here come a bunch of pictures! woo hoo! yesterday was yet another beautiful day and we filled it with some little swedish adventures. got in the car, went to various places outside the city, did lots of fun things, and saw lots of beautiful scenery. after the obligatory trip to IKEA (for a cheap lunch. yes, swedes go there for lunch. love that.), we came home and made a lovely, big salad for dinner, watched a regina spektor concert on tv, and then ended our fantastic day by watching a movie while snuggled up on the sofa.
that was yesterday. now, it’s a rainy, rainy sunday and i’m still in my pj’s. perfect. we’ve been having an astrid lindgren movie marathon for some hours now (americans, think pippi longstocking – if you’re old enough to know who that is. hehe. astrid lindgren is the swedish author who wrote all the pippi stories & tons of other amazing children’s stories.). since we’re having a little break in the movies, i thought i’d share some of my saturday activities with you. so… here comes more swedish beauty!
on our way through the countryside.
first stop. a chocolate factory!
so much candy & chocolate. swedes are serious about their candy & chocolate. seriously serious. and yes, we bought some too!
stop #2. a cider brewery.
inside there was a market filled with local, organic food, cider, saft (a fruit concentrate you mix with water to make something a little like kool-aid, but way more natural & good for you), and other yummies. we stocked up on some fresh-baked bread, cider, and saft. the inside our cabinet looks cool.
what a view!
recycling old cider bottles.
on the way to stop # 3.
there is a canal (göta canal) that runs through southern sweden. it was built in the 1800s, is about 118 miles long, has 58 locks, and stretches from the west coast (gothenburg) to the east coast (the baltic sea). we drive past the canal many times yesterday as it wound, sometimes parallel to the road, through the countryside. we stopped in the little village, berg, where the canal runs and where there are 5 locks for boats to maneuver through. we timed it perfectly! just as we got out of the car, a big boat came. so, what did we do for 30 minutes to an hour? we watched the boat make it’s way up each lock. very very cool.
this is a boat, from 1912!, where the lucky passengers have their own little cabin, eat in a nice dining hall, and relax on the decks as they make their way down the canal. sounds like a fun little vacation to me. (too bad it’s super expensive.)
after the excitement of the boat it was time for fika… yep. coffee time!
a swedish house in berg (where the locks are). i love it!
country girl.
and finally… stop #4. no swedish adventure-filled day would be complete without a little trip to IKEA. for lunch. yummy.
hope your weekend has been great! peace out.
Swedes are indeed greedy swines, they eat more candy per capita than any other country! Although they’re not fat…that’s all the cycling for ya!
~The Dippylomat esq.
haha!!!
Oh the skies are heavenly! You sure do know how to take photos!
thank you, ginger!! yes, these blue summer skies take my breath away!
Nostalgia hits especially hard with this post! I don’t know how we managed to miss the chocolate factory and musteriet but I’m pretty sure we made a stop in Berg and watched boats go through the locks and what is life in Sweden without IKEA. Beautiful photos!!! Dramatic sky shots. Savor the memories of your beautiful Swedish adventure in the summer sun.
barb: i am soaking in every single moment! thanks!
Awesome pics! I literally Laughed out loud at ikea – I love the cheap hotdogs as snacks to finish a shopping trip!
As for the rest, sweden is stunning. Truly gorgeous. Couple that with a cider brewery – wow!!
thanks! hehe!!! now i am laughing out loud at your laughing & your comments! yeah, it was a pretty wonderful day. 🙂
Those pictures are soooooo pretty! Great job with the photography, but obviously the landscapes speak for themselves as well. I’m so excited to get to see them in person again!!