TRAVEL – Scandelights

Gothenburg – a Mini Guide

Published on February 1, 2023 by HannaLeave a comment

It’s time for another mini guide to another Scandinavian City I visited this summer – lovely Gothenburg! The second largest city in Sweden is located on the west coast. It’s hilly, known for its trams, fishing and being the home of Volvo. But what makes a visit here so lovely is the people who live here; they are really warm and friendly and have a very specific type of humour! Also, in Swedish the city is actually called Göteborg, with a soft “y” sound.

I took my boyfriend here for a few days last summer, so that he could experience a bit more of Sweden now that he could visit again and we had such a lovely time! It’s easy to get around and lots to see and do, especially in summer!

Where to stay

We stayed at Clarion Hotel Post, a two minute walk from the train station which suited us well as we travelled there by train. We really liked it! It was nice and good value for money for the very central location. Great breakfast too! It’s big but still feels quite cosy. It was a tiny bit tired interior wise but very clean. Other hotels I would consider without having stayed there are Gothia Towers, Upper House, Hotel Pigalle or Sankt Jörgen Park.

Where to eat

I used to come to Gothenburg a lot until a few years ago, so I have quite a few favourites, but we tried some new places on this trip. We started with the famous prawn sandwich at Heaven 23 with lovely views over the city, and for dinner we went to a lovely spot a friend of mine recommended on Instagram; Bord 27. A super cosy restaurant with lovely food. We walked there and back, which was so lovely!

A true and tested favourite of mine is Restaurang Familjen, but I also really like Björns Bar. Places on my to try list that I have heard great things about are restaurant Bar la Lune, and Bar Bruno and Champagnebaren for drinks.

Fika culture is huge in Gothenburg so I highly recommend a visit to my favourite cafe, Da Matteo, or Condeco which is a really good chain. Or why not go all out and visit Mr Cake, which has some swoon (and instagram) worthy pastries?! Read more about it here.

If you want to eat the biggest cinnamon bun of your life, there is a lovely café in Haga, Café Husaren, selling them. Haga is also a lovely leafy area to walk around.

What to see and do

Even though I have been to Göteborg plenty of times it was my boyfriend’s first visit so we were proper tourists. We went to the Volvo museum (it’s far from the city centre but we got there quickly with a cab and braved three trams on the way back). There are more lovely museums but the weather was too nice to be indoors, so we only did one. But would love to visit Maritiman (The Maritime Museum) another time.

On our second day we went to Brännö, one of the islands in the Southern Archipelago and met up with an old friend of mine and her children. I highly recommend visiting the archipelago because it’s both easy and cheap to get there (it’s the same type of ticket for the ferry as the trams and buses all around town) and so beautiful. We walked around, had a nice fika (and ice creams!), explored the island and had a lovely day in the sunshine. If the weather is good a trip to the islands really can’t be beaten!

The shopping in Göteborg is great, and I wish we had had more time to peruse shops, but I made one quick visit to one of my favourite interior shops ever (it’s amazing!), Artilleriet. They have two shops near one another so make sure you look in both. Another place I like to go to every time I visit is Saluhallen; the lovely food market with both shops and restaurants.

One of the biggest attractions in Göteborg is undoubtedly Liseberg, the big amusement park. It’s super central and really pretty with it’s green and pink colours, and a real institution. Kids and adults alike will love a visit!

How to get around

I recommend walking around Gothenburg as much as possible. It’s a fairly small city, right by the waterfront and really pretty to walk around. There are pretty houses and nice parks to look at and I think it’s be best way to get a feel for what any city is really like. The trams are also great, especially if you’re going a bit further and easy to navigate. There are also plenty of buses, and you pay for them all on the Västtrafik app which is so handy. Cabs (Uber too), as always, are great if in a hurry or if you’re wearing heels.

Sweden: pizza at Kronovalls Vinslott

Published on September 20, 2019 by Hanna2 Comments

Most days I’m in Sweden I tend to socialise with friends and extended family. But I’m also trying to take some time for myself (as it is my holiday and I need to unwind just like everybody else) and to spend time with just my parents. They are so sweet and completely fit into my plans when I’m home, but just because they make it easy for me I don’t want to take them for granted. And I love spending time with them!

So I was so happy we had a whole day (and evening) just to ourselves. The initial plan was to just hang our at home and on the beach and enjoy the lovely weather, but the weather turned so we had to come up with a plan B. At breakfast we decided to do a little roadtrip instead and although we had some ideas on where to go, we just decided to see where the day took us.

As we drove east the weather got better (yes!) and we had such a lovely day exploring places not that far from home, but places I seldom have time to visit. Beautiful beaches and coastal villages, harbours and a few shops. And to end the trip we had dinner at the old stables at Kronovalls Vinslott, where they now serve delicious pizza. Overlooking the lovely mansion it was the perfect ending to a wonderful day!

