After spending moments with our family in England, the boys journeyed back to Brooklyn to meet their dad, and Freddie and I remained to visit friends in Scandinavia. What an enchanting place! Here are some pictures, if you’d like to take a look…
Just before leaving London for Stockholm
Our initial stop was Stockholm. Have you ever been to Sweden? (Or are you fortunate enough to reside there?) I’d never traveled there before, and gosh was it stunning. Recalling the week, my thoughts brim with images of glistening water and verdant grass and azure skies.
My friend Jen, who resides there, strongly suggested the hotel Ett Hem. It was indeed a splurge, but since we’d stayed with family for most of our journey, we decided it was worth it.
The hotel aims for guests to feel as though they’re staying with family friends — and we truly did. Every corner featured a snug nook for reading or playing games, and they had honesty bars placed throughout the hotel for you to pour your own glass of wine. They also had an open kitchen where you could indulge yourself anytime with afternoon cake.
The breakfast, included in our stay, was remarkable. On our first morning, we sat by a large bookcase, and the dishes just kept coming — farm-fresh scrambled eggs, sliced cheese and ham, lettuce and tomatoes with flaky sea salt, and bread rolls with butter. This isn’t sponsored — it was just an amazing place!
After breakfast, we cycled to the ABBA Museum (big fan) and the Vasa Museum, which showcases a gigantic warship that sunk…20 minutes after launching. A real case of pride gone awry, gahh. Also, while biking across town, I was amazed by how meticulously people adhered to the rules. In New York, where I’ve cycled for 25 years, it always feels a bit chaotic where you could fall off at any moment — car doors open suddenly, pedestrians stroll in bike lanes, delivery trucks obstruct paths. I’m accustomed to it, but in Stockholm, the system just operated… flawlessly.
On our second day, we took a ferry into the archipelago, an awe-inspiring assembly of 30,000 islands in the Baltic Sea. Public transport can be noisy, yet people were surprisingly quiet on the ferry — and I pondered about lagom, a belief in Swedish culture where individuals live together with moderation, fairness, and pure satisfaction. Apparently, the Swedish saying “lagom är bäst” translates to “the right amount is best.”
Side remark: I adored these girls’ braids!
We then connected with my friend Jen, her husband Nik, and their twin boys. She’s American, he’s Swedish, and they relocated to Stockholm some years ago. We went to a classic venue known as Pelikan for meatballs, potatoes, and lingonberries and played an uproarious game of Ono 99. (The other dining spot we enjoyed during our stay was Bar Nîmes.)
One touching moment? I was conversing with her delightful boys, who speak fluent English and Swedish, about their first day of school. “What is your teacher’s name?” I asked one of them. He hesitated, and when his dad prompted him to reply, he said, “We call her Lena, but I don’t know how to say it in English.”
For the latter half of our journey, we made our way south to Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a five-hour train journey.
The design of everything, even the bike racks and airport carts, was exquisite.
Everyone had recommended we try pastries — especially cardamom buns — so we visited Juno. Soooo delectable. Another day, we relished scrumptious folded eggs at Studio x Kitchen.
We also rode to La Banchina, an all-day café, where you can also take a dip in the harbor.
We then ventured to our friends Maz and Lee’s home, where they live with their two sons. She’s Danish, he’s American, and they’re dividing their time between Copenhagen and Queens.
While enjoying apple cake and coffee, their older son shared insights about school in Denmark. “We learn maths and science, naturally,” he said, “But we also acquire life skills. We went mountain biking this week, and we’re learning to sew by hand and with a machine.” And the coolest bit? Teachers recently requested students come to school wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants over swimsuits. “We mastered how to fall into water and remove our clothes efficiently,” he shared. “Because if you unexpectedly find yourself in water, you’re typically fully clothed.”
Their younger son gathered more apples.
On our last day, we ambled around town and peeked into quaint shops…
…and encountered a pacifier tree, where toddlers hang their pacifiers when they’re all done.
That final evening, we dined with my friend Miriam. The boys and I visited her family some years back, and they now reside in a different home with a wild garden. “We contemplated putting up a sign saying it was intentional, so our neighbors wouldn’t be concerned,” she chuckled.
Miriam and her husband Morty now have four children, and we played in the garden before dinner.
She prepared a mouthwatering meal, including smashed beef with cucumber yogurt. It was a wondrous night, and even as we were there, I felt nostalgic for our trip.
And apparently Freddie can juggle!
Have you ever visited Copenhagen, Stockholm, or any location in Scandinavia? I’d love to hear more tales or thoughts. I totally fell for both cities and am still pinching myself for the time we spent there! Thank you so much for reading. xoxo
P.S. The strangest best parts of travels, and four items I always carry for a journey.
