Or maybe they call it ribocopter. Whatever, it was awesome.

The boat ride was an hour and the helicopter ride was around 20 minutes. It definitely could have been longer!

Here are photos, be jealous.

It fits a house!

The dials on a chopper.

Foggy islands over Sweden

The helicopter blade is bent in time!

The smallest island ever, and we landed on it.

The small island with the white trees was destroyed by the skarvar (cormorants).
Nearby to the left of the island, the Swedish military built underwater walls to prevent invading ships, mainly Russian, from having a free for all access to the waters. By doing this, they forced the ships to take specific routes or crash into the wall, making it easier to attack and defend.

That’s our boat!

And that is me in a giant pouffy and very warm suit. The life jacket is not even on yet!

For it being a very crappy year we at least took a pretty awesome chopper ride, hot air balloon and still stayed married. Win!

It does not matter if you come in the wintertime, summertime, fall-time, springtime or depressing time, the views will change but be spectacular nevertheless.

The bars and restaurants chosen lay on the water and offer earthly views, or lay in the sky and offer heavenly views.

Gondolen
Sitting on top of a random elevator shaft and walkway, Gondolen sits atop Slussen. You can see Gamla Stan, city, Djurgården, and Skeppsholmen.

The drinks and food are on the pricey side and the people who visit the restaurant are either tourists or those born before the war. Service can be good though since they do encounter tourists, but just don’t be a douche and stand around for an hour without buying a drink.

Skrapan
Skrapan is the tallest building in Stockholm city. The lower levels are student housing and the top two floors is a stylish restaurant. The restaurant has a near 360 degree review of the entire city. Skrapan is great to get drinks or dinner, though a little on the pricey side, but wonderful all year round.

Kungsholmen
The restaurant Kungsholmen is on the island of Kungsholmen. So smart. The restaurant is all windows and sits on the south side of the island and overlooks northwestern Södermalm.

The food at Kungsholmen is eclectic and international. From cajun chicken to tandoori chicken you can find delicious food and drinks. In the wintertime you can watch the floating ice crushing against each other.

Eken
Eken is the hotel bar at the Hilton hotel in Slussen. The outdoor serving is open a few short months in the summer and is worth it. The indoor hotel bar overlooks the tracks into Gamla Stan as well as City Hall but it is nearly as exciting as sitting outside.

Pontus
Pontus by the Sea is located on the easter side of Gamla Stan. They are known for the shellfish, delicious, and outdoor seating in the summer. Of course in the wintertime, the restaurant is full with people, but it’s not the same thing.

Expect higher prices and stuffed up Östermalmers but ignore them as they takeover anywhere cool.

Mossebacke / Södra Bar & Kök
These two bars share the same terrasse overlooking Gamla Stan and Djurgården. They are funky and offbeat and cater to the Södertjejer and killar of the city.

Södra Bar is a nightclub, bar, and a theater. They have cultural performances, and off-Broadway productions.

Mossebacke is a terrasse bar. It’s wonderful in the summertime and pretty much closed in the dead of winter. But for a great view, visit the place.

Sky Bar Radisson Blu
This is the one place I do NOT recommend. The Sky Bar is nothing like what the reviews say, though mainly they are written by the hotel itself.

The bar is small, extremely overpriced (a $22 martini is cheap comparatively), and has a view of construction at T-Centralen and dingy street shops on Klarabergsvägen. The clientele was more in line for super senior citizen day than the “under 65 age group.”

Orangeriet
Located right next to Kungsholmen Restaurant, Orangeriet is rococo and vintage style. It’s a fun place with less fake bougies and more class.

Definite worth a visit if you want to have good drinks and a lot of fun.

Josefin
Josefin’s is the other bar I don’t recommend visiting. While it’s in a great location behind Nordiska Museet facing the water, the people and wait staff are anything but tolerable. A glass of wine, crappy at best quality, is 100:- and served in an old plastic glass. Everything is served in plastic.

Kaknästorget
This TV and radio tower stands 155 meters tall and is Stockholm’s tallest building. Except for broadcasting and the cafe, nothing else is in the building.

