How to Celebrate Swedish Midsummer!

Midsummer or "Midsommar" in Swedish is upon us again. Although, it's another holiday during the Pandemic, the Swedish holiday of Midsommar will still be celebrated with Swedish foods, games, dancing and of course drinking (and singing). 

We've had a few memorable Midsummers in Sweden. Mostly celebrated at the park with picnics and checking out the dancing/hopping like frogs around the Midsommar Maypole. 

Don't forget it's the Midsommar Eve that is celebrated in Scandinavia. Just like they celebrate on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. Midsommar Eve is a Public Holiday, so it's a long weekend for us.

Pickled herring, boiled "new" potatoes, sour cream, chives, delicious BBQ and Fresh Swedish strawberries & cream or Strawberry cake, are some of the Midsommar foods you'll find Swedes enjoying. 

Of course, there are Swedish Snaps and other drinks to celebrate. Need to keep those little bottles away from the kids since they like playing with mini-everything. 

Fresh Swedish Strawberries and Kiwi in cream!

We saw these small 'One-time' single use bbqs and used them one year to cook some burgers and hot dogs. They are pretty popular in Sweden and we hadn't seen them before.

A crowd of people celebrating Midsummer. It feels a bit strange to me to think of all those people right next to each other after quarantining and social distancing during Pandemic.

There will also be a song or two sung between sips of the Swedish snaps!

If you're in Sweden or Scandinavia, have a great Midsummer celebration! There may be a little rain, but that always seems to be the case most years. Glad Midsommar! 

Don't forget your snacks! 

Top 5 Popular Swedish Pastries

 

When in Sweden, be like the Swedes and don't forget Fika! Fika basically means coffee break with something sweet. When it's time for a coffee break, it's also time for a snack. Swedes fika at least a couple of times a day. 

And with so many snacks and pastries to choose from so it can be hard to choose! Why not try a few of the most popular ones and see which ones are your favorites!

Here are 5 Popular Swedish Pastries:

Kanelbulle or Kardamummabulle

A "Bulle" or bun is pretty popular Fika snack. It can also be eaten for dessert. Both the kanelbulle, or Cinnamon bun and Kardamummabulle, or Cardamom bun are delicious examples of "fikabröd" 

Found at cafes around the city, ask them to warm them up a few seconds before serving. So delicious!

Chokladboll

Chokladboll or Chocolate Ball can come in various versions. The cocoa Ball can be rolled in sugar or in coconut. It can also be Vegan. There's even a Chocolate Ball day! See my blog post on Chokladboll day.

Punsch roll or "Dammsugare"

Dammsugare means vaccumm cleaner. Swedes call these little treats by this name because they look like he old style Vaccum cleaner. Filled with Arak, cookie crumb, butter and cocoa and covered with Marizpan dipped in chocolate on both ends. 

Hallongrotta

Hallongrotta translates to Raspberry Cave and these shortbread cookies are pretty delicious. These can also be made Vegan. 

Semla

One of my favorites and available from New Years to Easter time. These cream filled buns are pretty delicious, but also quite filling! It's a must try if you haven't had one before. Check out my Semla blog post! 

If you're in Sweden, you've probably enjoyed more than one fika by now. If you plan to visit, be sure to take the time to sit and enjoy a coffee break! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Stockholm Semla blog post

Anfasteröd Gårdsvik Resort Review

We treated ourselves to a weekend away last month. It was our first getaway in over a year! We found a place at a seaside cabin (or "Badstuga" in Swedish) with an amazing view. Anfasteröd Gårdsvik is located about an hour or so by car, north of Gothenburg, Sweden, in the town of Lyckorna.

The family run resort has taken precautions during Covid time (our visit was in May 2021) and we really appreciated that and felt safe during our stay.

View from the Cabin's patio

The receiption only allowed one family at a time in, or you could ask to do check/in at your cabin. Inside the reception there is also a little store where you can buy food items, drinks and a few souvenirs from the area like soaps. The cafe attached to the reception is unfortunately closed during the Pandemic.

Usually there's a breakfast buffet but for now, they deliver breakfast to your cabin and drop it at the door without disturbing you. It's like Room Service! You just fill out a breakfast form and mark what time you want your breakfast. Breakfast is served from 8-10am.

