A lakeside vision. The stillness of the water. A tantalising view of the other shore. The symmetry of the carefully cultivated and pruned trees. Only the best is good enough for royalty, in this case the royals of Sweden. I captured this view at the castle of Gripsholm, set on an island 60km to the west to the Swedish capital Stockholm on a Scandinavian summer’s day. Well worth a visit…
There’s no need to apologise for being a tourist in the handsome city of Stockholm in Sweden. Well that’s what I did, along with my Swedish friend and city dweller. A British visitor gave her a rare excuse to stroll at snail’s pace through Gamla Stan – the old quarter of the Swedish capital – and look around the imposing City Hall and clamber its tower for those delectable views across the water.
Also, don’t be sorry for using your camera here. There is a lot to capture, especially if the Scandinavian summer skies are flecked with fast-moving fluffy white clouds. The City Hall crowds, the mustard palette of Stockholm’s old buildings, snippets of architecture – and an obligatory pilgrimage to the Abba Museum – are all there for the taking.
If being a tourist is good enough for a Swede in their own town, then it’s good enough for me. Here’s some of our best bits…
A mere detail on a recent visit to the Swedish capital, Stockholm. On a warm, sunny Scandinavian summer’s day, we visited a wonderful garden centre on the island of Djurgarden in this achingly handsome city. It’s a little table fashioned from some very slim branches for weary visitors to place their lingonberry tea, and comes with two equally organic woodland chairs. Maybe it should be a new range to hit Ikea…
