Sweden – how good it feels to be back. I didn’t manage to get over on my last trip, two years ago, but this time we are spending a week here. It’s strange how familiar it all is, from the food to the shops to Swedish summer weather (ie sunny or pouring with rain). Waking up in Malmö, I felt at ease, eating eggs and Kalles kaviar, sausages and dark bread for breakfast.
Breakfast (I had to go back for the kaviar)
That day continued in much the same way, with the familiar drive up to Kalmar, my husband’s home town. Kalmar is a city on the south east coast of Sweden, sitting on the Baltic Sea, with the island of Öland lying opposite. It was a fortified city, and boasts a castle, a cathedral and lots of little streets with typical Swedish houses.
My husband describes Kalmar as being ‘provincial, peripheral and conservative’ when he was growing up during the days when the Volvo factory was still in operation. Now, Kalmar is full of cafes, shops, tourists and a campus of Linnaeus University.
Kalmar centre
Ship sculpture
Kalmar Slot
Kalmar castle
Painted wall of the castle, as it was in the 16th century
Kalmar centre
Black headed gull about to steal chips
After a lovely evening with friends and a good night’s sleep, we drove up to Stockholm, with my husband reminiscing about his childhood on the way. Driving into the city, it seemed like only a few months since my last visit instead of the four years. And here we will be for a few days.
