Lisa - Fat Girl Fit

Category: Sweden

A Little Bit About Swedish Midsommar

We have now been in Sweden to celebrate three Midsommars, as well as two before we moved here. And they are a lot of fun!

Now I will admit that yes we watched the film Midsommar and had no idea what to expect, but I can assure you there are no crazy sacrificial ceremonies!

What Is Midsommar?

Midsommar could be argued to be Sweden’s most important/celebrated holiday. The day celebrates the summer solstice and the season of light as summer begins (especially after months of dark). This always takes place on a Friday between June 19 and 25.

You will see the day including lots of food, music, traditional maypole dancing, flower crowns and for many schnapps!

Swedish Midsommar Traditions

As is the same for most of the major holidays/celebrations in Sweden, the actual festivities take place on the eve rather than the actual day. We forget this pretty much every year, and this year was no exception as we were planning what to do on the Saturday (the actual Midsommar date) rather than the day before on the Friday. Although nice surprise as it meant I had a four day week with the Friday being a red day (bank holiday).

Some of the main traditions you will see in Swedish Midsommar celebrations include:

Floral crowns – also known as midsommarkrans – is a headpiece typically made up of wild flowers and symbolises fertility and rebirth.
Dancing around a maypole – also known as midsommarstång – is the centre of the dancing celebrations. Not being Swedish, we floundered when we first took part as everyone knows the songs and dances and we did not (picture Phoebe from Friends). I had not before heard the små grodorna (The Little Frogs) song, but I now take part and hop around imitating a frog with everyone else – when in Sweden!
The food! There is some traditional food you are very likely to see at a Midsommar celebration including pickled herring (sill), new potatoes with fresh dill, salmon (lax), hard-boiled eggs, Swedish meatballs (köttbullar), and of course strawberry cake (jordgubbstårta).
Games – aside from drinking games you may play kubb where the aim is to knock over wooden blocks to win, or cornhole where the aim is to throw and land beanbags either on the board or through the hole.
Picking of flowers – an older tradition claims that if you pick 7 types of wildflower on Midsummer Eve and put them under your pillow that you will dream of your future spouse. You cannot tell anyone though otherwise it will not work.
Summer houses – Sweden has the most number of islands in its archipelago than any other country, and many Swedes have holiday homes/cottages that they will go to for the summer or in particular to celebrate Midsommar.

Why Is Midsommar So Important?

One of the things that I struggled the most with when we moved to Sweden was the winter. Yes, it can be magical and snow filled, but it is also long and dark. With Midsommar the celebration of summer and lighter days/nights, which many see as the best months to be in Sweden.

It also brings people together in the community. You will find local Kommuns will post where you can go to celebrate Midsommar and many places will have celebrations that go throughout the day and even over multiple days.

I am lucky to have shared this celebration not only with friends but also family – my mum visited for the celebrations and also our son and his fiancée.

Category: Cycling, Fitness, Product Reviews

Zwift Ride with KICKR Core 2 Product Review

For years now I have had an indoor set up using a KICKR Core turbo trainer and what was intended to be a winter bike, that ended up just being a turbo bike. When I got my Specialized Aethos it was 12 speed and my turbo trainer only worked up to 11 speed. Not a big deal as I had a bike (Trek Domane) that stayed on the turbo, but since living in Sweden I have looked at potentially upgrading. It is super seasonal here and so winter definitely has several turbo months!

I follow many people with varying indoor cycling setups, a number of which have moved to the Zwift Ride bike.

What Is The Zwift Ride?

You can purchase the Zwift Ride on its own or as a bundle with the KICKR Core 2, which was what I opted for. This was mainly as I had a neighbour who was interested in buying my bike and turbo together from me so I would not need either and my turbo would not have worked with the Zwift Ride bike either.

The set up is essentially a smart bike by Zwift that attaches to the turbo via a Zwift cog. On my previous set up I had some of the Zwift add ons such as Zwift Play (which you can ready my review of here). With the new set up this is built in functionality to the bike frame so I can essentially so everything from my handlebars such as giving Ride Ons and using Powerups. Now don’t get me wrong I have never been a computer game player and it took me the whole route of Repack Rush to figure out the controls (for a person with normal brain power I am fairly certain this would have been a lot quicker/easier!).

