Autumn à la Svensk

September sun extends the summer months

Summer has always been my favorite Swedish season. The sun never sets, the good weather forces Swedes to take a more positive outlook on life and everyone spends their time relaxing at summer homes in the countryside. It’s idyllic to say the least. But fall has a different feel. With the change in season comes a change in activities. Swimming is traded for hiking, sun bathing is traded for afternoon picnics in warm sweaters and scarves and summer dressed and sandals are traded for more sensible attire. But the one thing that stays constant is the appreciation for being outside.

Every Swede grows up with a concrete understanding of the natural world, able to name all sorts of flora and fauna without hesitation. Every good Swedish family owns several mushroom, bird and tree identification books, and spending time outside, even if it’s just for an afternoon stroll is of the utmost importance. So traveling to Sweden in the fall of course means taking advantage of being outside. Which is exactly what Saturday entailed.

Having landed in Gothenburg on Friday, Saturday was devoted to driving north to Ljungskile, a small and sleepy village an hour north. Most of Ljungskile’s inhabitants are summer-only, making weekend trips in the fall months quiet and relatively tourist-free. Driving west from Ljungskile out to our good friends’ summer residence (that they keep open for beautiful fall weekends) we hugged the water, driving by small bathing huts and sailboats out for day trips. Because of it’s west coast location, water and marine life are huge parts of any Gothenburg local’s upbringing. The city boasts an extensive archipelago, dotted with islands and coastline that make up Gothenburg’s natural playground.

A mid-morning fika, the ever important Swedish coffee break, was followed by a hike through the forest and out along the water. The warm fall air was filled with a coastal breeze and the smell of salt water. A couple kayaked in the water and moored boats swayed in the gentle waves. It’s easy to envision myself scrounging up enough cash to buy a small hut on one of the archipelago’s many islands and hole up, away from the crazy pace of urban society. But it’s when the experience is rare that you truly appreciate it, so I welcome the simplicity of the moment and take time to let it all soak in.

Mushrooms ready for cleaning

Back at the house, we helped clean off newly picked chantrelles, straight from a morning mushroom search in the forest. Mushroom picking is synonymous with Swedish autumn, and there’s nothing better than donning a scruffy pair of old jeans and a pair of rainboots and scrounging around in the woods on the lookout for what’s locally known as skogens guld, or “gold of the forest.”

Four Swedes enjoying the September sun

Best way to end a day of being outside? A bus ride back into the city and a typical Swedish meal of salmon and potatoes. Next up on the agenda: urban exploration in Gothenburg.

Wend’s Managing Editor, New Media, Anna Brones, is currently spending some time with family in Sweden and figured she should probably share her Scandinavian adventures with the Wend crew!