Halloween in Sweden

A relatively new holiday that is celebrated by some in Sweden, Halloween decorations can be seen mostly in stores and a few cafes.

In Gothenburg, Halloween season is celebrated at the city's theme park, Liseberg. Check out my post on Halloween at Liseberg.

In Stockholm, the theme park Gröna Lund has a Halloween season as well. There is an Old Town (Gamla Stan) Ghost tour that has been recommended to us and seems like a fitting activity to do during spooky season 👻 

Pumpkins to carve can be found at the grocery stores!

If you're looking for Halloween decorations or costumes, places like Partyland or Flying Tiger are great places to check out.

"Bus eller Godis" or "Trick or Treat" in Swedish is what kids say when they go trick or treating! 

It's not as popular to do as in North America but we have had kids knock on our door looking for candy! One year I wasn't even expecting it, but the following years we were prepared with candy!

Candy shops like Hemmakväll or even Normal are perfect places to buy the candy for any trick-or-treaters!

The date that Swedes go trick-or-treating is confusing, if Halloween falls on a weekday, it could be the weekend before or even the weekend after! 

Chocolate shops and bakeries usually offer some Halloween themed treats like chocolate!

Bakeries like Haga Bageri and Magnus Johansson Bageri offer seasonal spooky treats!

Past blog post on Magnus Johansson Bageri

Have a safe and fun Halloween season!!

Don't forget your snacks!

Egg and Milk diner in Gothenburg, always decorates for the holidays!

Haga Bageri Stockholm

With a few locations in Stockholm, including one in Hammarby Sjöstad, Haga Tårtcompani & Bageri is a another great option for fika, lunch or even a cake for a special celebration!

Haga Bageri also has a vegan cinnamon bun for those who are vegan or have allergies!

We have ordered their delicious carrot cake and the guests devoured it! 

For special order cakes, you can ask them to put a "Happy Birthday" or other message on the cake. They also sell some custom Princesss cakes for kids and can even accommodate some allergies.

Haga Bageri is a lovely cake company and bakery cafe! If you're in Stockholm, and looking for a nice spot for fika, why not a nice coffee break at Haga Bageri!

Don't forget your snacks!

Haga Tårtcompani & Bageri

Hammarby allé 1, 120 32 Stockholm, Sweden 

Check our their website to order or see their menu 

Fanny Udde Bistro Stockholm

 

Located near the Sickla shopping centre, in Nacka (a city in Stockholm county), Fanny Udde Bistro is a lovely place for lunch, fika or even a weekend brunch with family.

It's a restaurant in an old two-storey house, so there are seating areas outside on the grassy yard or indoors in a few of the rooms.

There is a ramp at the entrance for those who can't do stairs. The inside is a bit cozy so it's easier to park a stroller outside. However, when there is outdoor seating, it's a great place for lunch and there is plenty of space for stroller parking!

For lunch, you can order from your table and then take salad and bread. Coffee is also included with your meal.

If you want something sweet with your coffee for dessert, you can add it for 

an additional cost. 

We have enjoyed some delicious meals at Fanny Udde! 

Delicious Seafood stew

Roast beef and sweet potato fries

The grandparents have also enjoyed lunch at Fanny Udde so it is also manageable lunch spot for seniors too.

For those looking for a place to host business meetings or a small conference, the upstairs of Fanny Udde has four separate meeting rooms that can be booked.

If you're looking for a nice weekday lunch option or a cozy place for weekend brunch in Stockholm, check out Fanny Udde Bistro!

They also offer a Julbord during the Christmas season!

Don't forget your snacks!

Fanny Udde Bistro

Uddvägen 10b, 131 54 Nacka, Sweden

Check out their website for their weekly lunch menu.

Garden Kafe & Bistro Sickla

We enjoy some outdoor play at Marcusplatsen near Sickla shopping center on a nice day. It's nice to have the Dieselverkstaden Kulturhuset to duck into to warm up and grab fika or it down for lunch.

There's the Bistro Sickla restaurant that offers weekend lunch for adults and a kids menu with items like grilled hot dog and fries or fish & chips.

