Sweden

A country many kilometres in length but much fewer in width!

Now and then we travel in our own country. With relatives in both ends of this longish home land, the drive gives us opportunity for being tourists. Born and reared in the North (Västerbotten – Margareta) but with the paternal relatives in the South (Skåne) many a summer was spent among cousins and Aunties at their farms with cows, poultry and horses.

Midsummer in Skåne – with the traditional picking of flowers and then dance around the Maypole between the rain showers, and bathe in the sea – but swimming was impossible because we seemed to have to walk halfway to Denmark first!

These are very nice memories which sometimes are topics of conversation at revisits on celebrations and birthdays.

Along the long road to Skåne it is necessary to find a nice place for a break, and have something to eat. In the cute little town Gränna on the east side of Lake Vättern you’ll find “Amalias” at the town square, and nearby is a hilarious cafe from the 1950’s, the “Fiket”, with a Jukebox and portraits of the Icons of those years on the walls as well. We love it!
Some of the younger visitors are copies of us, with clothes and hair as we had long ago. (Chuckle, chuckle!)

Fiket’s Bakery, in the same house, makes bread and sweet bread, cakes and biscuits, crisp bread (Count Brahe’s); to eat at once or buy as very nice and yummy souvenirs, and the sandwiches (grilled if you feel for that) and the coffee are good. “Amalia’s” has the same owner, but they will serve you good food on plates! With crisp bread from Fiket!

Sweets from Gränna are famous! The ” Äkta (genuine) Polkagrisar” with peppermint flavour from “Amanda”, are handmade (you can watch!) in the little shop and sweet museum in the next block, and it shares the entrance with a dentist! Symbiosis! So why hurry? You’ll not regret if you make a stop there!

Gränna:
Gränna-Visingsö -sweets and tourist tips
Fiket! Cafee as in the 1950-ies >> picture with blue tulips!

TIPS for tourists!

Sverige info 
– everything a tourist want to know!
Welcome to Stockholm, maps, hotels, “what’s on”
The Vasa ship  – choose your own language
The Butterfly house at Haga

Nusnäs – about the genuine Dala horse

May be this link about “Skandland “, with information about ALL the Nordic countries, will come in handy on a Scandinavian tour! Anything you want to know about traditions, food, fairy tales, history, places etc. Happy journey!

Välkommen! Velkommen! Velkomin! Tervetuloa!