Category: Okategoriserade (Page 10 of 20)

If you’ve been in Sweden for a while, I’m sure you must’ve come across this saying. Translation? There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing. There are some pretty interesting sayings and jokes about Swedish weather. If you’ve been in Sweden only for a couple of months, you’ll get to know why soon enough. As Ned Stark (RIP) once said,’Winter is coming’.

Don’t worry, there are no white walkers in Sweden. None that we know of, at least. So don’t polish your Valyrian steel swords just yet (Or dragonglass, whatever works for you).

But don’t get your hopes up, facing the Swedish winter is nothing short of going to a war. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but coming from India, it was definitely something that I needed to prepare myself for, mentally and physically.

Now I can’t help you prepare mentally, that is something you have to do yourself. I suggest reading up on articles regarding what to expect. But I would say this, more than the cold, it’s the darkness that gets to you.

Anyway, getting back to the point of this blog, I’m going to give you a few tips on how you can prepare for the Swedish winter. I’m going to focus on two areas, outdoors and indoors.

First, let’s begin with the outdoors. After all, you can’t spend the winter like a bear just holed up in your room, can you. You still have to carry on with your life, do grocery shopping, go to classes etc. Good clothing is your friend in this case.

So what can you do?

Layers, my friend. Layers. During the winters in India, (Yes, we have winters. Yes, it can get pretty cold up in the north) I would just buy a jacket and that was about it. But clearly, that wasn’t going to work in Sweden. Buying a thick and fluffy jacket is not the solution either. What you want to do instead is wear multiple layers. Not only do they allow you to ‘control’ how much cosy you want to get, you can top it off with a wind-cheater to protect you from the rain or the snow. I myself bought a fleece jacket to keep me warm and bought a weather-coat to insulate my clothing from the weather. Trust me, it works and is more practical in my opinion, as opposed to buying just one thick layer. But that’s just my opinion. To each their own.

You should also invest in a nice pair of boots that will keep your feet warm and safe. Safe how, you ask? When the snow falls, it looks beautiful and all, but boy does it get slippery. And if you don’t want to break your bones by slipping on ice, then boots is the way to go.

Now, let’s get to indoors. I’ve just got one tip for you but it’s really effective. It worked wonders for me and that is… drum roll please..

LIGHTS! Lots of them. Get a lamp for your table, another one for your bed. Another one for that corner of the room. Seriously, get more lights for your room. During the winters, your productivity can take a hit and the way I deal with it is that I close the blinds of my window at around 4 PM and turn all the lights on (I have 4 extra lamps in my room in addition to the ceiling lamp). Then, every hour or two, I will turn one of the lamps off to fall asleep at just the right time. It seriously helps when your room is bright. And the fact that you can’t ‘see’ that it’s dark outside, you tend to stay active.

So there you go my friend, now you’re all prepared to face the winter. But seriously though, it’s not that bad. Especially when the snow falls. Taking a walk in the forest when it’s all snowy is the best thing you can do during the winters. It is beautiful!!

Good luck!
/Simarjit

Perhaps you’re not surprised to hear that Sweden is an expensive country. Actually, the country of IKEA and ABBA is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. But wait a second because it is not true at all. With some tricks you can save money, not so much but you can take some kroner at the of the month to spend in some beers with your friends in a nations.

Going to weekly Bruised Food Club Market

Every Friday at 15:30 in Ungdomens Hug, Bruised Food Club organize this market that has the aim to give completely free food to the people instead of throwing in the trash. This food is mainly a leftover of some supermarkets or farmers, so is still good and tasty. There you can find vegetables, bread, fruit or milk and pick them up to your place completely “free”. I mean free in quotation marks because you can leave tips and money to Bruised Food Club and help with their mission to give this second live to that food and reduce the food waste in Uppsala.

This is their Facebook profile if you want to catch up with their latest activities

Second hand shop and marketplace

If you will live in Flogsta you will be really lucky if your room has the basic items. So, if you want to fill your room without exceeding there are two solutions: Second hand shop and Facebook marketplace. In the first you can go to Erikshjälpen or Myrorna and an impressive variety of second hand things. From small items such as screens, TVs, routers or lamps to big stuff like couches, small wardrobes, heaters, etc. Also, if you cannot bring with you, they can bring to your place for 200-300 kr. So, you can order with a group of friends a divide the 300 kr because you pay the trip, not the item.

The Facebook marketplace is no rocket science and it works as a normal marketplace in your country. You see an item and ask to the seller. If it still available you can take and reach an agreement with the seller to take it. If you are lucky, some of them can deliver the item to your place for free. In addition, you can find good bikes for 600-700 kr or temporally rooms (for a couple of months).

Finally there is a cheap option but you have to wait a pair of months. At the end of each semester (around November and December) some students leave their items in the bottom floor of Flogsta and you can take them free. You can surprise yourself of the treasures that you can see. For instance, some friends have found disco speakers, grills and small barbecue or freezer.