The Garden Kafe is located next to the library and offers some snacks and hot drinks. Both are great options when you need a snack after some outdoor play!

The little one was glad to find a vegan smoothie option for fika!

There is a lot of space in the cafe area so strollers can be easily brought in and parked indoors. At the restaurant, you can park the stroller before going in.

If you're at Marcusplatsen for outdoor play and want a close option for coffee or a snack, checkout the Garden Kafe and Bistro.

Don't forget your snacks!

Garden Kafe and Bistro Sickla

Marcusplatsen 17, 131 54 Dieselverkstaden

Celebrate Shrimp Sandwich Day - Räkmackans Dag!

On Oct 14th, celebrate Räkmackans Dag or Shrimp Sandwich Day! It's the day, Swedes pay tribute to the iconic, open faced shrimp sandwich. If you're Sweden, you will find Räkmacka at cafes, fish markets and even the grocery store.

Shrimp Sandwich at Göta fisk market in Södermalm. Choose either Rye or wheat for the bread.

This food holiday is actually pretty new,  founded in 2009 by Arlanda Airport in Stockholm to honor this popular sandwich with roots dating back to the 19th century.

What do you usually find on a Räkmacka? 

It starts off with a thin, flat piece of bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, sliced hardboiled egg, then piled high with little shrimp. It might also be topped with some fresh herbs.

We have tried a Shrimp Sandwich at the Gothia Towers hotel in Gothenburg. It was loaded with Shrimp.

Check out my blog post on a staycation at Gothia Towers. 

There is also a Swedish saying about a shrimp sandwich!

"Att glida in på en räkmacka", or “To slide in on a shrimp sandwich.” This refers to someone who didn't need to work hard for what they have!

Have you tried a Shrimp Sandwich? Wherever you try your Shrimp sandwich this weekend, hope you enjoy it!

Don't forget your snacks!

Some cafes to try in Stockholm:

Robin Delselius Bageri

Renstiernas gata 19, 116 31 Stockholm

Göta Fisk 

Götgatan 96, 118 62 Stockholm

Spaaks Konditori

Tumba Torg 3, Tumba, Sweden, 147 30

Restaurant Göteborg 

Midskeppsgatan 31, 120 66 Stockholm

Skeppsbro Bageri

Tullhus 1, Skeppsbron 21, 111 30 Stockholm

Visiting Rome Italy With Kids

We recently visited Rome, Italy with 2 kids! We spent a week in beautiful Rome and met up with relatives who were on their Anniversary/Graduation European adventure.

Here are some tips on visiting Rome with kids!

Stroller/carrier

With uneven streets, cobblestones and cars parked everywhere, we opted not to have to deal with a stroller this trip. 

During our first trip with kids to Rome, we brought a stroller and a baby carrier. We actually used the baby carrier a lot more. Baby was only 5 months old then. 

If you have kids who can walk (our youngest was 3) and are too big for a baby carrier, it's ok to visit the city without a stroller. Of course, this depends on what you think is best for you and your little ones!

Grocery stores 

We always restocked our snacks and breakfast items for our apartment at the local grocery stores. We found that Coop, didn't have the Vegan items we were interested in so we preferred the local Italian grocery stores, like Pam Local. 

Playgrounds 

Behind Castel Sant Angelo, is great place for a picnic. We really enjoyed picnics there during our visit to Rome. Kids played and then took a break in the shade.

Trastevere

There was another playground we enjoyed after lunch in Trastevere.

Snacks 

Some snacks the kids enjoyed aside from banana, were Salami sticks, olives, Maritozzo, slices of pizza, crackers and bread.

Cold carbonated water also helped keep us cool in addition to drinking lots of still water and rewarding ourselves with delicious gelato, which you can find around every corner in Rome!

Check out my blog on Gelato in Rome.

Restaurants

We found that kids enjoyed whatever restaurant we sat in for lunch or dinner. They even loved the little breakfst places we found for coffee and snacks where we sat outside. 

There was always lots of action for them to see. We always brought some drawing supplies like colored pencils for them to use while they waited for food.

