Scandinavian Summer

My family and I took to the road recently for a three week adventure through Denmark and the south East coast of Sweden, in search of nature, serenity and that Scandinavian charm we all love so much. We also camped for the very first time, and I am pleased to report that we survived, unscathed and still married, after staying at three different camp sites along the way (and a boutique hotel and charming bed and breakfast because, well, balance)! I thought share some of what we saw and did with you here today.

Our journey took us from The Netherlands, through Germany via Hamburg, on to the south West coast of Denmark, across a few ferries to the south East coast of Sweden, hopping along the coast until we boarded a ferry to Gotland, and then all the way back home again. I’ve gathered a few of the highlights and for anyone wanting to embark on a similar adventure (with family in tow or solo) with some addresses we went to that we would visit again.

Our journey was a slow one, driving just a short while between stops. To get to Denmark we drove across Germany and headed North, choosing a camping destination that was close to the border but beautiful too. We picnicked on the way, stopping at a charming jetty in a rather remote place called Sønderborg, before stopping for cake and coffee in the bustling town of Ribe. By sundown we were set up at our first camp site, Lola picked wildflowers and arranged them in an empty beer bottle to decorate the table. Her mother’s daughter, what can I say? We stayed at a family oriented camping resort called Hvidbjerg Strand Resort for just a few nights before moving on.

We took our time as we hopped along the Swedish coastline, staying at two camp sites along the way, all part of the First Camp branch. We stayed at Åhus-Kristianstand which offered very serene pine forests on beautiful beach front, and Oknö-Mönsterås in the beautiful Swedish archipelago. We rowed boats, fished for guppies and just once dodged heavy rain with a visit to the nearby city of Kalmar, where, on this wet Sunday there was one place open for real coffee (Balck Coffee) and it was food for the soul.

The final stop on our journey before returning home was the beautiful, serene island of Gotland. Just south of Stockholm, reachable by ferry, it was truly a highlight of our trip. We stayed at a charming self-contained cottage Stenkyrka Mejeri Hotel, on the North-West coast of Gotland. I had wanted to visit Gotland for the nature but what I didn’t realise was that the island has a large ceramic and pottery culture, with studios dotted all over. I discovered the work of one of the ceramicists who lives and works on the island, Lena Scharp, visiting her charming countryside studio and seeing her create her organic, graphic pieces. Our favourite stop for lunch was at the Lergrav Fisk Cafe on the North East coast, where we dined over fresh seafood in the sunshine on a jetty overlooking pristine waters and charming Nordic black and red boathouses, before climbing the rocky hill to catch some epic sea views.

We left the island relaxed, windswept, charmed to the core, with ceramics tucked into every corner of our overflowing car, every bit as eager to plan our next journey as we were to return home again.