Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Staycation and Nåttarö

Hello Wednesday!

I know there is nothing more pathetic than chatting about the weather but I just have to share what gorgeous sunshine we've been having in Sweden this summer. (Summer usually doesn't exist in Sweden, it's usually a little too rainy and a bit chilly.) We chose not to take a summer vacation anywhere else this year just so that we could stay at home and enjoy our own backyard, seas, and parks because we were expected to have gorgeous days with lots of sun and high temperatures through out July. For once the weather man's predictions were actually right. And I'm so glad for that because there is nothing like falling in love with Sweden during the summertime. (Makes the cold dark long winters a little more bearable.)

Staycation for some could sound a bit boring, one might get stuck in a rut doing house chores etc. Even though we had a long list of to-do items to fix at home, we haven't done much checking off of that list. Instead we've tried to be outside as much as possible taking trips to the sea or lake for picnics, swimming and sunbathing.

A few nice places we've visited for sun and swimming this July:

Björnö
Just about 30 minutes outside of Stockholm, it's far enough so you feel like you've gone somewhere but not quite so far so you feel like you have to stay all all day to not waste the drive. It's also rather quiet on the cliffs (where we prefer to find a spot for the day) as families and many others prefer the near by beach.

Nynäshamn
This is where my boyfriend grew up so he's rather partial to this seaside city's swimming options. (I don't blame him, as it's stunning!) It has many great places to take a dip, and Johan knows all of the best ones. We usually take the car, but the other day I brought my bike along with me on the 1 hour train ride, to easily take me from the station to the sea quickly.

Långsjö
Our closest body of water, a lake about a 15 minute bike ride from where we live south of Stockholm. I must confess I'm not too keen on lake water. It's a bit brown and creepy, but if you're desperately warm like we were one day, it will do the trick.

Nåttarö
As close to a mini vacation as we came with a one night camping stay was a trip out to one of the islands in Stockholm's southern archipelago, Nåttarö. Just a 30 minute boat ride from Nynäshamn we were able to find our own little spot to camp and swim for 2 days and one night, pretty much all on our lonesome too. Sleeping in a tent isn't my favorite (creepy), but I can do it for a night, especially since it's free. With Sweden's Allemansrätt (Every Man's Right) there is no such thing as private property, you can camp pretty much where ever you like, just as long as you leave it just as you found it. It was really nice to explore a new place and be surrounded by gorgeous blueberry speckled Swedish forests and pretty beaches and rocky coastlines. It really felt like summer vacation!


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