Breakfast basket dropped right at our door (they usually have a breakfast buffet but this has been paused during the Pandemic)

Delicious cheese, meats, warm homemade bread, veggies, and even Kalles caviar (very Swedish, salty and great on hard boiled eggs).

The newly renovated 'Bather's cottages' or cabins include a kitchenette complete with dishes and pans, a private bathroom, one bedroom with another pull out sofa bed in the living room and a huge window in the living room so you can admire the view.  It's perfect for a couple or even a small family. We brought a bunch of snacks with us which fit into the mini fridge/freezer and pantry. 

There is also a nice patio with a BBQ and set of 4 chairs and table. Remember to bring your own coal for BBQ and lighter if you want to grill during your stay. The patio is a perfect spot for dinner or breakfast and we took advantage of it. 

Note: If you have small kids, remember to move all the knives and sharp kitchen objects up above so they can't reach them. The drawers are where the utensils and knives are located. There are also a few candle stick holders on the table that the kiddos found interesting. We had to put those into the cabinet high away from reach. Our kids also loved running back and forth on the patio and playing with the BBQ grill (basically taking it apart and putting it back again). That was a bit loud, but the neighbours didn't complain.

The resort itself is quite large. Aside from the cabin area we stayed in, there are some larger cabins with a loft down the road, and a huge area for parking your RVs. There's a boardwalk you can walk on with steps leading down to the water. Be warned, the water can be chilly! But on a hot day, it's probably a nice, refreshing dip.

It's good to know that in the main town, there are a few different restaurants. We decided to get takeaway from a Salmon shop called Laxbutiken on our first night. The second night we cooked steaks in our cabin (we bought the steaks from the local grocery store in town).

We weren't able to try out the Sauna or Hot tub this visit, but maybe next time. The Sauna you can book through reception either in-person or by email. It's open late but popular, so check availability before your visit. The Sauna or 'Bastu' in Swedish, is located on the water (so you can cool off right in the ocean) and the wooden hot tub is also outdoors.

During our stay at the resort, we took some day trips around the area and visited an island called Gullholmen and a cute little seaside town called Smögen. On our way we took a detour to Marstrand for a few hours to take a break as our kids aren't so good in the car. Check out my blog on Marstrand.

We really had a wonderful stay at Anfasteröd Gårdsvik! Definitely on our list to come back and stay again... if we can find an opening - Summer seems to be quite popular for the cabins!

Have a great weekend and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Anfasteröd Gårdsvik
Lyckorna, Sweden
Check out their website
Bather's cottages (Cabin or Badstuga, where we stayed)
From 1199 Swedish Kroner/night

Top 5 Summer drinks in Gothenburg, Sweden

Summer weather has arrived in Gothenburg, Sweden!

Whether you're walking around the city or just sitting in a park enjoying the sunshine, here are My Top 5 Summer drinks (non-alcoholic) to quench your thirst.

Espresso House Ice Latte Vanilla 

Order using the Espresso House App and avoid lining up. You even get a chance at coupons for your drinks! Espresso House is also available on Foodora delivery.

Forida's Bubble Tea

This Bubble Tea or "Boba" place has been quite popular the last few months. There is often a crowd waiting outside the entrance. Forida's uses a "Take a number" system and you grab a number by door. 

There has always been a bubble tea place at the mall, Nordstan, in city centre. That one was always popular. I used to get a treat there too, especially when shopping at the Asian Grocery store. But this one on Linnégatan is also pretty good and perfect if you are on a stroll through Linnégatan to Slottskogen or Haga!

Egg & Milk Juice of the month (and smoothies, lattes and milkshakes!)

Egg & Milk is mostly known for American-style pancakes but they also offer some delicious, fresh juices, smoothies, milk shakes and ice lattes. They are really tasty in Summer and actually all-year-round! Try the Strawberry Rhubarb smoothie, an ice latte or a delicious fresh squeezed Orange Juice!

7-Eleven Sweden Slurpees

Yes, there are Slurpees in Sweden! But they are instead referred to as 'Cooler' or 'Slush' in Swedish. The available flavors vary at different 7-Eleven locations. The Ice coffee and 'Coke' knock-off are delish! Pick up a few baked goods while you're there, 7-Eleven in Sweden has some great ones!

