Places
Stockholm was a ghost town for most of July. Swedes are given 4-5 weeks off during the Summer and city dwellers generally stay in the countryside for a good chunk of that time. Those who remained soaked up the sun at city beaches and parks, and flocked to bathing spots.
Places
June has been a month of prolonged heat, ice cream, people wearing socks with sandals, pop-up strawberry stands, pillars of geraniums, screams from football fans in surrounding apartments, airy dresses, vaccinations, green streets and eased restrictions. We are also starting to see early signs of the city emptying for Summer.
Places
Glad midsommar! Friday was Swedish Midsummer and that meant eating pickled herring and strawberries in the sun with good company. We celebrated in our friend's garden with a handful of their close friends and family. I decided to make flower crowns this time. One for me, one for
Places
Summer days triggered a desire to swim in the sea and I had been daydreaming about blue water, the sound of waves and a slight breeze. We recently found ourselves with a free day so we headed to Erstaviksbadet laden with snacks and swimwear. It was so nice to just
Hiking
The hike from Lindalen to Sandasjön lake was hot. So hot. It was nice to get out on the trails and switch off for a while though. I don't have many photos from the day but there are a few things I want to remember, including the route.
Places
May brought the smell of bbqs on balcones, leaves on the trees, blankets of pollen, the sound of seagulls mating, hot sun with cold wind, people zipping around on bikes, vaccination posters and longer days (midnight sun arrived in Northern Sweden). Cherry blossom was one of the best bits of
Hiking
Our previous expedition to Tornberget utsiktstorn (a surveillance tower location in WW2) resulted in us hiding from a storm under a picnic blanket. This time, the sun was blazing hot all day! Everything had sprung to life since our last visit to the forest a few weeks ago. Wild blueberry
Places
It looks like Summer 2021 is shaping up to be another Swedish staycation for us. We originally planned to visit Norway and Finland but we'll save that idea until we've been vaccinated and travel is more stable all round. Luckily there is plenty to keep us
Places
April was a good month for snow flurries. The perfect transition for people like me who aren't ready to say goodbye to the snow just yet. Everyone seems to be moving slower now Spring has arrived — presumably because there is less need to rush around to stay warm!
Life
Ask a handful of people to share what they know about life in Sweden and I'm sure long, dark Winters would be a common answer. We are now easing out of Winter and I can confirm this reputation is accurate, even in Stockholm, which is spared from the
Life
Happy Easter (glad påsk)! We embraced Swedish traditions this year as well as cooking a British roast dinner. Being born in a different country is an advantage when it acts as an excuse to double up on celebrations. Boxed eggs aren't popular in Sweden and in fact, I
Hiking
The return of the sun triggered a desire to spend time at Erstaviksbadet. It's a small beach at the end of a train line that feels like a secret location at this time of year; it's usually deserted apart from a few joggers and dog walkers.
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