4/12/09

Wayne's Coffee

wayne's coffee, stockholm

wayne's coffee, stockholm

Wayne's Coffee

Sometimes all you need is good cup of coffee. A few days ago, I found myself at this gigantic flower shop, trying to buy a few seeds and some organic soil, and was feeling a bit tired. It was almost 6pm and dinner was a few hours away. As I was walking down the store, I came across a cafe in this most unlikely of places. It looked as if a coffee shop was springing out of a jungle or something. Wayne's Coffee is a coffee house chain that's become a classic in Sweden. I think it's friendlier version of Starbucks.
I usually go to the Götgatan branch. But this time here I was, buying plants, feeling slightly cranky wondering how I ended up in the middle of nowhere deciding which flower pot to get. Anyway, the coffee was good, and the cinnamon roll, too. Sometimes all I need is a good cup of coffee..

4/3/09

Rosendal

rosendal, stockholm

Rosendal

Stockholm is not an in-your-face kind of city. It slowly reveals itself. It takes its time. Unlike London, or NYC. You either love them or hate them, but the Swedish capital tends to be more subtle and gentler to the visitor and residents alike. Definitely spring is when the city comes alive, revealing its colors, its people. Suddenly you see people, humans! Yes, it's not a deserted island anymore.
As soon as it gets sunny, time to go out, sit down at some park, and enjoy coffee or ice cream, or both.
 I don't really feel the urge of going out of the city, like I had in London, which can be quite suffocating in the summer. Also Stockholm is located on an archipelago, so the water is never too far.
If I do want to be surrounded by nature then I head to Rosendal. It's just a short bus ride from central Stockholm. It's the perfect place to go for lunch or afternoon tea/coffee. It basically is a big green house, with several tables inside and out. The food is very fresh, mostly vegetarian and organic and they grow their own veggies, which is a plus on freshness. They also offer courses, lectures and exhibitions on horticulture, organic cooking and gardening. Just in case you want to be even closer to nature..