Mamma and I had prosecco (pappa was driving) and we all had a lovely pizza each with tomato, parma ham, olives and rocket.

The menu here is very limited, but also very good. I so prefer a smaller well thought out menu than an incoherent longer one. They have one pizza, which is delicious, and a few other items on the menu. And of course, wine, soft drinks, ice cream, pastries etc. It’s sort of a hybrid of a café and a restaurant but it feels a bit more elevated because of the lovely surroundings. Highly recommend!

Kronovalls Vinslott, 273 92 Skåne Tranås, Sweden

Copenhagen: wine and cheese at Vinhanen

Published on September 26, 2018September 26, 2018 by Hanna2 Comments

It’s difficult to explain the difference between Denmark and Sweden, or the difference between Stockholm and Copenhagen, especially as both countries and cities have different areas with different vibes, but overall I would say Denmark is just so much more relaxed.

Sitting like this, on a wobbly bench on the pavement outside a wine bar amongst parked bicycles drinking wine and using an old IKEA stool for a table is very Copenhagen. The bicycles are definitely a part of the scene and I like the no-fuss approach to basically everything.

I actually can’t remember how we found this wine bar, but it was on our way to the restaurant where we had dinner after, and tired of shopping we just fancied a glass of something cold and some nibbles.

And that’s exactly what we got at Vinhanen. Lovely cold wine (much needed in the August heat), crusty sourdough bread and yummy cheeses. The owner was lovely and chatty and we got to try the different wines so we got one we really liked. So nice!

In the store (you can also fill a bottle and take it away) they have big barrels of wine on tap, so you can order a bottle, a glass or a carafe. Clever!

Apart from the good booze and cheeses Vinhanen also offers a nice eclectic mix of people and fun people watching on the street. It’s the kind of place you want to hang out in all night. And that’s exactly what I intend to do next time.

Vinhanen, Baggesensgade 13, Nørrebro, Copenhagen

Copenhagen: Hija de Sanchez

Published on September 20, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

When an ex-Noma chef opens a taco restaurant you just know it’s going to be good food. On my day trip to Copenhagen this summer with my usual Copenhagen travellers Maria and Daniel, we didn’t have enough time to go to the restaurant but got to taste Hija de Sanchez’ tacos at our favourite lunch place; the food market called Torvehallerne.

There are several restaurant stalls here, so you can sample a bit of this and a bit of that. But we went straight to Hija de Sanchez and ordered a plate each of tacos.

And some cava. Because why not?!

All three of the tacos were (of course) delicious! The one with cheese and avocado (queso fresco) was nice and fresh but I also really liked the one with fried runny egg and guacemole. And the barbecoa was the best I’ve ever eaten (and I’ve sampled a few…)!

Next time I really need to go the restaurant – can’t wait to sample the whole menu! Which I’m sure my travel companions are up for.

Hija de Sanchez, Taquería and market, Torvehallerne, Frederiksborggade 21, Copenhagen

Second week of holiday!

Published on August 16, 2018August 16, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

My second week in Sweden I tried to take it a bit easier than the first. Try to wind down, not set an alarm and lower the pace. The first day that didn’t happen as I had invited eight adults and five children over for lunch, but I think I managed OK the rest of the week.

But back to the lunch. I skipped a starter so the children didn’t have to sit still for too long; instead everybody could mingle around with a glass of rosé in hand and snacking on these lovely crisps with browned butter, lemon juice and grated cheese.

For the main course I made chicken with lots of garlic and lemon, potato wedges, caramelised garlic sauce and a nice salad.

And for pudding I let everybody put together their own pudding of soft meringue (everybody loves this one!), ice cream, lightly whipped cream, chocolate sauce. berries and figs.

In the evening I had a simple supper consisting of Danish red pølse and all the trimmings. So yummy!!

The next day I went to the beach in Skanör with friends and their three children.

They brought a lovely picnic and there was a lot of swimming with the kids mixed with chatting to their parents. Such a lovely day that we finished off with a late lunch in the harbour nearby followed by ice cream.

Wednesday I slept late and spent my time in the sun in the garden before going for dinner at a friend’s new house! They’d made salmon with salad, potato wedges, two sauces and nice bread and for pudding we had rhubarb pie with ice cream. A perfect summer’s evening.

The next day was another quiet one, with some rain but also some time on the beach (yay!) before having dinner with my parents in the evening. I made lots of pizzas which I will blog about later.

Friday started off the same way (not bad eh?! three lazy days in a row!) and finished with dinner at Badhytten with all the seafood!

