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Adventure is Out There: Into the Arctic Wilderness

10 July, 2015 By Anna S E Lundberg 4 Comments

I finally got around to writing up my experience of travelling into the Arctic Circle back in March; and what an experience it was…

It was the stillness that took me most by surprise. The only sounds were the panting of the dogs and the pitter-patter of their paws on the ground, the crunch of the snow against the runners of the sled. A blanket of granulated sugar lay around us, broken up here and there by the evergreen trees. Branches bent over our path under the weight of the snow, creating a portal through which we entered another world; then the landscape would open up and we would be crossing a vast frozen lake. When we arrived at camp, the wilderness cabin where we would be staying for two nights, I was stunned to find out that we’d been going for more than three hours.

We had flown into Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost town, earlier that afternoon. After a hot lunch and a quick briefing, we were kitted out in our Arctic gear and given a little scrap of paper with the names of our dogs. I was given Miki and the oldest and loveliest of the dogs Tofa in the front, and in the back I had Toby and Balto; before I knew it I was standing on my individual sled with four impatient huskies pulling eagerly at the reins. I lifted my foot off the brake… and we were off! Now, I’m really not a dog person, and I must admit that this was the part of the trip that I had thought the least about (except to imagine sitting down in something more like Santa’s sleigh) – but after this first afternoon of sledding through the frozen landscape of Narnia, I mean Kiruna, I would have happily ended the trip there with no regrets.

Husky — The dogs were beautiful and tame on the one hand but their howling when they were hungry or when they wanted to get going made them seem much closer to their wolf cousins on the other.

That night, we fed the huskies and then ourselves, rewarding ourselves further with some relaxation in the sauna hut. We alternated the roasting inside with sprints out into the snow to cool down, hesitant at first but getting more and more daring with each go, eventually frolicking freely in the snow before heading in to get warmed up. When we were once again fully dressed, we headed back out into the snow for what we had all been secretly hoping for: a chance to see the northern lights. There are trips that focus only on this, chasing the aurora borealis with experts who will all but guarantee a sighting; for us, though, this would be a bonus, on top of an adventure that had already more than delivered.

Northern Lights — It’s impossible to capture the majesty of this phenomenon but a photo gives you a little taster of what we witnessed that night.

The night was clear, the stars much brighter than what we are used to back home with all the industrial light pollution that comes with living in the city. Someone spotted a hint of something at the horizon. A cloud? It’s nothing. Then… maybe it’s something? A swirl of light getting slowly brighter, a hint of green, reaching up into the sky. Suddenly: yes! Not a cloud after all. We’re actually seeing them, a whirl of light dancing across the sky, vibrant and alive. Science may explain it all with particles and cosmic rays and solar flares but whatever the cause it is in awe-inspiring sight, a magical moment in the depths of the Arctic wilderness. A short flight and yet a long, long way away from home…

cross-country skiing — The skis were old school military skis, a couple of pieces of wood basically with some straps. How are you supposed to ski on these long thin slippery things?!

On the second day, the dogs got a break as we went for a cross-country ski. Now I may be Nordic but I do not have a whole lot of experience of Nordic skiing, having only been once, many years ago. Things were made more difficult by the fact that the snow kept freezing on the underside of my skis, providing some welcome traction on the uphill bits but being less helpful when I was trying to actually ski on the downhill stretches. Once I had managed to knock all that ice off with some very aggressive kicking and stomping, it was smooth sailing. Well, not quite… After we’d finally made it to the top of a big hill it turned out that downhill was even trickier. We fell like dominos, laughing with increasing hysteria as we went. How are you supposed to ski on these long thin slippery things?! By the end of the day, some of us having also chosen to do the longer route, we were losing control of our poor fatigued limbs, and having run out of water early on we were eagerly munching on snow just like the huskies. On finally arriving back at the cabin we had a much-deserved sauna and some more arctic rolls; after an also-much-deserved shot of vodka to revive the spirits!

The next morning, we had our second and last day of dog sledding. This time, we were responsible for gathering and harnessing our own dogs, and I think we were all feeling a whole lot more comfortable knowing more what to expect. In fact, when we were nearing the end and travelling through a narrow and windy bit that had thrown a lot of people off their sledges on that first day, this time we glided through like pros. I love how a group of amateurs can get to a sufficient level of skill to enjoy something as random as dog sledding within just a couple of days, or even hours, of picking up those reins.

