travelogue: svartsö (black island) for a wedding anniversary

to celebrate our anniversary - twenty-four years! - stefan and i spent a weekend on svartsö, one of stockholm's larger islands in the central archipelago.

we brought our bicycles, but you can also rent from the village shop, which allowed us to easily get around between our hotel, skärgårdshotell & vandrarhem, on the north side and the krog, a beloved restaurant among the locals, on the south side. the road is lined with rocks, lush forests, and pastures with grazing horses and the occasional deer.

at the krog, we enjoyed a beautiful and fun evening on the lovely terrace, with a view of the baltic. our meal was superb, food that stands out and you remember, flavour exploding in our mouths with every bite. first, hiramasa with grapefruit and green chili followed by focaccia with sardines and hot sauce. when we returned for lunch the next day, we just had to order the focaccia again, it was that good. our main was duck, grilled with pak choi and green pepper sauce. we ended dinner with a delish rhubarb and star anise panna cotta.

just to remember, bob the lactation consultant was a hilarious story. to retell it here would loose it's appeal but we had a good laugh to the bemusement of the others in the restaurant. i apparently have an infectious laugh.

in the middle of woods, it's quiet and peaceful and lovely. we especially enjoyed our well-stocked breakfast basket, eating under the trees. of course, in sweden, breakfast always includes egg with creamy caviar... my favourite. 

our first swims in the sea were lovely. i have come to love swimming in cold water :) 

and marriage after 24 years? i think i'll hang onto him for another 24 years or so.

we will be happy to come back here! 

travelogue: a weekend on grinda island

just a one-hour boat ride from stockholm and you are on the beloved little island of grinda! it's quite popular in the summertime. but being sweden, end of august is considered fall so it wasn't very busy, lucky us.

saturday

upon our rainy arrival we lunched by the harbour, at framfickan, a small restaurant always serving really good swedish fare. loved my salmon salad.

we spent saturday afternoon walking through the quiet woods, past farmland (hello happy pigs and chickens!), and along the coast with its picturesque views. so tranquil, especially with the falling rain. 

then we retired to our hotel room, to warm up and rest before dinner. stefan and i came specifically for the dinner. a guest chef was in the kitchen cooking with local seasonal ingredients for a five-course dinner menu. and it didn't disappoint. we ate well and loved everything, including the happy swedes singing happy birthday for one of the guests. but a special mention for the dessert, blueberry with burnt butter, lemon, and dragon, so good.

sunday

we woke up to a swedish breakfast, my favourite, and the shining sun :) thank goodness for the warmer day as we booked the sauna! making trips between the sauna and ocean, we swam and sunbathed. it was refreshing and lovely. i wish to repeat this day very soon. if kai had been with us, we would have ventured to the northern part of the island where he could jump from the adventurous cliffs.

after drying up, we went back to the harbour for a late lunch, enjoying the sunshine. by four o'clock we were well-rested for the journey back to stockholm, with more picturesque views, it's all very idyll.

while many come to grinda as a day trip, i highly would recommend staying overnight; there are also cottages and camping on the island to choose from. hope you have had a lovely ending to august too.