Sweden

Hej (hello) from beautiful Sweden!

I am spending the month of May in Scandinavia - Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. I haven’t been sure how to manage the blog posts - as Scandanivia or individually, but have decided that I will do so from each one as each has its unique cultures and things to share. So far, nothing short of amazing!

I changed course a bit and took the overnight ferry on the Stena Scandanavica from Kiel, Germany to Gothenburg, Sweden instead of taking an overnight train, which to me would have been a challenge trying to sleep in a cramped couchette and in worrying about the safety of my belongings. Turns out the ferry was a great choice. I was under the (mis)impression the ferry would be small and somewhat intimate. Imagine my surprise as I approached the massive ship with many tractor trailer trucks lined up for transport and 11 passenger decks. It turned out to be a bit of a party ship with bars and entertainment and thousands of travelers. It was full of Swedes who take the ferry to buy large quantities of alcohol when in international waters -trolleys full. It was explained to me that this is due to the high tariff and limitations to the purchase of alcohol that the government imposes, with the guise of mitigating addiction. Based on what I saw, it isn’t deterring drinking! I had a teeny cabin, which was sufficient enough for a good nights sleep - just right.

I spent a couple of days in Gothenburg, a picturesque coastal city. I probably only needed a day there, there wasn’t a great deal to do and see other than exploring the Old Town, which is really geared for tourists and not locals. By this time, doing the touristy things was starting to wear a little thin. I did take the tram to the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, which was stunningly diverse and beautiful. I also spent time exploring Haga, a beautiful old neighborhood with a bohemian vibe and, in particular the main pedestrian walkway, Haga Nygata, filled with cafes and shopping. It is here that I had my first fika (pronounced fee-ka), which is a Swedish ritual of having coffee and pastry with others, an opportunity for slowing down and relaxing midday. The Kaneldbulle (Cinnamon roll) was out of this world and is only one of many traditional fika pastries. Others include, but not limited to Kardemummabulle (Cardamom bun) and Chokladboll (Chocolate ball), made with oats, butter, sugar, and cocoa, rolled in coconut and sugar. You guessed it - I tried each of these through the course of the week.

I found this fabulous store, called Normal, a discount retail chain in Sweden that sells a mish-mash of everyday personal care and household products, some of them quirky - like shampoo, toothpaste, snacks, cosmetics, and cleaning supplies. The design is kind of genius as product types are mixed together (candy next to toothpaste, next to kitchen counter cleaner, for example). When you walk in, you have to follow a maze to make your way through to the cash register and exit. In essence, you need to walk past every item for sale, which I’m sure promotes spontaneous purchase of things up you may not really need at the time. And it’s neon blue/green and really appealing. Genius.

A quick thing I want to point out due to the timeliness of this from an international perspective. In all the major cities I’ve visited, there have been protests and rallies in support of Ukraine. I’ve shared these photos with you along the way. Gothenburg was no exception. This rally was loudly and clearly anti-Russian.

The highlight of my time in Sweden was spent about 30 miles outside of Gothenburg in Hindas, house and pet sitting for 3 quirky, scruffy, sweet rescue cats, Mimmi, Enzo, and Sven. For this, I rented a car because the house was in a rural area without access to trains or public transportation. I quickly got over the nerves of driving in an unfamiliar country with unfamiliar traffic signs and rules. I still don’t know what some of them meant and my mind never adjusted to the metric on the dashboard. I had no idea how fast 110km/hour was in mph, but I just stuck to the posted limits and motored along.

Lynsey and Nathalie’s home was rustic and charming, literally in the middle of a forest. I was not fortunate enough to encounter the family of moose or the wild boar who live in the woods right near the house. I kept vigil on on the front deck every evening to no avail. Sven brought home a baby squirrel he’d captured, very proud of himself and reluctant to give it up. I finally orchestrated a drop and gave the poor little thing a proper burial, primarily to prevent him from bringing it back in to the house! I guess to be expected when caring for three outdoor cats in the woods.

This housesit gave me an opportunity to learn about and experience some Swedish history and culture, which by now you have learned is one of my main goals for this overall travel experience. I learned about Allamansratt, a Swedish word that is both a cultural and legal concept that gives everyone the right and freedom to roam freely in nature on both public and private land for recreation and exercise as long as nature and private property are respected. I was told people may be wandering through the forest, which is my host’s private property, and not to be surprised if I encountered others when on my walks.

There were two nearby houses, my hosts let them know I would be there, but that it was not likely they would initiate engagement with me. They said that Swedes tend to be warm and engaging, but with “friendly reserve”. The word they used is lagom, (not too much, not too little—just right) with a respect for individual boundaries. It means people are approachable and polite, yet rarely pushy or overly familiar with strangers. So I was thrilled when Frederika, the 12 year old neighbor, came knocking on the door and invited me to their home for fika with her and her mom, Ava. It was amazing how much ground we covered in conversation. They taught me a few phrases in Swedish, and we watched a YouTube video of the Swedish Chef (of the Muppets) to highlight how difficult the Swedish language is to “hear” and learn - it sounds like a lilting ba da ba da ba da ba. It was hysterical. Italked about COVID and how it was managed there (schools did not close, for example), discussed their culture’s promotion of work-life balance and family, . They were curious about America, and American politics, and the impact the tariffs are having on the world. As a family, they are partaking in the boycotting of every day American products, which is a movement across Europe right now. Ava works as a quality engineer for an American company that makes car seats for Volvo, a Swedish company, and for other carmakers, like Ford. The tariffs have impacted her company with layoffs.

Sweden has only 11.5 million population total and it is a very large country geographically. There are a few major cities, but the majority of the country is small villages of approximately 2,000 people each. With the car, I was able to drive through some of the most bucolic countryside imaginable - rolling hills and many lakes, to explore several of the nearby villages, and to do some hiking in the surrounding nature reserves.

I really loved my time in Sweden. I have been convinced to be sure to visit Stockholm during my travel here, which had not been part of my itinerary. I will be doing so after Finland, so you’ll hear a bit more about this beautiful country then.

I’m now in Norway for a couple of weeks - stay tuned for my next post! All I can say right now is that I am in awe.

Hoping and praying for peace in Ukraine and around the world.

Laurie