There is a 360 degree view of all of Stockholm and the charming, rudimentary cafe is worth grabbing a coffee and cake.

Definitely not a place to forget your camera!

Entry costs 30SEK but is free with the Stockholm Card.

View Bars with a View in a larger map

Do you have a favorite bar or restaurant with a view?

Be sure to check out my list of best bars and pubs in the city.

Since fall and winter in Sweden mean depressing, cold, dark times, there are a lot of things to do in the city. If you are visiting Stockholm, there is lots for you! Here’s the guide to events in October in Stockholm.

Stockholm Beer & Whisky Festival and Taste Experience - Beer and whiskey lovers, this is for you! It is pricey to get in though, at 199:- per person, and includes a glass and nothing else. Remember tasting is not free, so expect to shell out 30-80:- per tasting (15cl).
Opening hours -
First Weekend: 29/9: 15-23 30/9: 15-24 1/10: 12-24
Second Weekend: 6/10: 15-23 7/10: 15-24 8/10: 12-24

Lost in Stockholm meetup! – Found in Stockholm – Come meet other readers of the blog and enjoy a tasty beer at one of the local pubs in Stockholm. Location TBA as we are planning something special for those who attend.
Date – October 13th, 7PM onwards
RSVP on Facebook or in a comment below.

Nordiska Museet Choklad Festival – Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! This festival is like crack for chocolate addicts. Most stalls have free bits to taste from exotic origin to dark to white to chili-tequila chocolate. Open for kids and adults alike. Prices are reasonable at 120:- per adult, and 60:- per child.

Opening hours -
October 14th – 10am – 8pm
October 15th and 16th – 10am – 6pm

Moderna Museet – Museum of Modern Art – MOMA is worth visting not because of the funky, modern art they have, but the view from the museum cafe. It is one my mom’s and mine’s favorite spots in the city. A special treat are three famous master showcased from October 8th to January 15th: Turner, Monet, and Twombly.
Location -
Skeepsholmen
www.modernamuseet.se

Tekniska Museet – Technology Museum – NASA A Human Experience is in its last month of exhibiting at the museum. Ends November 6th so if you love space, be sure to visit before it ends.
Location -
Museivägen 7, Gärdet i Stockholm
www.ahumanadventure.com

Stieg Larssons Millennium Tour Walk – Random but fun if you loved The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo and the series (and the movie to come at xmas). The walk is run by Stockholm City Museum and while the museum itself has free entrance, the guided tour (in English and other languages) is just 120:-. Get a little exercise and find out where all the famous streets and buildings are!
October-December: Saturdays at 11.30 in English
Meeting point: Bellmansgatan 1, Södermalm, Stockholm. Metro: Slussen or Mariatorget.
Price: 120 SEK Buy tickets at the Stockholm City Museum or at the Stockholm Tourist Centre.

ABBA City Walk – Now you can be the dancing and walking queen or king. Take a walking tour of where ABBA lived, worked, and played in Stockholm during the 1970s.
October-December: Saturdays at 4 pm.
Price: 120 SEK Buy tickets at the Stockholm City Museum or at the Stockholm Tourist Centre.

If you want to do the walk on your own, you can buy the map for 40:- for either the ABBA or the Millennium walks.

Hem & Villa Stockholm – This fair is the largest DIY style in the Nordic region. For lovers of interior design and home decor.
13th -16th October
Location – Stockholmsmässa, Älvsjö station
Price – 140:- for adult, 90:- for adult on Thursday only

The Delicatessen Show – Another food lover’s trade show open to the public.
Dates – 29th and 30th October
Location – Münchenbryggeriet

INCA: Gold Treasures – Exhibition dedicated to the history and conquests of the Incan Empire. More than 300 artifacts will be on display and are on loan from several museums in Peru.
Location – Skeppsholmen Caverns
Dates – 10 September – 12 February
Price – 150:- per adult.

For more events, there are lots more, check out visit Stockholm here.
Will have a winter events in Stockholm post next month.

