Nerja

Another bus ride away from Ronda and we arrived at Nerja, which is a resort town on the east of Costa del Sol (Sun Coast) in the Malaga Province. From the bus stop we walked for about ten minutes dragging our luggages to our hotel. The hotel is located at the Balcon de Europa, the centre of the old town, which is also a viewing point showing stunning panoramic view of the sea and the coasts around it.

The sun already set when we reached the hotel. And the next day was my sister's birthday. The five of us planned to give her a surprise at midnight. After dinner we spent our time chatting in one of the rooms and by midnight we turned off the lights and sang her happy birthday. We also gave her the presents we bought from Toledo. It was very hard to make it a surprise as she was with us the whole time. But still, it was a very fun night together.

The next morning we went out to the beach. Some of us went sun tanning and some of us walked around the beach and the Balcon de Europa. I must say the view from Balcon de Europa was just unbelievable. The sky was bright blue sat perfectly on top of the blue water. I could see the skyline very clearly. It was amazing.

The old town itself was very touristy. There were many tourists around and I found that the majority were pensioners from the UK. I overheard some of them talking about retirement money and similar topics. I didn't see many young people around except for those who came with their parents.

I also noticed there were many street cats around the area. I talked to one lady from the UK who had been there for a week or two feeding the street cats there. I think there were around ten or more cats gathered near her when she came with the cat food. She said she had been feeding them since she arrived and she only had a few days left in Nerja. She was worried no one would feed the cats after she left. She was one very caring lady.

Nerja, a pleasing city with amazing beach and sea view, is unforgettable. I still remember the sun shining brightly, the blue sky, the blue ocean, and the light breezy wind. The city was very laid back and it made me feel that the time had stopped and let me have a good time there. But then again, we had to rush out for our next destination, Granada. This would be the last city before going back to Barcelona.

Photos by me, MT, AW, HM, JK.

The birthday gal

The breathtaking views of Nerja

Balcon de Europa

Posing with King Alfonso XII at Balcon de Europa

Vete Katten, Stockholm

If you go to Stockholm, I'd suggest you visit Vete Katten. This is my favourite place in Stockholm for having tea or coffee or simply taking a break from shopping in or walking around the city. Situated in the corner of Kungsgatan and Klara Norra kyrkogata, Vete Katten is an old-fashioned tearoom with antique interior and its old charm feel. The display of delicious cakes from window shop lure people to go inside. At least that was what got me (a tourist who happened to passed by) into this place. The cafe is surprisingly very spacious (it doesn't look that way from the outside) and divided into rooms with different themes. My favourite room is 'Kajutan' (or the cabin) - a small room that looks like it's in a ship. I've been there twice and it was always packed with the locals. There are fresh breads, cakes and chocolates for you to indulge. The staffs welcome you with good service and the whole ambience is very homey. It makes you want to sit there and enjoy. So enjoy!

Contact Details: 

Address: Kungsgatan 55, 111 22 Stockholm

Phone: +46 (0)8 20 84 05

Email: info@vetekatten.se
Website: www.vetekatten.se

Nearest Station: Hotorget or T-Centralen

Opening hours:
Mon-Fri 07.30-19.30
Saturday 09.30-17.00
Sunday 12.00-17.00

A Winter Weekend in Stockholm

There I was spending my weekend in Stockholm still in the month of February (actually it was the last day of February) but the snow was still apparent everywhere. The forecast said it was going to be sunny with very high visibility but it was not the case at all on Saturday. It snowed quite heavily on and off and the sun came out for a while but generally it was still okay to go out (provided you can handle the cold).

It must have been very cold everyday in Stockholm that most lakes, seas and areas that had water in them were frozen. I went up to Brunnsviken - a huge lake in Stockholm and took some photos of the frozen lake. I saw people were practising for cross country skates on the lake where others were jogging, walking with dogs or just simply crossing the lake. It was a scary experience for me to walk on the lake. I was afraid I stepped into thin ice and fell down but I guess the ice was quite thick and I managed to cross from one side to the other side of the lake. It was as if I was walking on water! Well, almost :).

I also went to an outdoor ice skating rink in Kungstradgarden. I was told that this was the only skating rink that has skating boots for hire. In other places in Stockholm, you're expected to bring your own. I'd imagine most people in Sweden has at least one boot. Also, there is no admission fee on all ice rinks in Stockholm - they're free.

On Sunday, the weather was gorgeous. It was a good day to walk the old town (also known as Gamla Stan) and I did just that. The walk started on the quiet cobbled stones streets and ended in the shopping streets. It was a good Sunday walk. Click here to follow the walking tour of the old town.

And what about the food? One might ask. Well, I tried the famous Swedish meatball which was much more delicious than the one you normally get in IKEA. I also noticed a pastry cake called Semla being displayed in every place that sells cakes. Traditionally, Semla is a pastry that was to be eaten only on Shrove Tuesday (a day before Ash Wednesday). Now in Sweden people eat Semla every Tuesday from Shrove Tuesday up to Easter.

I have to say it was an interesting weekend. It was cold but very nice at the same time. Stockholm is a city surrounded by water, which makes the beautiful city even more beautiful. It's a modern city that keeps its old town along with its unique traditions. I enjoyed the food, the winter activities, and the city as a whole. And I can't believe I'm saying this, I didn't really mind the cold.

The frozen lake of Brunnsviken

The traditional pastry - Semla

Another frozen water somewhere in the city

The heart of Stockholm city

Kungstradgarden

The skating rink in Kungstradgarden

Line of seats overlooking the river near Stromsbron bridge

Stortorget square - Old town

Marten Trotzigs Grand - the narrowest street in Stockholm