Brunch Cruise with Strömma

Yesterday, a colleague and I were invited by Strömma to try out their popular brunch cruise in the archipelago. This is a sightseeing boat cruise of the (inner) archipelago that they offer every Saturday and Sunday (year round) on the beautiful boat s/s Stockholm, which was built in 1931.

s/s Stockholm at berth

The brunch is a mix of Swedish smörgåsbord favorites (like a variety of herring, gravad salmon, smoked salmon, arctic shrimp, ham, sausages, Jansson's Temptation, patés and meatballs) and popular brunch dishes (eggs & bacon, several sallads, chicken drumsticks and grilled vegetables). But don't eat too much as they have a really nice dessert table that you won't want to miss... cheeses, mousses, parfaits, cookies, pies and fruit sallad.

A very Swedish brunch buffet...

The cruise itself is about 3 hours long and takes you through the inner Stockholm archipelago, about as far as the town of Vaxholm. The route is very picturesque no matter the season, though I would say that summer is the best... that is really when the archipelago comes to life. However a snowy landscape in the winter or a colorful autumn vista can also be quite spectacular. We have no snow or ice right now (a mild winter to say the least) and I was afraid that it would be a little dreary, but the grey, misty weather had its own haunting beauty.

This is a great way to combine several popular experiences in one fell swoop: brunch, Swedish cuisine, sightseeing and the natural wonder of the Stockholm archipelago. The boat departs at 12 noon every Saturday and Sunday from berth 16 on Strandvägen. The cost (boat trip & brunch) is 450 SEK for adults, half price for children between 6 and 11 and free for children under 6 years of age. Tickets can be purchased at a Strömma ticket office, online or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, you can talk to me and I can book your brunch cruise... or any of the other sightseeing options offered by Strömma. Click here for tour information, including menu, route, timetables and more.

The archipelago on a summer's day!

Brunch Cruise with Strömma

Posted by zlatin

Yesterday, a colleague and I were invited by Strömma to try out their popular brunch cruise in the archipelago. This is a sightseeing boat cruise of the (inner) archipelago that they offer every Saturday and Sunday (year round) on the beautiful boat s/s Stockholm, which was built in 1931.

s/s Stockholm at berth

The brunch is a mix of Swedish smörgåsbord favorites (like a variety of herring, gravad salmon, smoked salmon, arctic shrimp, ham, sausages, Jansson's Temptation, patés and meatballs) and popular brunch dishes (eggs & bacon, several sallads, chicken drumsticks and grilled vegetables). But don't eat too much as they have a really nice dessert table that you won't want to miss... cheeses, mousses, parfaits, cookies, pies and fruit sallad.

A very Swedish brunch buffet...

The cruise itself is about 3 hours long and takes you through the inner Stockholm archipelago, about as far as the town of Vaxholm. The route is very picturesque no matter the season, though I would say that summer is the best... that is really when the archipelago comes to life. However a snowy landscape in the winter or a colorful autumn vista can also be quite spectacular. We have no snow or ice right now (a mild winter to say the least) and I was afraid that it would be a little dreary, but the grey, misty weather had its own haunting beauty.

This is a great way to combine several popular experiences in one fell swoop: brunch, Swedish cuisine, sightseeing and the natural wonder of the Stockholm archipelago. The boat departs at 12 noon every Saturday and Sunday from berth 16 on Strandvägen. The cost (boat trip & brunch) is 450 SEK for adults, half price for children between 6 and 11 and free for children under 6 years of age. Tickets can be purchased at a Strömma ticket office, online or, if you are staying at the Rival Hotel, you can talk to me and I can book your brunch cruise... or any of the other sightseeing options offered by Strömma. Click here for tour information, including menu, route, timetables and more.

The archipelago on a summer's day!

Stockholm Steakhouse Awards 2014

You might think, when visiting Stockholm, that you will be mostly dining on herring, salmon and other oceanic delicacies... but meat is big here in Stockholm, with a large variety of steakhouses to choose from. They even have an annual award (Årets Köttkrog) naming the best steakhouses in Sweden.