Next Level Gelato and Juice bar

Located right on Linnégatan, this place has delish Gelato (Vegan flavors too)! They change flavors every couple of weeks. But if you're in the mood for a refreshing juice or even a milkshake instead, this is a great option. Photo above is from Next Level Gelato's page but they really do present the juices with the fruit on top as pictured! 

There are even kids sizes for the drinks! I really appreciated how patient the staff were when we were deciding which milkshake to get that was Vegan. It was made with Oat milk and delicious!

Enjoy the sunshine wherever you are and if you're in Gothenburg, Sweden or plan to visit in the future (post-pandemic), be sure to check out these places for some delicious drinks or snacks. Remember, don't forget your snacks!

Espresso House 

There are multiple locations around the city!

Also available on Foodora for delivery. 

Forida's Boba tea

Linnégatan 1

Check out their website for their full menu!

Egg & milk

Övre Husargatan 23, Gothenburg, Sweden

Check out their website for the full menu! 

7Eleven

There are plenty of locations around the city! 

Next Level Gelato and Juice bar
Linnégatan 40, 413 08 Göteborg

Check out their website for the full menu and even delivery options.

Swedish Mcdonald's Breakfast!

The breakfast at Swedish McDonald's is served until 10:00. It was the first time I've tried it in Sweden actually. Now that the little one has been waking me up super early and the mornings are nice and sunny, I've been taking early morning walks and we have some outdoor play time. It's nice to know there's a breakfast option during the early hours too. I can get a good walk into the city and have some hashbrowns on my way back home.

Delicious Hashbrowns! It's been so long since I remember having one!

We visited Germany a couple of years ago and I was awake walking the baby around since everyone else was asleep. I was disappointed that they didn't offer any hashbrowns at McDonald's! But now they've added it to the Germany McDonald's menu too! Must have been all European McDonald's that didn't offer hashbrowns until recently.

Even the toddler enjoyed a first taste of the hashbrown! 

But mostly they teethed on it on the way home :)

McDonald's in Sweden offers several other breakfast items. There's the McMuffins - sausage and egg, ham & cheese or plain sausage with cheese. There's a toast - Two slices of bread, ham and cheese then toasted.

There's also pancakes but not the American-style pancakes. Instead, these are European thin pancakes similar to crepes but served with jam.

And then there's breakfast sandwiches or "macka" in Swedish. These can be found at the convenience stores as well and make a great grab-and-go breakfast. It was my go-to when I used to commute to work and was running late.

Do you have a favorite Mcdonald's breakfast item - if you like Mcdonald's breakfast that is? The sandwiches definitely make good snacks and easy to take with you.

Enjoy your breakfast/brunch and remember, don't forget your snacks!

One of Gothenburg's Beautiful Gardens Trädgårdsföreningen

 

When visiting the city of Gothenburg, Sweden it's nice to walk around city centre and see the main streets and shopping area. When you need to take a break from the crowds, why not take a walk in the Trädgårdsföreningen?

The beautiful Garden Society of Gothenburg is located right in Gothenburg centre next to one of the city's canals. There are a few entrances to the gardens with one being by Central Station and another across from Stora Teatern. One of Europe's best preserved parks, there is plenty of open space and grassy areas to sit, have a picnic or just explore the gardens. 

Trädgårdsföreningen includes a huge green house, a great kids play area and a cafe right in the Rose Garden that's perfect for an outdoors fika.

The tables are spaced out around the cafe and on the grassy area.

There are some fountains at the Rose Garden and benches to sit and enjoy some sun.

The Gardens are one of our favorite places to hang out on a nice day :) We like to have some outdoor play at the kids area, then walk along the canal, enjoying the views and sometimes sit and enjoy an ice coffee.

Ice Lattes please!

If you're in Gothenburg or visiting the city in the future (post-pandemic), be sure to add Trädgårdsföreningen to your list of places to visit. Hope you're enjoying the summer weather where you are and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Trädgårdsföreningen

Slussgatan 1, 411 06 Göteborg
Gothenburg, Sweden

Horticultural Society
They will re-open the children's greenhouse with lessons on nature in late August

Check out their website for more on the Garden and the Childrens Greenhouse

Delicious Croissants and Quick Meals, Frozen food at its finest at Picard Grocery store!

