Hello SPRING!
This past Sunday marked the first day of spring, and right on cue, we were treated to one of the warmest and most sunny days of the year so far. To enjoy it, I met up with some friends for an afternoon in the Stockholm archipelago.
We agreed on a meeting point near Vaxholm, one of the most popular coastal towns in the archipelago, thanks in part to its 16th-century military fortress, trails, and harbour. It was my first time visiting Vaxholm specifically (it’s one of 30,000 islands that make up the Stockholm archipelago, so there are plenty of options).
Getting to this part of the archipelago is easy: With an SL public transport ticket, you can take a bus from KTH main campus (50 min), or jump on one of the SL-affiliated ferries from the inner city. If you’re into cycling long distances, it’s also a scenic 36km ride (one-way). And since bikes are allowed on the ferries, you even have the option of skipping the ride home.
What does one do in the archipelago, you ask?
Although there are many cool things to experience in the more populated parts of Vaxholm (as past blogger Maria has written about), my group opted for a simple visit to relax and enjoy the nature. We packed a picnic and had a little barbecue, we played some spikeball, and we laid in the sun. A few of the crew even went for a swim, which was more of a dip because this time of year, there are still little icebergs floating in the water.
We ended up staying longer than we planned on; it was refreshing to be away from our day-to-day environments, and it felt so good to soak up some sunshine. And so, we stayed to watch the sunset together before wandering back to the harbour to catch the last ferry home for the day.
Stockholm has been an incredible place to live because of days like this. It’s not just that there is a wide variety of nature nearby; it’s also accessible. With a bit of time, a public transport ticket, and a destination, your adventure has already begun.
Don’t forget, sommartiden starts next weekend!
These 18:00 sunsets won’t last much longer! This coming Sunday, March 27th, is daylight savings (sommartiden) in Sweden, so get ready to adjust your sleep schedule in return for an extra hour of daylight in the evenings.
// Claire