It’s been a week since my mum and I returned from our 96 hours of Stockholm. Mum had never visited the city before. For me it was a welcomed reunion with a city I used to know.
Summer nights and singalongs
We started planning our trip months ago. I mentioned that I wanted to go back to Stockholm, my mum mentioned she had never been and I ordered plane tickets the same night. We chose the date of departure a bit randomly. However a few weeks later we learned that we would arrive on the last night of this summers “Allsång på Skansen”. An event we couldn’t miss.
Before leaving for Stockholm I had been a bit nervous about flying with a wheelchair for the first time. What I should have been thinking about was how to get to the location of the event at Skansen. We jumped in a cab and arrived at the main gate well in time before we were supposed to take our seats. Not knowing where to go, we asked one of the guards who wasn’t really sure which way would be the best. And no matter what direction we chose we would have to go up.
We tried different routes up the hills, but soon found ourselves at the bottom of several flights of stairs. Debating on wether I had enough power to go back down and up another steep hill on the other side of the park, I decided to maneuver myself up the stairs sitting backwards and lifting myself from one step to the next. Mum got a lovely girl to help her lift the wheelchair up. I got my triceps workout of the year.
When we finally got up the stairs we got a beautiful view of Stockholm and an amazing show. I think we were both tired from laughing and smiling so hard that night.
Seeing the sights
Our second day we started off by going to Gamla Stan (old town). I’m going to spare you the details of getting around on the cobble stone in a wheelchair. We weren’t in a rush, so we took in the morning vibes in the narrow streets before ending up at Chokladkoppen. By then it was really hot out, and we were in much need of refreshments.
From Gamla Stan we made our way down to Kungsträdgården where we had lunch at Grand Cafe as we waited for our next event; a boat tour under the bridges of Stockholm. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say the crew had a bit of fear in their eyes when they saw me in the line. But I told them “You take care of the wheelchair. I will take care of getting myself aboard the boat.” I did. And we had a lovely boat ride and got to see a lot of Stockholm that we wouldn’t get to see in any other way.
We both agreed that we had had enough sightseeing for a day after more than two hours on the water. Next up was dinner, and we wanted Italian. Basta was the perfect place for it. Great atmosphere and great food. The gluten-free pizza almost had me doubting it could be gluten-free, as the crust was so tasty. Absolutely recommend.
Shopping and Fotografiska
My mum and I agreed to spend a few hours shopping after breakfast the next day. Stockholm is a great city for shopping, and has a different selection of shops than we’re used to. We mostly visited typical Swedish brands, and a few other specialty shops, and the hours flew.
It’s weird how draining shopping can be. When we finally stepped out of the cab at Fotografiska a few hours later, we needed refreshments before entering the exhibits. Luckily Fotografiska has a perfect place to relax and get fueled outside.
We saw several artists works at Fotografiska, but both agreed that our favorite was Photo Synthesis by Shepard Fairey. Such powerful messages in really strong pieces. A highlight for both of us.
Under Kastanjen
We hadn’t really planned on where we would have dinner, but had read about this place called Under Kastanjen that we really wanted to visit. The only problem was that it was in Gamla Stan. With all the cobble stone.
However we were determined to get this last piece of our “96 hours in Stockholm” bucket list crossed off. So we jumped in yet another cab. An even though he wasn’t allowed, he got us really close to the restaurant. We were so grateful that he helped us make the visit possible, because Under Kastanjen was really worth it. Such a cozy vibe, tasty food and really nice people working there. If you go there in a wheelchair, maybe consider sitting inside to escape the sloping cobble stone outside. We did, and it was perfect.
96 hours, but felt like a week
We had a few hours before we had to leave fro the airport on the final day. As we sat down at Vetekatten for a bit of “fika” we both agreed that it felt like we had been away for a whole week. Not because time was dragging along. But rather because we had gotten to experience so much.
Reuniting with Stockholm really had me remember how much fun it is to get a proper change of surroundings. It’s not far away from home, but something totally different nonetheless. And traveling with my mum was such a perfect fit, that we simply can’t make this our last mother/daughter adventure.
So where should we spend our next 96 hour adventure?