My last full day in Sweden I spent partly with my best friend, partly with my parents. Friends of the family came by for fika in the afternoon and in the evening my parents and I had something we never get tired off; fillet of beef with homemade bearnaise sauce. This was the first time we had dinner indoors as the weather turned, but I’m grateful for the sunny days I got!

Sunday was my last day and my best friend and her family came over for lunch with my parents. I got lots of cuddles from my god daughter but we also had some lovely food. Mamma cooked arctic char with potatoes, mange tout, carrots and two sauces; one with caviar and this one with apple. The pudding was a huge success too (although dad would have liked a sweeter version) and I will blog all about it later.

Then off I went to the airport with a quick pit stop at my parents’ house where I hadn’t been all summer. Thank you, near and dear ones, for a lovely two weeks! ❤

First week of holiday!

Published on August 14, 2018August 14, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

My holiday was rather busy, but that’s what it’s like when you’re living abroad; lots of family and friends to catch up with and you’re constantly behind on that front, however hard you try, as there simply isn’t enough time. My strategy this time was to start off busy and try to wind down a little towards the end, as I need to sleep and relax as well. And for once I think it worked. To say I feel refreshed might be pushing it, but I feel less tired than when I left London, which is the whole point of a holiday, isn’t it?!

But since I had a 7am flight on the Saturday I took that day to relax and really feel that I was on holiday. It was pure bliss to arrive at the beach house, change into a bikini and a cover up, have an glassbåt ice cream in the sun and just try to switch off a little.

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I also walked down to the beach to dip my toes in the water and breathe the fresh air. And in the evening I enjoyed some bubbly and a nice homecooked dinner (pork fillet with lemon and herbs, new potatoes, tomato salad and a cold garlic and herb sauce).

The next day I went to Helsingborg for lunch with friends and got to see both the hosts’ lovely new house and meet other friends’ little baby for the first time. For lunch we had a lovely poke bowl with sesame marinated tuna and ice cream for pudding. It was so nice to sit in the garden catching up with dear childhood friends like that. The afternoon went by in a flash!

On the Monday I went to Copenhagen for the day with two friends, and we’ve been doing it for so long it’s a tradition we do everything to keep every summer.

We started off with tacos and smørrebrød for lunch at Torvehallerne, had fika at our favourite café and in the evening wine and cheese at one place before dinner at another. It was a perfect day chatting away with friends, looking in a few shops and just enjoying what this lovely city has to offer!

The next day I didn’t have many plans so started with a lie-in and a late breakfast in the garden. I did a few errands and sunbathed a bit and had dinner with my parents in the evening before a visitor from London arrived late that night as the flight was delayed.

So the next morning another lie-in was in order followed by a cooked breakfast outside. By the way, poached eggs on toast with tabasco is delicious!

We continued the day driving around the south coast, checking out the beaches and eating ice cream.

And in the evening we had a crayfish party complete with Västerbotten cheese quiche, fresh and smoked prawns, snaps and silly hats!

The following day my visitor played golf in Falsterbo while I spent the day with by best friend and my god daughter before meeting up with the golfers for lunch. Afterwards we went to Badhytten for a drink followed by a quick swim in the sea.

Then I was put to work making burgers (with fake shack sauce) for us all. So yum!

Friday was my visitor’s last full day in Sweden so we made the most of it spending most of it on the beach and after a late lunch we made our way into Malmö for drinks, dinner and some more drinks.

The next day we had time for a long breakfast and a swim before my visitor had to leave for the airport and I spent the rest of the day taking it easy and had dinner with mamma and pappa in the evening.

The next day (Sunday) we drove to the southeastern part of Skåne to have lunch with two of my cousins and my auntie. We had hot smoked salmon with new potatoes, soft boiled eggs, asparagus and a cold dill sauce. Very Swedish and so yummy!

It was a lovely week and as you can see I got to see and do a lot and catch up with many of my friends!

Málaga: Jamon for breakfast and exploring the Alcazaba

Published on June 6, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

Holiday for me is all about relaxing and not waking up from alarms, but, being a night owl, that means missing breakfast at the hotel every day. So instead I’d get ready and venture outside for breakfast.

Luckily I had a nice café near my hotel, it’s a chain of cafés in fact, offering everything from sandwiches to cooked food, pastries to cakes and even a delicatessen with cheese and charkuterie.

This ciabatta filled with a general helping of Jamon Iberico was a perfect start to the day and set me up for my day of sightseeing.

I’m quite choosy on what I spend my time on, but for the the Alcazabar was an absolute must!

This impressive citadel, overlooking the city and its harbour is very well preserved and an absolute dream to discover.

It was built in the 1000s and is still standing firm offering incredible views as well as beautiful gardens and amazing architecture.

I mean, look at this view – incredible isn’t it?!

And the details to the building. Especially dating back that far is rather incredible.

But my favourite part was the gardens. So beautiful and serene I could’ve spent all day here.