The bike has 24 gears, which you control using the buttons on the handlebar shifters. There is no big/little ring as you would typically find on a normal bike if attaching to a turbo trainer. The gear you are in shows on the Zwift screen when you are in game. You can set the shift style you want in Zwift including sequential, SRAM or Shimano. You can also choose your gear range depending on the type of ride you are doing.

Delivery

One of my pet peeves of ordering items and deliveries in Sweden is that the timeframe is often a little unknown and definitely not as quick as when I was based in London. I would note that this is in part due to the fact that I live in a small summer beach town and not a major city.

Regardless of the above, on ordering I was a little surprised that the delivery cost was €100. This seemed super steep to me but having had a KICKR Core before I was aware of how heavy these items can be and with insurance via a courier, in retrospect the cost is probably not that surprising.

I received an email with tracking details and this was super easy to follow along and arrived seamlessly.

Setting It Up

There were multiple boxes with this delivery (four in total); the Zwift Ride bike frame, KIKCR Core 2 turbo trainer, I purchased the Zwift Ride tablet holder, and the fourth box included the handlebars, Zwift Cog and Zwift Play controllers.

I would say that one annoying/unusual thing was that not everything was where I feel it should be. For example the bolts to connect the bike frame to the turbo appeared to be missing. After a quick search online we found other online discussions where people had the same but it turned out that they were not missing but in a different box, which is not overly intuitive. However, once you locate everything it is a very easy and simple set up, with instructions provided and a handy bright orange (you can’t miss it) Zwift hex wrench that is the only tool needed/used when setting up and you store on the frame of the bike for future use, which is handy.

There is added information to ensure the bike fit up is correct for you. I am comfortable with the setting up of my bike but this would be super useful to those who are not and the Zwift Ride is slightly different so always a good addition to ensure you have it set up right to get the best out of it.

The other issue I had was that the frame itself had a noticeable dent on it. Given the cost of this set up, this was more than disappointing and definitely ruined that new bike day feeling you get! However, I would note that the box it came in was packaged perfectly, everything was where it should be inside and there was no damage or marks on the outside of the box. I contacted Zwift support and sent photos and will say their customer service was outstanding! I was offered two options being some money refunded or a replacement. I opted for a replacement and within minutes had a new tracking email for the replacement frame.

Packing it back up again was not so much a fun part of this – you do not really pay too much attention when unpacking but it was packed so well we then had a bit of a jigsaw packing it back properly. We ended up looking online at some unpacking videos to figure out what went where.

My Opinion So Far

I was slightly worried about the single front fork – would it be stable enough? It is a sturdy unit weighing at circa 35kg and feels incredibly stable so no worries there. I can’t say balance is my biggest skill and I never got on with a rocker plate so was a little worried this could be similar, but I think the size of the front fork compared to the size of a front wheel on the floor when a bike is on the turbo is actually a fair bit more so no worries there at all.

It is nice and quiet, smooth gear changes and feels very comfortable. I did swap out the saddle for my usual Specialized Mimic saddle so cannot comment on the saddle that came with the bike frame. Same for the pedals, it comes with flat pedals that I swapped out for my usual SPD-SL pedals.

I had to go through the gears to find my typical sweet spot as I found to start (being used to a big and little ring) I was spinning out on the downhill and my power was less on a flat but higher cadence. I usually work off cadence so didn’t take too long to get to grips with – just a different set up than used to.

I am of average height I think and this is fine – not sure how it would be for someone very short or very tall, whereas a set up including your own bike would obviously be on a frame to fit your height. I only note this because the Zwift Ride is a single size unit that you adjust to your requirements although the set up size chart would indicate it would be fine.

I have the attachment to have my ipad on the bike, which is good and again really stable. I also love that there is a flat surface for your phone and a towel. I had previously used a quad lock but it was not my normal everyday phone case and if you have used one you will know they are great, as in your phone is not coming out, but taking on and off for turbo use is an exercise in itself!

I have levelled up in Zwift since using it and really enjoying it so far!

Category: Sweden

Learning Swedish With SFI Update

A while ago I wrote a blog post about starting to learn Swedish with SFI (Swedish For Immigrants) that you can read here.

I figured it was probably timely to give an update. Guess what? I am now fluent in Swedish!

I wish!

I have made progress though so there are some positives (and I need to remind myself of that).

My Journey So Far

After an initial assessment and test with SFI, I was enrolled and started on course SFI B. There is only one course before that for complete beginners and I remember thinking at the time that I firmly believed that was my level.