Dollar Shop and NetOnNet

As its name said is a shop where most of the thing cost 10 kr or 1 euro. In the Dollar Shop you can find a huge variety of things, from cleaning products to chocolate and candies, without forgetting the house or university stuff that also is really cheap if we compare with some supermarket brands or specialized shops. I usually buy detergents, shampoos, day-to-day things and candies there. Although looks like so far from Flogsta, it just 7-8 minutes by bike and less than half an hour by walk.

Also, if you had time and space in your bag, I would recommend going to NetOnNet. They sell electronic things to an affordable price. The routers (a good one if you will spend the whole year) cost around 200kr, the adapters and extension cables cost between 20-60 kr and the TV and screen are affordable. However, the heaters are at the same price to other shops but if you buy in October or September it will be cheaper than in November or December.

Ica Offers

Also, for Flogsta inhabitants, the ICA downhill Flogsta will help you to save money. At the beginning of the shop there is a small area with good offers and prices. They usually have cereals, coffee, sweets or chips. Also, if you go to the fridge behind the bakery stand you can find precooked food and meat with a price reduced more than a 50% in much of the items. That´s because it will expire in a few days so they reduce the price in order to enhance the customer to buy it.

Another advice is to buy with the head and no using your stomach or not guiding by the offers. Buy if you need to eat something.

Going before 22:00 to the Nations

If you are member of a nation you can go to the club whenever you can. However, if you meet with some friends in your nation or if you go to your friend´s nation you have to pay, normally, 60 kr. So, in order to save that money you can go before 22:00, go inside and the guard can seal you. Now, you have two options: going to the club if you want of going to the bar and enjoy some beers with your friends. Personally I usually take the second option and have some beers before enjoying in the pub.

I hope that this post was useful for you and help to save a bit of money for your stay in Uppsala

See you around

/Bernie!

When I meet new people in Uppsala, one of the first questions they ask is, how did you end up in Sweden? And I am always like, ‘Well, I heard a lot about Sweden and when I got the opportunity, I just have taken it and never looked back’. After doing my research on various universities in Scandinavian countries, I got to know that Uppsala is one of the best when it comes to student life.

It all started when I decided to do a masters in the field of sustainability for which I was passionate about. This is the first time I travelled abroad, and that made my journey much more exciting. I got all possible help from the university when I arrived at Arlanda airport during the welcome days. As most of the others I also ended up getting a housing in Flogsta – The hub of international students and corridor parties.

The first few days it was a bit cold and so I used to wear my winter jacket until I met a guy in shorts, these where the exact words he said:

Him: How cold is it outside?

Me: 8 or 9 degrees probably ….

Him: Do you know its going to be -15 degrees in few days?

Me: Oh yes, I heard! How could you survive in that weather?

Him: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes” so you need to dress like this in winter not now. (This was the first time I heard this quote)

Later he invited me to his home to grab some apples.

I met my classmates during the welcome week, and they were from many diverse backgrounds and cultures. The best part of my program sustainable development was that everyone had a different opinion and that made me think how my views are so different. Within couple of weeks I got to speak with most of my colleagues and felt that I need to learn a lot.

During the welcome week we all got some temporary nation cards from the IK (International committee) and then started my journey into the so-called nation life – I didn’t know at that time that my nation will become my second home. Student Nations are something special and unique here in Uppsala. All 13 student nations offer various kinds of activities. All the fun began with working for a gasque without even knowing what it was all about and then becoming a club worker at Smålands nation. I had the best time of my life during those days and made friends for life. Eventually I got to know about Swedish culture and their lifestyle, but I was a complete disaster in learning Swedish.

Winter was very harsh on me, but when I saw the snow, I was always happy. Autumn was so colourful that I started missing it in winter and stopped taking bike to the university because of the snow. I had to take bus every day in the winter. Buying a winter jacket, and snow boots was very helpful for me during this time. Somehow, I survived the winter and moved to the beautiful spring wearing my shorts and sitting in the sun outside. From Spring to summer was the best weather if I ignore the midnight sun.

I am used to just eating in my home or in any restaurant or at my college cafeteria but did not cook or clean on my own before coming to Sweden. Buying what you need, and cooking is hard sometimes. When you see the prices in super markets to buy food it is quite expensive than back home. So, I used to think twice before buying something. Now I figured out what food I want and should buy.

Coming to travelling, I should say I have visited quite a lot in and around Uppsala. I stayed in cabins over the weekends, went on hikes, gone on a cruise in the Baltics, skied in Åre during ski week, went on a Lapland trip – sadly no northern lights, covered east Europe by bus and went to visit student nations in Lund and Helsinki. These are some of the highlights of my travels after coming to Sweden. Every place I went was a new and an exciting experience for me.

