A day well spent in Sweden

That’s right — I left Denmark already! But only for the day.

How did I manage to do that?!

I’ll tell you.

Copenhagen is geographically very close to Sweden, and there is a train that runs frequently between Copenhagen and Malmö. Since both countries are in the Schengen Area, you can pass easily between them without going through border patrol. Of course, you still have to carry your passport, but they don’t always check it.

The reason I wanted to go to Sweden so badly was not just to cross another country off the list…

I wanted to see a 1,400 year old stone circle. From the Iron Age. IN THE SHAPE OF A SHIP.

I accidentally found this place on Google Maps when I was looking for things to do near Copenhagen. I knew I had to find a way to get there.

Why do I care about a bunch of rocks?

Well, ever since my time in Aberdeen, where I gave a presentation in Doric about “steen circles” and visited one in middle-of-nowhere Scotland, I have been REALLY enthusiastic about stone circles.

I still haven’t been to Stonehenge, but the reviews were saying this place was like “the Stonehenge of Sweden”.

Like I said, I had to go.

My original plan was to take the train to Malmö, catch another train to Ystad, and then take a bus to Kåsaberga. However, I looked at the timetables yesterday and realized that the bus only runs every four hours. I figured it would not take me THAT long to look at rocks, so I decided to pursue an alternative plan.

My alternative plan:

1. Take the train to Malmö
2. Rent a car and drive myself to Ales Stenar

This prevented me from getting stranded in the Swedish countryside, while also ensuring I could find a rental car within 24 hours.

P.s. let’s forget for a moment about my “ha ha ha who is trying to book a car within 24 hours” commentary from my Banff trip, okay?

The journey to Ales Stenar

I set off at 6:30 am for Copenhagen Central Station. There, I caught a train to Malmö, grabbed a coffee and a pastry at a nearby cafe, and then walked a few minutes to the rental care place (Avis, in case you were wondering). before I knew it, I was on the road.

It took me a few minutes to remember how to drive (I got 4 hours of sleep last night), but once the caffeine hit, I was set to go.

I cruised along the highway and took in the scenery. Farms. Lots and lots of farms. It honestly felt like I had been transported back to Wisconsin! I even had to drive 10 mph for over 15 min because I got stuck behind a tractor. I think my grandpa would be happy to know that there were LOTS of John Deere tractors.

After about an hour of driving, I made it to Ales Stenar.

It was only 9 am, so I was the first one there. Yippee!

I did see one other person surfing, which kind of surprised me. I guess southern Sweden is known for having great water sports and beaches?!

I made my way up to the stones, which were high on a hill overlooking the Baltic Sea. And I was greeted with an entire herd of cows! As I walked straight through the herd, I spotted the stones off in the distance. I’m not even kidding you when I say I got butterflies and smiled ear-to-ear when I saw them. Nerdy, I know.

When I finally reached the stones, I was awestruck by how magnificent they were. The formation was much larger than I could have imagined, and the stones much taller. One was like twice as tall as me!!!

I made my way clockwise around the ship formation. I read online that nobody actually knows why the formation was constructed in the first place. The theories are that it was for funerals or it served as an astronomical clock. As I slowly circled the circle, I imagined what would happen if I accidentally walked the wrong way or touched the stones (that’s the Outlander speaking to me). Come to think of it, I did not touch a single stone. I guess maybe I am a little superstitious at times 🤭

When I reached the back of the ship, I saw something interesting lying atop of one of the stones: an onion.

What could that possibly mean?!

I don’t have the answer for you. Looked like a damn good onion, though.

Eventually, I made my way to the cliffside, where I gazed out at the crashing waves. There was a fishing boat meandering along the coastline, and off in the distance I spotted… a paraglider?!?!

I imagine the view of the stone circle must be reallllly great from up there.

And it was.

I’m kidding! I’m kidding!

I didn’t do that. But, if the paraglider would have come by and asked if I wanted to join them, I would have 1000% done it. Sorry, Mom 😉

As I was leaving, a bunch of people started showing up. I guess I arrived just in time!!! I really enjoyed having the place to myself there for a while.

Sandskogen

My next stop was Sandskogen, which is a beautiful beach just down the road from Käsaberga. I went for a lovely stroll along the beach, breathing in the salty air and *carefully* touching the cold water (I don’t mess with the sea ever since hearing horror stories about the North Sea while in Aberdeen).

After a while, I realized I was really thirsty. I hadn’t had a sip of water all day, which is no bueno for race prep… oops.

For that reason, I decided to go back towards Ystad.

Lunch & shopping in Ystad

I arrived in Ystad, parked at a lot, and then walked into the city center. I went to a place called Grändens mat for lunch, primarily because they had Swedish food on the menu.