Most places we found used paper place mats so they were perfect for drawing on! 

Bring a few toys for them to play with too.

It can be challenging traveling with small kids on a city vacation especially when it's hot and humid, but it is possible. As long as you don't plan too much and you take lots of breaks!

Don't forget your snacks!

Some Restaurants we enjoyed:

Ai Marmi Pizzeria

Check out my blog post on this delicious pizza!

Gelateria Sweet Life 

Check out my blog post on this great gelato spot

Pizzeria Baffetto (we actually ate here on a previous Rome visit and went to the same place without realizing it until after we arrived at the restaurant!!)

Via del Governo Vecchio, 114, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Cave Canem Trattoria

Piazza di S. Calisto, 11, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

Forno Monteforte

Via del Pellegrino, 129, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Supplizo 

Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 143, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Roscioli

Check out my blog post on Roscioli Rome

If you have allergies, Check out my blog post on eating in Rome with allergies 

Nobelberget Marknad Stockholm

Nobelberget Marknad took place in September at Marcusplatsen, the square next to Sickla shopping centre. 

Here's a look back at the event! A vintage market and folk festival, with various vendors selling art and crafts plus food and drink, there was plenty to see and do.

The weather was lovely so this event was also well supported!

They even had some live performances on stage for kids and parents like children's band, Orkesterpop.

The facepainting and balloon animal lineups were a bit long, so instead we had lunch, and a snack (bubble tea and crepe) then toured the market!

Crepes from MCreperie 

Delicious Bubble Tea from Naicha 

Nobelberget is the growing district with apartments, business spaces and a preschool.

It was a lovely weekend spent outdoors, trying some food and supporting the local event!

We are looking forward to the next one!

If you're in Stockholm and looking for a fun market and festival with food, vendors, and music, check out Nobelberget Marknad!

Don't forget your snacks! 

Nobelberget Marknad

Check out their website 

MCreperie

Check out their instagram 

Naicha food truck

Check out their Instagram

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month

You may have seen pink ribbons around this month? For those who don't know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month in North America and other parts of the world, including Sweden!

Pink semlor in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month at Vivels Cafe! 

Breast cancer awareness month helps raise awareness for Breast Cancer, its detection, its treatment, and the need for a reliable, permanent cure, which, unfortunately, is still not available...

Breast Cancer is the most common Cancer in America. 1 in 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer in their lifetime. So many people have been affected by Breast Cancer, either themselves, a friend or family member.

 

Although they say it usually affects women over 50, women under 50 can still get breast cancer. My own mom lost her battle with Breast Cancer at 45 years old, when my siblings and I were very young. 

There are a number of different risk factors (Some avoidable (like alcohol), while some are not (family history)), but the cause of Breast Cancer is not known. It's the result of damage to a cell's DNA.

From the National Breast Cancer Society page: 

"Having a risk factor does not mean that a woman will get breast cancer. Many women who have risk factors never develop breast cancer."

Now, a mom myself, I can't imagine having just 9 years with my little ones. ❤️ it just seems too short :(

Self-testing and mammograms are some ways to help detect early Breast Cancer. If you feel a lump, don't hesitate, get it checked.

Learn more about Breast Cancer Awareness at the Breast Cancer Society.

Don't forget your snacks (and self tests)! 

Gifflar Swedish snack

Gifflar, pronounced "Yifflar" in Swedish, is a popular snack and popular gift for friends and family. These delicious little Swedish cinnamon bun bites are soft and sweet and honestly, it's hard to eat just one!

They're easy to bring with you for a snack or pack in your luggage to give away as a gift. We have given away a few gifflar bags ;)

I've also heard that this snack pairs well with nuts or chocolate!

Pagen, the company that produces Gifflar, also offers different snacks like mini semla and vanilla filled buns.

During the Christmas season, there are even little saffran flavored Gifflar and Lussekatter or Saffron buns!

Gifflar snacks can be found at convenience stores like Pressbyrån or 7Eleven or your local grocery store in Sweden and are often on sale too! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Check out the Pågen website for more Gifflar flavors and even some recipes!