Gamla Stan and Christmas festivals

Amanda and Lili arrived at 1:15 am this morning. We all waited up for them. Thank goodness they were able to get here. The weather across northern Europe has stranded many travelers and even closed the chunnel. Slept well last night.

Waited in the apartment until 1000 for our

luggage to come and it finally

arrived - what a

relief!!

We strolled around Normalm and crossed the bridge into Gamla Stan, which is the old town. The roads are very narrow and the

buildings are all shades of yellow, red and brown. Very quaint!! We found a cute little Christmas festival outside in the square in Gamla Stan and we bought some Swedish Grogg and flavored honeys, Saffron, Cloudberry and Wild Strawberry and Vanilla!! Yumm. While we were there it started snowing lightly!

Then we walked over to the Royal Palace where they were having the changing of the Guard. It sits up high in Gamla Stan and overlooks Stockholm harbor. I bet it is very beautiful in the summer months - winter has its beauty but today was very overcast, cold and windy near the harbor.

Next we headed to Ostermalm and Amanda found a Kosher grocery store - bought some Kosher beef for Christ

mas eve dinner - wanted lamb for my lamb tagine but had to settle for beef. On the same street was Saluhallen which is a gigantic inside market with restaurants and all different fresh food vendors. It was very busy and quite impressive. We boug

ht some fresh cod, vegetable, spices and mango chutney so I could make Cheryl's Seychelle fish (although she makes it with chicken). Had our afternoon capuccino's and people watched for a little while. We have found the Swede's to be helpful but not very friendly - and quite rude at times. But if you ask a question, they all speak very good English and are usually ready to help. It is great to have Nick with us, especially in the grocery store.

When we left the Saluhallen, Nick and the girls went to the fashion district, Dan headed back to the apartment and I headed to the grocers, which is an amazing market in the basement of a store similar to Nordstroms - strange but wonderful at the same time. It costs 5 sek to use a cart but unbeknownst to me, if you return the cart you get the coin back. Live and learn, it was only about 75 cents! Also, the bathrooms cost 10 sek to use in stores. So, it is a good idea to have lots of change when you go out here! I didn't have Nick with me this time so it was an experience being in the store and trying to figure out what I was buying. In France and Italy, it was so much easier because many of the words I either knew or could figure out but Swedish is so different.

It is wonderful having the apartment and being able to cook meals. The apartment is 4 bedrooms and 2 baths with a wonderful kitchen and dining area. So much better than being cramped in a hotel room and having to eat out every meal. :)

Well, dinner was great and we are very tired tonight. Dan and Nick and I are sacked out on the couch and the girls are going clubbing!! More power to them (they took naps before dinner!)

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and everything closes here on Christmas eve because that is when the Swedes celebrate Christmas. So we will have a nice dinner here and play games! We have Yahtzee and Trivial Pursuit in Swedish (Nick will have to ask the questions!).

God Jule to All! More to come