Day Two started with breakfast at the hotel at our leisure. After a good night’s sleep, I headed to the lobby for the breakfast buffet and enjoyed some delicious food and coffee.

Our first activity of the day was a boat ride around Stockholm’s archipelago islands. The boat featured two floors, both with indoor and outdoor seating. We had lunch on the boat, so we had a table on the inside upper deck. Unfortunately it was a little rainy that day, so we didn’t go outside much except to take pictures. As we traveled through the islands, a tour guide shared facts about the different islands we were passing and highlights of them. We were also given a pamphlet that outlined our route with information about each island.

About halfway through, lunch was served; we had delicious salmon with potatoes and vegetables. After lunch we had dessert — the best raspberry pie I’ve ever had. When we were done eating, we made our way back to the port to dock.

Next on our itinerary, Svenskt Tenn was right across the street from where we docked, so we visited the store. We were greeted by one of the employees who showed us around and told us about the history of the store, its patterns and décor. There were so many things I wanted to take home, but I knew they would break or wouldn’t fit in my suitcase!

It was only a short walk back to our hotel and the rain had cleared, so we decided to take a scenic walk to see different parts of the city and stop by some landmarks. We walked through Stockholm’s luxurious department store, NK, the grand theater and the town square.

After a little downtime in the hotel, it was time to head out for the night. We started with a tour of Hotel C, featuring plenty of meeting spaces, different types of rooms, restaurants, bars and lounging areas.

Hotel C also has a unique feature guests won’t want to miss: ICEBAR Stockholm. We were fitted with warm ponchos and gloves and sent into ICEBAR. Everything was made of ice: the seats, the cups, the walls and structures. We enjoyed delicious drinks while exploring the different features. I highly recommend going to an ice bar if you find yourself near one.

When we finished our drinks, we headed to dinner at Restaurang Prinsen. There we were introduced to traditional Swedish appetizers and dishes such as Toast Skagen: shrimp, mayonnaise, vendace roe on butter-fried toast; Löjrom Från Bottenviken: citron vendace roe, butter-fried toast, red onion and lemon; and Sillbricka: cheese, crisp bread, potatoes, brantevik herring, matjes herring, Asian herring, mustard herring and rhubarb herring. I was nervous to try the herring, but it wasn’t bad. As my main dish, I decided to go for traditional Swedish meatballs, which were delicious!

Stay tuned for more from my trip.

— Mary Melnick, social media and editorial coordinator