Cocktails at sunset [Photo credit: Gaynor Whiting]

We finished our weekend with a trip to the Ice Hotel, a complex that is re-designed and re-constructed every year after the “snice” (what an awesome word! It’s a mixture of snow and ice) thaws and melts in summer. We didn’t spend the night in the -6 degree rooms but we did manage a few cocktails from the Ice Bar; a month later, we were drinking from the same glasses in the Ice Bar in London (ice from the Torne River is shipped from Sweden to London for this purpose) where we had an Arctic reunion. It wasn’t quite the same – but the cocktails were still tasty! And, of course, that’s the other thing about any adventure like this: the people you meet are inevitably kindred spirits.

The wilderness weekend was organised by Madoc of Secret Adventures. If you’re tempted, and how could you not be, there will be a new Arctic adventure 21st-24th January 2016. This one is in the middle of winter and likely to give you a more authentic Arctic experience than our blue-skies-and-warm-sun experience in March! You’ll fly to Kiruna via Stockholm with either Norwegian Airlines or SAS and the rest is all organised by Madoc and the team.

Heja Sverige! 10 (More) Reasons to Visit Sweden

26 May, 2015 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

With Saturday’s voting result, Sweden cemented their status as Eurovision legends with a sixth win, second now only to Ireland with their seven wins.

Of course it all started with ABBA in 1974, followed by the boys in little gold boots singing ‘Diggy-Loo Diggi-Ley’ in 1984, national treasure Carola with ‘Fångad av en stormvind’ in 1991 (12 points from the UK secured by our family voting repeatedly on both land lines and fax lines), Charlotte Nilsson, now Perrelli, with ‘Take me to your heaven’, Loreen and ‘Euphoria’ in 2012, and now, of course, the unpronounceable Måns Zelmerlöw and his chubby little stick man performing ‘Heroes’. (He seems to like heroes a lot: in his audition for Idol Sverige he chose Enrique Iglesias’ Hero; although he’s tightened up his act quite a bit since then…)

So for such a small country, Swedish music packs a punch. If the Eurovision wins weren’t enough, we’ve also produced Ace of Base, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia (duh!), the Hives, the Cardigans, Europe, Roxette, Basshunter, Robyn, and, I’m sure, many more.

But of course music isn’t all our little country has to offer. I give you 10 reasons to visit Sweden:

1. The hot men

Come on people, admit it: part of the attraction of Måns Zelmerlöw is that he is, as we would say, a snygging. I read some time ago that Sweden had the best looking men in the world; I’m afraid I can’t find the source of that scientific study right now but based on physical evidence I’m inclined to believe it’s true. The girls aren’t too bad either (okay, I may be biased) and in fact every man I’ve ever told that I was Swedish has always replied, “I dated a Swedish girl once,” proceeding to butcher the three words of Swedish they’ve managed to remember. Not that it’s necessary to learn the language, as ve all speek Eenglish verry vell.

2. Nature’s calling

A Lake in Skåne, autumntime — Autumntime in Skåne, in the south

It’s not just the people who are beautiful but the scenery as well, from the mountains in the north to the open fields of the south. Allemansrätten, the public right of access, means that you can roam freely more or less anywhere, picking berries and wild flowers and even setting up camp for 24 hours without the land owner’s permission. And why not try some wild swimming – although bear in mind that the water never gets particularly warm so you’ll need quite some courage to dive in. Most people also have a country home that they can escape to over the weekends and the summer holidays, so try to get yourself invited over to enjoy the fresh air and mosquito bites that the Swedish countryside has to offer.

3. An island paradise

Djurgårdsfärjan Stockholm — The ferry leaves from the Old Town every 15 minutes

It’s hard to choose a favourite part of Sweden but having spent most of my time in the capital of Stockholm my choice has to be its archipelago, which contains the largest number of islands in the world. Take a ferry out to Utö for the day, or sail out into the skärgård and cast anchor in some quiet bay. If you don’t have a lot of time then at least go across to Djurgården where you can visit outdoor museum Skansen or take your children to Astrid Lindgren’s story world of Junibacken. You can also rent a pedalo or go on a sightseeing cruise to explore the city from the water.

4. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Swedish maypole — A pagan symbol of fertility, and the focal point for our frog dancing

The longest day of the year brings the biggest celebration of the Nordic calendar, Midsummer, when everyone leaves the city behind to frolic naked in the countryside. Okay not naked, but there’s a lot of frolicking as we all dance like frogs around the Maypole (I’m not kidding), the girls pick seven different flowers to put under our pillows so that we dream of our future husbands, and we eat pickled herring and strawberries and other Swedish delicacies. Watch Swedish Midsummer for Dummies to prepare yourself for Midsummer mayhem, some of which may be explained by the copious amounts of beer and vodka that are consumed…

5. Eat, drink and be merry (Skål!)

The face of L O Smith on an Absolut Vodka bottle — One of the most famous exports from Sweden, along with ABBA and IKEA…

A little later in the year and we have the kräftskiva, a crayfish party traditionally held in August where we slurp on these freshwater lobsters boiled in dill and sing Helan går and other drinking songs over a nubbe, a generous shot of snaps. Make sure that you plan your alcohol purchase ahead of time, though, as anything other than light beer can only be bought at the government-owned Systembolaget. If it’s closed, you’ll find yourself having to turn up to the party empty handed… Console yourself by putting on a funny hat and joining in with the most popular song with the help of this English ‘translation’:

Hell and gore
Chung Hop father Allan Ley
Hell and gore
Chung Hop father Allan Ley
Oh handsome in the hell and tar
and hell are in a half and four
Hell and goooooore …
Chung Hop father Allan Ley

It makes a little more sense in Swedish…

6. Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree

A selection of desserts on the Swedish julbord/Christmas dinner — Crème brûlée cheesecake, crumble, vanilla pannacotta and a choice of custard or raspberry coulis, blue cheese cheesecake with mulled wine jelly

If you don’t go to Sweden in the summer, another good time is in the run-up to Christmas. Soak up the atmosphere as you go skating on the ice rinks that pop up here and there, drink glögg (mulled wine) and wander around the Christmas markets, the country’s biggest to be found at Liseberg the theme park in Gothenburg on the west coast. Then book a julbord – the Christmas version of a smörgåsbord – and work your way through the seven courses as you drink more nubbe. We used to have a Christmas goat who brought us presents but lately we’ve adopted the American Santa Claus figure; although we still insist on celebrating on Christmas Eve, a day earlier than the UK and US. You can watch Will Farrell attempt to explain some of this on the Jonathan Ross show…

7. Fika

If you haven’t heard of fika, hello, where have you been?! It is the coolest aspect of Swedish culture, something like a coffee break but really so much more. Swedes are among the biggest coffee drinkers in the world and we will meet morning or afternoon to guzzle the stuff as we munch on anything from a banana to a cinnamon bun or a chocolate ball. The cinnamon bun deserves a special mention here as it’s so important that it even has its own day, 4^th October (incidentally the day after my birthday, how fitting). It has a cousin, the semla, which is eaten as of Shrove Tuesday as a sort of equivalent of pancake day, and another, the lussekatt made with saffron that we eat for Saint Lucia on 13th December with gingerbread to commemorate the eye gouging and death of this Italian saint (don’t question it, just enjoy).

The Bakery at Skansen, Stockholm — Top tip: If you’re short on time and/or money, you can run up to the Skansen bakery and then run back out and you’ll get your entrance fee back, as long as you’re in the park for less than 30 minutes

8. Food in general

Stereotypical food from Sweden is what you’d expect: meatballs, gravlax, prinsesstårta (green marzipan cake made famous most recently by the Great British Bakeoff) – everything you’re used to seeing at IKEA. It’s impossible not to also mention surströmming, fermented sour herring that has such an overpowering smell that you’re forbidden from opening it in apartment blocks. A sweeter treat is lördagsgodis, a tradition of eating chocolate and sweets on Saturdays. There’s also a much more refined side to Swedish cuisine, with delicious fresh fish and seafood, game, and vegetables. My latest discovery is Ekstedt, a Michelin-starred restaurant where they cook everything on an open fire – they even featured recently in Masterchef, so they must be good.

9. Once upon a time…

Whatever your taste in literature, you’ll probably have some reason to visit the landscapes that inspired your favourite book. The most internationally famous include children’s author Astrid Lindgren and her many creations such as super-strong Pippi Longstocking as well as the Moomins from Finnish author Tove Jansson (she wrote the books in Swedish); Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy and his Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; and, most recently, the 100-year old man who climbed out a window (in an old people’s home in the town where my grandparents had their country house) and disappeared. We’ve had seven winners of the Nobel Prize in literature. In TV, we’ve also surfed on the wave of popular Scandinavian crime series with Wallander, based in the small town of Ystad in the south.

