Sweden, the Final Days

I’m sad to be finishing up my Travel Series, featuring my trip to Sweden and Spain. It’s so nice to look back at the pictures and reminisce. One thing I love about writing is how it can transport me back to a poignant memory. My writing may not be the greatest, but having these memories transcribed is something I know I’ll cherish when I’m old and cool, and having too much fun as an active senior to do any remembering.

The next stop in my Travel Series will be my upcoming trip to Montreal! I haven’t been in five years, and I’m looking forward to listening to all that Quebecois French again! I find it amazing how almost everyone there is bilingual. I can’t wait to practice my French, and eat some poutine. Speaking of poutine! My Swedish friend Linda thinks poutine is bizarre. See how I brought that right back around to my trip to Sweden?

Let’s get to it.

Linda and I returned from our Spanish holiday, which was probably sad for her, but I was super excited to have more Swedish adventures! Our first day back was probably my favourite day of the whole trip. This was the day that we visited two castles.

Linda brought me to Taxinge Slott for the MOST magical fika ever! This castle is more like a grand mansion, but the Swedish are modest that way. The library/back end of the mansion have been converted into a sort of cafe/restaurant. The selection of cakes and sweets look as though they’re inspired by Marie Antoinette’s confectionary displays. It was so beautiful! Eating in the library was like stepping into a time machine (even the staff wear traditional garments). I told Linda I must get married there. So basically I’m going to get married in Ronda (in Spain), and also get married in Taxinge. To the same man of course! :)

We explored the castle grounds a little bit, and then we were off to our next destination - Gripsholm Castle. Linda and I wandered around the beautiful little town, and then took a guided tour of the art gallery inside the castle. I’m so glad we did, because I learned a lot! I thought the Swedish were relatively drama-free, but was proven wrong after hearing about the history of their monarchy. Have you seen the movie Stardust, where all the brothers are trying to kill each other to get the throne? It’s not far off!

The castle itself was lovely, and seeing all the rune stones in the surrounding area made me feel like I was in a fairytale. There’s even a little steam engine in town, which functions exactly the way it used to over a hundred years ago, and takes passengers back and forth between the neighbouring towns. Sweden, are you real??

Linda and I also visited the world’s largest Ikea, where I bought stationary from their paper goods section (we don’t have this in Toronto), and ate a hot dog. And also cracked my iPhone. Lol.

Linda also graciously showed me how to make semlor, which is probably my favourite Swedish food. Her sister, Lisa, helped us too! This is a dessert that’s typically eaten in winter, so it would be as weird for us as eating fruitcake or gingerbread men in the middle of summer. Thank you guys for having semlor in July with me! We also took an adventurous bike ride (adventurous for me, completely normal for them) down to the water by Linda’s place to have a picnic. We sat on a rocky hillside and watched the sunset at 10 pm, which is something I’ll never forget.

I spent a couple of days alone in Stockholm, and felt totally comfortable in the city. I’m actually surprised at how quickly I was able to navigate on my own, despite not being familiar with my surroundings or speaking the language. The city is very well organized with lots of signs, and people are friendly enough to ask for directions.

I took a free walking tour (which I’ve done in almost every major European city I’ve visited, and highly recommend), I treated myself to lots of delicious food and fikas, I visited the Vasa museum, I shopped a little in Ostermalm, and spent a lot of time picturing what it would be like to live in Stockholm. I romanticize a lot, can you tell?

One of my favourite memories of my time in Stockholm is our last supper. Linda, Lisa, Andreas, and I had a fabulous dinner in an old house-turned-restaurant, which served Swedish food with a modern taste (Linda, I don’t remember the name!). It was such a lovely meal - the kind where the food is done well, the conversation is joyful, and the atmosphere is intimate. If I never go back, I will feel as if I haven’t properly lived!

Thank you Linda, Andreas, and Lisa for such a perfect trip!

I wanted to include this pictures of pancakes made for breakfast by Andreas, who totally spoiled us and is the best ever <3