happy pride week

Last year we happened to be in Stockholm for the annual gay pride festival.  It was a total surprise to us but helped answer my question why the city hotel rooms were so packed.  Luckily I had booked early and in the coolest youth hostel imaginable.  It was a beautiful boat moored by Skeppsholmen, one of the many islands in the Stockholm archipelago, and very comfortable.  The name of the boat was "Af Chapman" and we had two rooms on board, one for the kids to share, and one for hubby and I. (Af Chapman here and above pic)

(video from You Tube captures the 2012 festival pretty much as I remember it)

We spent the day of the pride festival touristing in Gamla Stan (the old part of town) and were caught on the wrong side of our hotel Af Chapman by the steady stream of pride parade revelers, floats, and large trucks dunking disco music from the 70's.  I'm all for a good party, and was happy to watch until a particularly graphic float went by and I had some uncomfortable kid questions to answer about whips and what not, and then we fled across to parade route to our own party boat for dinner and dancing!

For more information on the parade, check here: http://www.stockholmpride.org/en/