My studies in Uppsala had been challenging as I come from an engineering background and I had to read lots of literature in the starting of the semester to understand the concepts. Group works, case studies, home exams, assignments, presentations, seminars, site visits and what not, these all made me the person I am, and I don’t regret it.

Overall, my experience here in Uppsala till now has been wonderful but yes, it is not easy as it looks to survive in a completely different environment, but it worked out for me very well.

Did I miss something? Yes, Valborg! I completely forgot about this insane thing happened to me in Uppsala. It should be experienced on your own. It can’t be explained in words. Hope this blog might give a brief on how Uppsala might look like.      

Thank you!

“You are here.” I am anticipating telling myself those exact words around 11:30 a.m., in Stockholm, at the Arlanda International airport, with a deep breath and a nice release of tension from an 8 hour flight across the Atlantic. However, to even get to “here,” there are a lot of steps I have to take, and while they should appear to be linear, they often come in clusters flush with anticipation, like fireworks.

I started this journey back in the spring of 2017 while I was still an undergraduate at a small liberal arts college in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (known for being one of the oldest collegiate institutions in America). I was researching international universities that had strong programs in philosophy. I have a long held favorable view of the Nordic countries for reasons that should be obvious. So, I looked at schools in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, specifically. As I narrowed down the field of universities I wanted to attend, Uppsala always stuck out. I decided to apply and hope for the best.

One of the great things about UU, and the Swedish higher education system in general, is how easy it is to apply to their universities. I was pleasantly surprised with the central application system University Admissions. From that website, a prospective student can apply to all of the public universities and colleges, I believe, in Sweden. But further, beyond a few logistical hoops, relative to the American system, the application process was not cumbersome at all. The website makes the process of selecting school, program, uploading documents, and
making necessary information (like which documents are needed, how to send transcripts, links to department requirements) streamlined by hosting all the information in an easy to process format.

So, I filled out a very basic application, sent my transcripts, uploaded important documents (like my passport), and wrote a very concise essay on why I wanted to study philosophy at Uppsala University. There is an application window for applying to schools in Sweden, and international students are encouraged to apply in the first round. This has to do with ensuring enough time is given to process student visa applications, which can be a lengthy process. Pressing on, I made sure I crossed all my T’s and dotted all my I’s, submitted my application in winter of 2018, and patiently waited for a response.

In May I got an email saying that UU had accepted my application, and granted me admission into the philosophy program. I was absolutely elated. The dahlia ignited! Along with my acceptance email came a whole new batch of fireworks, though. Which conveniently put, listed all the necessary immigration, financial, housing, and even cultural, expectations.

This point in the journey becomes a little more arduous, where the Swedish application system for universities has a more streamlined ease, the leg work of applying really starts at this point.

I have never applied for a visa, so Sweden is my first, and even though this process was a little more chaotic, it still felt very much situated. The immigration website was very helpful, clear, and has great user friendliness. I applied for the student visa, which cost about $100 USD. However, applying for the visa requires much more information. I needed to demonstrate that I could support myself financially while in Sweden, I had to list why I was interested in coming to Sweden, and give a few more details about my background. Once I sent that application off I expected not to hear back for a about month.

While I waited to hear back from Swedish immigration, I kept working on my application. The next leviathan was housing, lol. Which in terms of process, again I am quite amazed at how efficient Swedish processes are, was fairly straightforward and easy. I was sent an application from the great and ever helpful International Master Program staff (Cecilia, Lina and Jorja). The only real difficulty was deciding where I wanted to live. I settled on Klostergatan 16 mainly because they offer a pillow and comforter along with the room — more on that later!

After I applied for housing, I quickly received notification of my immigration results. Another firework was successfully launched and enjoyed! At this point, I feel comfortable buying my plane ticket and deciding a date of departure. The school offers a few dates wherein they have transport from Arlanda to Uppsala from early morning until the late evening. So knowing that, I selected a date to take advantage of the transportation. It also feels nice knowing that when I come into the country there will be a host of nice people waiting to greet me and help make my transition a bit less stressful.

In the meantime, the turnaround on my housing application felt really slow. I believe Midsommar was happening and from what I’ve learned that is a pretty significant celebration period in Sweden. But I finally received notice of my housing offer and I was given my choice of Klostergatan 16! That was great news because it means I will have to pack less things for my trip! Finale!

All things considered, this whole process has taken about 6 months to complete. Which compared to applying to my undergrad feels a bit long. However, I had a few added steps in applying to an international program so the length makes sense. Also, the organization of the application process, I cannot stress it enough, is amazing. Even ancillary things like language courses, or videos about the school, this blog, are all very conveniently spaced to each other. One doesn’t have to go on an internet expedition to find useful information, it is all pretty close by.

Another noteworthy feature of this process worth stating, is the approachability of pretty much everyone involved. I keep hearing Swedes have this “shyness” to them, but that so-far has not been my experience. Nearly everyone I’ve talked to an encountered has been helpful beyond expectations. For a university of this size, I haven’t felt like a number, or another face in the crowd. People seem to speak very candidly and will respond to my questions. I was able to reach out to people in my department and even talk to a few students in my program. I feel very welcomed and engaged with, I appreciate that.