Now I know I have written about what I hate about Sweden, more things to hate about Sweden, what I love/hate about Stockholm and on one happy occasion, why I love Sweden. The reasons listed in the article were from people mainly outside the city and their perception of the capital.

And they were funny! Don’t get scared if you’re moving to Sweden, hating on Stockholm is a god-given right just like it is for hating New Yorkers if you live in New England, and hating Paris if you live anywhere in Europe.

I tried to pick the reasons that were not only the funniest, but most likely written by Swedes.

#01 “Stockholm smells of piss and moldy cheese that has been left out for 10 years on the kitchen table.”
True on Friday or Saturday night on the bar streets! But otherwise, I think the city smells quite okay.

#06 “They think they are better than everyone else because they live in the same city as the king.”

#08 “Stockholm is so painfully self-conscious, cold, lousy and disgusting. I hate that I grew up here and that I became like them.”

#15 “Stockholm can name their town in the same breath as New York, Tokyo and Paris, which makes them appear to be entirely true of turn because the truth is closer to Budapest, Minsk, or Vienna.”
I think Stockholm suffers from the little capital disorder. It’s one of the word’s smallest capitals so no one else in the world gives a hoot about the city. But in the Nordic region, Stockholm is the largest city, therefore it is awesome. QED.

#19 “When the zero-eights visit the north, they think they know how to do it, really, they can not drive when just a little snow falls.”

#31 “Stockholmers behave like Americans, everything outside their own city / state is unimportant, all that is needed here. They often feel ignorant, stupid, much like a typical blond girl. ”

#35 “Stockholm is like seagulls. They are only screaming and shitting!”

#43 “Stockholmers always comments/mimics/laugh at other’s dialect.”

#48 “We work in offices and we are the most highly educated population in Sweden.”

The sources ranged from Facebook to the infamous flashblack and even familjeliv.

Okay, non-Stockholmers reading this blog, what is it that drives you crazy about the Capital of Scandinavia?

While I was doing research, I decided to see how many lovers made color palettes called Stockholm. Boy, were there color palettes that attempted to describe the city.

Story of a crime…

Intruding into Stockholm

A hostage’s feelings

Neopolitan Stockholm Syndrome sufferer

Finally, execution.

The Three Seasons

Stockholm in the wrong country…America

Stockholm sunrise

Stockholm sunset

Stockholm by tunnelbana

SMS and machine tickets (zone 1) will rise to 36 kronor.

Get your pass now before the SL becomes even more expensive to travel by metro in Stockholm.

Ugh!

I added in another dozen restaurants that are also closed. There are many more restaurants closed for the summer so be aware before getting excited to go on a gastronomy tour of Stockholm!

Dates are inclusive of closing dates. Use Bookatable.com to find the next available booking.