We first heard about Picard when we were visiting Nice, France. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) and the breakfast included some delicious, warm croissants for the guests. They were so good, flaky on the outside and soft inside. We asked the lady who owned the B&B how she had time to bake while taking care of the B&B and she said she actually made them from frozen! She buys them from a store called Picard. We walked around that day and stumbled upon the store! It was the first time seeing a store selling only frozen food!

Picard is a French Grocery chain that sells Frozen products for dinners, breakfast, even appetizers, perfect when hosting parties. Delicious items like croissants, macarons, dessert pies, quick meals and more. When you hear Frozen, you probably think TV Dinners right? But Picard offers a lot more and it may surprise you how good some things are!

When we heard they would be opening one in Gothenburg (maybe 4 years ago now) we were so excited and have visited Picard ever since.

We started buying desserts for parties at Picard and even our guests started to look forward to the macarons!

These are the delicious Macarons that we would bring to parties and everyone would ask where we got them :) On some days, Picard even has free Balloons for the kids :)

Frozen Mini Croissants baking in the oven means the whole place smells like butter croissants!

These days, we make sure to stock the yummy croissants in the freezer most of the time. When we used to have guests (pre-pandemic), they would love them. 

My aunt who visited when my daughter was a newborn even asked me about the croissants months after her visit. Thinking back on that visit, I'm glad I was able to offer her a delicious breakfast. And it makes me smile to know how much she enjoyed them with Brie and Jam. They're a delicious addition to any brunch and make great snacks as well and Kid-friendly  (but unfortunately, not Vegan).

Picard is also great for quick and easy dinners you could pop in your oven - even items like Duck, organic meats, pizza and pies.

Enjoy your Tuesday and remember, dont forget your snacks!

Picard
Check out their website
Locations in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden!

Happy Swedish National Day!

June 6th is Swedish National Day!

Before 1983, this Swedish holiday was called "Swedish Flag Day". Now, it's referred to as Swedish National Day or "Sveriges Nationaldag" (in Swedish). There are two historical events that are honoured on this day: Gustav Vasa being elected king (6 June 1523) and the adoption of a new constitution (6 June 1809). Even the Trams and buses have flags this week. 

From what we've seen in Gothenburg compared to it's neighbor Norway's National Day, where Norwegians dress up in their traditional clothing, it's pretty chill over here. I'm sure in the nation's capital, Stockholm, it's a bigger deal with the Royal Palace and the Royal family. Of course, this year with the pandemic, it's probably a quiet National Day all around the country. 

How should you celebrate?
- Perhaps a BBQ along with some other traditional Swedish foods like Pickled Herring and Potatoes.
- Enjoy a fika (coffeetime) outdoors in the sunshine at one of the many cafes in the city. or just at one of the beautiful gardens
- And don't forget your snacks to go with your coffee like Swedish Cinnamon buns, Strawberry cake or some delicious cupcakes (Thank you AweSum Cakes!)! 

This year's Swedish National Day, is pretty special for us. Unfortunately, there aren't any official celebrations at the local city park due to the Pandemic. Why is this year, 2021 so different from other years? Well, this is the year we received our Swedish Citizenship!

Flags flying all over the city today! 

It's still pretty new, so it feels strange to even say it. Sweden doesn't allow birthright ciitzenship like many other countries which meant our whole family had to apply. The application process varies by individual, but we were getting a bit disappointed every time we heard people who applied after us, receiving their citizenship only a couple months later. And here we were waiting over a year with no updates to our application status. When we eventually received it earlier this year, it was over 2 years from when we applied.

Note: There is an option to fill out a special form, "Notice to close case", to be put in the 'faster' queue. Which we ended up doing after 6 months.

The whole application process and waiting time at Migrationsverket (The Swedish Migration office) leave a lot to be desired (even pre-pandemic, wait times have been ridiculously long) and the majority can't do anything but wait. I'm so glad we don't need to worry about waiting any longer. Next step, getting our new passports and then traveling with them when it's safe again!! And maybe learning the Swedish National Anthem ;)

Delicious cupcakes topped with Mango icing in Swedish colors to help celebrate 

Swedish National Day! Thank you Awesum Cakes! 