10. A portal to another world

Cocktails at sunset — Drinking in the sunset at the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi

The north of Sweden, known as Lapland, lies within the Arctic Circle. How cool is it to say that you’ve been to the Arctic?! Travel to the tiny town of Jukkasjärvi and visit the Ice Hotel, rebuilt every year in a completely new design using snow, ice, and ‘snice’, from the nearby Torne Älv. You can stay overnight in one of the rooms kept at a chilly minus five degrees, have a cocktail in an ice glass, and you can even get married in the Swedish ice church as an alternative to Vegas. More adventurously, you can go dog sledging and cross-country skiing and, if you’re lucky, you might even glimpse the northern lights…

December in Stockholm: 5 activities guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit

23 December, 2014 By Anna S E Lundberg 1 Comment

After weeks of travelling in warmer climes, I haven’t been feeling all that Christmassy – despite all the Bublé I’ve been listening to and the Christmas decorations I’ve seen in every hotel and shopping centre. So hey ho, hey ho, it’s off to Sweden we go! A temperature drop of 35 degrees, darkness that sets in at 3pm, and stuffing my face with herring and meatballs is just what the Christmas fairy ordered…

1. Spend the day at Skansen open-air museum

Now, let’s face it, I think you should go to Skansen at any time of year. It’s worth visiting even if there isn’t anything else going on, just to walk around the old buildings and the zoo. At Christmas, though, it’s extra special: all the houses and farmsteads come to life with traditions from years gone by, the strains of Christmas songs fill the air, and the Christmas market comes to the main square with all sorts of goodies to eat and drink. Join in with the folk dancing, ride in a horse-drawn carriage, eat some reindeer meat with cloudberry jam, and don’t forget to buy a bulle from the bakery.

Gamla Stan from the water — Take the ferry, Djurgårdsfärjan, from Slussen for views of the old town, Gamla Stan.

The sun doesn’t make it very high in the sky during the winter, but this makes for some beautiful light effects. This is Kastellholmen, on the way over to Djurgården.

Skansen lake — Skansen is beautiful in different ways at different times of year. Stunning during autumn when the reds and ambers adorn the trees, the barren branches of the bleak midwinter also bring a certain beauty.

Folk dancing, Skansen — A couple in folk costume dance around the main stage. Later on, the stage filled with people as they joined in with the traditional songs and dancing around the Christmas tree in the middle of the stage.

Tomtar — The stalls are full of food as well as different arts and crafts. These *tomtar*, or *tomtenissar*, were originally thought of as ancestral spirits although this idea has been lost over the years and now the *Tomte* has more or less become Santa Claus.

2. Eat a julbord, the traditional Christmas buffet

Almost every restaurant and hotel in Sweden will have a julbord, the Christmas version of the famous smörgåsbord, during the month of December. It’s a more extensive and ambitious version of what we then eat at home on Christmas Eve: herring, cold cuts, Christmas ham with apple sauce, meatballs, sausages, cheese, rice pudding, and lots of lovely little desserts and chocolates to finish off. Try Grand Hôtel, Operakällaren or, our choice for the last few years, Carlshälls Gård (website only in Swedish). For all the gory details, see last year’s post on this seven-course feast.

Carlshälls Gård is a mansion dating from the early 1800s, the perfect setting for some old school feasting. We always opt to have the full julbord for lunch – that gives us a few hours to recover before we roll into bed…

3. Go ice skating at Kungsträdgården

The ice rink at Kungsträdgården has been in its current location since 1962, and the tradition of skating in the area goes back to at least 1854. You can rent skates or bring your own and skate for free. For an extra dose of Christmas spirit, you can go to another Christmas market right beside the ice rink once you’ve had enough of toe loops, Lutzes and axels (or shuffling along while holding on to your skating partner for dear life, as the case may be).

Chocolate balls at the Christmas market — For gaining back your energy after all that strenuous skating activity: not just chocolate balls, a Swedish classic; lots of different flavoured balls!

4. Join the crowds at the NK department store

Nordiska Kompaniet first opened in 1915 and is Stockholm’s big luxury department store. Having bought all your own Christmas presents already, you can look on with a self-righteous smirk as shoppers rush around in a last-minute panic, and why not have a fika in one of the many cafés. Be sure to check out the Christmas window displays, this year depicting the world of the tomtenissar and their hard work getting all our presents ready for Christmas.

NK department store at night — NK is open until 9pm these last few days before Christmas – perfect for all that last-minute present buying!

Crowds at NK windows — The window displays are more popular than ever this year, with crowds blocking the pavement all day long.