Stockholm dominated the awards this year and there were no changes in the top two spots, with the well deserved win going to Restaurant AG again (third year in a row?). I really do like this restaurant (blog article) and was actually there last week to visit their tapas bar... which is well worth a visit itself (their hamburger is arguably the best in the city). The second place award went, once again, to Djuret. They have a great concept where their menu focuses on one animal at a time (paired with wines from one region) and changing monthly. For example, currently the menu is variations of beef paired with wines from California and next month it will be variations of duck and chicken paired with wines from Burgundy.

The meat locker at AG...

Other Stockholm restaurants in the top ten (ranking in parentheses) are: Svartengrens (3), Rolf's Kök (4), Vassa Eggen (6), Grill (8) and Zink Grill (10). I blogged about this award last year and wrote a little about other options for meat lovers, which you can read by clicking here. And if you want to read about other recent restaurant awards, click here.

Stockholm Steakhouse Awards 2014

Posted by zlatin

You might think, when visiting Stockholm, that you will be mostly dining on herring, salmon and other oceanic delicacies... but meat is big here in Stockholm, with a large variety of steakhouses to choose from. They even have an annual award (Årets Köttkrog) naming the best steakhouses in Sweden.

Stockholm dominated the awards this year and there were no changes in the top two spots, with the well deserved win going to Restaurant AG again (third year in a row?). I really do like this restaurant (blog article) and was actually there last week to visit their tapas bar... which is well worth a visit itself (their hamburger is arguably the best in the city). The second place award went, once again, to Djuret. They have a great concept where their menu focuses on one animal at a time (paired with wines from one region) and changing monthly. For example, currently the menu is variations of beef paired with wines from California and next month it will be variations of duck and chicken paired with wines from Burgundy.

The meat locker at AG...

Other Stockholm restaurants in the top ten (ranking in parentheses) are: Svartengrens (3), Rolf's Kök (4), Vassa Eggen (6), Grill (8) and Zink Grill (10). I blogged about this award last year and wrote a little about other options for meat lovers, which you can read by clicking here. And if you want to read about other recent restaurant awards, click here.

Gay & Lesbian (Friendly) Stockholm!

Stockholm has a fantastic reputation for being very "gay friendly" and welcoming to LGBT visitors. Something we are quite proud of! Stockholm and Sweden have racked up an impressive collection of awards in recent years from international gay media: "Style Capital of the World", "Best International Destination", "Favorite LGBT-Friendly City" and Sweden is ranked as the #1 country in Spartacus' gay travel index. This is in part due to Swedes' general relaxed attitude on LGBT issues (they have had registered partnership in Sweden since 1995 and same sex marriage since 2009). Another big reason is that the Stockholm Visitors Board has, for years, made a very concerted effort to cultivate the city's reputation as being gay friendly and to promote Stockholm as a top destination for LGBT travellers.

Part of their effort has been the creation of the Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network (SGLN), which is a collection of top hotels, museums, attractions and transportation companies which work together to keep Stockholm an attractive destination for LGBT visitors. The Rival Hotel is a proud member of this network! Along with other top hotels, members include the Royal Palace, Vasa Museum, NK department store, ABBA the Museum, Strömma Sightseeing, Fotografiska, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Arlanda Express and many more.

SGLN has put together both a gay guide and a lesbian guide, both are downloadable and helpful for LGBT visitors to find their way around the city and are full of fab tips regarding shopping, dining, culture, nightlife and more. Another good place to look for day to day tips is the calendar in the online QX gay map. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me directly or stop by to talk to me for even more help!

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

Some good dates to mark in your calendar... gay pride week, called Stockholm Pride, is generally in the first week of August every year (this year from July 28th to August 2nd) and is the largest pride celebration in Scandinavia. Stockholm is also very proud to announce that they will be the host city for EuroGames in 2015 (5th to 9th of August). This regular LGBT (though open for all) sporting event, put on by the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation, is expected to attract 5,000 contestants and over 200,000 spectators!
First three pictures provided by SGLN, photographer Jens Grip.

Gay & Lesbian (Friendly) Stockholm!

