weekend pics: glad midsommar!

glad midsommar!

if you didn't know already, midsummer is the most celebrated day in the swedish calendar. so much so that swedes get the day off. i know, crazy and lovely all at the same time.

just as we did with our good friends ximena, petter and their girls, swedes gather for a beautifully rustic affair involving:

dining alfresco - we were in the garden! it often rains for midsummer and this year was no different but it stopped and the sun came out just in time of our arrival to our friend's place. their garden is a place you want to be, not only is it pleasing for the eye but good for soul. every time, reveling in the quiet and calm of nature. they have done incredible work on this little plot of land, take a peek at the new greenhouse they built. love it.

good food - traditionally it would be sill och potatis (herring and potatoes) but with petter at the bbq sill is the last thing on your mind. his 'melt in your mouth' ribs were ridiculously good. and in place of potatoes, we had grilled sweet potatoes, nothing beats grilled veggies in my book. and, stefan's focaccia bread was a hit... just dip in some good olive oil and salt. for dessert, we sprinkled all sorts of toppings on our vanilla ice cream.

drinking - prosecco and rum cocktails!

hopping like frogs around the maypole - well, we didn't have a maypole this year but we still had silly fun listening to music by flight of the conchords. many laughs were had!

finally, swedish tradition dictates that if a single woman gathers seven different types of flowers and places them under her pillow on midsummer's day, she'll dream of the man she's going to marry. well worth a shot, it might be that tall, blonde swede sitting across from you :)

so grateful for such a lovely day! hope you had a lovely midsummer celebration too.

out and about in hammarby: strawberries, sicklasjön lake, and flowers

during any other summer at home, we would take day trips via transit, to explore different areas further away, but with everything going on, we've chosen to stay close to home, walking or biking.

eating copious amounts of local strawberries from the stands popping up outside the grocery stores. and, grilling on our new bbq, woohoo. there have been lots of kebab dinners on the balcony :)

sleeping in is easy when there's a cat by your side :)

supporting our local restaurants, like indian street food. one evening, we even brought loki along, much to the amusement of passerbys.

connecting with (our bubble) friends is always a plus. picking up flowers from magnolia blomsterhandel, a cute little shop by the water, to take to an outdoor dinner on our friend's rooftop patio. receiving a cheesecake, made just for us, by our friend's daughter, a baker-in-the-making.

just down the forest path and we are diving into the lake. it was a great day of swimming and sunning with my boys. sicklasjön (the lake) is treelined so feel like you are out of the city. what a gem to have this in our backyard during these amazingly hot summer days. 

where else in the world can you find a capital city which is not only surrounded by water but is surrounded by water that you can safely swim in? it's one of the things i love about living here. but i always have to brace myself, the water can be on the cool side :)

i love to reflect back on the lovely treasures and be grateful for them - local strawberries, restaurants on the water, swimming, and friends.

travelogue: a weekend away on väddö

väddö is one of sweden's bigger islands, separated from the mainland by a canal. our b&b was on the canal side and we couldn't have been happier with the location. we travelled with axel, one of kai's best buddies in sweden.

day 1

when we arrived, we headed straight to the little beach on the b&b property. it became how we started each day, frolicking, swimming, playing, and sunning. the owners are a lovely couple and we felt perfectly at home in our tiny and cozy stuga (cabin).

when we became hungry enough, we stole away to lunch at bonden och burgaren (the farmer and burger) and while the burgers were flat as pancakes, they were surprisingly really good. after the first bite it was clear why they are a popular restaurant. they use locally produced ingredients which is always a plus. oh, and you must order the fries! just across the way, is the ice cream shop and of course, we had some for dessert.

the afternoon was spent at mälbybadet (mälby beach), with their jetty and small jump tower. the boys thoroughly enjoyed the time there.

dinner at barnens ö krog, a charming boathouse, was one of the best swedish meals i've had. shrimp salad and artichoke dipping goodness. be forewarned, book ahead, the wait is crazy long. the location on the water was lovely, it almost seemed we could be on a greek island ;) many people arrived by boat! i highly recommend but remember to bring a hat for shade. it was hot!

day 2

our morning and afternoon swims took place at our own little private beach. we broke away for a stroll in the town of grisslehamn to find lunch and peruse the loppis (second-hand) shops that are so popular in the swedish archipelago. 

a little diversion to visit the albert engström ateljé on the water, specifically the åland sea, couldn't be helped. what a place! can you imagine this as your workplace? 

we hoped to dine at havsbaden grisslehanm but they were fully booked so it was burgers and ice cream for dinner again :)

day 3

on our final day, we headed back to the albert engström ateljé place for lunch at cafe kalaset which came highly recommended by the b&b owners. it didn't disappoint - fish soup and fancy hotdogs. 

our last swim took place at väddö havsbad by sandviken, what a beautiful location! the water was freezing but with a little patience, it does become just the right temperature. i marvel at this transition every single time! it feels so good, no kidding. someone, however, had a hard time getting in the water but soon enough he (aka kai) took the plunge too.

of course, we couldn't leave without ice cream.

what a beautiful getaway, right here just an hour's drive from stockhom. pinch me!