When in Stockholm, go see the Museum of Dance

Dansmuseet (Museum of Dance) in Stockholm is one of the best museums I've seen so far. I only went to the free part. It was a big hall with glass cases with dance costumes from all over the world. And even though is was by no means fancy or surprising I still find it absolutely amazing.
It didn't take me that long to go through the exhibition, however, I felt almost every emotion possible by the sight of ballet dresses and African masks. They had TV screens showing examples of tribal dancing and along with the sound of drums I almost felt like the costumes in the glass cases were going to move.
Obviously they didn't, but never the less, I think it shows that - in spite of the quite plain way of showing off the exhibited pieces - the viewer is able to get caught up in the story told through the costumes. And I guess that is what costumes are meant to do?

As I said, I didn't see the part of the museum where you have to pay, but I will definitely check it out the next time I go to Stockholm. And should you be in the neighborhood I really think you should at least go to the free part. I mean, it's free, if you don't like it you can leave and you won't feel bad because did I mention that it's free?
Last but not least, their cafe is quite popular. People who work in the area go there for lunch. The food wasn't THAT amazing, but it was alright and the staff was friendly.

http://www.dansmuseet.se/

When in Sweden eat a kanelbulla

Yesterday my parents asked me to bake some cake for a meeting they were having, and while considering my options my mind wandered along all the sugary wonders I've EVER eaten :) And then I remembered... A small cafe in Stockholm with an impressive selection of tea and a flair for making really good coffee and on the desk something that looked somewhat like this:

I guess 'kanelbulla' is best translated into 'cinnamon roll' - white bread with sugar and cinnamon filling. You can get them anywhere in Sweden, from 7/11 to organic bakeries, but the quality will vary. I usually make them myself, however, the best one I've ever had was the one I ate in Stockholm. It was huge, perfectly mushy and the amount of filling was just right. It was spicy and sweet, but not overwhelmingly sticky.
If you're in the area I would suggest that you check it out. The cafe is quite small and cozy, the back wall is covered in cans with different kinds of tea (you might need a moment to choose) and they make good coffee. They serve proper food, too.

Café 60, on the corner of Sveavägen and Kammakargatan.

Oh, and in case you were wondering; I ended up making a strawberry-rhubarb pie. From what I've heard it was AMAZING! And thanks for saving a piece for me, mum and dad...

When in Sweden, check out...

...these three things:

This is without a doubt my favourite shower gel in the world! It smells like eucalyptus and it's very nice and fresh and the label makes it look almost healthy. I must admit that (in spite of trying very, very hard) I still don't understand all the technical terms used when listing ingredients, however, I can tell you that there are no parabens in Myrten. And as if the wonderful smell and the paraben free formula wasn't enough, this stuff is actually cheap, too! Oh joy!
I bought it in this store that every one loves to hate. It's called Dollarstore, and contrary to what you might think, nothing actually costs a dollar. Everything is like 10, 20, 30... 150 SEK (Swedish kronor). Myrten was 20 SEK. I remember because I just took off the price mark (you can still see bits of it right above the label). I broke at least two nails in the process.

I haven't used my Oleum Basileum in a while, but I still think it's absolutely brilliant. I found it in the Co-op supermarket at some point in the fall when I had a cold and felt sorry for myself and my boyfriend had broken up with me.
What you do is that you boil some water, add a couple of drops of this (it's like a mix of essential oils, the smell is very herbal), put a tower over your head, and inhale the steam for about 10 minutes. First of all this clears your airways and second of all it makes your skin really soft. It's sort of a roman spa home treatment for your face :) I do it every now and then even when I don't have a cold.
Further more you can put a couple of drops on your chest before you go to bed to make breathing easier when you have a cold. And if I have a sore neck I rub in a bit as well. Not sure if it's actually working, but I like the smell.
I believe the price was about 50 SEK. And you will have a single little bottle for a pretty long time since you only use a few drops each time.

Försvarets hudsalva (a skin salve made for the (army) defense) usually comes in a green tube, but they made this pink version where some of the profit went to the fight against breast cancer.
It is basically just a skin salve. Almost every single Swedish woman I met had one of these and used it as a lip balm. It's a very no nonsense kind of product, the packing is super simple and in no way fancy, and if you have dry skin (not just lips) you apply it and it will probably work. That's it.
You buy it at a pharmacy and for 17 SEK you really can't go wrong.