Other helpful things to know: There is an international student group on Facebook that is officially sanctioned by the University. Uppsala University’s youtube channel that has some good videos. The immigration website has links to a pretty comprehensive Swedish language course that is user friendly.

I also took it upon myself to try to engage with more Swedish culture and peoples. I joined a semi-famous Swedish guitar players discord server and youtube channel, Ola Englund. There are people from all over the world on his discord, but there are heaps of Swedes, and again they were all pretty candid about being Swedish, answering questions, and generally being pretty welcoming. Even for a bunch of hardened-exterior-Swedish-metal-folks, they seemed pretty nice, haha.

I’m looking forward to it!

“I feel emotional landscapes. They puzzle me.”
– Jóga by Björk

I was in Rennes that summer one year ago. At the confluence of the Vilaine and the Ille, Rennes, prefecture of Brittany, is a picturesque city in northwestern France. Even though it was already midsummer season, different from the humid and muggy subtropical climate in Hong Kong, the temperature during the sunset there was surprisingly cool; the gentle breeze smoothed the lines of worry on the faces of the pedestrians away with her cool fingers. The golden red sun was bending in the west as the street lamps reflected irregular beams of light on the cobblestones. It was ideal time for sunset hour drinks and evening soirées of cool cocktails, with a wide selection of wines and international beers. Javier, Sylvia, Janice and I were strolling along the boulevard while listening to Björk’s Jóga as the verse went, “[…] Emotional landscapes, they puzzle me.”

Hearing this, Javier, lost in thinking, asked me with faltering smiles, “So Winstead, what’s the emotional landscape that puzzles you?” He must have felt that the answer to this question should be obvious, as every friend of mine from my university knows I love the country of France and its culture (and this probably explained why I’ve been learning French for four years while I’m in Hong Kong as I’m so, so deeply obsessed with this language). “Wait, let me guess: your ‘emotional landscape” is the French-style landscape, right? See you can hardly hide your yearnings for it.” He teased me. I closed my eyes and plunged into a deep reverie while the sun changed in untold colors: white, yellow, and then red… which made me daze to be lost into dreaming that I couldn’t tell which color was the most gorgeous and beautiful. After a moment of silence, suddenly a word blurted out of my mouth, “Sweden.” And at that moment I saw incredulous expression on Javier’s face as this answer was so unexpected to him, and perhaps to everyone who used to know me.

The land of Nordic dynamism, a vast region of prosperity, has indeed long appealed to me like a magnet when I was a child, as I started to have many a fantasy about Sweden since I was seven when I spent more than half of my childhood time reading Lindgren’s fairy tales. Most of this Swedish writer’s books have been badly thumbed by me, and among them Pippi Långstrump is my favorite, who has been encouraging generations of girls to play freely and believe in themselves. In the process, Pippi created a miracle for gender equality. The 9-year-old girl, representing an imaginative and unconstrained child power, lives alone in a big house, where she cares for herself, has countless gold coins, can walk forwards and backwards as she likes, can sleep in shoes, can wear wet clothes, can go to school on horseback…

The many “don’ts” that are often scorned by adults are all overthrown by her, and her maverick subverts the life of the Nordic town. “Don’t we live in a free country?” Pippi always responds to the voices of doubt like this, and it is this “free country” that strongly attracts me. For me, Astrid Lindgren endowed many kids with modern aesthetic ideals and subjective consciousness, independence and creative desires, which is lacking in my own cultural literacy, and that’s probably why I could never get enough of Lindgren and every aspect of Swedish life depicted by her. “To live in a Swedish tree house” has thereafter become one of my childhood dreams.

But still, no matter how big the childhood dream is, to study and live in Sweden is on all accounts deemed an unusual choice for me. Indigenous to the southeastern coastal area of China, my body, and especially my stomach, has been so used to the hot and humid weather in the subtropical zone. The smell of a salty breeze and the light taste of the seafood have been deeply rooted in my memory of life. And now, as I’m setting out for my new life in northern Europe, I start to search for a common ground between Sweden and Hong Kong; however, except for the fact that most locals speak English in both places, there is no more common point; the climates are even at the two extremes, which reminds me of the famous line in A Song of Ice and Fire, “the winter is coming.”

However, I’m not afraid of the cold, no, on the contrary, I’m looking forward to it, as in Nordic primitive cultures the winter represents the future and rebirth. The Swedish winter shall not be cold, dark and depressing, but it gestates the vitality of the coming year. The more I long for the cold winter with the shining of eager in my eyes, the more visions I have of Sweden: I will be wandering on an embankment, where the crystal clear waters and white yachts shall greet me; or I will just follow the path leading to the castle, and enjoy the idyllic archipelago scenery at the highest point; or I shall simply sit in an open-air garden by the harbor, drinking a cup of coffee and watching the crowds and clouds. It takes only 2-3 hours to have a sightseeing boat trip from Gothenburg to Marstrand, and many activities on the island are available, including fishing in the sea, Viking dinner and a rubber boat ride at sea.

