In June 2012, I left for a grand journey to explore Scandinavia: 5 countries, 8 cities, and a countless numbers of boat rides and road trips. I ate strange foods, hiked mountains and glaciers, and met up with friends old and new. This post is from part of that trip. 

Beach on the Baltic Sea. Fields of strawberries and green onions. An 100C degree wet Russian sauna. Homemade borscht. Smoked fish. Books on rainy days. Card games with grandmother. Fireplace oven. Lazy afternoons. Biking on the beach. Sunbathing under the pine tree. Starting a fire. Roasting marshmallows.

For as long as I could remember, I never fussed about birthdays. But when I found myself turning a year older in Scandinavia, I wanted to treat myself to something. So there I was, spending my 22^nd birthday at a beachside cottage on the Baltic Sea. And it was perfect.

In June 2012, I left for a grand journey to explore Scandinavia: 5 countries, 8 cities, and a countless numbers of boat rides and road trips. I ate strange foods, hiked mountains and glaciers, and met up with friends old and new. This post is from part of that trip. You can read more of my trip through the Nordic here. 

I left Stockholm last night on the overnight ferry to Tallinn. The adventure continues!

As far as Old Towns go, Tallinn’s was my favourite out of all the historic city centers I’ve visited on this Scandinavia trip. I liked its pastel colors, its quaint shops, and its narrow alleyways. Compact but large enough to spend a whole morning in, the Old Town served as my playground on more than one morning. Most of the time, I let myself wander through its intersecting cobblestone paths, never caring if I got lost and getting delighted when I found myself in front of a church or a tower I have yet to visit.

In June 2012, I left for a grand journey to explore Scandinavia: 5 countries, 8 cities, and a countless numbers of boat rides and road trips. I ate strange foods, hiked mountains and glaciers, and met up with friends old and new. This post is from part of that trip. 

While the Swedish royal family no longer live at the Palace, the guards are real and the tourists are eager to experience the daily parade and concert at Stockholm’s Royal Palace. I, too, could not resist being a part of the enthusiasm. On a hot Wednesday, I found myself on my toes, 3 rows deep among a crowd of tourists, hoping to catch a glimpse of the royal affair.

In June 2012, I left for a grand journey to explore Scandinavia: 5 countries, 8 cities, and a countless numbers of boat rides and road trips. I ate strange foods, hiked mountains and glaciers, and met up with friends old and new. This post is from part of that trip. 

In June 2012, I left for a grand journey to explore Scandinavia: 5 countries, 8 cities, and a countless numbers of boat rides and road trips. I ate strange foods, hiked mountains and glaciers, and met up with friends old and new. This post is from part of that trip. 

After two weeks through Norway and Denmark, Scandinavia was beginning to look the same. While Stockholm resembled Oslo and Copenhagen in certain aspects of its architecture, the city was refreshing in its street scene. Known as the fashion capital of northern Europe, Stockholm’s stylish men and women provided me a much-needed break from the ubiquitous skinny jeans scene I encountered throughout the rest of the trip.

In June 2012, I left for a grand journey to explore Scandinavia: 5 countries, 8 cities, and a countless numbers of boat rides and road trips. I ate strange foods, hiked mountains and glaciers, and met up with friends old and new. This post is from part of that trip. 

It seemed like I had just flown into Copenhagen, but it’s time to leave again. On my last day in Denmark, I made my way to Christiana – a freewheeling community that many had urged me to visit. It was something very different from the rest of Copenhagen and any other conventional community setting. The freewheeling lifestyle and open drug sales added a twist to my usual sightseeing. The rest of the day was spent in coffee shops, eating traditional hotdogs, walking along the water, and soaking in the last of Copenhagen.

I’m off to Stockholm tonight where more adventure awaits.