At the end of June, my husband and I escaped the thick Alabama heat and travelled to Northern Europe to explore the countries around the Baltic Sea. We arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark with eager eyes, prepared to experience the magical places we had read so much about.
Viking Ship, Oslo, Norway
Awhile back, before it was the cool trend it is now, our family discovered hygge, the Danish, and more widely Scandinavian “warm, cozy sense of well-being; being grateful for the present moments, for warming, light-filled simple things,” as I wrote several years ago. I’ve read books about Danish lykke and hygge, Swedish lagom and fika, and Finnish sisu, soaking up all sorts of cultural goodness. I was so excited to actually visit these places that I spent 125 days straight learning Danish on my Duolingo app. (Ja, jeg ved, jeg er lidt skør. Men jeg er også sjov). I read up on Norse mythology, pestering everyone with my accumulated facts. We researched the culture, landmarks, history and food of each country to which we planned to travel. I was more than ready for my fika in Sweden, a sauna in Finland and a bicycle ride in Denmark.
The Scandinavian countries have a pretty amazing reputation, consistenly ranked as the happiest countries on earth despite months of cold, dark winter. Traveling around, we experienced a peaceful beauty, a community-oriented social structure, and a simple, healthy wholeness that we, as Americans, would do well to notice and absorb. In the beautiful Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, we stumbled into wonder. We would also travel to Germany, Estonia and Russia, but we will save those tales and drawings for another day.
Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark
We spent two days in Copenhagen, riding roller coasters at Tivoli, eating great food, visiting gardens, castles, and museums. We also spent a lot of time wandering. We sat on the stones by the sea, watching crowds of tourists teeter on rocks for selfies with the famous Little Mermaid statue. We strolled down streets and through the squares in the late night sun, taking in the sights, listening to revelers laugh and sing on a Friday night. We walked along the top of the old fort, bracing ourselves agains the strong breeze and watching swans swim and magpies scavenge. We posed for a picture in front of the famous colored facade of Nyhavn. We enjoyed pastries and coffees in a softly lit cafe, with comfortable benches and blankets. Denmark was heavenly – beautiful, friendly, one of the greenest countries in the world. And yes, there are bicycles everywhere.
doodle of Munch’s Hans Jaeger, Norway
Next, we boarded our cruise ship and headed for Oslo, Norway. My previous image of Norway was only shaped by Epcot and the movie Frozen, and Vikings of course; as expected, Norway is so much more. Oslo is a strong, sleek city and, upon arriving, we hopped a ferry to the Viking Ship museum and the Norsk Folkemuseum. We spent a lovely day exploring old Norwegian homes and farmsteads, culminating in the iconic Stave church- ancient, dark wood, nestled in the firs, the strong smell of pine will stay with me forever. When we got tired, we rested with soft serve ice-cream rolled in chocolate powder…everyone should do that. Yum. We went to the Nasjonalmusseet and saw Edvard Munch’s The Scream, but I have to say my favorite Munch painting was Hans Jaeger. I had to give drawing him a try. Exhausted, we walked through the Nobel Peace Center (they give out the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo), and then slept really well as we travelled to Germany.
Helsinki, Finland
Fast forward to our arrival in the gorgeous country of Finland. I think these might be my people. Known for being introverted, the Finns are so friendly in a relaxed, casual way that I, as an awkward introvert myself, felt so at ease. We wandered through Helsinki early on that Sunday morning; the city felt still and empty, a cold wind whipping through the streets. We climbed the giant stairs of the National Cathedral and sat in the sun, watching the city wake up and feeling the warmth return. After we had thawed out, we found a cozy cafe for a delicious coffee and cinnamon bun. We shopped in the market square, walked down a few piers to look at the Baltic Sea with its rocky islands and sail boats, and then made our way to Löyly, a strikingly built Finnish sauna on the water.
The sauna = my favorite moment on the trip. Whoa. Hotter than I could have imagined, the heat of the smoke sauna burnt my lips and nostrils. I slowly breathed through it until I realized I wasn’t actually going to die. Then we started sweating. Holy moly, even the back of my hands were sweating. After 10 minutes of enduring the heat, not totally unpleasantly, we walked out and jumped into the 40 degree Baltic Sea. It took my breath away and I popped back out really fast, but I. Did. It. And then we did the whole process again, and then one more time. We were so happy. Stupid happy. We sat there in the sun with a Finnish beer, feeling invigorated and alive. I wish I had a sauna and a cold sea outside my doorstep…
And now for Sweden. The last stop on our adventure before heading home, we were only able to wander around Stockholm for a small portion of the day. We saw the huge Vasa, the 17th century Swedish warship that sank upon its first sailing and is almost perfectly preserved. We ate Swedish meatballs with potatoes and lingonberry jam in the old town square Gamla Stan. The architecture was spectacular, the city magnificent.
Scandinavians know how to do it right. Besides a few treats and trinkets, we brought back an ease, a further encouraged desire for equality and peace, for a better way, a better lifestyle, for better environmental and financial choices. It bolstered the thoughts we’ve been gathering and showed us a better way to live – centered around life, family and nature, rather than the rushed, anxiety-driven, consumerist lifestyle America seems trapped in. We realized we can do something different, and we intend to.
Since the trip, we have been following up on those lessons. We have been steadily minimizing our possessions and our spending, and working on a serious plan to pay off debt that we had previously thought was just given monthly bills. We are trying to be more community-oriented and experience-oriented. We look forward to seeing where this path takes our family.
“The key to a wonderful life is to never stop wandering into wonder.” -Suzy Kassem
Below you will find my travel doodles from the Scandinavian countries we visited, drawn in ink, colored pencil and marker. Stay tuned for The Baltic Sea, Part 2 – Germany, Estonia & Russia.