The archipelago in Sweden is rich in vegetation, dotted with two or three red or yellow holiday cottages, where the white sailboats roaming the calm Baltic Sea would occasionally drift, so the island scenery there must be fascinating. What’s more, because of its slow growth in cold, clean waters, the shellfish in Sweden is even one of the most delicious seafood in the world. Now it’s time to admit that there is so much to look forward to in this Nordic country.

The one last thing I need to do before I arrive in Uppsala, Sweden is probably to learn Swedish. I heard that there are many free Swedish courses available in Sweden when we arrive, so picking up this new language for daily use purpose should not be a worry. But still, as a language amateur, Swedish has already filled me with suspense and curiosity. My inquisitive mind keeps urging me to explore into the wonder of this language, and there are some remarkable Swedish words that leave me with deep impressions which I’d like to share in this blog, as I believe the charm of culture always originates form the glamour of its language, so to appreciate the beauty of Swedish becomes a necessity if someone is going to live in Sweden. Here are some Swedish words that are “impossible to translate” together with their explanations by Ella Frances Sanders:

Tretårn.
On its own, “tår” means a cup of coffee, and “patår” is the refill of said coffee. A “tretår” is therefore a second refill, or a “threefill.”

As a coffee lover, probably self-confessed, I down at least two cups every day. And therefore, the coffee culture in Sweden, where people enjoy fika, i.e. taking a coffee break with friends, is certain to increase my sense of well-being and happiness.

Mångatan.
The road-like reflection of the moon in the water.

The word “Mångata” conveys the felicity in a private and tender relation between human and nature, which is the enchantment of life in Sweden. The scenery and nature construct a big part of what Sweden has to offer, and a true devotion of life is speechless here in this country with a harmonious communion with nature. It’s not hard to imagine walking here along a path through the forest and that the fast-flowing small rivers suddenly lead me to a clear lake, where the beautiful water is aquamarine-blue with some narrow parts of the lake being emerald-green. Then I shall see the straying moonbeams, silhouetted against the glittering water, are building up a lane to a distant place. And that’s the ultimately beautiful “Mångata” on this natural land.

Again, the verse of Björk rings in my ears, “Emotional landscapes, they puzzle me.” Life in Sweden is only less than one month away, and I’m looking forward to its marvelous landscapes that possess emotions with endless obsession. Lindgren’s fairy tales, the splendid island scenes, the marvelous Swedish language… this country must have much more to offer than I can expect. 

“Where did you train to be a chef?” a woman asks me. It’s our first time working together and she’s never seen me in the kitchen before. I’m completely blown away by the fact that she thinks I’m some kind of professional chef. “Nowhere” I respond, trying to hide the fact that I’m so flattered.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that coming to University again would lead me to cooking 3-course meals in a well-stocked kitchen for 50, 100, even 150 people in a single night. I’ve always harbored some kind of passion for food (haven’t we all) but I never thought I’d have the ability or courage to the opportunity to cook for so many people.

The nations work hard to offer food worthy of the grand halls, fancy dinners and prestigious guests one oftens finds at a gasque. Anything from a toned-down sexa to a 5-course May dinner, there are a plethora of dinners to cater for. The nations are available to rent out for special events with pre-designed menus and helpful students (like me!) offer their assistance as a part-time job.

The pub restaurants at the nations are also always in need of chefs to help out – and every nation has their own take on the burger, be it halloumi or bean or jalapeno. The person in charge of making those decisions, the menu for a gasque to the burger recipe, is the kitchen master. Applied, elected and full-time, they never stop living, breathing, tasting food.

I’ve been able to ‘take-over’ the restaurant for a few nights with my own Italian menu. A treat to serve hundreds of pasta dishes, lasagnes and tiramisus. Last summer, I worked with one of my best friends to run the nation’s summer restaurant, full-time, for three months and I’ll be doing it again this year. It’s exciting, it’s challenging and it’s something I’ll likely never do again!

And especially as I was able to fulfil my dream of making a cookie chandelier. Definitely something I’ll never be trying again.

/Rhianna

The city of Uppsala, and its immediate surroundings, are brimming with sites of stunning natural beauty. At times only a little more than ten minutes cycle ride from the city centre, these sites of seclusion and quiet can provide a haven away from the busy lives of the city’s inhabitants, students and local residents alike.

After many adventures, Alex Hibberts, a British Erasmus student, has chosen three sites which you should definitively visit during your time in Uppsala to delve into the city’s wild heart.

