Vete-Katten & Medelhavsmuseet | Stockholm, Sweden

On almost every blog and must see list for Stockholm, Vete-Katten would almost always be included. I figured if that many people though it was a place that had to be visited, then Markus and I had to go. On the day that we went to Vete-Katten, it was really rainy and gloomy so we didn’t do as much sightseeing and shopping as we planned. Luckily, we stumbled on a hidden gem, the Medelhavsmuseet and ended up spending most of our afternoon there!

I don’t know if it was because it was a rainy day, but Markus and I did not enjoy our visit to Vete-Katten. It’s terribly unfortunate because we were positive we would get the ultimate fika experience. Fika can be translated in many ways, like “coffee and cake break”, but it’s much more than that. It’s an important part of Swedish culture and means to take a break with family and friends and have something to eat. The dessert I was most excited to try at Vete-Katten was the princess cake, a traditional Swedish cake. The sweet dessert is made with alternating layers of jam, whipped cream, pastry cream and sponge cake and then covered with bright green marzipan.

Since it was breakfast we ordered a whole spread consisting of shrimp and chicken salad sandwiches, a slice of princess cake, a cardamom bun and coffee. Honestly, everything was just alright. Personally, I think we paid way too much money for things that could be found at any bakery. Markus and I ate a lot of pastries and buns on our Scandinavian trip and I remember all of my favorite ones and I can’t even recall what the bun from Vete-Katten tasted like. If we were ever in Stockholm again, unfortunately, I wouldn’t go go back.

After a bit of a disappointing breakfast at Vete-Katten, Markus and I walked around a bit looking for shops and things to see. We got tired of the rain and wanted to find a place that we could relax for a bit. As we were trying to figure out what to do, we came across the Medelhavsmuseet. Located in central Stockholm, the museum is focused on relics from the Mediterranean area and the Near East. We walked around the Greek, Assyrian and Egyptian areas. They even had a lovely little cafe on the second floor with a view of the museum below. The best part? The museum is free and has great wifi. Markus and I thought we would pop in to escape the rain, but ended up spending a few hours. It’s a nice little spot to escape the crowds and also soak up some culture.

Steam Hellsinki | Helsinki, Finland

When traveling, Markus and I try to find interesting and unique bars. We were both researching spots on our own and we both stumbled upon Steam Hellsinki. The bar was in a bit of an odd location, near the central train station and inside of an outdoor mall. Inside the bar is another story and nothing like the surrounding shops. Somehow they managed to fit a dirigible inside and that also functions as the main bar.  It was pretty amazing. Especially when the bar started spraying fog. It really set the mood. Steam Hellsinki focused heavily on gin and had bottles from all over the world. To add to the ambiance, they had the place decked out with old antiques and other steampunk accents. The interior looked like a Hendrick’s Gin advert come to life. The drinks were great and the atmosphere was even better. Unfortunately, since this past August, the bar has permanently closed, which makes our experience even more special.

Monaco City, Monaco

Stopping in Monaco was a last minute decision when we were in Nice. Markus wanted to visit the Musée Océanographique. So I obviously agreed to a day trip to Monaco, which is only a 32 minute train ride away. The ease of travel makes it the perfect day trip and almost criminal if you spend more than four days in Nice. Many people don't know that Monaco is actually a separate country and only slightly bigger than Vatican City. 

Unfortunately or rather fortunately, it was an overcast and rainy day when we visited. So I didn't feel too bad missing out on a beach day. Since I grew up in Florida, I'm not easily impressed by coastal or beach cities, but let's be real, Monaco is not Florida. Obviously the country is a stunner. I loved the pink and coral hues of the buildings as well the beautiful architecture. We only had enough time to hike up to Monaco City before we headed to the museum. The trek from the train station was a bit arduous in sandals, but it was worth it for the views of the city and the water! I wish that we had just a tad bit more time in Monaco, but I'm grateful we still made the trip. 

Plage Du Festival | Cannes, France

The day that we spent at Plage du Festival was one of the highlights of our France road trip. As many of you know, I hate the beach and tropical places. It's hard for me to willingly put on a swimsuit and want to go to the beach. It's just not my thing. So I purposefully went into this trip to overcome that. I have to admit, that this is the kind of beach setup I like. Call me boujie, but sitting under an umbrella and being served rosé all day, is not a bad way to do the beach. Markus and I spent the whole day at Plage du Festival and it was one of the most relaxing and lovely days in France. I had so much fun that I forgot to take photos, which explains why there aren't that many! 

Cimetière de la Cité | Carcassonne, France

Our fourth stop on our whirlwind road trip through France was Carcassonne in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Carcassonne is well known as a 13th century medieval fortified city and is classified as a UNESCO heritage site. Markus and I haven't been to many authentic medieval places, so we decided to include the city on our trip. 

As we walked up to the entrance of the medieval citadel. We glanced to the left and saw the entrance to the Cimetière de la Cité. Since, we often don't see above ground cemeteries much less ones in a 13th century fortified city, we decided to take a look. The layout was very straightforward with just four aisles and mainly graves. I don't recall seeing any chapels or mausoleums. We explored for about 30 mins and saw a lot of flowers and decorations. There was a huge festival or something going on nearby and I remember hearing Bruno Mars playing quite loudly, so that was a bit strange and a memory I wont soon forget.