• Lux Stockholm – International, Michelin * – Primusgatan 116 – July 17th through August 15th.
• Fredsgatan 12 (F12) Michelin * – July 10th through August 7th.
• The Grill – Meat/Bistro – Drottninggatan 89 – July 10th through August 1st.
• Brasserie Le Rouge – French – Brunnsgränd 2-4 – July 3rd through August 10th. The bar, Le Bar, is open all summer.
• Smak på Restaurangen – International (not Vegetarian as some booking sites list it) – Oxtorgsgatan 14 – June 24th through August 4th.
• Operakällaren – July 11th through August 15th.
• Teatergrillen – Swedish – Nybrogatan 3 – July 3rd through August 3rd.
• Esperanto – French, Michelin * – Kungstensgatan 2 – June 23rd through August 11th.
• Frantzén/Lindeberg – Swedish, Michelin ** – Lilla Nygatan 21 – July 10th through August 11th.
• Sjögräs – International – Timmermansgatan 24 – July 17th through August 8th.
• Pontus! – Brunnsgatan 1 – July 4th through August 8th.
• Pontus by the Sea – East side waterfront, Gamla Stan – Remains open.
• Djuret – Meat, meat and more meat – Lilla Nygatan 5 – June 24th through August 29th. Svinet, located in the restaurant garden, is open.
• Brasserie Bobonne – French – Storgatan 12 – July 7th to August 16th.
• Mattias Dahlgren Matbaren & Matsalen – Swedish/International Fine Dining, Michelin **/* – Grand Hôtel – July 15th to August 7th.
• Gotland Restaurang och Bar – Swedish/Bistro – Brunnsgatan 6 – July to August 16th.
• Rue du Pont Nouveau – Swedish/Fine Dining – Nybrogatan 38 – July 17th to August 16th.
• Restaurang Stockholm – Swedish – Centralplan 1 – July to August 7th.
• Restaurang Bellevue – Swedish – Vanadisplan 2 – Reopens August 15th.
• Långholmens Wärdshus – Swedish/Traditional – Alstaviksvägen 17 – July to August 7th.
• Clas På Hörnet – Swedish – Surbrunnsgatan 20 – July 10th to August 15th.
• No 12 Kungstensgatan – Swedish/International – Kungstensgatan 12 – from June 23rd. It does not say when it will reopen.
• Pelikan – Swedish – – Stora Hallen is open but Kristallen and Matsalen are closed for the summer. Dates are not listed on the closing dates.
• AG Restaurang och Bar – Swedish – July 3rd to August 7th.
• Eyubi Kök & Bar – Lebanese – Döbelnsgatan 45 – July to August 8th.
• Nalen Restaurang – Swedish – Regeringsgatan 74- July to August 1st.

I will post a list of the best restaurants actually open in the summertime.

After nearly three years here, I’m finally making a pros and cons list of living in Stockholm.  As I was naive when I first moved here that Stockholmers are Swedish (Stockholmers are Stockholmers and no one wants to touch them with a 10 foot poll); I can now tell the difference between a Stockholmer and a Swede.

Anyway, at least I think I know why I love Stockholm and why it drives me to bits.

Here it is, let the loving and bashing begin:

Pros of Living in Stockholm

• It’s the capital of Sweden AND Scandinavia. Boo-yah! We kicked your ass Oslo and Copenhagen.
• Walking to work is awesome. No longer do I have an one hour commute by car but rather an 18 minute walk to work.
• Springtime in Stockholm is beautiful. Spring time is beautiful everywhere, but still a win for Stockholm.
• I live on an island! That is so cool telling my friends that I live on an island in Sweden!!! Nevermind that 500,000 other people live on the island.
• There are 14 islands that makeup Stockholm. That’s a lot of islands.
• Being able to walk five minutes to the grocery store.
• Finding cute nooks and crannies of the city where you can buy great cheeses, Italian specialities, or shoes.
• Meeting friends anywhere in the city afterwork.  I love that after owning a car for 11 years, I can walk or take the train to meet friends.  And nothing’s far; Stockholm is so cute and small you can walk the city in an hour or so.  Yipee!
• Hanging out on the water during the summertime.  I’ve never lived near the water so being able to walk to the water and hang out a park nearby is awesome.  I just wish people wouldn’t be such dipshits and dump trash into the waterways and parks.
• Watching the city empty out during the summertime.  So nice to see less cars, less people, more peace.

