22 23 July
Upon recommendation from the waiter at The Veranda Restaurant, Grand Hotel I walked to the Vasastaten area to visit Gro for lunch. It's a slightly more edgy neighbourhood, in that many bearded men with plaited designs hang around coffee shops with a hippyish vibe. It seemed miles and miles, especially as the sun was beating down ferociously on the concrete. I had to cross a really busy road which was a bit dicey. The cafe looked remarkably closed, and indeed it was! So, what to do?

I'd seen a cafe around the corner and decided to grab lunch there instead. The waiter, Ed (who's in fact the owner) spoke to me in a crisp English accent. It turns out he's hails from Oxford originally - met a girl in Australia and moved to Sweden and opened his Australasian inspired cafe the Tasman. I had the halloumi and quinoa salad with a chilli mango dressing. A fine and tasty choice as it turns out, along with a welcome cup of coffee.

After a long walk back to Central Station I picked up some Swedish food by way of souvenirs at Coop and then wandered the shopping area including the department store Ahlens (which is a chain I believe). Like many towns (and similar to Coop below Central Station), I found the Hemkop supermarket in the depths of the earth below the store.

It was now time to relax. The sun still beating down I sat in a garden near the Conference Centre and supped a glass of vino whilst people watching.

I'd saved spending time at the hotel roof-top swimming pool until my last morning (Wednesday), partly so I could sightsee, but also because there's an additional entrance fee over and above the hotel accommodation. The temperature gauge by the pool was registering 34 degrees, so I did take a dip in the cool water. It was hot up there! The views over the railway and beyond heighten the sunbathing experience. A good note to finish my Scandinavian adventure on before returning to the UK.