Month: October 2022

Cobbled stone streets flow through all of the various European cities around this great European continent. But none so clean as Stockholm. I think this was probably the most surprising aspect of Stockholm. It may sound silly, but enjoying this capital of Sweden was a mistake. We simply did not intend to love it there. It was, by far, one of the best traveling accidents we’ve ever made.

We hadn’t left the US in months and we wanted a getaway. So we looked at the list of locations on our “to-be-traveled” list and picked one. We knew nothing of Sweden. But off we went. The 8-hour flight passed with surprising ease when our plane cut through the clouds above Stockholm. The airport lies 30 km (16 miles) from the city center. The surrounding trees near the rural airport made us feel like we were at home in an Autumn-blasted Minnesota.

(A point of gratitude: travel restrictions are completely lifted in most of the world. Sweden is no exception. We crossed into the country needing no extra paperwork or testing. Back to normal!)

A 30-minute bus ride landed us in the center of the city. Like most cities, some parts are new and others old. The train and bus depot is located in the newer section of town. But Sweden is an old place. And even the new parts feel old-world—especially since it saw no harms of WWII.

The whole city is walkable, and soon we found our hotel in the old town of Gamla Stan. And here the surprises continued. Who knew that a place like Stockholm would smell like cinnamon? On nearly every corner, sellers of cinnamon buns and coffee tempt the traveler and local alike. Stopping for a quick bite and coffee is an important part of their culture, called Fika—or, coffee break. They take time to relax and have a break two, or three times a day. And these cinnamon buns are at the center of the Fika tradition. In fact, we landed on National Cinnamon Bun Day. A coincidence? I call it fate.

Stockholm is a harbor town on the Baltic Sea. Its lands are islands and peninsulas and mainlands, connected by over 50 bridges. It’s a paradise for all who love museums, cafes, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, parks, water, outdoor space, and old architecture. What’s more, during a chilly October, the Fall colors paint the place with oranges, and reds, and yellows, and all the other Fall-like tones.

Sound perfect?

It is.

Above all, though, Stockholm is clean. It has all the old-world charms of Amsterdam with its history and cobble stones, and the romantic flair of Paris with its iconic sites and cafes. But it does not have the trash or smells of either of those places. Stockholm is clean, safe, and almost completely free of homeless. It’s the best of Europe.

One of our favorite pastimes in any European city is to simply walk the cobblestone streets. And there is no better place to do so than Stockholm.

You could eat off the cobble stones here. They lead to royal palaces, restaurants, and churches. They bring life to this old place, like so many arteries carrying blood.

It mesmerizes the traveler.

I’m pumped deeper into these stones and buildings and waterways and statues until I’m lost, lost, lost, or, at least, don’t want to go home.

But I must.

And though it has only been a few days, I feel that in leaving now, when I don’t want to, I’m gettin’ while we’re gettin’ is good.

If we had stayed longer, would we have regretted it? (I doubt it).

Maybe we would grow to hate it here. (I doubly doubt it).

But maybe it’s best to leave early, when I don’t want to leave. There was no time to wonder, “what next?” We left Stockholm wanting more. And that’s a great way to live. It’s certainly better than leaving, wanting less.

If you ever have the chance to go to Stockholm, go to Stockholm.

That is, of course, unless you despise happy places that smell like cinnamon.

anthony forrest