Happy weekend and Glad Nationaldag Sverige! If you're in Sweden, enjoy celebrating in the sunshine and remember, don't forget your snacks!

AweSum Cakes bakery
Gothenburg, Sweden

Check out AweSum Cakes website for more beautiful cupcake and cake designs. 

A Look Back at Way Out West Music and Film Festival

(This blog post was originally written in June 2021)

Unfortunately, Way Out West 2021 was  cancelled again due to the high number of Covid cases here in Sweden during the Spring. The popular Summer Music Festival that takes place in Slottsskogen in Gothenburg, Sweden was of course cancelled in 2020 too because of the Pandemic.

Way Out West is an amazing festival Experience and it's disappointing that it was canceled in 2021. It's one of the biggest festivals in the Sweden and always features some great artists and films! The good news is, it has been announced that Way Out West will be back in 2022 and tickets are already on sale.

Check out the Way Out West Website to reserve your tickets!

I have had a few opportunities to go to Way Out West over the years. I've tasted the Meat free snacks (All of the food options at the festival are Vegetarian) - the churros were one of my favorites! I've looked forward to seeing which films premiered during the festival and I've even watched a couple at the tents they set up for movie watching! 

I've also loved seeing artists such as Florence + the Machine, Chvrches, Hakan Hellström and Alicia Keys perform live infront of all of their fans! The crowd's energy at Way Out West is incredible. 

It doesn't matter if it's the main stage or one of the smaller ones, everyone seems to have a great time. The city of Gothenburg really comes to life in the summer and during the festival, there are after shows each day at various venues around the city. Who knew a small city like Gothenburg could host such a large, amazing event and draw so many great entertainers!

Alicia Keys was already in Europe for her "Girl on Fire" album tour! 

Glad she performed at Way Out West and we were able to see her.

The popular festival Way Out West drew crowds from all over, had multiple stages around the park for various artists playing at the same time. 

Live music in the sunshine. It doesn't get better than this!

I have so many great memories from Way Out West over the years! Even the years I haven't been able to attend, I could hear the music and crowds from our old place.

If you're in Gothenburg, Sweden, check out Way Out West! It's an enjoyable festival experience! Just don't forget your rainboots and ponchos! 

Happy Throwback Thursday and remember, don't forget your snacks!

Way Out West

Aug 10-13 2023

Slottsskogen Park, Gothenburg, Sweden

Check out their website for more info

Happy 400th Birthday, Gothenburg, Sweden!

The city of Gothenburg, Sweden turns 400 years old on Friday, June 4th, 2021! 

The official in-person festivities have been postponed until 2023 due to the Pandemic but there are still a few different things you can do to celebrate on your own such as a tuning in for a live broadcast with the Crown Princess and trying some Anniversary cake!

For more events, Check out Göteborg.com's guide  to the 400th year anniversary.

Gothenburg Hotel Stay offer! You can even stay at some Hotels in the city for 400kr/person. Check out the Göteborg.com post here.

Anniversary Cake! There's a special 400th year anniversary cake "with the flavors of summer" that bakeries around the city will offer. 

There is one version at the popular bakery Steinbrenner & Nyberg that is sure to be delicious!
"Göteborgsbakelsen is a summery pastry consisting of a shortcrust pastry base with mazarine filling, topped with passion fruit curd and passion fruit mousse. Of course we put our own touch on the pastry as usual." - Steinbrenner & Nyberg

Steinbrenner & Nyberg version of the Anniversary cake (need to try this!)

There's even an Anniversary bread! That's also Vegan!

Both of the special Gothenburg Anniversary treats make great snacks! 

If you're in the city, hope you are able to enjoy a cake or two while watching the live broadcast or just hanging out in the city (especially with this wonderful Summer weather we've been having). And remember, don't forget your snacks!

Check out some of my other blog post about the city:
Gothia Towers Staycation

Botanical Gardens 

Liseberg

Cafes in Haga

Sega Gubben Candy store

Happy 400th Birthday to Gothenburg, Sweden!