Sweden celebrates Valborg, it’s own version of bonfire night on the last day of April. This is a Spring festival, unlike bonfire nights and fire festivals around the world, which generally take place in late Autumn. Valborg- the name originating from Saint Walpurga, an abbess at a monastery during the 700s and traditions introduced from German […]
Sweden
Small Family Apartment Remodelling- Taking Down a Wall
So, does 700 square feet for a family of 5 plus dog count as a small apartment or a tiny apartment? It certainly is tight! Some remodelling is called on, for sure. On a beautiful Saturday, when the weather was actually beckoning us to sit on our terrace to just chill, sip coffee and eat cake, […]
Small Family Apartment Remodelling- Creating a Spacious Family Room
The original bedroom in our new small family apartment will have to acquire a new role: the living room and dining room. You see, our apartment was built in the sixties, for a young couple or perhaps an older couple. It had a spacious bedroom, kitchen, a lovely dining room with an attached, small balcony […]
Dinghy and liferaft options for a 28 foot sailing boat
Even as we signed the papers to buy S/V Mariposa we joked that we now need to get 2 extra boats to go on her: A dinghy and a life raft. However, in all seriousness, we do have some real decisions to make: Do we need a dinghy? This is determined by our intended cruising plans […]
Finding somewhere to live in Uppsala, Sweden
Oh no! We got the dreaded email: our homeowners are returning home. Not totally unexpected, but I was hoping to get to spend another year in this lovely home we are renting now. Instead, we embark on the dreaded journey of searching for accommodation. The housing situation in Sweden’s larger cities is notoriously complicated and […]
Laugh more! The theme of 2018
Over the Christmas holidays we snuggled a lot, ate even more, played and watched movies. It was wonderful to simply be! We had no plans, just let the days come as they did. Spontaneously, we had very good friends over for Christmas dinner, met up in town with university friends over all the way from […]
Slow travel- Exploring Eriksdalbadet, Stockholm
These were the sheds for the allotments! A stroll in Eriksdalbadet, Stockholm was perfect for relaxing after a hectic week. A post shared by ✈ Monika Travel & Kids ? (@mumonthebrink) on May 15, 2017 at 11:51am PDT The kids had a waterpolo tournament at Eriksdalbadet, the biggest swim complex in Stockholm. It was […]
Family Ski and Snowboarding Experience at Kläppen Ski Resort, Sweden
This winter we decided to take our first family wintersport holiday. Super exciting! (After spending a month editing the ski issue of Inspireroo magazine I desperately wanted to go snowboarding! ) Scouring the web for ski lodges to rent for a last minute getaway after Christmas, I happened upon one in the Sälen region at Kläppen […]
5 Steps to Mastering Hygge- Lessons from Living in Sweden
I know, I know Hygge is Danish, not Swedish! The Swedes have a word for Hygge too: mysigt, and the Norwegians refer to koselig. Anyway, Hygge is, from what I can gather, all about a cozy, contented feeling of happiness through grasping the everyday moments in life and enjoying them. The Danes are particularly good at […]
Celebrating spring with the Cow release- Uppsala, Sweden
The long, cold winter in Sweden has shaped the way things are done in all different walks of life. In Sweden the cows don’t get to enjoy as much outdoor life as they do in the UK; they need protecting from the harsh conditions and spend 8-9 months of the year indoors. They don’t have […]