I cannot tell you how glad I am that I decided to go there.

The atmosphere was unbeatable. I sat outside in a garden, cozied up with a blanket. To assist in my carb-loading efforts, I ordered some garlic bread to start. The southern region of Sweden is known for having great apple orchards, so I ordered a local non-alcoholic cider. Yummy!

For my main dish, I had fish stew. It was the BEST stew I have ever had. The salmon and shrimp were flavorful and fresh. The carrots and onions made it extra hearty, and the dill gave it a unique but familiar flavor.

At the end of my meal, the server pointed me to the complementary coffee. SOLD. BEST PLACE EVER. Who doesn’t want free coffee?!

Fashion show with a local designer

Across the cobblestone path from Grändens mat, there is a store called Jane Wikström Design. The chalkboard advertising “sustainable Swedish designs” caught my eye.

“I’m just going to have a look”, I thought.

Famous last words.

I immediately found a top that I was obsessed with. It’s a thin, linen blazer that ties in the front! It might sound dumb, but I have never seen a blazer-like top that ties. They always seem to have buttons or be fully open.

Anyway, I decided to try it on. The lady working the store was helping me find the right size since I have no idea what the European sizes are. When I came out of the fitting room, she said, “Can I take your picture? You look like a model!”. I was very surprised to hear that, considering my hair was all tangled from the wind, I had no makeup on (not even my eyebrows done) and I was wearing the elegant top with unintentionally faded black cargo pants and trail running shoes. It sure was nice to hear, though!

We started talking some more, and I found out that she is the designer. She has been designing all the clothes in the store since the 1960s! In her words, she “is old and should stop working, but loves it too much to quit”. It was so special to hear someone talk about how much love they have for what they do.

*sigh*

So I bought the top. And I’ll think of Jane every time I wear it!

I had told her about the race, and when I was leaving she said “I will think of you on Sunday! Good luck!”. How sweet is that?!

I left the store with an uplifted spirit. Let’s be real, my spirit has been uplifted ever since I stepped foot in Copenhagen, but I was extra extra happy.

I spent the next hour aimlessly wandering the cobblestone streets of medieval Ystad. It was like nothing I’ve seen before! I do remember there being memorable streets in places such as Prague, Oslo, and Edinburgh, but Ystad just has one after another after another.

All of a sudden, it started to rain. I didn’t have a jacket or an umbrella, so I had to go in another store called Kappahl.

In this store, I had the realization that I, in fact, no longer like my style and need to take notes from the Scandinavians.

I mean, LOOK at this outfit.

By this time, it was about 4pm, so I decided it was time to head back to Malmö. I dropped off the car, hopped on the train, and back to Copenhagen I went.

Shakeout run!

I quickly changed my clothes and headed out the door for a short run, since I haven’t run in days. One of my roommates, Sophie, asked if I was also running the half on Sunday! I invited her to join but she was on her way to get some dinner.

I decided to run the popular lakes loop, which is just over 4 miles long. Rather than running there from my hostel, I forced myself to walk. No sense burning out my legs before race day… again.

On the way, I saw MORE THAN FIVE separate police motorcades. What the hell is going on?! Who is in this city right now?!

I did a quick Google search and found out that NATO is meeting in Copenhagen this weekend. I was so excited that I could have thrown up on the spot. I love international relations and public policy, so the thought of being in Copenhagen at the same time as NATO leaders makes me super excited. Especially when that is on top of the fact that there are elite runners from all over the world here, too!

AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, now for the run.

The timing was perfect, as the sun was setting and the city was transitioning from day to night. There were lots of other runners out and about, and it made me even more excited for the race.

When I got back, Sophie recommended me to the place nearby where she got some pasta. It was already late, and I didn’t feel like going all over Copenhagen to get to Bæst —the place I was gonna go last night— so I took her up on the recommendation. It was a 3 minute walk away! Fantastic!

Pasta dinner, with a side of flirtation

I sat down and ordered the veggie pasta. Mid-sentence, my server mumbled something to me. I thought I heard “you look amazing, by the way”, but I convinced myself that I am just getting a big head after last night 😂.

Nope.

He returned later and asked, “are you German?”

I said, “no, I’m from the US… why?”

And he said, “I just thought… wow, your face…”

I was laughing inside. WHAT IS GOING ON?!

We talked a bit more and I learned that his name is Alvaro and he’s from Spain. When I was leaving, he wished me good luck on the race and said, “I hope I see you again”.

I LOVE IT HERE.

And just like that, it’s almost midnight. I shall return after adequate sleep.

Goodnight!

Clara