Nevertheless I completed SFI B and have since also completed SFI C.

At the end of each course your teacher will select those at the required level and put you forward to complete a National Test (Nationella Provet). There are four parts including:

reading (läsa)
writing (skriva)
listening (höra)
speaking (tala)

You have to reach a minimum grade and then you can move on to the next level. I find it a little odd you do not get a full breakdown of your tests and instead are just told if you passed (G – godkänt) or failed (IG – Icke Godkänt). Personally I would find it useful to know what I did right and what areas I need to focus on more.

What Level Am I At Now?

I am currently on course SFI D and I have to admit I feel a bit overwhelmed. It is a very large and very interactive class. Whilst I fully understand the benefits of it being interactive, I do feel like the bulk of the class appear to speak fluent Swedish, whilst I do not! I often find myself sat there and in my head I am wishing that the teacher does not ask me a question in case I am unable to answer in front of others.

I am continuing with the online learning in Lunis alongside the weekly lessons and on my own I feel ok but in the real world when someone Swedish speaks to me I have complete brain failure and panic.

I find the grammar the hardest to be honest. I know that will come with time but right now I find I might know the word but often do not use the correct tense, which changes the word. For example using the word läsa, which means read:

Infinitiv – this is the basic form of the word – läsa (read)
Imperativ – this is when you give a request to someone or tell someone to do something – Läs! (read!)
Presens – present tense – läser (reading)
Preteritum – past tense – läste (read)
Supinum – this is Swedish grammar that does not have an equivalent in English and refers to verbs that pair with har or hade (have/had) – läst (read)

In Addition To SFI?

I have continued with Duolingo (currently on a 1,047 day streak) and it is now a religious obsession to continue with this. Is it good? Honestly to know words then yes, but I feel like I know a lot of words but do not always know how to use them in a sentence. I have become a pro at this phrase though: Jag kan många ord men jag kan inte alltid använda dem i en mening. This basically explains the predicament!

I did, however, find an amazing online resource called Slow Swedish and it is amazing! This is a channel on Patreon that is a subscription with regular lessons from Katrin. It is all slow and she goes through everything in Swedish and English. There are resources to download if you subscribe and she has super active social media channels. Honestly cannot recommend her enough!

I also recently bought a book called Colloquial Swedish: The Complete Course for Beginners, which has just arrived. I found this book while looking online at ways to help with learning Swedish and it seemed to keep coming up as the best/most highly recommended resource so I am hoping that in addition to the other things I am doing will help!

Category: Sweden

When In Sweden, It Would Be Rude Not To Fika!

What Is Fika?

We knew of Swedish fika before we moved, but since living here we now know it is a super regular thing!

It is essentially a break, but it involves coffee (or in my case, tea) and some sort of baked goods. But, in addition to that it is a social activity and creates a moment to relax and reflect.

There are many examples of baked goods that could be eaten at fika but you will often see:

Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun): a true classic often served and found in bakeries and cafes
Kardemummabullar (cardamom Buns): essentially the same as cinnamon buns but flavoured with cardamom
Lussekatter (saffron buns): usually found at Christmas time, these saffron buns look like an s shape
Prinsesstårta (princess cake): this is my favourite and is a mix of vanilla sponge, cream, jam and covered in a thin layer of (usually) light green marzipan
Semla: this is like a sweet bread roll filled with an almond paste and cream, typically eaten on Shrove Tuesday but you will also find it through the early spring months
Kladdkaka: super rich and gooey chocolate cake
Chokladbollar: these are no baked chocolate balls usually made with oats and covered in either coconut or sugar
Hallongrottor: another of my favourites, these are similar to a shortbread biscuit and also referred to as thumbprint cookies with a dip in the middle usually filled with raspberry jam

Our Favourite Fika Spots

This list could be very long! But so far would include:

Mallboden – located in Motala and situated on the Göta Canal. Best known for their Tarte Flambé and waffles, they also sell home made baked goods too.
Pilgården – this is a countryside cafe in Fornåsa, and serves tasty Belgian waffles.
Simons Rosteri and Bageri – located in Linköping, this was a fab find with a range of home made baked goods including cake, biscuits and breads and home roasted coffee. In the summer/warmer months there is an outdoor area also.
Oui Albacken – located in Mjölby and best known for their crepes as well as home baked goods and items from local sellers too. Both indoor and outdoor areas and lots of events held through the year.
Nyfiket – located in Mjölby with everything cooked and baked in their own bakery/kitchen. Always popular and does great bread too!
Gamla Konditoriet – located in Vadstena, I will admit we walked past this place without noticing it for a long time but lots of sweet treats and also grilled sandwiches.
Restaurang 2hundra6 – located in Vadstena, there is a separate roastery for coffee, restaurant for small and larger plates, as well as a cheese shop and antique shop.
Open New Doors – located in Skåninge, we headed there last weekend. They sell out quickly and even in early afternoon we were too late for the grilled sandwiches. Loads of fresh breads, pastries and cakes as well as pick your own items and a farm shop.

