Tillbaka i Sveriges land

Monday, June 30, 2025

I awoke this morning around 07:30 and had a very relaxing time at the hostel. I had a coffee and hung out in the common room for a while before it was time to check out. I was taking the train over to Sweden today, where I would be meeting up with my friends Py, Harri and Lotta for the next few days. Py and Harri live in the south of Sweden, and I’d be staying at their house in the countryside. Lotta lives further north and was taking the train down to meet us in the late afternoon.

I caught the train at 10:45 and made the short journey over to Malmo, where I was met by Py and Harri. The entire train ride lasted around 20 minutes, and it was rather crowded (at least until we stopped at the airport, after which it was slightly emptier). Once I met up with Py and Harri, we set off to enjoy the day in Malmo while we waited for Lotta to arrive. We first stopped at a wine store nearby to stock up on wine and champagne for the week.

My work had shipped me a new laptop to replace the broken one and it was due to arrive at Py’s house today, but the shipping tracker showed that it hadn’t moved from the Malmo airport yet. She suggested that we just drive to the location to pick up the package, rather than wait for whenever FedEx decided to make the delivery. It was a brilliant idea and we made the short drive out to the FedEx office. The woman there was very kind and spent nearly half an hour searching for my package – she said they had over 1,200 packages in the backlog due to staff shortages. Miraculously she found mine and brought it out to us!

The three of us returned to the city center of Malmo so we could get some lunch. Harri knows the town well and suggested a burger place which sounded good to us all. The burgers were very good and huge portions. We all got sides of fries (mine were sweet potato fries), along with drinks (Py had a soda since she was driving). They then showed me around Mamlo for a little bit after lunch. The city center is very cute and full of unique shops. Harri and I stopped at a sci-fi bookstore while Py ran an errand. Before heading to the train station to get Lotta, we grabbed some ice cream as an afternoon treat.

Lotta’s train arrived shortly before 17:00 and we met her on the platform. We wasted no time before hitting the road to drive out to Py and Harri’s house, which is about 45-minutes outside of Malmo. Along the way, we stopped at a falafel restaurant to get some takeaway for dinner this evening. Around 18:00 we arrived at their house. Py and Harri live in an old schoolhouse that they converted into a house. By combining old classrooms, they were able to create massive rooms for kitchen and dining, as well as a family room. It’s a beautiful home and their outdoor garden is incredible. The four of us settled in to hang out for the rest of the evening.

It was wonderful being back together with all of them. I had last seen them back in January when they’d attended my wedding to Thinh in Edinburgh. Lotta’s husband, Patrik, had come to the wedding as well, but he wasn’t able to come down this week due to work, which I fully understood. We popped open a bottle of champagne and sat in the garden while we chatted, caught up and enjoyed the cool evening weather. The rest of the evening was spent drinking and enjoying one another’s company.

Py, Harri and I weren’t very hungry this evening due to the huge lunch we’d had earlier, so we put out dinners in the fridge for the next day. Lotta was rather hungry though since she’d spent the majority of the day on the train. We went through a few bottles of champagne and wine during the evening before we decided to call it a night.

Lotta and I were sharing a room during the visit, which made us reminisce about the days on the Camino Frances (where we met). Once in our beds, Lotta and I stayed up for a little while to talk. We’ve always had very good, deep conversations about a variety of topics, and I liked having some alone time with her so we could just talk together. We didn’t stay up too late though – we’d all had long days and were in need of some rest.

 
Tuesday, July 01, 2025

Lotta and I woke up early this morning at 06:00 and went down to the kitchen to have some coffee. Py was already awake and helped us get the coffee prepared. Once we’d had our morning caffeine fix, we piled into Py’s car, along with the three dogs that she was dog-sitting, and headed out to some nearby woods for a walk.

