My Time in Scandinavian Heaven
In my opinion,
there is nothing that compares to seeing a city through the eyes of a
local. The Internet with its endless
blogs and city guides are not to be dismissed, but the experience and guidance
of a local is the best way to explore, hands down. I was lucky enough to have an amazing friend
and guide in Johanna for my time in Sweden.
Machu Picchu in Peru (2008) |
Jo and I met
back in 2008 through Lexi, a friend and classmate of mine at Georgia Tech. We backpacked through Argentina, Chile,
Bolivia, and Peru together over a five week period – quite a way to get to know someone. As I’ve mentioned, traveling for an extendedperiod of time takes you from zero to “soul sister” level in no time, and that
is exactly how Jo and I parted ways after our time in South America. We had an amazing adventure, and vowed to
keep in touch.
A few years
later, she was visiting the States and was able to squeeze in Atlanta. It was a great catch up trip, but because of
Waffle work and course loads I was unable to spend as much time being a good
host as I would have preferred. As
always when we parted, she invited us to visit Sweden anytime and we promised
it wouldn’t be long.
In front of Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina (2008) |
As Jennifer and
I were plotting our European travels earlier this year, I sent Jo a message via
Facebook. I was curious if she was going
to be traveling or if she wanted to see a familiar ginger’s face. Within minutes of my message she had
responded, and I was purchasing my ticket.
Though this
reflection is tardy in terms of sharing with everyone, my memories are still
vivid of my incredible time in Stockholm.
It is easy for me to say that Stockholm, Sweden is one of my new
favorite cities. Throughout my time
there, I found myself thinking and saying constantly to Jo: I could actually
see myself living here.
The narrowest street in Gamla Stan |
In my opinion, there
is nothing not to love about Stockholm,
especially as a visitor. The people are
gorgeous; English is (perfectly) spoken everywhere; the green space is remarkable
within the city, and via a quick ferry or short drive you have absolutely
stunning natural landscapes; there is a great hipster-chic vibe, which is
evident in the fashion, cuisine and entertainment throughout the city.
Swedes know their candy - there is a display like these in almost every store. Kid's dream! |
In my time
there, I saw some of the most attractive people that I have ever seen in my
life walking down the streets of Stockholm with the wind rustling their
perfectly ginger (imagine my excitement!) or blonde hair. Their skin is tan and their style is
impeccable. Think life inside of an IKEA magazine while
everyone is wearing H&M.
With the
generous two-year maternity leave in Sweden, a common sight is a stroller
wielding couple with a baby who has more style than I could ever dream of. Perfect little families dot the parks, cafes,
restaurants, and streets of Stockholm. Jo
said that they even have a word for new mothers who go from café to café
meeting friends for ‘fika’ throughout the day – 'caffe latte moms'.
The green space
throughout Stockholm is wonderfully relaxing and the parks and natural
landscapes across the city and surrounding areas are truly breathtaking. Being situated amongst a group of islands,
Stockholm has a diverse terrain and surely has something to offer everyone.
Perfect day around Gamla Stan |
During my time
with Jo we explored the entire city and surrounding areas. She was excited to take a week (of her 6 per
year…packing your bags yet, America?) off work as a “staycation” and
re-discover some of her favorite places in the city. How lucky am I? My own tour guide and getting to catch up
with Johanna at the same time – perfection!
Restaurants, parks, boutiques, bars, museums, and islands – we did a bit
of everything.
Lunch at Rosendals Wärdshus |
Our first day
together, we lunched at Rosendals Wärdshus
in the park located in the Djurgården area, a great
space full of manicured gardens and cute cafes.
We spent afternoons popping into the vintage and hipsters shops around
the city, and other ones meandering the streets of Gamla Stan, the Old City.
View at our lunch at Artepelag |
Another fantastic lunch of ours was during
our day exploring the surrounding islands when we visited Artipelag, a
contemporary art museum and restaurant overlooking the Swedish forests and
ocean. Our evenings and nights were
spent wandering the trendy streets of Södermalm and our greatest difficulty was deciding which of the bars and
restaurants should make up our itinerary that day.
The trail to Artepelag through a perfect Swedish forest |
We took a day to explore the nearby island Fjäderholmen where we had a great view of the
city and the many cruise ships and sailboats coming in and out of the
port. There were moments that I thought
I was in a postcard. The island may be
small, but it has fantastic scenery. Of
course, no Swedish trip would be complete without a proper fika, which Jo and I
had perfected.
Our afternoon on Ostra Fjaderholmen |
One of my highlights was the
traditional Swedish crayfish boil that Johanna had planned for my visit. She had invited her sister and brother-in-law
and her friends to come over and show me how true Swedes celebrate their
traditional August crayfish feast.
Singing Swedish drinking songs, endless shots of schnapps, and finding
the perfect crayfish to fit our noses was just the beginning of our hilarious
evening. I loved getting to meet and
spend time with her friends and family, and can safely say that I have some
solid contributions to add to any Southern crayfish boil in the States
now.
Sunday night her sister and brother-in-law graciously invited us to their beautiful home about 20 minutes away from Johanna’s apartment. The following day was their first day back to work after their summer holiday, and Roger decided to grill ribs and chicken for us. When you’re traveling it is easy to forget how delicious home made meals can be, but when you have someone who is a magician in the kitchen it makes it that much better. Getting to meet Jo's nephews was also great fun, especially since they are studying English at school.
Fotografiska, Stockholm |
Another favorite experience of
mine was our visit to the Stockholm photography museum, Fotografiska. I could spend all day in art museums, but
this one impressed me more than most.
One of the exhibits was showcasing an international travel photographer Sebastião Salgado. His pictures made Jo and I wanderlust (I
know, I’m a travel addict – planning future trips while already on the road)
and recall some of our favorite spots in South America, including the Perito
Moreno Glacier.
Between my time with Johanna, the authentic
Swedish experience I had, and the amazing city of Stockholm I am beyond grateful
for the way my August began, and hope that another visit (or even a move) to Stockholm is in my future!