When in Sweden, buy Swedish brands

When you say Sweden you say H&M, IKEA, and ABBA. But let's be honest, you could buy that cute little dress from H&M at home, your coffee table is from IKEA and you have en iTunes playlist called "favourite music for ugly dancing" with your favourite ABBA songs.
I always go to H&M anyways, I just can't help myself, but I don't think it's necessary to check out all 34 of them if you're in Stockholm. Maybe you would be better off paying a visit to

Cheap Monday
They make all kinds of garments, but are mainly known for their super affordable jeans. I know there's a store in Södermalm in Stockholm, on the main shopping street in that area, but I can't find the address. However, I know it's pretty close to

Monki
Female clothing and accessories chain store. The quality is so and so, but every now and then you can find some goodies. Most of their things are quite cheap and the stores are always decorated with cute black and white drawings and neon lights. For addresses see http://monkiworld.com/international/#/stores

There are plenty of small (and expensive) boutiques, Swedes have a way of making cute but practical clothes, often with a twist of melancholy.

I'm sure I've forgotten something, but hey, then I'll just make another shopping guide!

When in Sweden, drink cider

Just a short post about drinking and going out in Sweden.

First of all, one of the things that I had to get used to being Danish and all, was the way people went out. They go to a private party, then (around 11pm) they go to a bar, and then when the bar closes at 2am they go to a private after party. This might be completely normal all over the world, except from Denmark where we go to a private party, go to a bar at some point no earlier than 2am and stumble home when we realize that we're out of money. Don't be surprised if this happens at, say, 8am. Anyways, this was supposed to be about Sweden.

Well, a very Swedish thing to drink at a bar is cider. It is very sweet, not at all like English cider. More like soda, but with alcohol. The most famous brand is probably Rekorderlig - they make cider with a bunch of different flavours, not only apple and pear, but I know they have some with elderflower and berries and other things, too.

All beverages with more than 3,5% alcohol must be bought in Systembolaget, where you have to be at least 20 years old to take home an overpriced bottle of joy :) However, as soon as you are 18 years old you can brew your own (up to 20%!).

Should you be in the mood for something without any alcohol, Sweden has a quite overwhelming selection of carbonated water with taste, without sugar and sweetener. My personal favourite is Loka, just because the bubbles are nice and soft. Like cider, this comes in a wide range of flavours, go for what you think sounds good.

Last but not least, I've heard stories about how Americans dislike Coca-Cola when it's made in Sweden since the water tastes different. And that an Australian brewery once tried to brew beer in Sweden but they gave up because they couldn't get it to taste right.
I don't know if any of this is true, but to me the tap water tastes just fine, don't be afraid to drink it :)

When in Sweden, eat like a Swede!

Or don't. Personally I would skip most of it :)

I lived in Sweden for six months and thought it would be a good place to start off with. And hey, who doesn't like food, right? Well, let me put it this way: There's a reason why the Swedish cuisine is not quite as well-known as the Italian one. Actually there are several reasons.

Ahem...

What I Would Never Ever Eat In Sweden:
- A hotdog with mashed potatoes and shrimps.
- Surströmming. This is basically rotten fish in a can. Yes, some people eat it.

What I Would Taste If Someone Made It For Me, But Can't Imagine Enjoying:
- Flygande Jacob. A dish consisting of chicken, bananas, bacon, chili, peanuts, and cream. Had it not been for the bananas this would have been quite an ordinary dish, I guess.
- Jansons fristelse. Again, this really isn't that bad at all, I'm just very sceptical when it comes to adding the anchovies.

What I Really Think You Should Try:
- Ahlgrens bilar. Tiny candy cars marketed as "The most sold car in the World".
- Djunglevrål. Salt liquorice shaped as monkeys.

I just enjoy candy more when it comes in odd shapes!

I'm sure there are plenty of more dishes out there to either love or hate, but this was just my thoughts on eating in Sweden. Some day I think I'll make Flygande Jacob, just to find out what it's like. If you're interested in any of the recipes in English, you can either try to google it or let me know and I'll find it in Danish/Swedish and translate it.