Are you in Östergötland? Any fika spots you would recommend we check out?

Category: Sweden

A Day Exploring Visingsö By Bike

At the weekend we were thinking of going away in the camper van but didn’t get around to booking anything so were looking at what day adventures we could get up to, and started looking into Visingsö.

About Visingsö

Visingsö is a small island on Lake Vattern. It is 14 kilometres long and 3 kilometres wide, so super small and completely doable for a day trip. There are only approximately 750 people who live on the island all year round, with more in the summer.

You can get to Visingsö by ferry from Gränna, which is a small town just outside of Jönköping, famous for their Polkagris sweets.

The timetable was pretty much two ferries an hour so lots of options with times and when purchasing tickets you have open times to allow as much or as little time on the island as you want. The ferry cost SEK 160 return for two adults, which is about £12.50 so super reasonable. You can go as a foot passenger, which we did and left our car in the port car park, or you can but a ticket to take your car, or you can also take bikes.

It takes about 20/25 minutes to get across.

Getting Around Visingsö

I was a little confused from looking online as to whether or not you could take your car, but you absolutely can. The information about taking a car over came with options of parking on the other side so I was unsure if that meant driving on the island was not preferred.

We hired bikes to cycle around and as you get off the ferry the cycle hire is right in the port. They do advise booking in advance to ensure they have bikes but I would think that depends on when in the season and I imagine in the summer this is in high demand. We passed many people on the hire bikes so definitely a popular option. The hire cost SEK 360 for two adults for the whole day, which is about £28.

What To Do On Visingsö

We thought about taking the camper van but the campsite looked to be at the port so decided to do a day trip instead and it was perfect.

Obviously it is an island in the middle of a lake so beaches, swimming and all the usual options related to that.
You can cycle around the island.
You can also walk around the island, and both cycling and walking is very clearly posted on various routes.
We passed quite a few people that had opted to explore by horse and cart and also a tourist train that operated on the road too.
The ruins of Visingsborg Castle are next to the port.
Visingsö Oak forest with over 300,000 oak trees.
Brahekyrkan, with its super ornate interior.
Lots of burial grounds, runes, and the Russian cemetery in memory of the largest number of prisoners held in the prisoner of war camp in the 1700s.
Temple garden, which seemed a little out of place for Sweden and not the usual architecture but had a cute cafe and sold local art and ceramics.
Alpaca experience and cafe.
Golf course.
Lots of local Loppis from residents selling local produce and crafts.
Lots of cafes – we ate at Visingsö Pensionat & Café, which is a guesthouse and cafe and sold some great local cider.
When we were there they had a renaissance fair on that we wandered around also.

Obviously it is an island in the middle of a lake so beaches, swimming and all the usual options related to that.

What We Thought

Super cute little island to explore for the day, especially if you like to cycle and enjoy the sun and views pretty much from wherever you are.

I would definitely go back and would love to do the Alpaca experience and walk one!

Category: Sweden, Van Life

A Wilderness Weekend At Glaskogen

Last weekend we took the camper van to Glaskogen Nature Reserve. My husband and I often send each other Instagram posts saying we should go here and this was one of those.

Glaskogen – Värmland

Glaskogen is the largest nature reserve in Värmland and actually covers a huge area of 111,000 square miles!

As you approach you will more than likely pass cyclists or hikers that are exploring the area.

The Amenities

We booked a space for a camper van, which was within the trees on the side of the lake and it was gorgeous! Each pitch in the area had tree coverage, a fire pit and its own path through the plants to access the lake.

The area we were in was about a 10/15 minute walk from the main centre in Lenungshammar and there were two toilets. It is not uncommon in Sweden in nature reserves and to find compostable toilets. Not these are not my favourite – looks like a toilet but is basically a toilet seat into a hole and I am always worried something is going to come up like an animal or something. Anyway the toilets on the site were compostable but were a tad bit stinky (not terrible but not great). There were toilets at the main centre also as well as facilities for washing up.