But I didn’t, as I had more things to explore.

Like the ruins of a Roman theatre just below the Alcazaba. It’s been around since the first century BC and is still part of the city landscape. At night it’s lit up beautifully and during the day one can just walk in, sit down and take a break.

Surrounded by the hustle of bustle of modern life, I find it amazing how this old ruin is a part of modern day Malaga (and not closed off).

Alcazaba of Málaga, Calle Alcazabilla, 2, 29012 Málaga, Spain

Málaga: gourmet tapas and the best waiters!

Published on June 6, 2018June 7, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

I found Malaga a lot more touristy than Seville, and the type of tourists differed too. In Seville most tourists seemed to be Spaniards from different parts of the country but Malaga with its harbour, seem to attract tourists from all over Europe. And because of this there are copious amounts of tourist trap style restaurants littered around the central parts, which as you know, are not my thing.

Instead I did some research, and found La Cosmopolita mentioned lots of times as a nice restaurant.

And it was! I had a wonderful dinner here and almost went back a second time. Looking back, I regret not doing that, as where I ended up for lunch was a lot inferior, but I was rather embarrassed from almost fainting on my first visit.

The waiters were very sweet though, and made sure I got a chair (as I was standing in the tapas bar), water and something sugary. One waiter even followed me to a taxi to make sure I got home alright, which was really sweet.

But the service was like that; thoughtful and sincere, even though the restaurant was buzzing with people and all waiters were rushing around seeing to everyone.

The cooking was on par; and I thoroughly enjoyed the best Russian salad (with Jamon Iberico on top!) I’ve ever had, the most amazing cod tempura with shiso, and bread. I would have liked to have more, but as I didn’t feel very well I thought it best to go back to the hotel and lie down.

The tapas portions (which were not on the actual menu, but the items were) were quite large though, so I doubt I would have needed much more, but I would have like to try more dishes!

La Cosmopolita Malagueña, Calle José Denis Belgrano, 3, 29015 Málaga, Spain

Seville: Casa de Pilatos

Published on April 26, 2018April 26, 2018 by HannaLeave a comment

You may be surprised to learn that I did more than eat my way through Seville?! In between meals I walked a lots and did some proper sightseeing. Although I usually skip some of the usual tourist attractions (at least if they involve a long queue) but enjoy the smaller, less crowded ones.

Like this Andalusian palace built in the 1500s – Casa de Pilatos. It’s a vision of statues, mosaics and general grandeur.

Most walls are tiled like these, with small tiles making up lovely patterns in greens, blues and yellows.

Amazing details everywhere.

The gardens are just as grand, with low cut ledges framing the trees.

And the most amazing bougainvillas in bloom.

Look at the details outside too. Not a petal out of place.

Casa de Pilatos, Pl. de Pilatos, 1, 41003 Sevilla, Spain

Copenhagen: Street Food at Papirøen

Published on March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 by Hanna1 Comment

Being from the south of Sweden, I sometimes feel like I have two countries, and definitely two capitals. Stockholm, of course, because it IS my capital, and Copenhagen because it is a capital and so close by. It’s the airport I travel to and from every time I go home to Sweden, and it’s one of my favourite cities. Partly because I know it so well, but also because it’s just fantastic. It’s pretty, not too big, has lots of water and parks interspersed, it’s easy to get around and the people are friendly.

And they take food seriously. On my last visit, in August last year, Daniel, Maria and I were all super excited to have lunch at The Corner of Rene Redzepi’s No. 108. As we approached in the torrential rain we noticed they were closed, but luckily we were only a few minutes away from Copenhagen Street Food at Papirøen (which I was dying to visit anyway) so we had lunch there instead.

It was the perfect place to take shelter from the rain. And walk around the different food stalls and pick a nice buffet lunch. For as you can imagine, it’s impossible to only eat one thing here.

We started with traditional Danish smørrebrød (openfaced sanwiches) and they were very good.

Then we shared some yummy tacos and had a little breather. The hardest thing was finding somewhere for us to sit, so make sure you secure a few chairs before you go looking for food, unless you’re happy with a quick bite standing up.

Next I had the best thing ever; a GOURMET hot dog. It had mayo, crispy onions, parmesan – the works and was the best hot dog I’ve ever had. So yummy!

I was seriously full after these different snacks but we decided we could share one more dish before throwing in the towel.

And this is what we went for; fries topped with duck meat, creamy dressing and pickled red onions. It was seriously greasy but absolutely delicious and a perfect ending to our meal.

I just read on their website that Copenhagen Street Food is closed until May this year, but hopefully the same vendors will be back then.

Copenhagen Street Food, Hall 7 & 8, Papirøen (Paper Island), 14 Trangravsvej, DK-1436 Copenhagen, Denmark