Savoring Stockholm

Somewhere between the crazy workload and the whirlwind emotional rollercoasters, I found myself unwind in Stockholm - capital of the Scandinavia as it is advertised - in a weekend of pure calmness and serenity - courtesy of some of my very dear friends.

Stockholm is beautiful - there's no doubt about it. The natural scenery is breathtaking with islands of palaces tucked among perfectly cultivated parks, connected with each other by all these bridges large and small. The design scene was absolutely revelating, showcased in different stores from casual to high-end. And the people - oh my! - are just text-book beautiful! You cannot help feeling like you are part of a photoshoot for some fashion catalogue with groups of models in absolutely chic styles passing by left and right. I thought that at any given moment, you can just snap a photo and it would be a perfect, from the light to the background to the models and their clothes. Everything was just gorgeous!

Yet, Stockholm didn't give me a feeling of New York, Paris, or London. Instead, it was perfectly calm and serene. It might have been the city design with low buildings and opening seaport or environmentally friendly technologies that somehow filter out all the noise pollution. Taking a walk down the port, one can easily find peace of mind, even among the crowd. As if it was not enough, a short boat ride to one of the archipelago would take you to an even slower pace of life, where fishing villagers live happily in red-painted wooden houses and spend their day at the local store or an icecream parlor next to the beach.

Now that's a good life!

Photo credit - XL. I found this waiter during his shiftbreak behind TGI Friday. He exemplified, to me, the perfect sense of Stockholm: beautiful and calm.