The showers are also by the main site so again need to walk and not super close. They were dated and also not the cleanest but I would note that cleanliness often depends not just on staff cleaning but also those using them.

There is a cafe on site about a 5 minutes walk from the main centre, called Cafe Carl. On a Friday they have a pub night and they have seating both inside and outside. We had food and drink here and it was lovely.

You can hire canoes, kayaks and paddle boats from the main centre too and we saw lots of people loading up with their kit before heading across the lakes to where they were camping. We have an inflatable kayak and paddle board so we did not use this facility.

There are loads of hiking trails that can be as long or as short as you like as well as cycling trails.

The main reception has a shop with both local produce include ceramics and hunting knives as well as camping equipment, food, ice creams and more. You can purchase fire wood from here and collect nearby. We actually bought some on arrival and needed more but as we were in the van and set up the young lad on reception offered to drop to our pitch when his pitch ended rather than us carrying it which was very kind of him!

You also need to purchase a licence called the Glaskogen card if you plan to hike, use the lakes in any way or cycle in the nature reserve. It also covers the use of the fire pits, wind shelters, overnight cabins, dustbins and toilets in the nature reserve.

Your contribution makes a difference and increases our opportunities to offer even better service in the future. All for you to have a magical and easy wilderness experience. The money paid for the Glaskogen card goes directly to the care and maintenance of the area. For the two of us this cost roughly £20.

Did We Like It?

I think it would be hard not to like this place and we will absolutely be returning!

I would say the clue in the name Glaskogen Wildcamping if you do not have a camper with toilet/shower or staying in a cabin is something to bear in mind. Originally I was disappointed a little in the facilities but then realised it is a site on the Nature Reserve intended to be wild camping so need to remember that.

Most people there had either paddle boards, kayaks, or bikes and it was great to see everyone enjoying the surroundings, which are just stunning.

Given the size we only saw part of the area and when we return would probably take our bikes to explore more.

Category: Fitness, Hiking, Product Reviews

More Wainwright Hiking? Go On Then!

I have just spent another two weeks in one of my absolutely favourite places, The Lake District.

This was a continuation of our trips to tick off the Wainwrights and I must say I found this trip harder than previous ones. I am not sure if this is because of lack of fitness, perimenopause symptoms or the weather as we had some very hot days, but there was a lot of tough hikes that felt like a struggle for me!

New Kit

Hiking is definitely not a cheap hobby and whilst I could have used what I had I genuinely needed some of the items and they will get used. This time round I added some more items to my kit list:

Rab Women’s Phantom Waterproof Jacket. I am a big fan of Rab products and wanted a more lightweight jacket and had my eye on this for a while and it kept selling out. When I got the notification it was back in stock I jumped on it and pleased I did! It is super lightweight and perfect for the wind and rain.
Osprey Sportlite 15 backpack. Between my husband and I we have four different sized Osprey backpacks and they are my go to for sure. I found on the last trip I had a fair bit of space in the bag so when scrambling there was movement in the bags as the items I was carrying were bouncing around. I am not a fan of scrambling at the best of times so thought a slightly smaller bag might be useful. I was not sure if this would be too small but it was perfect.
Osprey backpack rain cover (small). Some of the larger backpacks from Osprey come with the rain cover but the smaller ones do not and I find this useful if I have one bag and two weeks of hiking so I can keep the bag as dry as possible if we get caught in bad weather.
Keen Women’s Targhee III Waterproof Mid hiking boots. On the last trip I got some new Merrell boots but on rainy days I found I had very wet feet. Travelling from Sweden to the UK I only pack one pair of boots and would rather dry feet! Keen came highly recommended and my husband also has a pair of their men’s boots, plus they are forgiving for a wider foot! I would say these took some wearing in and getting used to – the wider toe box felt too big to start and I got a blister on the first day and on the steep descents it was not comfortable. After lacing tighter they were fine.
Columbia Helvetia Aztec Fleece. I am a sucker for a fleece and my hiking buddy and I figured we would matchy matchy again as we have done before. It is super pretty and was in the sale and you can never have too many fleeces!
Revolution Race tops – I bought a couple in the sale and kept them to one side. Unfortunately when I opened them (both the same size) they were totally different sizes so only one was ok and I gave the other to my friend.
Patagonia cap. Can never have too many caps for hiking after a full days in the hills and a lot of sweat! Unfortunately this hat did not suit me at all.
LifeStraw Go Series water bottle. I have a life straw already and they are great especially if you are out for a while in an area where you rely on refilling bottles from streams etc to make sure it is ok to drink. When we were hiking 10 miles and upwards per hike it is always my preference not to take multiple bottles of water and instead fill up where possible (and the lakes often provide many places for this).

