Sweden Week: Day 5

Since it's my last day posting about Stockholm (yes, I will post about a couple of other places in Sweden, so it isn't "Stockholm Week"), I need to put in some of my favorites that just didn't make it into the other posts.

Favorite restaurant in the world.  P.A.&Co.  Yes, it really is my favorite.  I think I could eat here every night.  I'm not sure why it's so magical, but it is.  In fact, I randomly met a woman at a party who said that she had gone to P.A. with her family (two small kids!), after reading about it in Cookie, and it really made their whole trip.  There's just something about the staff, who are cool, but also super warm...the space is cozy, but not too much...and the food is exactly what I want to eat, no matter what mood I'm in.  There is no set menu, but they have a chalkboard up every night, with what's being served that night, and it's always inspired by what is in season, with influences from Sweden, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the U.S., and others. We had a nettle soup there once that was so good, but I also remember having an outrageous cheeseburger. We always went there with Clara, and the staff was really sweet with her, and she loved whatever we ordered.

Favorite area to walk around: Gamla Stan.  I love the old town. It's pretty small, and we would just meander for hours, in and out of little shops, antique stores, and cafes. Check out the Stockholms Stadsmission, which is their version of the Salvation Army--but they have fantastic Swedish finds, for pretty close to nothing. My husband is going to kill me for telling you that. We ate at this lovely restaurant, Den Gyldene Freden, which is apparently the oldest restaurant in the town, dating back to 1722.

Best shopping for Mom and Dad: Filippa K. I loved this store so much, but maybe now that there's Uniqlo, I wouldn't love it as much. It's very basic, cool, minimal, and chic. Mostly black, grey, navy, and khaki colors. I just read that they've opened a Second Hand store...so that might be worth visiting.

Best shopping for kids: I love Polarn O. Pyret, which I always think is called POP, but it certainly isn't, when you're trying to Google it. I see they now have their line available on a U.S. website, but I still think that going to their shops is great.  They have kid play areas, and they even have stroller ramps in the store. The best thing to get there is their raingear. The Swedes know raingear--get the rainpants, and the raincoat, and get them extra big, so your kids will have it for a long time. I also like their socks. Most of the socks have the little rubber dots on the bottom, so they don't skid. (It's on Hamngaten Rd.)