Cons of Living in Stockholm

• Beer is expensive. Martinis are expensive. And for some unknown reason, Josefine’s on Djurgården charges 94:- for the world’s shittest glass of rosé wine (jacob’s creek).
• Drivers suck. I like drivers from Gothenburg; they don’t seem to be in a rush to run over people. Drivers in Stockholm look like they’re on crack for the Indy 500 gone Fast and the Furious.
• Rude people. I’m small. I’m smaller than Swedish kids who are 12 years old. That means, I get the honor of having doors slamming my face, elbows whacking my head, and the occasional bag hitting me from the side. You know, you could say “excuse me” and it wouldn’t kill you.
• For being the largest city in the Nordic region, there are few places that are cheap and delicious to eat at. Please, no thai or kebab.
• Stockholmers believe they’re awesome. I understand the complex. Stockholm barely makes it in the top 100 capitals in terms of population. Most people think it’s in Switzerland.   And people in DC, Paris, Toyko, Delhi, don’t really care about Stockholm as a city or a capital.  The best Stockholm can do then? Pick on its little sister Gothenburg.
• Stockholm fashion is poser. See above for the runt complex.
• Stureplan is not cool.  Posers. We’re so impressed that five ferraris and three lambourginis are registered in Sweden. We’re even more impressed that you can park them on the sidewalk and throw champagne down the drains (vaska). We love that somehow everyone goes to New York to shop and in desperate times, to Paris and London.
• Dating your coworkers is weird. Dating your boss is weirder. I don’t know if it’s a Stockholm thing or a Swedish thing, but dating managers and having affairs at the office is not conducive to a good office environment.
• Getting shit-faced at the office party and puking on a coworker is rude.  Some companies would have an intervention for alcohol problems.
• It’s miserable to find an apartment in the city and in any reasonable suburb.

I’ll stop for now and try to be a lover of Stockholm with the summer coming around.

But if you, like 24% of Swedes live in Stockholm county, you’re in for some serious spending and judicious savings.

I thought I would break down my cost per month, which maybe helpful for those moving to the city for their Swedish dream. Even moving from Göteborg or a small town would mean a big sticker shock. Since I live with someone (thus saving on the fixed costs), I marked our joint total expenses with an **.

• Apartment rental per month: 9500** (YMWV from 7000-15000 a month on Stockholm rentals)
• Gas, & electricity per month: 300-600**
• Cable internet: 300**
• SL monthly ticket: 690
• Food: 4000**
• Total – 15000 for two people, 7500SEK for one person, per month

Variable costs:

• After work (AW) Beer: 60 kronor per beer; 80-120 kronor for a 4cl mixed drink
• Outside lunch: 70-130 kronor per lunch
• Health: 0-200 depending on the need for doctor’s visitors, medicine, etc
• Clubbing: 120-150SEK entrance fee plus drinks which can vary from 60 kronor for a beer to 150 kronor for a mixed drink
• Dinner: 250 kronor for entrée and one drink
• SATS gym membership: 550 includes gym and unlimited entry to classes
• Shopping: 0-?
• System Bolaget: 700** for booze shopping of beer and wine; spirits will add 200SEK per 70ml bottle (at minimum)

Even though I can be a cheap bastard, I eat out one or two times a week just because cooking every night of the week is impossible. I do not club anymore since I hate going out in Stockholm so I ‘save’ a lot there. SATS gym club is a whooping 550SEK a month but the gyms tend to be really nice and not as crowded as Friskis & Svettis, which is cheaper.  If you’re working, you should be getting a health reimbursement of 2000-4000SEK annually. This can help offset gym memberships, massages (for real!), swimming hall, and sports/yoga classes.

Last, I eat dinner out two to three times a month with friends and spend at least 400 kronor for myself.   If I buy anything like socks and underwear or a book, that adds another 500-1000 kronor.   Sadly, there’s no bunny to shop for.

And the dreaded loans.  I have student loans that amount to 2000 kronor per month. Your mileage may vary on this greatly.

With the variable costs, I spend 4910 (160+550+1200+1000+ 2000) on the mid-high end.   At lowest amount, I spend 4000SEK and adding in shoes or gift shopping, the cost per month jumps to 6000 kronor.

In all, my costs are:
7500 on fixed costs
+ 4910 on variable costs
= 12410 Total kronor per month

Now, let’s factor in that you make 20000SEK after taxes in Stockholm, a solid, average salary. At a savings rate of 12% of your disposable income, at minimum you should save 2400 SEK a month. In reality, it’s good to prepare for a rainy day or a trip you have planned; save more.

Accounting for post tax salary and costs per month, I’m left with 7590 kronor, more than enough to save and take an awesome trip later on.

Yes, it costs a lot of month to live in Stockholm, but there’s no reason for you to be one of the broke-on-the-24th-of-the-month people.

Thanks Andrew for the photo.

PS- And two weeks ago we were grilling!