After the Vasa Museet we wandered along Strandvagen quayside towards the city centre. We had lunch in the Ostermalms Saluhall at the Tysta Mari restaurant - open sandwiches in a beautiful old, indoor market. We wandered the stalls selling a vast aray of beautifully displayed produce - fruit and vegetables, fish, meats, bread and cakes. It sure put modern supermarkets to shame.
We then spent the afternoon wandering the concrete catastrophe of Sergels Tor and visiting the Kulturhuset - the cultural centre of modern Stockholm. We went to an Astrid Lindgren exhibit - celebrating 100 years since her birth. She was Sweden's best loved children's author and the creator of Pippi Longstocking. She was truly a remarkable lady, she was a single mother in the 1930s and never seemed to lose her childlike aura!
That night we were heading for Galo - and a Swedish wedding. We took a train then a bus about 40km south of Stockholm and then got picked up to drive the last 6kms to the wedding location. During the last section of the journey one of my all time greatest ambitions (you can tell I am not particularly ambitious) - I saw a real live, wild moose!!! I have spent countless holidays driving with my aunt around New England and one trip to Newfoundland looking for moose, to have never seen one, to have relatives call me 2 days after my visit to tell me a moose swam past their house in the lake and there it was, standing quietly at the side of a Swedish country road. I was so excited!!
The location of the wedding was a summer camp - a large central dining hall and kitchen, 3 red wood buildings full of little rooms with bunks and a chapel on the hill overlooking the sea. It was the most perfect setting and great to be able to see the Swedish countryside.
The wedding itself was a very hands on affair, with family making food all day, Mariana and I being in charge of table decorations, musician friends in charge of entertainment.....
It all started at 8am on Saturday morning with the bride's breakfast, a wander to the beach, wildflower arranging, napkin folding and a leisurely lunch outside, followed by a beautiful ceremony in a small church with a huge glass window overlooking the sea. We had a great buffet dinner followed by speeches and some amazing entertainment from a wide range of fabulous musicians. I enjoyed meeting lots of new people, but felt a little inadequate by my ability to speak only one language - with everyone else at the wedding speaking at least 2 if not 3 languages, including the 11 year old sitting next to me!
3 comments:
No way lady, are you reading my blog while you are on holiday! That is so cool (for me). I didn't realise you were off on your trip, I am mucho jealous - I LOVE LOVE LOVE Stockholm!!!
If you get the chance you must go for tea/coffee/food or whatever in Cafe String, Nytorgsgatan 38. It is amazing, full of retro furniture which you can buy. Everything about it is just so creative, including all the art students that hang out there (which means the prices are good too).
that market looks great! and the wedding even better. enjoy the rest of your trip!
What an amazing market! and I am envious of the Astrid Lindgren exibit- a big fan- pippi, and the tomten and well loved in our house. I love that you did the table settings- they look great!
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