1. Hågadalen

Tucked away behind Flogsta, the tower blocks which host most of the city’s international students, is the village of Håga, the gateway to a vast area of meadows, pine forests, bogs and swamps that make up the Hågadalen Nature Reserve.

Well-signposted footpaths take you deep into a forest that hosts a number of rare and sometimes red-listed species with weird and wonderful names ranging from the Common Milkwort to the Brown Needle Lichen. Those who listen carefully will be able to hear the sound of woodpeckers high up in the trees.

This mysterious landscape inspired Carl Linnaeus and Uppsala Kommun (city council) has set up a series of Linnaeus Trails that guide walkers along the same routes Linnaeus took with his students in the 18^th century. Places like Norbylund have hardly changed since Linneaus’ explorations and provide a tantalizing glimpse into the world that inspired one of Uppsala’s greatest minds.

But Norbylund, like the rest of Hågadalen, was already old when Linneaus arrived. Within these ancient forests and meadows, sites of great age can be discovered.

At the northern end of the reserve, closest to Flogsta, walkers can unexpectedly find themselves in an Iron Age graveyard. Here, there are fifty graves were found marked by thirty timeworn standing stones, all dominated by the tall figure of a Viking runestone. Whilst, close by, the village of Håga boasts its own Bronze Age burial mound. From the top of this man-made hill, breath-taking views of the whole valley can be seen.

2. Årike Fyris

Entered through an avenue of trees, especially dazzling in autumn, that begins in Uppsala Stadsträdgården, located at the southern end of the city centre, this spectacular nature reserve takes walkers and cyclists along the River Fyris and onto the sandy shores of Ekoln Lake.

The journey from Uppsala to Ekoln provides many opportunities to explore the region’s immense natural charm. Around forty-minutes walk from the centre, the smaller lake of Övre Föret appears which is best viewed from a bird watching tower set up on its western side. From this hidden vantage point, several species of bird can be spotted including the elusive Kingfisher and the long-beaked Common Snipe.

Continue downstream and a 400m boardwalk has been constructed that allows walkers to venture right out into the marshland either side of the River Fyris. Wildflowers serenade the adventurer as the boardwalk twists and turns across this otherwise hidden habitat which teems with life.

There are many chances to stop and rest along the way including at Sunnerstaviken, a small inlet of the River Fyris that was known to the Vikings who passed this way when travelling to Gamla Uppsala, further upstream. Here, a small jetty allows walkers to quietly watch the swans sail and ripple the still waters which is dotted with large lily pads in September.

The path eventually comes out onto the Ekoln at Flottsunda, but it is worth following the signposted path around the lake’s edge towards Grandberg which eventually reaches the little peninsula of Skarholmen. This rock, crowned by a restaurant, juts out into the lake and affords incredible views out across this vast body of water.

3. Gamla Uppsala

Located on the Uppsalaåsen, one of the longest glacial ridges in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala and its surrounding park provide a fantastic viewpoint from which to look over the city of Uppsala. Most clearly seen are the cathedral, with its two dominating spires, and the pink castle, built further south on the same ridgeway.

At this centre of this hallowed site, are three main burial mounds, the largest of thousands which pepper the surrounding area, and these larger mounds contain the cremated remains of the earliest Swedish kings. Although, according to legend, Odin, the Norse god, is also said to be interned in one of these impressive man-made hills.

At one point during your time in Uppsala, you should most certainly visit Gamla Uppsala. During Spring, the mounds are covered in oddly hairy purple flowers called Backsippa in Swedish and red squirrels, a rare find in some parts of Europe, can be found in abundance in the nearby forest.

This site is something of a Swedish treasure and it is during cold winter evenings, when the sun is setting low and mist begins to collect in the hollows between the mounds, that the onlooker can almost sense the secrets, lost to the passage of time, that this site has yet to tell.

Find Out More

If you’re itching to put on your boots and head out to explore, but don’t know which path to take, Uppsala Kommun has produced a range of leaflets containing the maps you need to explore their nature reserves.

These leaflets can be found at the various entrances to all their nature reserves but I would recommend having a look at their website (http://www.upplandsstiftelsen.se/Start) for more information. Happy exploring!

/Alexander

Since the very first sunny August day I came to Uppsala, I’ve been welcomed with the phrase: “Beware, winter is coming.” Everyone has warned me about the Swedish winter and how tiresome it may be. However, in the same breath they added: “Wait for the last of April, it’s worth it to outlast the winter to experience Valborg.” So I did.

After experiencing (and successfully surviving) both, I can say that the endless winter is more than compensated for by Valborg. Since I’ve heard so many different myths and legends about this annual spring celebration, I had several expectations. Some of them were fulfilled, some of them were not. Let’s see:

Expectation 1: Valborg is a full day of partying.