Accommodation

This time round I think it must have been a more popular time as we struggled a bit finding somewhere, usually there have been loads of availability.

This time we booked with Holiday Cottages and stayed at a property called Keswick House, which was a little further out of town. It was about a mile walk to town and going was fine as it was downhill but after a day hiking, then eating and then walking back uphill for a mile was not always the one!

It was a good sized property with a driveway, which is not always available in this area. It was close to walking trails and had lovely views. I would say that it is dog friendly but the garden and driveway is not gated at all so very open and this property is on a main(ish) road.

Wainwrights Completed

This time round we both wanted to tick off specific summits, including Helvellyn and Blencathra (minus the ridge routes – I watched too many videos about Striding Edge and Sharp Edge and they are not for me!) and both were completed so super happy about that.

As it turned out my favourite summits were:

Helvellyn – it had been on my list for a while and we were doing a route that did not include this one but you could see it so there was no way we were not going to tick that off also.
Blencathra – I was scared of this one as it looks like a beast when driving past but it was a really enjoyable hike up.
Dollywagon Pike – for no other reason than the name!

My least favourite was:

Grisedale Pike – the first attempt, which was from Braithewaite in some serious wind and I had a complete panic close to the top and we decided the wind was too much to continue. We later tagged this on to a loop with Grasmoor so did end up ticking this off and from a different side was not nearly as scary.

Before this trip we were at 57 out of the 214 summits and we have finished this time round completing a further 31 taking our new total to 88. Unfortunately the first week was a bit of a wash out and we had some very wet days and not all of the routes are recommended in wet weather, then the second was scorching.

Category: Sweden, Van Life

A Weekend Stay In The Camper At Örnviken

Last year was full of buying a house in Sweden, renovating parts of said house and then building an attefallshus. This left little time for camper van travels, but that will change this year!

Our camper van is a converted VW T5.1 and whilst we have a solar panel and so do not need electric, we have been having some issues with it and so we looked for a site where we could stay in the van and have electric. I found Örnviken and it ticked another box as it was on the eastern Swedish archipelago.

Örnviken – Söderköping

Örnviken is just outside of Söderköping and has something for everyone wanting to camp. There are:

pitches for motor homes and camper vans, either on the seaside, premium area where the boats dock or the field
pitches for tents
cabins to rent
glamping tents with decks
aurora huts, which are like floating rooms complete with beds, kitchenette, toilet and deck
tree tents (I had not seen these before and they look bonkers)

We booked the Vanlife seaside so we were right next to the water, plus it has fewer pitches so would be less busy. Every pitch in this area had electric, there was a fire pit to grill and sit around, a toilet, sink outside for washing up and a decked stairway to sit on the lake. It was about a 5 minute walk to the main facilities for showers.

The Amenities

We have pretty much everything we would need but on site there was:

many toilets dotted around so regardless of where you were staying it would not have been far to get to a toilet and washing up facilities
many fire pits with grills for anyone staying to use
many decked areas for anyone staying to use
a small cabin/kiosk with essentials you can purchase, based on honesty so you take what you want and swish your money for it (you scan a QR for the code to enter)
service centre where there are four toilets and two showers (this would be my only comment that two showers is not that many for the site although many people staying would have their own facilities in motor homes), and washing up facilities
there is a floating sauna you can rent either in full or for half
you can hire paddle boards (including paddle and life jacket), which are SEK 150 for 2 hours
there are several places with access to swimming in the lake
from 1 June you can also hire boats (we were a day too early for this)
you can also book a breakfast basket to be delivered (we didn’t do this)
there is a food truck in the harbour (Smygöppen) run by a couple from New Zealand and I can say hands down probably the best fish and chips I have eaten – delicious!
there were also several people fishing on the site too

Did We Like It?

