stockholm weekend pics: connecting with nature

working on an art project about nature, we joined kai out in the woods where he captured his handmade models blending in with the environment. his pictures turned out really well :)

more and more, especially during this pandemic, we need nature to unwind and refill our energy. i think we breathe more deeply, it's definitely good for the body and soothes the soul. being outside makes us stronger and better to cope with the stresses of these days.

in cheryl strayed's "wild", she speaks of curing what ails us by putting ourselves in the way of beauty. i love this and couldn't agree more.

hope you are getting out in nature too! and speaking of nature, here are some links to our august nature getaways... 

a weekend away on the island of grinda

a weekend away on the island of väddö

oh, and i shouldn't forget our own little hidden gem, sicklasjön lake, just a walk down the forest path

and, i guess, i will add the post around södermalm because really, the water is just a street away

on a side note, i am caught up to the end of august on my blog posts, unto september when we celebrated kai's 17th birthday. stay tuned :)

travelogue: gotland, north of visby (part 3)

spending five days on gotland was everything i wanted and needed... long walks by the water, the light, and time with my guys. all of it, good for my soul.

the west coast, north of visby

we woke up wanting to try the baked goods at själsö bakery located just north of visby but like many other places they are closed for the winter season. however, they have a brödbilar - a bread truck! we succeeded in finding the old classic model in the parking of the east mall and much to stefan's joy they had semla. the first of the season!

sigsarve strand (beach) is a desolate, beautiful place and so cold and windy. we walked along the beach, climbed up a trail to enjoy the view from above, and then found some shelter from the wind to enjoy the rest of our baked goods... a sugar bun, a cardamon bun and some chocolate chip cookies too. i really enjoyed our time here, fresh air and long walks are good for my well-being.

on our way back to visby, we drove off the main road to watch the sun set. stormy waves, strong wind, and cold!

that was it, our short but blissed out (and windswept) stay on gotland. 

i can only hope we travel to gotland one last time, before we leave sweden for good. to relish in its slow living... the nature, the light, the sea.  

until then, if you like, take a peek and you'll see why i've fallen for this little island of paradise... 

gotland 2015... part 1 visby, part 2 medieval days, part 3 leva kungslador, lergrav fisk, och prima gard, part 4 bungenäs, part 5 fårö.

gotland 2018... part 1 jakobs house and area, part 2 the western coast, part 3 visby, part 4 the east and south coasts, part 5 the north.

travelogue: gotland, south of visby (part 2)

spending five days on gotland was everything i wanted and needed... long walks by the water, the light, and time with my guys. all of it, good for my soul.

the west coast, south of visby

we explored hogklint, a limestone cliff in a nature reserve on the west coast, just south of visby. it's 48 metres above sea level and has a wide view of the coastline. we took a long walk enjoying the very nice view. 

nearby, we stopped into berså butik och café, a charming place run by a mother-daughter team. it is swoon worthy for interior items and they offer a delicious lunch too. sitting by the fire warming up, i devoured my open faced sandwich of brie, pickled onions and figs. their display of very swedish baked goods was irresistible and my pick was a kärleksmum, a soft chocolate cake that tastes like coffee and is topped with coconut.

a little further south we found the popular tofta beach. super crowded in the summer, we had it to ourselves this winter day. i love this typical gotland landscape... sand dunes and miles of beach. makes me happy :)

along the coast i spotted some cute red sheds and we drove over there on the way back to visby to take a closer look. cute fishing village with every window given that swedish attention to detail.

and just when you think you've seen gotland's best, it surprises you with more beautiful vistas. up next, more of the west coast but this time we travelled north of visby.