TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

When we travel a lot we become slack at arriving at the airport on time. I also have a typical too positive attitude and daring character wherein I take risks. So that usually ends up me running down the hallways at airports. People never learn their lesson very well, huh. Anyway, as usual I am running late. I arrived at Stockholm Central Station and hurrying up to get to Arlanda Airport, I contemplated on taking the cab, then there is the Arlanda Express which is the high speed train connecting Stockholm and Arlanda International Airport in Uppsala. It only takes 25 minutes. I was not really sure which to take. Should I take the Arlanda Express or not? The cab? Arlanda Express? Decisions, decisions and I do not have time! Since I took the cab from the airport to Stockholm, as well as I heard from people and the woman at the Arlanda Express ticket counter that its traffic on the highways, I took the Arlanda Express option. The woman at the ticket counter was actually berating me w...

Stockholm is a captivating and elegant city when its graced with beautiful sunny weather, but like Amsterdam, it sucks big time when it’s raining. My original plan for the day was quite simple, just three things that I wanted to do before I fly out early evening back to Amsterdam: 1) Climb up the Kaknästornet (Kaknas tower) to catch magnificent views of Stockholm, which will be facing the medieval island city of Gamla Stan. 2) Check out all the different types of art in the city’s metro (Tunnelbana) and train station. 3) Later in the afternoon I am meeting an old colleague in Gamla Stan, so another opportunity to try Swedish food for late lunch. Advertisement in the subway of a leading Swedish telecommunications company. Switching heads =) The first two things on my agenda didn’t really materialise, or well, just partly, all because of the weather. It poured. Very hard. Damn the rain. Secondly, Stockholm didn’t really have a guide book about the art they have in their subways. The big...

When I was in Stockholm last August it was ‘Stockholm Pride’ meaning it was gay pride parade slash festival. Friday night -- the guy at the hotel reception who earlier checked me in was gay, and his colleague who was manning the bar and was Filipino by the way, told me jokingly that tomorrow Saturday the gay colleague will become totally crazy during the pride event. It will be his day so to speak. Not sure what he meant by crazy? Painting the town with gay colours like rainbow perhaps, or something else? Hmm. I thought the event will be big, just like in Amsterdam, so I didn’t really check the scope of the logistics. I am not gay okay but I like to see special events like these. I’ve been to the Amsterdam Gay Pride Parade a few times myself and knew what to expect. Anyway, wrong move. The Stockholm Pride is nowhere the size of its Amsterdam sister so I didn’t really notice it during the day when I was wandering in the other side of town. I saw however a few people distribu...

My next agenda for the day is to visit the Old Town—Gamla Stan so I cross the bridge (Strombron) from Ostermalms District and I could not help but stop halfway of the journey to admire the beautiful views to Södra Blasieholmshamnen. The most popular resident of Södra Blasieholmshamnen is none other than the Stockholm National Museum. She is very impressive and very elegant. From the bridge where I stood there is a boulevard that connects to Gamla Stan Island and Strombron (the bridge) with a platform that juts out of the water. It´s a nice place to sit down here for a picnic or just to admire the lovely views to Södra Blasieholmshamnen. I joined the rest of the people and sat down for a bit. No need to hurry to Gamla Stan. It will not go away unless a gigantic meteor will swallow up the city. That´s not going to happen I thought. The lavish Grand Hotel Stockholm home to the Veranda Restaurant that offers the famous classic Swedish smörgåsbord (Swedish buffet) and beautiful views to the...

When I was shopping in Norrmalm District in the morning I obviously forgot to take fotos. I was only able to take fotos later in the afternoon and during twilight when I had time to walk around and enjoy the surroundings. I always love taking fotos. It’s not really the art of taking the foto itself that I love. I am not into the technical and aesthetic side of photography. I don’t care about those scientific and technology crap. Aesthetics I may mind but I refuse to become a photography nerd just to get a great foto. I cannot see myself sporting a DSLR as well. Too heavy and bulky. They are not even fashionable? Plus they shout TOURIST and are magnets for trouble (read: robbery). What I care most when taking fotos is capturing my travels—the scenes around me, the people I came across with and their gestures, the real happenings that I encountered, the architectures I admire, the everyday art, the normal daily life, the FOOD and many others that interests me through my eyes. I want to ...

Stockholm is a city of islands, its old town where the Royal Palace is housed and which I will blog separately, is situated strategically in an islet. The capital is indeed a beautiful city. No wonder Stockholm is the capital as well of the Scandinavian or Nordic region. Very well deserved! So after my smoked salmon lunch at the Ostermalms Saluhall I ventured out to the quays of the Ostermalms District, the Strandvagen Boulevard. Ostermalms is one of the wealthiest districts in Stockholm. Luckily, the rain stopped this time. I just blow-dried my hair that morning and you do not want to know how much I hated rain that day. Then I realized that it is actually Gay Pride Parade in Stockholm so I went searching for the parade. I later found out that the parade and the area where they can celebrate is regulated. It’s not like in Amsterdam where during Gay Pride Parade the whole city centre is celebrating, on the streets, on the canals. You can practically hear the shouts and screa...