So Friday, the sunniest day of the week we headed off to explore Vaxholm which is the island closest to Stockholm. (Hey, we have two kids and only one day to explore so cut us some slack.) The boat ride,which was very comfortable, left at 11:00 from the pier near Kungsträdgården (the Kings's garden, in the center of town) and the trip only took an hour. There are many other departure times and islands to discover ( about 30,000 in all!) but the company we used was http://www.waxholmsbolaget.se
We bought our tickets onboard (150 krones/adult) and settled down for some coffee and picture taking. I can't wait to share them with you! The sea is beautiful with pines and pretty houses dotting shores along the way. Once at Vaxholm we went for lunch at Magazinet and a long walk along the shore. Some sunning on the rocks and playing in the water, a little mini golf and ice cream at a nearby park, then checking out stores on the main drag was pretty much all we had time for before heading home on the 4:00 boat.
It was a lovely day and very relaxing. It felt a little like Martha's Vineyard but slower paced. From what I understand each island has its own character and they're all worth exploring I'm sure. More info in English here.
