is a bit more touristy, but there are some pretty nice shops anyway. The one I liked the best, besides all the very well stocked second hand stores, wasScandinavian Design. What's in a name? They sell brands like Muuto, Marimekko, Normann Copenhagen and the beautiful plaids of Pia Wallén.

We stayed in a beautiful apartment we found through AirBnB. It was the perfect solution for us because we were looking for a bit more freedom and space than in a regular hotelroom. Also the possibility to cook and to prepare your own breakfast is a plus.

Thank you Judith! Please visit Judith's website Joelix to learn more about her, her work andStudio Sapique.