It was a crisp and cool morning, which was perfect for a long walk. The trail wound through some very pleasant woods, with some clearings scattered throughout. All three of the dogs knew the trail by heart because this was their daily routine. The entire walk was roughly 5km long, and we spent the entire time chatting away. The countryside of Sweden is truly beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed the early morning stroll.

By the time we arrived back at Py’s house, Harri was awake and we all sat down to enjoy breakfast. Py prepared us some yogurt with granola, honey, and fresh strawberries from a nearby farm. It was tasty and very filling. The four us spent much of the rest of the day hanging out around the house. I finally decided to get out the new work laptop and set it up today, which took far more time than I had anticipated.

In the afternoon, we sat out in the garden to enjoy some champagne and wine. The weather was spectacular: sunny, but not hot with a slight breeze. Py and Harri’s son Conrad came out to join us later on and we all played several rounds of a game called boule. A small target ball is thrown out onto the pitch and teams take turns tossing or rolling heavier balls towards the smaller one. The team whose ball(s) get closest to the target wins points. It was a lot of fun to hang out and play games this afternoon – and the several bottles of wine made it all the better!

Dinner tonight was homemade pizza using the pizza over than Py and Harri recently bought. Py made the dough and Harri handled the toppings on each of the pizzas. We had a variety of toppings, including vegetarian choices for Lotta. It was yet another very good meal and I was very full after we ate. Py had made some ice cream earlier in the day and we had some of that for dessert this evening.

It was a relaxing, laid-back day, and exactly what I wanted after the Camino. I just wanted to kick back and enjoy the company of my friends. When it was time for bed, Lotta and I again stayed up talking for a little bit before exhaustion overcame us both.

 
Wednesday, July 02, 2025

Lotta was up before me this morning and went out for a morning walk with Py. I opted to sleep in a bit more and was just sitting down with my coffee when they returned home. We had the same breakfast as the previous day (I loved the fresh strawberries!). As we ate, we discussed various plans for the day. Py suggested we go to the coast, visit an ancient stone formation, and then visit the town of Ystad. I thought the idea sounded wonderful and we all set about getting ready for the day’s outing.

The drive out to the coast was very pretty and I was able to see a lot more of the countryside, along with several small hamlets full of charming houses. We eventually reached the tiny fishing village of Kåseberga, where we parked the car and then went for a long stroll. Our primary destination was Ales stenar, a stone formation dating back 1,400 years that is perched on a small hill right on the coastline. People claim the stones are placed in the formation of a ship, but the actual use of the site is still up for debate. I can see the outline of a ship, but that could just be us projecting the shape as we know it in the modern world.

Nearby was a little path along the top of the cliffs overlooking the sea. In the distance to the east I could see an island that Harri told me belonged to Denmark! The weather was hotter today and we were all wilting under the sun as we walked. The path led downhill to an area full of restaurants and cafes. Lotta stopped at a small shop to buy some decorations for her garden. We discussed having some coffee, but ultimately decided to wait and head to another café that Py and Harri said was better.

We then drove over to a delightful café where I was introduced to the Swedish tradition of fika! Fika is a cherished part of Swedish culture where people take a break to enjoy coffee, typically with some sweet baked treats, and chat with others. It is intended to promote a better sense of work-life balance and well-being, letting people relax for a little while. The café had a small square in the middle with several tables and we managed to grab the last one in the shade. I got a coffee, along with an almond cookie and a cinnamon roll. The others got savory sandwiches and I jokingly pointed out that I was the only one truly embracing fika today. It was exactly as it should be though: we relaxed for about an hour as we enjoyed our snacks. I truly enjoyed this stop.

Py then drove us into the town of Ystad, where Harri had to catch the train to Copenhagen so he could meet up with a friend. Harri is Finnish and a friend of his from Finland was passing through Copenhagen this evening, so he was obviously excited to head to town. Py, Lotta and I spent some time walking around the small town and we ran into Py’s middle child, Jasper, who is a city guide. Py showed us more of the town and we admired the rose garden outside of the old monastery, which had a large variety of roses. We then stopped at a café to have a drink, where Lotta and I each had a fruity beer that we agreed was only so-so.