Right. But that’s not all. Valborg celebrations last about a week, which is full of events – not only at the nations, but also more official ones like Donning of the Caps at Carolina Rediviva or Spring Salutation at the Castle hill

Two days preceding Valborg are called Skvalborg and Kvalborg (meaning qualification for Valborg). The main activities take place on April 30th, which is followed by Finalborg. This finale day links elegantly to the ‘qualification’ day on Kvalborg. On the whole, this celebration race has also about 4 days.

Speaking about about a race…

Expectation 2: The boat race at Fyrisån is a breathtaking competition.

I had this image in my mind of people on funny boats going as fast as possible, trying to overtake each other while their boats gradually fall apart. In reality, this event taking place at 10:00 on April 30th was more of a parade. Nevertheless, that gave all of us more time to admire the original boat designs and greet the crews. And to satisfaction of those who expected some drama, a couple of boats overturned during the ride.

Expectation 3: There will be a lot of people at Ekonomikum park.

Wrong. It wasn’t a lot of people. It was masses of people gathering not only at Ekonomikum park, but everywhere in the city from early morning until late in the evening. Uppsala was truly living a life on its own. Young and old, Swedish and international, all people were mingling and celebrating together.

What I appreciated very much was the organization of the whole event. The official sponsor of Valborg (Varannan water) managed to keep everyone hydrated during the whole socially exhausting day. Although most of the plastic water bottles were forgotten in the park in the evening, impressively enough, all of them were gone when I woke up the next morning (or afternoon, better to say).

Expectation 4: I will see all of my friends during Valborg.

I couldn’t be more wrong. A meritorious Uppsala resident and Valborg celebrator told me – “Don’t make plans with more than one person during Valborg, it will never work out.” Indeed, it was difficult to make big plans as me and my friends had wholly different ideas what to do and see and it was close to impossible to find all of them in the crowds.

But don’t worry, you’ll never be alone. Instead, you may end up with a couple of closest friends or people you’ve barely seen before and still have the best time of your life. I recommend not planning in advance too much and rather being more spontaneous.

Last week of April has something in stock for everyone and there is no universal recipe how to cook your Valborg right. You can choose from a variety of ingredients – from hanging out at Ekonomikum park, watching bonfires at Gamla Uppsala to eating barbecue burgers at one of the nations.

So go and make the best mixture during Valborg 2020!

/Lucie

Valkommen till Sverige!

‘College life’, like most people, I was looking forward to it. Pictures of students sitting in the park on a sunny day just hanging out with no worries of the world. Some of you reading this blog might be planning to come to Sweden for their University education, some of you may already be here, some of you folks couldn’t find anything better to do so you decided to search for random blog articles on the internet. Seriously guys, get your life together. Either way, if you came here to learn more about this ‘amazing college-life’ and the stuff that you’ll be doing once you get here, sadly, this is not the blog post for you. It’s grim and deals with some boring stuff. So if you don’t want your excitement to fade, I suggest you look for some other articles on the website.

So, let’s begin. Imagine waking up hungover. You wake up, try to get your feet on the ground with your head throbbing with pain and you saying to yourself,’Never again!’. Sad, considering you know that you’re going to go through that exact same feeling next weekend. It’s alright, we’ve all been there. Ahh, the irony! So, you stand up, look at yourself in the mirror and think about last night. You’re flushed with a feeling of embarrassment when you remember how walked into a pole and started apologizing to it like it was a person. You know it’s going to be a shitty day. You go to the kitchen to look for something to feed your stomach, it’s rumbling like the thunder during a storm. You open the fridge and Voilà, it’s empty. Except for a carton of milk that has developed new life and maybe some cheese, if you’re lucky. Grocery shopping, we all need to do it, nobody teaches us how to. Good grocery shopping is an art. I haven’t mastered it, not even close. Nevertheless, I figured that my experiences in last 7 months of staying here could prove to be helpful to noobs.

This article could be helpful to those of you who are staying/will be staying in Flogsta as the nearest grocery store is ICA Väst, one of the cheaper grocery stores out there.

1) Food
Start easy, if you don’t know how to cook, don’t go and buy onions, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms thinking you’ll make something fancy. You can’t, not yet. Start with the basics. Get some milk (Lactose-free if you’re lactose intolerant, none if you’re vegan). Be careful as they have something called ‘Filmmjölk’ in Sweden. It’s not milk, it’s ‘sour milk’. It’s similar to yoghurt. Buy some cereal to go with the milk. Get some fruit that is easy to eat, like bananas, apples etc. Sometimes, they have some good deals at ICA Väst, keep an eye out..

And then, our saviour, pasta. You can easily find pasta in any grocery store along with ready-to-use sauce.

These are all just different types and brands of pasta sauce. If you’re just looking for the cheapest stuff, it’s usually on the bottom shelves. The brand that you see is ‘ICA Basic’. They make a whole range of ‘daily-use’ products which are cheaper than the usual brands. Of course you have to make a few sacrifices and the quality of these products is a hit or miss.

