We took Wednesday off and drove to Jönköping in the morning where we checked into a hostel. We got two bunk beds in our room but upon closer inspection Rickard and I decided to fold up our beds and sleep on mattresses on the floor as the beds looked a little flimsy.
In the morning we packed up and drove to Gränna which is not 10 km from Jönköping.
Gränna is famous for their red and white peppermint sticks and we wanted to let the girls see how they were made. Isabel in particular is very fond of peppermint - polka as we call it.
Pretty much all places in Gränna selling polka sticks have arranged their shops to have a show kitchen so customers can see the polka being made.
The picture above is from one of those kitchens and they even came out in the store and let people taste the soft polka "dough". Yum.
I got to sample some cut offs and the one I got was salty licorice/raspberry and I would have bought a stick or two of that but they were out on the shelves and we had already bought a truck load at another place.
After Gränna we drove on to Stockholm with a quick stop for lunch at Saltå Kvarn. I love their organic food selection and they served a very tasty goat's cheese toast with beets and a carrot salad that I will definitely try to replicate at home.
We arrived at the hotel in the afternoon and although I can't remember I think Rickard and the girls went down to the basement where there's a jacuzzi and took a bath.
Friday we were supposed to go to Junibacken. A sort of interactive museum of children's book characters with real people dressed up and exhibitions you can climb on.
Our hotel is rather far from the city centre and it took 20 minutes to walk to the train, 20-25 minutes on the train then it S a looooong walk from the train station To the boat we had to take to get onto Djurgården-island where the museum is.
When we finally got to the boat the girls were grumpy and tired and sweaty (it's unusually hot this weekend) and there was a line from Hell to get on to the boat. I think at least three boat loads were queueing and we were not intetested in standing in it.
So instead we took a walk back to the train and went back to get the car at the hotel and instead drive to Drottningholm and eat Subway subs in the garden there.
The castle was gorgeous as always. The huge oaks shaded us nicely. The geese in the park has babies but had pooped everywhere so it was a bit hard to find a good spot. But we succeeded.
The girls were asking if we would see the King, but we said that was highly unlikely. The King has received a lot of bad press lately so I think he likes to keep a low profile.
Today the girls and Rickard went to the bath house next door that has slides and climbing walls and wave machines. They had a blast.
I spent the morning at the hotel instead as I don't bathe.
We had intended to go to Trosa tomorrow and spend the night, but decided to instead drive straight home after we're done at Tom Tit's Experiments. It will be a long drive but it will give us a full day home on Monday before it's back to work on Tuesday.
So tomorrow we're celebrating Sofia before breakfast and then we plan to leave at 10 to be in Södertälje at 11 when they open.
Then we drive home and have the girls changed into their jammies somewhere on the way where we stop for supper.
So tonight will be the last night I can hug a 3 yo that is all my own. Tomorrow I will have a 4 yo instead.
