6 //
land of fire & ikea
SWEDEN:
WORDS // TOM STEVESON
A
wise man once said life is something that
happens when you can’t get to sleep.
He also coined the perfect slogan for a visit
to Sweden, Land of the Midnight Sun...and
nocturnal fun.
Even wilderness-hardened Laplanders in the
northern reaches struggle to get decent shuteye
during the two months that the countryside is
bathed in non-stop, 24-hour sunlight. So while
the rest of Europe sleeps soundly in bed, the
Swedes come out to play. Round-the-clock
hiking, kayaking and alfresco partying are the
order of the day.
FROM BALTIC TO BALMY
Celebrations begin on Walpurgis Night (April
30) with choirs and pyres to mark the end of
the cruel Scandinavian winter. Sweden’s wild
bonfire night takes its name from medieval
English missionary, Saint Walburga. But the
party has little to do with religion.
It is an expression of joy at a temperature swing
from extremes of -40C in the Baltic winter to a
balmy 30C at the height of summer. This sunny
outlook is helping to make Sweden the number
one summer hotspot for discerning travellers
looking for an alternative to a fortnight on the
Med.
A visit to Sweden should begin and end
in Stockholm. The stunning capital is an
archipelago of fourteen islands, each fizzing
with individuality. Its patchwork of boroughs
linked by a network of bridges, easy to navigate
ferries and the
ubiquitous kayaks, dinghies and
small craft that criss-cross the brackish waterways
where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea.
A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM
Stockholm is a walking city and no trip would be
complete without a stroll through the perfectly-
preserved medieval streets of Gamla stan. The
Old Town is a living museum of cobbled Swedish
cool. It’s home to the 13th century Storkyrkan, or
Great Church, the baroque Royal Palace and the
world’s oldest restaurant, Den Gyldene Freden –
more or less unchanged since it opened in 1722.
Swedes have no time for the frantic worker bee
mentality of most Western Europeans. So get in
tune with the locals by learning to observe the
ritual of Fika. More than a simple coffee break,
it is about setting aside quality time to enjoy
a hot drink, warm cinnamon buns and heated
conversation.
The best place to enjoy Fika and watch the world
go by is among the beautiful people and funky
shops on Götgatsbacken leading up the hill from
the Old Town.
One should also be prepared for the national
obsession that Swedes share with Brits…talking
about the weather.