It was late afternoon by this time and we needed to head back home for dinner. Py was making fish and chips for dinner (though she kindly make me chicken instead of fish). She is an excellent cook and dinner was delicious! Her eldest son, Rasmus, along with Jasper and his girlfriend, Alex, joined us all for dinner this evening. It was a full house and I enjoyed getting to spend more time with her family and get to know them.

Unfortunately, during dinner things hit a sour note when Rasmus was talking about his recent trip to the United States. Py had mentioned the trip to me and I used it as an “ice-breaker” of sorts to get conversation going (I always feel awkward when I first meet new people, so having this topic at hand made things easier!). He described everything he’d done during his time in California, but when he reached the part in his story about Las Vegas, that’s when things went south. He had visited a strip club while he was there and hearing about it unfortunately upset Lotta quite a bit. Lotta quickly grabbed her things and left the room to head upstairs to the bedroom. When I went to check on her, she was visibly upset, which made me sad. I could tell she needed some space and along time, so went back downstairs to rejoin the others.

We all spent some more time talking and eventually went out to the garden to sit and enjoy to cool evening weather. Jasper and Alex left around 21:00, taking Py’s car with them so they could leave it at the train station for Harri when we came home later tonight. He had the spare key, so he could get the car and drive himself home. Things did not go to plan though. Harri messaged Py around 22:00 that the trains were cancelled/delayed and that he wouldn’t be able to make it to Ystad, where the car was waiting. The closest he could get tonight would be Malmo! I suggested to Py that we could drive out to pick him up using the other car, offering to go along to keep her company.

Py and I took Rasmus’ car and drove the 45-minutes to Malmo. Along the way we could see a lot of lightning in the distance, and soon it began to rain (though thankfully it didn’t last long). We reached Malmo about 20 minutes before Harri’s train arrived. It was a crazy adventure, and we spent the entire drive laughing about the situation. Once Harri arrived, we drove back to Ystad, where he picked up the car and we all drove back home.

I decided to sleep in the family room this evening since we arrived back so late (around midnight). I wanted to let Lotta sleep and I thought this was a good idea. Py got the sofa all setup for me before heading to bed herself. I was soon fast asleep. It had been a long, but good day.

 
Thursday, July 03, 2025

This morning was quite relaxed and I slept in slightly. By the time I was awake, Py was already out for a walk with the dogs and Lotta was having her morning coffee. She and I chatted for a while, waiting for Py to return home. When she did, Harri joined us and we all ate breakfast together and discussed options for the day. Py suggested doing mini-golf nearby, which peaked everyone’s interest.

We made the short drive over to the mini-golf course, which turned out to have quite a number of activities for guests, including paint ball, zip-lining, nature trails, etc. The mini-golf was very popular and there were a number of people already there playing by the time we arrived. It was chilly and windy today, making it slightly too cold to be outside at times. However, the course was located in the forest, which helped reduce the worst of the wind.

The golf course at first appeared to be somewhat simple, but the further we played, we realized that it was deceptively difficult! Many of the holes had some tricky shots that were required to reach the hole, or the hole itself was located on an every so slight incline. One hole confounded all four of us: a tiny stream ran through the middle of the path, which required hitting the ball into a small metal tunnel to make it across the water. Not one of us actually managed to get our balls down the tunnel. In the end, all four of us reached the maximum number of strokes on the hole and we gave up.

After completing the ninth hole, we collectively decided to take a break for fika. We were all starting to feel a bit tired, so having the short break was a brilliant idea. I got a coffee, along with two pastries that were very tasty. This Swedish concept of fika is truly brilliant and I had fully embraced it by this point.

The second half of the mini-golf was just as fun as the first half. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed playing together, laughing as we screwed up shots, cheering when we’d finally hit the ball in the hole. When all was said and done, I came in first, followed by Lotta, then Harri, and then Py. It was a delightful way to spend our last day together!