Posted by zlatin

Stockholm has a fantastic reputation for being very "gay friendly" and welcoming to LGBT visitors. Something we are quite proud of! Stockholm and Sweden have racked up an impressive collection of awards in recent years from international gay media: "Style Capital of the World", "Best International Destination", "Favorite LGBT-Friendly City" and Sweden is ranked as the #1 country in Spartacus' gay travel index. This is in part due to Swedes' general relaxed attitude on LGBT issues (they have had registered partnership in Sweden since 1995 and same sex marriage since 2009). Another big reason is that the Stockholm Visitors Board has, for years, made a very concerted effort to cultivate the city's reputation as being gay friendly and to promote Stockholm as a top destination for LGBT travellers.

Part of their effort has been the creation of the Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network (SGLN), which is a collection of top hotels, museums, attractions and transportation companies which work together to keep Stockholm an attractive destination for LGBT visitors. The Rival Hotel is a proud member of this network! Along with other top hotels, members include the Royal Palace, Vasa Museum, NK department store, ABBA the Museum, Strömma Sightseeing, Fotografiska, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Arlanda Express and many more.

SGLN has put together both a gay guide and a lesbian guide, both are downloadable and helpful for LGBT visitors to find their way around the city and are full of fab tips regarding shopping, dining, culture, nightlife and more. Another good place to look for day to day tips is the calendar in the online QX gay map. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me directly or stop by to talk to me for even more help!

Photo by Yanan Li, Stockholm Visitors Board

Some good dates to mark in your calendar... gay pride week, called Stockholm Pride, is generally in the first week of August every year (this year from July 28th to August 2nd) and is the largest pride celebration in Scandinavia. Stockholm is also very proud to announce that they will be the host city for EuroGames in 2015 (5th to 9th of August). This regular LGBT (though open for all) sporting event, put on by the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation, is expected to attract 5,000 contestants and over 200,000 spectators!
First three pictures provided by SGLN, photographer Jens Grip.

Stockholm Furniture and Light Fairs

Twelve - Established Nordic Designers
Photo by: Gustav Karlsson Frost, Stockholmsmässan

Almost everyone has heard the terms Swedish Design, Nordic Design or Scandinavian Design, and the terms usually bring to mind clean lines, minimalism, natural products and functionality. Design Week, here in Stockholm, is winding down... the city has been filled with different showings, fairs and shows for people working in the design (furniture, lighting, interior design, fashion) industry. But we (the riffraff who don't work in the industry) have our chance to view all of the latest items in the world of Scandinavian Design tomorrow, Saturday, February 8th, when the Stockholm Furniture and Nordic Light fairs open their doors for the general public.

Lighting trend 14/15 - Natural Elements
Photo by: Gustav Karlsson Frost, Stockholmsmässan

 This is basically two fairs in one... lighting & furniture with interior design elements. The fairs are located at Stockholmsmässan (Stockholm International Fairs and Congress Centre) out in the southern suburb of Älvsjö. I recently blogged about Stockholmsmässan and you can read more there about how to get to the fairgrounds from the Rival Hotel (easy!) plus other practical information. The general public is welcome between 11am and 3:45pm and admission costs 140 SEK. Come and get inspired to do "scandi" redecorating when you go back home!

Stockholm Furniture and Light Fairs

Posted by zlatin

Twelve - Established Nordic Designers
Photo by: Gustav Karlsson Frost, Stockholmsmässan

Almost everyone has heard the terms Swedish Design, Nordic Design or Scandinavian Design, and the terms usually bring to mind clean lines, minimalism, natural products and functionality. Design Week, here in Stockholm, is winding down... the city has been filled with different showings, fairs and shows for people working in the design (furniture, lighting, interior design, fashion) industry. But we (the riffraff who don't work in the industry) have our chance to view all of the latest items in the world of Scandinavian Design tomorrow, Saturday, February 8th, when the Stockholm Furniture and Nordic Light fairs open their doors for the general public.

Lighting trend 14/15 - Natural Elements
Photo by: Gustav Karlsson Frost, Stockholmsmässan

 This is basically two fairs in one... lighting & furniture with interior design elements. The fairs are located at Stockholmsmässan (Stockholm International Fairs and Congress Centre) out in the southern suburb of Älvsjö. I recently blogged about Stockholmsmässan and you can read more there about how to get to the fairgrounds from the Rival Hotel (easy!) plus other practical information. The general public is welcome between 11am and 3:45pm and admission costs 140 SEK. Come and get inspired to do "scandi" redecorating when you go back home!

