One thing's for sure. Stockholm definitely knows how to do museums right. Usually I leave them until the very end and only visit the best of the best, after I check off all other, more or less outdoorsy activities, but in the land of meatballs and overly attractive men, I was trying to squeeze them in right, left and centre. The list of highly recommended was getting longer by every human encounter, and everything made sense the moment I was finished with the first one - Vasa Museum. 

Vasa Museum, or Vasamuseet in Swedish, is essentially a maritime museum featuring a 17th century warship called - surprise, surprise - Vasa. It was salvaged from the depths of the sea over 300 years after it sank, and restored in its entirety over nearly half a century, which is absolutely mindblowing to me. It's a truly beautiful ship with incredible details that you just need to see, but what impressed me even more was the structure of the exhibition itself. It spans over several floors and covers everything, from the restoration process to the life on the deck. It's straight to the point, with concise text boards, and very easy to follow. I think this is the first museum I've visited and actually managed to absorb every piece of information in the few hours I spent inside. There's a great deal of accompanying visuals too, from photos and artifacts to films and scale models. Oh, and the guided tour sounded fantastic as well from what I managed to catch. 

Now, the next one may not be for everyone, but if you're a fan of the most famous and successful Swedish pop group of all times, it can't be missed. Of course I'm talking about ABBA The Museum. I've always been a fan of their music and once I heard what great fun the museum was, I just had to go. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't only offer a look behind the scenes and an insight into their lives, but is also incredibly entertaining. You can attempt to mix a song, record yourself singing, shoot a music video and even sing with ABBA holograms. Yes, really. Unfortunately, the girls I travelled with didn't come along for the ride, so I ended up skipping quite a few activities that would be fun to do as a group, but I still enjoyed the experience. And sang ABBA songs every following day of the week. Yes, my friends hated me. 

Skansen was another one I had on the top of my list, but everything went wrong on the day I was meaning to pay it a visit, so I had to cancel my plans. Boo! Long story short, I got lost, drenched and severely injured my foot. For the full story, go check out my Stockholm vlogs if you haven't watched them yet. Anyway, Skansen is definitely the first place I'm checking out next time I'm in Stockholm. It's an open air museum (combined with a Zoo) which takes you through the history of Sweden and gives you an insight into the Swedish culture and the way people lived before the industrial era. To make it easier for us to imagine how the life really looked like, there's traditional buildings and even actors in period dress. The concept sounds very similar to the Sovereign Hill's, which is an open air museum I visited on my trip to Australia, and if it's anything like it, it must be real good.

There's two more places I was also told to visit next time I'm in town. Both are galleries. The first one's Fotografiska, one of the world's largest exhibiting places for contemporary photography. I wish I had more time to pop in the first time around, because I love photography and my love for it is growing stronger by day now that I've started getting more into it. My friends went while I was at the ABBA museum and they came back with more than positive feedback, so it's definitely the one to consider. I think they saw Bryan Adams' exhibition. Did you know he's also a photographer?

The second one, and the last one that made the 'top 5' cut, is Moderna Museet, where you can find modern and contemporary art, including pieces by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about it, since none of us visited it, but it seems to be quite popular, so I guess it's worth checking it out if you're a fan of such art. 

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It is no secret that I am obsessed with London. It is my favourite place on Earth and I always get that warm feeling in my heart as soon as I step on the London soil. Or should I say concrete? Anyway, I'm determined to call this city home one day, and am already trying to save up as much money as I can so that I'll be able to afford at least a few months' rent before I take the plunge and try to find a job there. Hopefully somewhen in the next two years. But until then, all I have are my yearly visits, which fill me up with joy every single time and make the wait a little more bearable. 

Last year/this year, my sister and I visited London during the New Year's holidays and in a little bit over a week, I'm visiting London again for my birthday. I can't wait! I'm not going to lie, I definitely prefer London during the warmer months, because the green parks make it look ten times nicer, and I love the whole picnic and lying on the grass culture, but that doesn't mean that there aren't tons of things you can still do despite the cold and sometimes gray weather. Here are some of the activities I personally enjoy doing in London during this time of the year:

1) Winter Wonderland: Winter Wonderland is something that you can't miss during the Christmas time. It's magical! For those of you that haven't heard about it yet, it's basically some sort of an amusement park with attractions, Christmas markets and food stands. My sister and I visited it last year and we had a blast! We did some shopping (remember my panda hat?), went on a few rides, and treated ourselves to some waffles and hot chocolate. It was the perfect evening! Well, if you disregard my pre-roller coaster freak outs. Let's just say that I'm not an adrenaline junkie. Unlike my sister. 

2) Museums: I can't say I'm much of a museum-goer, because I usually find them boring, but London museums are really good. And free. And warm, haha. They're the perfect place to learn something new, escape from the rain, and get yourself warmed up for your next outdoor adventure. My personal favourite would be the The National History Museum. Even if you're not planning to spend a lot of time in there, I think it's worth a visit just for the architecture. I don't know if this is just me, but I find the building stunning! Oh, and the British Museum is great too in case you're interested in history. The only museum I don't think I'll be visiting again any time soon is the Tate Modern. I just don't get it. To me, blank walls splattered with black paint are not a masterpiece. :D

3) Ice-skating: This is something that I actually haven't done yet in London, but I desperately want to go do it one day. I just don't know when. Last year, my sister and I ran out of time (too much shopping), and this year, my knee is injured, so I'll have to kiss ice-skating goodbye yet again. Oh, well. One day, I'll definitely go do it. The ice-skating rinks are set up all around London, so you can't miss them. They look really pretty and festive with all those Christmas lights around them!

4) Musicals: There is no better place to go see a musical than London. Ok, maybe New York, but in Europe, London definitely wins. Especially in winter, when days are short, I think an evening show is more than welcome entertainment. The only musical I've seen so far is The Lion King. I went to see it three times already and I'm still not tired of it. I always get goose bumps when I listen to the music and I may also shed a few tears every single time. Shhh, don't tell anyone! This year, though, I'm going to break The Lion King spell, because we're going to see Mamma Mia. I'm sure I'll love it as well. And the next one on my list? Les Miserables. 

5) Shopping: Last, but definitely not least, is shopping. I'm sure every single person on this planet knows about the famous Oxford Street, but in winter, I actually prefer shopping in one of their shopping centres. You still get tons of different stores in one place, and the best thing about it is that you don't have to take your coat on and off all the freakin' time. Last year, my sister and I were shopping a lot at Westfield London. It was way less crowdy than Oxford Street and there are also a lot of great restaurans around in case your stomach begins to growl. I just wish they had Primark there! I saw that they have one at Westfield Stratford City, though, so I might go to that one this year. Does anyone know if there are any other great shopping centres in London?

Phew, finally made it to the end of the post. But wait a minute, I still have one more tip to share with you! It's regarding the London accomodation. During the winter, I think it's essential to stay at a hotel that's as close to the tube as possible. Trust me, in case of a snow storm or any other type of unpleasant wintery weather, you'll be thankful that you don't have to walk for ages to come (back) to your hotel room with feet full of blisters and hands full of shopping bags or enormous suitcases, which are by the way essential if you're visiting London after the Christmas time. Because, you know... SALES! ;)