We will absolutely be returning to this site! Everyone we met was super friendly. The camp site was immaculate and really well kept. It was a little chilly to get in the water and we went just before boat hire was available (which if anyone knowing me reads this knows I am terrified of open water so I was not overly disappointed but I would give it a go when we go back).

Check in and check out is midday, which works well as some sites you cannot check in until late afternoon and need to be out early so this was perfect. It cost SEK 510 for our weekend here, which is roughly £40, and I think that is really reasonable.

My husband loves a sauna so I booked that for the Saturday. It can hold ten people (although I would say I think that would be quite cosy!) and you can either book the whole thing of half. I booked half, which cost SEK 395, which is roughly £30, and you get that for 3 hours. The people who were in a motorhome next to us had booked the other half so we ended up chatting with them. Close by is a well stocked open cabin with wood for the sauna already chopped to help yourself to. There is a deck area on both sides with chairs and a small table. There is also access to get into the water and a shower to use on the deck. I did try the sauna a few times but they are not my thing – although whilst reading my book I got sunburned and ended up more red than if I was in the sauna! Being on the water means you don’t always feel how hot it is!

The only down side I would say is that you are there to stay in the archipelago and enjoy that and there are no trails for hiking around, which was a shame. We headed out on a main road (which is super quiet) thinking we could follow a track but it turned out to be private. Personal preference but we always enjoy going for a wander and it was beautiful there so a shame not to be able to explore a bit more.

Category: Sweden

Adapting To Swedish Slow Living

We moved from a London borough to Sweden in December 2023. London boroughs are, as expected, very different from where we live now, which is what I would describe as a small summer lake town.

As a summer lake town it is very quiet in the winter months and some restaurants and shops do not open during that period at all. There are fewer people out and about in general, and whilst there are a lot of winter activities, a lot of people take to what is referred to as hygge or mysa season, which is cosy season. This is a transition in itself when you come from London.

What is Hygge, Mysa and Lagom?

Hygge is a Danish word, defined as:

A quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture), creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.

Mysa is a Swedish word, defined as:

Mysa translates to English as “cozy”, but it is more than that. It involves being relaxed, taking time out from stress and musts, spending time with friends, and being in the moment, enjoying it with all your senses.

Lagom is a Swedish word, defined as:

Is a unique Swedish term that roughly translates to “just the right amount” or “not too much, not too little.”

Slow Living

When I explain to people where we live now I always describe the town as a small summer town. I will often also refer to our new life and town as slow living. What do I mean by that? The pace of life we now have is very different to when we were in London in a number of ways but some of which include:

gardening – we have a large garden and now grow rhubarb, apples, herbs and my husband is very particular about the grass. If you live near us you may have had jams, cakes, breads and even flavoured gin as a result!
travel – my husband and I both have road bikes and mountain bikes but we noticed quickly people here use bikes as a mode of transport and so a recent addition to our bike collection is my everyday bike with basket for going to and from the shops instead of using the car.
reading – some time back my husband bought me a kindle and whilst I was grateful for this gift it is not the same as a physical book and I have jumped back into reading more.
new hobbies – I started knitting and now have a matching set of bright pink mittens, neck warmer and scarf as a result and a friend has a blanket too. I also made door wreaths and did a couple of floral embroidery picture that now hang in our hallway. There is always a new jam and a weekly sourdough loaf too.
embracing nature – I feel as though we always did this, but we are using our new home surroundings to take advantage of exploring new places.
lagom – it is surprising the lack of keeping up with the jones’ and adapting to this mentality is actually pretty easy.
work/life balance – getting this right is key, we didn’t move to spend every hour working and not living. We have found it is totally normal in Sweden to start on time, finish on time and use your lunch break, which I will admit I find it difficult to transition to and not because of my company but I feel it is ingrained in me to work until I need to finish something and going through a lunch break is quite usual.
prioritising – intentionally put more priority on things that make you happy or are most important.

How Am I Finding Slow Living?

Now I appreciate that is not for everyone. Slow living can be uncomfortable with the change feeling like unknown territory. When you are accustomed to a fast paced life the difference can be a lot. You may want the idea of it, it is romanticised online and in social media, but the reality forces an honesty that is not for everyone.

For me it is the balance of slow living, with a regular touch of the buzz of London with visits, then back to the calm. It is ensuring you surround yourself with the people and things you love and striking a balance that works for you.

After moving to Sweden I bought The Nordic Baker book and on her website she has a great article about slow living and articulates it much better than I can.