Elliott Erwitt (and more) at Fotografiska

Elliott Erwitt

A friend and I decided to have a cultural day this past Monday and chose to visit Fotografiska (museum of photography). Fotografiska is one of my favorite spots to visit in Stockholm regardless of the exhibition... beautiful space, nice cafe/bar with great views, fun gift shop and always interesting photography. But I had especially wanted to go back for a visit to see the Elliott Erwitt exhibition.

Elliott Erwitt

With a career spanning almost 65 years, Elliott Erwitt is a master photographer producing everything from advertisements, editorials, celebrity portraits, books, commissions, photo reportages and more. I found the exhibition to be really interesting and really appreciated the beautiful black & white photography and Erwitt's wry sense of humour (very apparent in many of the photographs). His work does tend to bring out emotion in the viewer... whether tears or laughter. The exhibition runs until March 2nd, 2014.

Elliott Erwitt

While at Fotografiska, we checked out the other, smaller exhibitions that are going on right now. This is the last week for the Jill Greenberg exhibit and it is well worth a visit if you are in town (ends February 9th). Beautiful color portraits of children and animals (bears, monkeys and horses). The resolution, clarity and details of the photographs are pretty amazing... the animals almost have human expressions.

Jill Greenberg (splitscreen done by me to show detail of different subjects).

The third current exhibition is by Johan Rheborg. Rheborg is a famous Swedish actor/comedian and... amateur photographer. The exhibition is called "Backstage" and that describes it very well! It is a series of black & white photographs taken by Rheborg of his colleagues backstage at different Swedish theatre productions. If you are Swedish then you will recognize many of the faces... if you are not, then you can enjoy the beautiful, candid images. Ends on March 9th!

Johan Rheborg

Fotografiska is open daily and open quite late for a museum (closes at 11pm Thurs through Sat, 9pm on the other days). Click here for exact opening hours and cost of admission. The museum is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... just a 10 minute walk down to Slussen and then less than a 10 minute along the Stadsgård waterfront (location).

Elliott Erwitt (and more) at Fotografiska

Posted by zlatin

Elliott Erwitt

A friend and I decided to have a cultural day this past Monday and chose to visit Fotografiska (museum of photography). Fotografiska is one of my favorite spots to visit in Stockholm regardless of the exhibition... beautiful space, nice cafe/bar with great views, fun gift shop and always interesting photography. But I had especially wanted to go back for a visit to see the Elliott Erwitt exhibition.

Elliott Erwitt

With a career spanning almost 65 years, Elliott Erwitt is a master photographer producing everything from advertisements, editorials, celebrity portraits, books, commissions, photo reportages and more. I found the exhibition to be really interesting and really appreciated the beautiful black & white photography and Erwitt's wry sense of humour (very apparent in many of the photographs). His work does tend to bring out emotion in the viewer... whether tears or laughter. The exhibition runs until March 2nd, 2014.

Elliott Erwitt

While at Fotografiska, we checked out the other, smaller exhibitions that are going on right now. This is the last week for the Jill Greenberg exhibit and it is well worth a visit if you are in town (ends February 9th). Beautiful color portraits of children and animals (bears, monkeys and horses). The resolution, clarity and details of the photographs are pretty amazing... the animals almost have human expressions.

Jill Greenberg (splitscreen done by me to show detail of different subjects).

The third current exhibition is by Johan Rheborg. Rheborg is a famous Swedish actor/comedian and... amateur photographer. The exhibition is called "Backstage" and that describes it very well! It is a series of black & white photographs taken by Rheborg of his colleagues backstage at different Swedish theatre productions. If you are Swedish then you will recognize many of the faces... if you are not, then you can enjoy the beautiful, candid images. Ends on March 9th!

Johan Rheborg

Fotografiska is open daily and open quite late for a museum (closes at 11pm Thurs through Sat, 9pm on the other days). Click here for exact opening hours and cost of admission. The museum is easy to get to from the Rival Hotel... just a 10 minute walk down to Slussen and then less than a 10 minute along the Stadsgård waterfront (location).