NK Christmas windows — There’s all sorts of Christmassy goodness going on here…

5. Eat lots of saffron buns

Christmas is a time for baking and above all for ginger biscuits, pepparkakor, and saffron buns, saffransbullar or lussekatter, in various shapes and sizes; I particularly recommend the ones with mandelmassa, almond paste, for extra deliciousness. My friend had an amazing one at Brunkebergs Bageri on Regeringsgatan while Vår Bagarbod on Ringvägen uses “real Persian saffron”. In fact, I’ve been reliably told that the best tasting ones come from 7Eleven – but I’m sceptical as to the quality of the ingredients in such cheap buns…

Should your taste buds not be sophisticated enough to cope with saffron in a sweet bun, then you can opt for the classic cinnamon bun instead.

Saffransbullar at Skansen. — *Saffransbullar* basking in the sun at Skansen.

And with that, I am fully Christmasified.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

I heart Stockholm: Autumn time in my favourite city

19 October, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

The best outing you can do in Stockholm, regardless of the time of year in my opinion, is to take the ferry over to Djurgården. There you’ll find things to do whatever the weather: go for a walk to Waldemarsudde, rent a pedalo, have lunch or fika at Rosenlunds Trädgårdskafé, go crazy at Gröna Lund, surely one of the most compact theme parks in the world, or visit one of the many museums: the impressive Vasa Museum built around the whole wreck of a 1600s ship (it sunk within hours of leaving on its maiden voyage), Nordiska Museet, or the newly opened ABBA museum.

The Nordic Museum, completed in 1907, is intended to preserve Sweden’s cultural history from the 1500s right up to the present day

My favourite place to visit on Djurgården is Skansen. An open-air museum that shows you how people used to live in different parts of the country – in fact, as I’ve just found out, it was originally an extension of Nordiska Museet – it’s a great place to bring children (there’s also a zoo) or just go for a walk with a friend. There are different activities all year round, in summer of course but also in winter when you have a fabulous Christmas market selling handicrafts as well as yummy food including reindeer sandwiches, waffles and rustic jams. The most exciting part for me was always to take bergbanan, the funicular train, down the hill at the end of the visit.

Solliden Skansen — In the summer, the crowds flock to Allsång, a weekly sing-along concert with Swedish and international artists attracting a mixed audience of everything from eight to eighty year olds

Krogen at Skansen, Stockholm — If you have a bit more time, you can actually sit down and enjoy a coffee just opposite the bakery

The marketplace at Skansen, Stockholm — The marketplace – Skansen has never been as beautiful as it was this time on such a sunny autumn day

Breda Blick Tower at Skansen, Stockholm — Breda Blick: I don’t think I’ve ever been up in this tower, as we always thought it was closed – but now I’ve read that there’s a café with a view up there, so obviously I’ll need to go back soon!

Glömmingekvarnen, a weather vane from Öland now located at Skansen — One of three windmills at Skansen, this one from the island of Öland

Pond at Skansen, Stockholm — “Pond” doesn’t quite do this scene justice…

Another favourite, albeit more specifically targeted to children, is Junibacken. Built mostly around the stories imagined by Astrid Lindgren, the highlight for me is the little train at the start of the visit. It takes you into the universe that she created: the tool shed where the naughty Emil hides after acts of mischief like hoisting his younger sister up the flagpole; the village of Madicken, which is where ‘Junibacken’ comes from; the miniature world of Nils Karlsson Pyssling’s friend and the giant rat who is his landlord; the rooftop home of Karlsson på Taket, the funny little man with a propeller in his back; and the successive worlds of Jonatan and his brother as they die not once but twice and finally head towards the light… Later, you get to play in Pippi Longstocking’s house and climb up onto her spotty horse, and there are also short performances produced on a tiny stage.

Dedication to Astrid Lindgren in Filmstaden, Solna — A dedication to Astrid Lindgren, found in Filmstaden, the old film town where all the major Swedish films were made from the 1920s through to the 1960s; today, there is still a cinema, as well as a gorgeous little café that serves waffles and the traditional ‘seven types of cakes and biscuits’

Zipline at Drakenbergsparken, Stockholm — Who says only children get to play? (To avoid being accused of false advertising, this zipline is not at Junibacken but at Drakenbergsparken on Söder)

To finish, here are some more autumnal shots, this time from Skåne in the south. Favourite autumn ever? I think so…

Adventure is Out There: Into the Arctic Wilderness

Heja Sverige! 10 (More) Reasons to Visit Sweden

December in Stockholm: 5 activities guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit

I heart Stockholm: Autumn time in my favourite city

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