Stockholm notes

For myself and perhaps for you, before I forget, some notes from the journey.

Rosendals Trädgård, Rosendals Trädgård, Rosendals Trädgård! This biodynamic farm houses a cafe across three greenhouses, and we were lucky enough to try the wintertime lunch buffet. I seldom taste such intelligence in food, least of all in buffet offerings, but each bite -- of pickled romanesque broccoli and red onions, of gratinéed crab apple halves -- taught me something. Back a day later, we luxuriated in the spiced carrot cake. // Did you know there was a Swedish Muji? How happy I was to stumble across Granit, where I promptly located the rucksack of my dreams, a gray sweatshirt I'll live in this winter, and a black-and-white striped scarf that will let me pretend I am a Stockholmer. // Two mornings I walked through the predawn chill to Brunkebergs Bageri at opening time. I bought a cardamon bun fresh off the tray, steaming, and peeled off strand after buttery strand, watching the baker's thoughtless dance of flouring, slicing and sliding his loaves. // And yes, how strange to taste the spices of my childhood in such unfamiliar places! Cardamon speckled the chocolate cookies at Rosendals too, and at Vette-Kattan I was moved to delight by the gaudy yellow of the saffron bun, easily equal to the burfis of Maharashtrian functions long past. // The food at the Moderna Museet cafe is nothing spectacular but the view is exalting, and with free refills on the coffee, it's a lovely place to idle for an afternoon, writing. // Swedish is close enough to German that you can make it out if you squint, so I couldn't resist the Rosendals Trädgård cookbook. Wish me luck with my first attempt, a creamy chocolate orange cake.

Comments

[Jo]

S. do tell us *which* rucksack, sweater and scarf (Sjal randig?) on the Granit webpage....would love to know!
I love Scandinavia, used to be in Helsinki often and in Göteborg, which is a quaint beautiful version of Stockholm to me.
Thanks for taking us there!
Love,
Jo

[Berlin Reified]

Jo, the Granit website is strangely spare in this age of internet everything. Yes, it is that stripey scarf, but the rucksack and top aren't there. I'm determined to get to Sweden again soon, and will have to ask you about Göteborg before our next trip.