Two Nights...

... is not enough in any great city. Especially if that city is as sexy as Stockholm. It was a quickie stop in the land of Ikea, hockey greats, and bombshell blondes (Hello Freddie Ljungberg!), and we made the most of it.

I dressed up for a night out with hubby at the Michelin-starred F12 restaurant. The Swedes are known to be genetically blessed with beauty so I felt the pressure to doll it up in a Herve Leger one-shouldered dress. Unfortunately my coworker convinced me out of bringing my strappy hot five-inch platforms, so I was stuck with my more casual wedges (grr). I guess I should thank her because the cobbled streets would have killed me and likely destroyed my shoes.

Below: Hubby looking sleek as he strolls casually into F12.

I wish I had some photos of our meal at F12 but they turned out horribly. I have to say I was disappointed with the meal, being my first Michelin-starred experience. The overuse of foam, which I ranted about at The Unreserved, is all I really remember about the cuisine. There was supposedly a "berry" theme to the night which I don't recall, and my dessert souffle didn't satisfy because it needed more ice-cream.

We visited the Swedish Royal Palace museum and upon our luck, just happened to see the changing of the guard ceremony which consisted of about 50 horses marching down the main promenade. The rows of grey and brown horses were so elegant and of course I was in horsey heaven just being able to see the royal four-hoofed fleet.

Old town, Gamla Stan, was charming with its narrow alleys and cobbled streets, but quite touristy. After a full day of walking, we stopped for a light lunch and coffee break and just soaked in the hustle and bustle of the town.

We stayed at the Clarion Stockholm Hotel in the trendy SoFo (Sodermalm) area and it was lovely. Very modern and clean, and a very peaceful night's sleep. Sodermalm has tons of boutique shopping, cafes and bars, and we enjoyed an afternoon of browsing in the shops (picked up a couple of pretty tunics). I'll have some more pics posted as soon I as load up my pictures.