We then returned home to hang out for the rest of the afternoon. As per usual, we busted out some wine to drink, which Py perfectly matched with some cheeses and crackers. Soon Py started to make dinner which was going to be buffet style. She made salad, a quiche, steak, and potatoes. It was all incredibly delicious and I enjoyed every bite. For dessert we had some homemade cake, along with some small glasses of different liquors.

Before bed, Lotta and I chatted for a while in our room. I had truly enjoyed my visit to Sweden, spending the time with my friends. I had cancelled my trip to Morocco in order to travel to Sweden and I had zero regrets. This was the perfect way to relax after the long, grueling days of the Camino.

 
Friday, July 04, 2025

This morning Lotta and I were astounded to discover that Py had gotten up early to make us a rhubarb pie for breakfast! She had casually mentioned that she might do so the previous evening, but I hardly expected her to actually make it today. It was quite good and a nice change up to our usual breakfasts (though I could have happily eaten more yogurt and strawberries too!).

We didn’t have much time to do anything this morning since Lotta and I needed to catch our trains. We piled into the car to make the drive over to Malmo, arriving at 10:45, giving us about 20 minutes before our trains departed. I thanked Py and Harri for everything when they dropped us off – they had been so incredibly generous, kind, and warmly welcomed me into their home the past few days. I then walked Lotta to her train platform, where we said our goodbyes. I hope that I am able to return to Sweden sometime soon to see them all again.

I caught a train back to Copenhagen at 11:15, which took 45 minutes to get me back to the city. When I arrived, I walked over to a Starbucks to hang out until it was time for check-in at the same hostel that I’d stayed at a week ago. My room for tonight was larger than the first one, with only four beds and a large space for us to walk around and store our bags.

For dinner tonight I wanted to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant nearby. The place was crowded when I arrived, but there were two tables still available (a table for two and a table for four). When I asked for a table, I was told that they could not seat me, but they immediately sat the couple behind me at the open table for two. The restaurant could have easily sat them at the table for four and put me at the smaller table, but they seemed disinclined (they didn’t take reservations either, so the tables were not already booked). I ended up having some fast food to eat and then spend the rest of the evening hanging out at the hostel.


Saturday, July 05, 2025

I slept in a bit today and had a leisurely time about getting ready for the day. I planned to walk around the city some to resee some of the sights since it had been nine years since I was last in Copenhagen. Unfortunately the weather was not on my side today – it was rainy and windy. I waited for the rain to die down, hanging out at the hostel and doing some reading.

When the weather finally improved, I went out for a walk. I first went over to the large Rådhuspladsen, a square outside of the city hall, just across from Tivoli Gardens. I had considered visiting Tivoli, but the entrance fee was rather steep and I couldn’t think of any reason to pay it just to walk around inside. A large celebration for the Philippines was going on in the square this morning, with music and several food trucks.

I then made my way over to Christiansborg Palace, one of the many palaces located in Copenhagen. By the time I reached the palace the weather had started to turn again and a light rain began to fall. I had planned to do considerably more walking around the city, but I didn’t want to get soaking wet (even with an umbrella). I walked down Strøget street, a pedestrian-only street full of shops, cafes, and restaurants. The lengthy street was overwhelmed with people this afternoon, detracting from my ability to fully enjoy the stroll.

I made it to Starbucks just as the rain began in earnest and stay there until it finally stopped. I grabbed a quick dinner at a café nearby, where I had a small sandwich and a smoothie. The remainder of the day was spent back at the hostel, where I packed my bags in preparation for my flight tomorrow. I went to bed early so I could get as much sleep as possible before having to wake up ridiculously early to head to the airport.

My time in Copenhagen hadn’t gone as planned, but I wasn’t terribly upset because I have visited the city previously. This was simply a stopover on my way to and from Sweden, giving me some time to just chill and relax.