One Day in Malmö

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The thing with big cities is that they might be difficult to get to know, especially if you’re only visiting for a couple of days. I like to put together One or Two days programs that offer a good chance to meet the soul of a city. Here is my attempt to do so for Sweden’s third largest city: Malmö.

Start your day early, so that you stroll the streets as the stores are starting their day. Empty streets during morning quietness are one of the secret beauties of City Life. Stroll around Möllan’s thrift store packed corners and look for hidden gems or alternative health shops. Continue to Astrid och Aporna, where you fill a basket with random organic and vegan goodies. No food planning, just pick the yummiest looking thing on the shelf to create a Vegan Smörgårdsbord feast later.

After spending time in a food store, lunch is probably on the agenda. Head west towards the Agnes street and lovely Café Agnes. This popular and Mother Nature friendly pearl serves creative meals and sublime Fika (pastries). Its location, interior and charming patio are all characteristics that define Malmö. After a filling lunch, and despite being stuffed, buy a vegan brownie to go. Just do it you won’t regret it!

Locate the central station and take a bus to its end stop. Find a yellow bus that says “Falsterbo” and pay with a bus card for a better deal. The ride is about an hour and shows you both ocean and big yellow rape field.

Walk over the sand dunes and let the turquoise ocean greet you. If you visit in spring or early summer: enjoy the stillness and gentle breeze. If it’s in July, try to find a spot for your towel in between German tourists. Bask in the sun until you remember the brownie you brought and decide to eat it while waves are stroking the shore.

Falsterbo Beach, Malmö, Sweden

Take the bus back and spend the night cooking your random groceries. Maybe it turns out as Swedish vegan tapas. Try to use all your ingredients as you create a recap of the day in the kitchen.

If you happen to try this on a Tuesday, you might as well end a perfect day with a beautiful Kirtan gathering at Yoga Kendra on Friisgatan. If you’re out on a Saturday, on the other hand, why not bring the food to take a boat ride along the river, accompanied by live music. 

Do you have any hidden secret places you want to share? Please comment below! :)

Pura Vida

Highlights of 2013

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According to the linear time made up by humans, the year of 2013 is coming to an end. As many do around this time of year, I am going to sum up some of the amazing experiences I’ve had during 2013. It has been a tumultuous year in many ways and my within-journeys deriving from my travels around the world have been great and profound. My intentions for 2014 are to continue deeper into my spiritual journey, wherever in the world it may take me.

Ok, so let’s sum up some extra good times!

 

1.    San José in February and March: This is festival time in Costa Rica and its capital. The classic Latin American Carnaval is being centered around Puntarenas, whereas the capital holds festivals like Transitarte. I especially enjoy these kinds of events, with street art and free concerts around Down Town San José and its city parks. The streets are buzzing with happy people and the bars are full even at daytime! Of course, February is also the month when the Moon Dance is held but that topic requires its own post. Some day I might tell you about it.

2.    Puerto Viejo January to May: The tiny village Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is the place in Costa Rica I call “home”. Sure, we have had our differences: humidity, unwanted animals in the house and cold- to mention a few. But it is impossible not to love this place. I get to wake up, in the jungle, to the sound of howler monkeys and have breakfast with hummingbirds and to do yoga while resting my eyes on the ocean waves rolling in to shore. Puerto Viejo is also the place to visit for a culinary experience and I’m sure you know that I love food! Organic, fresh from the garden, hand made chocolate, you name it Puerto got it!

I also had my sister staying with me for 4 whole months in this paradise, which is a true blessing! 

3.    The United States in May and June: I know some of you will smile reading this- having said I never wanted to go to the states. Of course, the reason it ends up on this list is the exact same reason I went there in the first place: visiting one of the most important persons in my life. What really made this trip special was to get to travel with my partner and him introducing me to his life in this culture that is so far away and yet so close to “my own” (what ever that is). Who would have known I’d go camping with a bunch of motorbikes in the Nevadan desert for instance? I love that life takes me to unexpected places.

Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco 

4.    Sweden in July: I went from north to south this year basically. I have never before been to Österlen in the south east of Sweden and its spectacular nature and breath taking sceneries stuck to my heart. Summer is when Sweden shines in all her glory. Such a beautiful country! Sometimes I find Sweden and Costa Rica very much alike. For instance, the fact that nature varies greatly from place to place within both the two (small) countries.

One of the finest memories from the Österlen trip is when mom and me went to Kivik and ate for hours at the raw food restaurant. (Again: food!)

Norrland (Photo Credit: Ola Danielsson)

Norrland, Sweden (Photo Credit: Ola Danielsson)

Yes, it's a rain deer

Ale Stenar at Österlen

5.    Festivals in August: For August there is no better place to be than Småland. Heaps of stuff is going on all over: festivals, markets, harvest parties and what not. This year, I packed a car and went to a music festival in the forest. Mundekulla is about song, dance and love, created by and through the people attending. It will always warm my heart to think about it and I hope I get the chance to return every year.

My partner in crime (at least when it comes to yoga) and I grabbed our mats and jumped on a train bounded for Copenhagen a weekend in late August. The Copenhagen Yoga Festival is an outdoor event where you can try a variety of yoga styles, listen to lectures, snack yummy raw food, meet people from all over the world and even go into the ocean if you want to! It was a great weekend with, maybe, the last hot sun rays of summer. 

Las Salvajes

So, there you have it: my Highlights of 2013 -list! Now, I’m curious about what you enjoyed most this year. Tell me all about it in the comments below :)

 

Happy New Years and Pura Vida

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