Even though I am Swedish and love my country, Denmark is like a second home to me. Because I’m from the south of Sweden, I even fly to Denmark when I go home, and the train from Copenhagen takes only 12 minutes to Sweden. It is that close.

Because of the close distance I also grew up with the Danish television channels, and we always went on family holidays or day trips to all over Denmark when I was little.

I still really like Denmark, it has a different vibe than Sweden. A little bit more relaxed and less controlled. A little more bohemian if you like.

When I went home to visit my parents last weekend, we went to Sweden for a day. Our first stop was the little town of Helsingor, only 20 minutes away from Swedish Helsingborg by ferry. Again, so close.

We have been here several times before, and it is a cute little town with picturesque houses, littles cafés and shops.

As usual we popped into this amazing cheese shop that also sells wine, charcuterie, biscuits and jams. They are also happy for you to taste the cheese before you buy it.

There is a certain smell in Danish cheese shops, as their own domestic cheeses are rather smelly. They are lovely though, and my dad’s favourite, so we parted with quite a large block of Sorte Sara, and a few other cheeses.

By the harbour there is a square with a large flower stall and my mother always buys something here.

We also popped into an old café, to avoid the tourist traps, and had a lovely open sandwich with a tonne of prawns and mayonnaise, followed by some cake.

When we left Helsingor we drove south along the sea front towards Copenhagen, where you see some impressive houses, lots of swans bopping in the sea and little cute harbours for sail boats.

A while after the half way point to Copenhagen you pass Rungsted, and it is in that village you find the Karen Blixen museum.

Blixen was a famous author and artist who lived parts of her life on a farm in Africa. She is most famous for the books about her time there that was made into the Oscar winning film Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.

 

Rungstedlund is her home that after her death was made into the museum it is today. To the left there is an exhibition about her and straight on is her home preserved as it was when she lived there.