Weekend Escape: The Islands around Stockholm

After just a short two hours on the boat, we found ourselves on the beautiful island Sandham in the archipelago around Stockholm. Although a few people left the boat in Sandham's port with us, most of the Stockholmers retreated to their red-colored weekend cabins and when we set off on a walk around the island we didn't meet anybody on the trek and had the forest and beaches to ourselves. On the forest ground, blueberries were growing, the sun was shining and the water was crystal blue along the shore. 

In the warming light the colors were so strong, it felt like walking through a postcard. The summer cabins of the Stockholmers were painted in strong colors, some red or blue or turquoise colored and the lilacs were blooming and giving the air a summery and flowery scent. 

It felt very Swedish and "Michel Lönneberga"-like, just like out of one of our beloved children books.

We had a typical "fika" with a cinnamon roll while waiting for the boat to take us back to Stockholm. With about 30 € for the return trip to Sandham, this place is definitely worth the effort of coming out there on a weekend trip to Stockholm. 

Weekend Escape: Stockholm

Last weekend I eventually got to visit my brother in Stockholm where he is spending his Erasmus year. We had given our parents plane tickets for Christmas so after work on Friday I went to the airport with my parents to spend a long weekend with my brother. Although my parents used to and still travel a lot, it was kind of funny to see how taking plane is not as normal and daily routine anymore as it is to me.

Stockholm has immediately won my heart - upon arrival, the city was lit in a warm evening light that didn't fade until almost midnight. With the abundance of water and the pastel-colored buildings of the old town, the reflections were simply beautiful. The streets were crowded until the after-hours since it still felt like early evening time although it was close to midnight.

We stayed at Scandic Hotel in Södermalm, a very hip and stylish district which is great for people watching. A drink at the hotel terrace bar gives you quite the look of Stockholm hipsters - young, creative, lots of tattoos, very well dressed and also very beautiful people sipping a craft beer or a glass of champagne in the sun.

Crossing the water one arrives in Gamla Stan, the district where the old town and the royal palace is located. The water channels and the terra-cotta-colored buildings give it quite a mediterranean feeling, while the royal palace and the parliament in their architecture remind you of your northern location. I loved strolling through the narrow alleys of the old town, peeking into shop windows of Swedisch design or a small gallery. A few turns later you would find yourself down at the water or on a grand plaza in front of a majestic royal building.










We also went to visit the Stathuset, the town hall where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held. Thanks to our amazing guide it was a really fun and interesting tour. They even have the porcelain dishes for the banquet on display and the stairs down to the hall have been adapted in their size and hight for women wearing high heels and long gowns, this architect was a genius and had a very clever wife ;)













Another great place to go is the Fotografiska Stockholm Museum with top-notch photography exhibitions and a really great café with great views over the water and the Stockholm skyline.








We had great food at 17 Österlanggatan, a young and stylish restaurant with tuna burgers and tartar de boeuf on the menu. Unfortunately, the service was a bit slow and our waiter not the nicest, however, since the food was really good, I'd still recommend the place.

And since I could't narrow the pictures down, a few more from our walk through Gamla Stan....

Microadventures: Paddling on the "Altmühl"

The sun is shining outside and I am confined to my apartment with a cold that struck me yesterday. So, on this public holiday, no hiking trip, no sports, no nothing. The stress of the last months is taking its toll, this week I ruined an important experiment by a stupid mistake and now I am feeling sick, all signs that I have to take it a bit more slowly in the next days....so I spent the afternoon on the couch, searching through a few outdoor blogs for some travel inspiration. When you can't be outside in the sun, take yourself on an imaginary adventure trip.

And with my upcoming trip to Colombia in mind, I put on some road tripping music and started surfing from one great travel blog to the next, taking mental notes for further destinations and adventures. Oh, this ever expanding list of places to go....

However, after having traveled half the world through blog posts and reminiscing in memories of past adventures, I also thought I might share a few pictures of a "micoadventure", as one would call it in the outdoor blogosphere today, at the Altmühl in Bavaria. Sometimes it doesn't have to be the Amazon river or the Himalayan mountains, a small stream, a canoe, good company and some sunshine is just the right combination for a perfect sunday afternoon adventure. 

We had a wonderful canoe trip from Sollnhofen to Dollnstein which took us about 3,5 hours. We could leave the canoe in Dollstein and take the train back to Sollnhofen where we enjoyed a hearty meal at Aktiv-Mühle Sollnhofen (where we had also rented the canoe from). 

Hiking Daytrips: "Xanderklinge" in the Black Forest

As per suggestion of an outdoor blog (outdoormaedchen.de) we decided to stop over in Calw for this little hiking trip on our way towards Bavaria. We were spoiled with beautiful sunshine and the lushest green mother nature can offer. The Xanderklinge trek leads you through some glowing yellow rape fields and some apple trees into the forest. The Xanderklinge is a small creek with a little stream making its way through the jungle-like vegetation. It is one of the few places in Germany where not everything is neat and tidy but nature reigns. You make your way over rocks and fallen trees and climb up a few slippery rocks with a rope, all the while admiring the lush green that is so abundant around you. 

I am not sure if the pictures do it justice, since I am still struggling with taking pictures in the forest, the light coming in from all angles is still challenging.

So I can only invite you to make a little weekend trip out there yourself and enjoy the beautiful scenery with your own eyes ;-)

For more detailed information on the tour, Martin will share the details on his blog (martin-outdoor.de).