Day 9- Stockholm (continued)

After walking around the palace, we headed back to Sodermalm where we had plans for dinner at Marie Laveau, a Creole influenced restaurant on Hornsgatan. I ordered the grilled seabass with a side of rice. I love, love, love that the Swedes can take spice in their food. (Like I said earlier, there's nothing bad I have to say about this country.) The space itself is restaurant/bar/club/gallery with a very modern (and well dressed) clientele. After dinner, we took a saunter around the gallery and were amused by what we found on the walls.


Looking at Gamla Stan?




Menu at Marie Laveau.


The dining area.


I loved her skull earrings.




Sienna Miller as Edie Sedgwick?


I love Pippi.

Day 9- Stockholm

The morning began in Drottningholm Palace, a little outside of the main hubs in Stockholm. It's decorated in the French Rococo style, but many of the details are trompe l'oeil. If you think something is marble, you'll get up close and realize that it's really just wood that's been painted exquisitely to look like marble. Amazing what people can do to deceive the naked eye. The grounds were beautiful and meticulously kept. I can see this place being absolutely lovely to lounge on a nice summer day.

The Chinese pavilion was a gift from one of the countless kings to his queen - I'm tempted to say that it was the one who was once a general from Napoleon's army. The palace theatre is still open and in working condition, giving plays in the summer using their ancient (classic) techniques to create sound and change sets.

Gamla Stan.




The gate to the gardens.


The road less traveled.


Chinese pavilion. They had the creepiest mannequins with fingernails. Disturbing.


Tea time!

Day 8- Stockholm

Stockholm is, hands down, my favorite city in Europe. It's been so long that I've been so enamored by a city like this. The tales are true. People are immensely tall, very blonde, and gorgeous. The city is clean, well organized, and easy to navigate. There are modern bits and really historic bits, walkable bits and bikeable bits. I honestly can't think of a single bad thing to say about Stockholm.

The trip began on a rainy arrival to The Red Boat. We grabbed dinner and beer at Akkurat before taking a drunken trip to the 7-Eleven before crashing for the night. (I really love drunk convenience store runs. You buy all the stuff you want to buy but never would sober.) The next day was spent at Skogskyrkogården, then the city center for Sunday shopping.

All photos by Lola.




Reception at The Red Boat, the boat hostel.


Walking down the bridge that connects Sodermalm with Gamla Stan.


The Woodland Cemetery, where Greta Garbo's ashes are housed.






There's art in some of the Tunnelbana stations.

Day 7- Barcelona

The photos from the second day are a bit deceiving. The night before, Claire took us to a spot near the university called Origen for tapas and wine. (Check out their menus!) The exhaustion from our travels caught up with us and kept us passed out until noon. The rest of the hours were spent at Parc Guell and Las Ramblas Catalunya before we tagged along with Claire to a delicious final Barcelona dinner.


The menu looks like a magazine.




Meat plate, photo by Lola.


Lentils with seafood, photo by Lola.


Dessert, photo by Lola.


Strange giraffe statue.
Wearing: Karl Lagerfeld jacket, Cheap Monday jeans, Jeffrey Campbell boots, Zara striped top, Zara fringe bag.


Display on a wall.


At Parc Guell.




Getting tapas & sangria, photo by Lola.


Drinking some drink, photo by Lola. I can't remember the name, but it tastes slightly nutty and it's white or cream colored.

Day 6- Barcelona

The first night in Barcelona was spent at Urbany before we went onto Claire's apartment in the heart of the gay district. It's the only hostel I've ever seen that's worth its designer label. Key cards open everything, including the lockers in your room, and the decor is really modern. But before we arrived at Urbany, we survived our first (and only) mugging attempt that occurred at 11.30PM on the metro. He unzipped a portion of my backpack and luckily the portion that held only candy and tissues, but he got half of Lola's bag open. So, watch out if you're in BCN! There are stories galore of people getting mugged or having their mess stolen from the back of chairs.

The first full day was spent with Gaudi and his genius via a free walking tour, tapas, and the Gothic quarter. I love how art is literally everywhere in Barcelona and that you can't go anywhere without being reminded of Gaudi's incredible influence on this city. I have an affinity for deranged geniuses (see: Van Gogh, possibly Karl Lagerfeld), and Gaudi's found a new place in my heart.


Guell's House, which is under construction right now. Guell was Gaudi's first and lifelong benefactor.




One side of La Sagrada Familia. Still unfinished. It might take another 50 years.


The other side of La Sagrada Familia.


At the market, hungry.


The Gothic quarter.


Courtyard of a church.


Tapas, photo by Lola.


Metro station Liceu, photo by Lola.

Day 5- Florence

The photos for the last day in Florence overlap a bit with the day before. The previous night's dinner was at a Florentine restaurant filled with tourists. The cutest Japanese girl sat next to us and ordered a mountain of food for herself, I assume on accident. It was so sad and adorable at the same time.

I spent the day oogling modern housewares and puzzling over the Helvetica font that deceived me at Italian Appeal. You won't find American Apparel here. Isn't it funny how a singular company has convinced us that stores with white Helvetica font logos on black backgrounds must sell v-neck shirts in every color of the rainbow or brightly colored leggings with matching head wraps?


The handwritten menu complete with pictures.


The risotto.


Lolars with her food.


The little design store that could.


Antique store display. I wonder how much the tuba was.


The deception of Italian Appeal.


A postcard display in Florence.


Checking out lunch options.