travelogue: the swedish countryside!

the house

we rented a really nice and spacious house on a quiet lake. patrik, the owner, was a great host. during our first morning, his sister came by with fresh bread and cardamom buns for us! sweet, right?

the pier was ideal for jumping into the water, usually after a sauna. both, sauna and swim, were a daily event. and the rowboat was popular for fun on the water.

when craig bought kai a fishing rod and bait, he enjoyed the solitude of the activity. no fish were caught but it didn't deter him from trying.

the area was quiet and pretty and near plenty of things to do which we took advantage of (keep scrolling) but we also enjoyed having big family dinners on the deck.

it was a pretty perfect family holiday.

rådmansö bageributik

the rådmansö bakery, near södersvik, was a gem that patrik shared with me. apparently they carry sweden's best cardamom buns and make fantastic bread. both were very good. they bake their bread with sourdough, believing the fermentation develops amazing flavours. and, johan och nyström coffee is served so you know stefan was a happy camper.

norrtälje

once a viking village, norrtälje is now a small idyllic town with shops and restaurants. we strolled around and ate ice cream. 

the cutest bus stop, ever.

riddersholm naturreservat and gräddö

mel, stefan, the girls and i went for a walk in the woods. riddersholm is a beautiful nature reserve with hiking trails.

in gräddö, we had fika at the local cafe, kvarnudden, sitting in the cozy garden. the girls wrapped up in blankets... it was windy. we goofed around on the rocks, perused the gift shop (we came home with a wooden cutting board), and even found some bunnies.

högmarsö island

högmarsö island, just a quick car ferry away, was probably my favourite find. it was once a shipyard - the old forgotten barges and ships as well as the abandoned floating chinese restaurant made for a great playground for the kiddos. today, the shipyard sits amidst vacation homes scattered around the island and a couple of the ships are now gallery spaces.

restaurang varvet, housed in an old engineering building with outdoor seating by the water, is flanked by a crane on one side and the boat cemetery on the other side. its a popular place with many arriving by boat to enjoy the mediterranean and swedish food on the menu.  

on the island, we found the perfect spot to swim and enjoy the sunshine.

can't think of a better pic to end this post with than maya blissing away to music... i miss having these guys in my life. thankfully our time together wasn't coming to an end just yet... 

a few days later, kai and i joined the smith/posthuma clan in holland, and vacationed the dutch way.