Once you get the hang of it, you can try and start cooking proper food in a few days. What I usually do is go to the sales section, check out what’s on sale, buy it and then cook something based on what I get. It’s cheaper that way and ICA usually has a wide range of sales so you have the ability to choose. You can also check out the sales on their Facebook page, saves you the time of going physically to the store.

When you enter, on the left, you have the candy section. Beyond it, on the left, is the sale section. They have some good stuff on sale sometimes, keep an eye out. In addition, if you’re a meat-lover, you can find amazing sales on meat at ICA as well.

2) General stuff
But, food is not the only thing you’re going to need. Basic stuff like toilet paper and hand-wash also needs to be on your list. You will also need detergent. It depends where you are living though. If you’re living at Klostergatan 16 with UU housing office, you won’t need detergent. Therefore, it is important that you read about your accommodation and what facilities will be provided to you. If you’re living in Flogsta however, you will have to buy most of the stuff yourself. Apart from the pans, plates etc that you can find in the common kitchen. Unfortunately, I had to buy all of that as well since my kitchen didn’t really have much to begin with. So you may have to go to IKEA once you get here.

I could keep on going, but there’s only so much you can read and remember. This post started out as kinda serious, but if I’m being perfectly honest, you’ll be just fine. It’s like learning how to drive a car, when you start, you’re lost and don’t know if you’ll ever get there. But you do. All of this may sound scary to someone who hasn’t experienced this before. I remember being nervous when I came to Sweden because I didn’t know how to cook. And now, cooking has become my hobby. It’s a stress-reliever for me. So, I will say the same thing to you that my friends said to me when I moved here ,’Teri lagne vaali hai’. Meaning? ‘You’re going to get screwed’. They were being sarcastic. Or were they?

/Simarjit

Imagine this scenario: your family is coming over to Uppsala for a visit and they have entrusted you (as their Swedish expert) to prepare a program for the weekend. Your task is clear – to amuse them and show them the beauty of Sweden.

Don’t get me wrong, Uppsala is a wonderful city and there is nothing wrong about chilling at one of the cafés or strolling through the city centre. However, a more adventurous family may want to explore more than this university town.

So what to do at the weekend like this, when the weather is nice (or at least nice according to the Swedish standards)? If you have ever asked the same question, you are in the right place here. The solution: Plan a trip! Here are a few tips, which won’t devastate your bank account.

1) Lake Ekoln
Located only 10 km to the south from the Uppsala city centre, lake Ekoln is a place worth a visit. You can get there by bus, but I also recommend to make a walking tour or a bike tour. The advantage is that there is basically no elevation on the way, which is good news for leisure cyclists like me. Although it’s so close to the city, you can feel the peace and quiet of nature.

2) Gamla Uppsala
I know. You have probably heard about the renowned three magical hills in the suburbs of Uppsala. But there is something more than those “three humps”. The whole surroundings will splash you with the old Viking spirit. It’s the location of the general assembly from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. According to ancient mythology, the three gods Thor, Odin and Freyr are lying inside the large barrows. If you want to know more, visit the Gamla Uppsala museum.

3) Storvreta
Still snowing outside? Ideal for sports enthusiasts, the cross-country skiing resort Storvreta is just 15 km away from Uppsala. For as little as 60 SEK a day, you can enjoy a full day of cross-country skiing. You can either bring your own ski or rent them at one of Uppsala’s rental shops.

4) Stockholm
I know I said low-cost tips. But even the trip to Stockholm can be made very affordable. Look for Flixbus tickets, you can get them for as cheap as 30 SEK only, with a 20 % discount with your Mecenat card. In addition, Stockholm offers a bunch of museums that are free-of-charge (such as The Royal Armoury, The Medieval Museum, National Museum or Moderna Museet).

Other popular museums, which are not for free, but worth the entrance fee include:

Vasa museum: Believe it or not, a museum about one ship can be so interesting that you will spend there at least 2 hours. The Vasa warship, built in the 17th century, wrecked after just a few hundred meters in Stockholm harbour. After more than 300 years, the ship was salvaged and can be seen at Vasa museum today.

Abba museum: How to explore the Swedish culture better than with one of the most famous music bands of all times? Watch, listen, sing and play. At Abba museum, you can do it all!

Nobel museum: An educational excursion to the world of science, economics and literature. Nobel museum explains everything about Alfred Nobel’s life and the Nobel Prize awarded each year to those who “conferred the greatest benefit to humankind”.

Not a fan of museums? Nevermind, Stockholm has something in stock for everyone.

Both art and transport lovers will surely appreciate the artistic Stockholm metro stations…

…bookworms and architecture enthusiasts will like the Stockholm City Library with a circular floor plan.

For those who ever wondered how the Swedish political system works, the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) is open for everyone who wants to attend a debate, take a guided tour or visit the Riksdag Library.

Nevertheless, a walk in Gamla Stan and a picture of the houses at Stora Torget is a must for all.

No matter what you choose to do, have a nice weekend trip!

/Lucie