A City Trip to Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden (B)

Peeping through the porthole of our cabin on the AF Chapman, I see a few white boats anchored to the harbor of Skeppbron on the opposite bank of Strömmen, the body of water separating us from the 5-to-8-story-historical buildings on the East shore of Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm. The seagulls are awake. It is only late April and the sun already rises very early: it is 5AM and it is daylight.

At slightly past 7AM, we feel a cold wind on our chests while starting our run. It is sunny, but we are at 59° North and it is only a few degrees above 0°C at night. The very specific sound of cars driving by with winter tires reminds us that the springtime in Stockholm may start a bit later than what we are used to.

Crossing the bridge of Skeppsholmen, by the painted wooden houseboats and well maintained sailboats, we follow the shore to the East and pass by the local beach clubs of Östermalm, with trendy lounge sets and ladders coming out of the water for brave swimmers: it must be an interesting spot to observe and experience in the summer! ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).