My interest in Sweden was aroused when I heard about “fika,” a break in the day when the Swedes imbibe coffee and cinnamon rolls. I looked up a picture of the rolls on Pinterest and promptly told Adam I was ready to go. Alright, so that is not the real reason, but it most certainly was part of it! The real reason we visited Sweden is because it is there where dwells Adam's beloved Swedish mother, Henny Rothman, and it was high time the kids and I met this enigmatic woman and the rest of her incredible family.
We flew from Edinburgh into Gothenburg, the country’s second largest city, and called our airbnb host to let her know we had arrived. She was apologetic, but ended up in the hospital and so would need to cancel our reservation. We scratched our heads and debated whether we could stomach paying for a hotel room. Sweden is quite expensive, so instead we headed to a campground on the outskirts. How expensive is Sweden? Well, the campground charged us almost 80USD per night, plus we had to buy a “camping card” for an additional 25USD. Yikes. This was no ordinary campground, however, and like the rest of Sweden, it was clean, be-flowered, and included all the amenities.
We were up early, ready to search for the perfect cup of coffee and perhaps even a "pre-fika" cinnamon roll. I found us a quaint little alley cafe and we sat down to contentedly eat. It was delicious...but when I continued on my walk after, the unthinkable occurred. I explain in my video below.
Every shop in Gothenburg struck me with its creative displays; it seemed a fairyland of beautiful forms and colors. Even the barber shops were impressive, but more so the handsome men seated inside, being shaved and gelled to an astonishing level of perfection. You know that beard and man-bun obsession? They've got it down, single ladies.
As we headed to the Haga District, we passed numerous flower shops. I was taken aback. I had once dreamt of owning my own flower shop. I was going to shock the world by introducing vegetables into my arrangements, accepting innumerable accolades for my ingenuity. Sweden beat me to it. These bouquets were of an entirely different nature than a traditional American bouquet; our hot-house flowers are naught but petals to be pitied.
Haga is Gothenburg's oldest neighborhood, comprised of pastel-colored wooden buildings. There is much to take in, with no shortage of sweet boutiques and cafes. Meander down the cobblestone streets smelling soaps and perfumes, studying handmade wares, and tasting various baked goods. We came in the late morning when the pastries were just being set on display. When we passed through again in the evening, we found the temptations to now be half off. I purchased more cinnamon rolls, quite giddy over my luck. Unfortunately, they were dried out after a day in the sun and definitely not worth the calories. I ate them anyway.
Gothenburg's southern archipelago is made of small islands dotted with farmhouse style summer homes, hiking and biking trails, and picturesque ports. A ticket from the Salthomen boat terminal will gain you access to a hop on/hop off ferry service. We spent most of our time walking the picturesque island of Domsö, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the neighborhoods and a coastal hike created by the residents.
It's unfortunate we only had one day in Gothenburg as there is quite a bit to see. We were off to visit our friends in the nearby town of Falkenberg the next morning, but knew we would one day return to see more of this beautiful city.
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