Week 28: Scandinavian Adventure. My First Travel Video!

I am so excited to finally share my first YouTube Travel video! The channel is all set (please subscribe here!), and you can expect more and more videos in the future. All I need from you is to show some love, support, like, subscribe, share, so I can create better and better content for you.

This Scandinavian Adventure video we filmed mostly on GoPro, but we recently got a new amazing camera, so expect videos to only get more professional. Let me know your thoughts on YouTube or on our Facebook page Pastiche.today!

 

Week 28: Scandinavian Adventure. Ice Hotel in Kiruna review.

North by North North - The Ice Hotel

by Benjamin

When most people think of the Arctic Circle, they imagine a cold, white wasteland devoid of even the smallest signs of life.

Good news!

The frozen north has a plethora of life (human and otherwise) and is quite manageable if you have a sense for adventure. Ulia and I decided to make the trek up to Kiruna, Sweden which is about 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle and Sweden’s northernmost city. There, resides the original Ice Hotel (Jukkasjärvi): a resort situated on the frozen banks of the Torne River that boasts the world’s first and most famous hotel made of ice.

The hotel is divided into three types of rooms, grouped into three separate structures. The first is the warm, which is, well, warm, as in not made of ice. The second is the newly-opened (November 2016) 365 building which houses a series of rooms that are maintained year-round at -5ºC. The third, and most renowned, is the original Ice Hotel; a building comprised of massive blocks of ice harvested straight from the Torne River but a hundred meters away.

Now, for those of you who are wondering why anyone would go that far north to stay in what essentially amounts to an oversized igloo, let me enlighten ye with the top five coolest things you can do at The Ice Hotel.

1. Airport Transfers

At this point, you have read the heading and are probably wondering what lavish or outlandish vehicle could possibly pick you up from the airport in Kiruna and drop you off at the Ice Hotel. A hummer? A snowmobile? Some Swedish cross-country skiers? Alas, no. But you can have a team of adorable huskies come pick you and three friends up for a dogsled transfer to the hotel!

The dogsled airport transfer is not cheap, but it is an experience unto itself and should definitely be considered if you want a very original method of getting from A to B or have a thing for dogs, sleds, snow and adventure.

2. The Ice Bar

For those of you who drink, you are in luck. The Ice Hotel crafts an awesome bar made of sheer ice every year and serves all of its mixed drinks in glasses made of ice, cut straight from the Torne River. For the hypochondriacs (I’ll save you the google: people who are scared of germs) in the crowd, the ice has been tested and verified bacterium-free before it is cut into the glasses you drink out of. The bar itself has a mascot named Mr. Fuzzy who happens to be the portrait of a lion that overseas the goings on in the bar area. There is comfy seating adorned with animal hides (probably reindeer, I did not get a proper look) and plenty of space and music for both personality types.

Pro-tip:

Ask for the off-menu drinks and make sure you keep your glass so you can break it later (for fun of course!)

3. Lingonberry Juice

Yeah, yeah: "oh this sounds so boring! ’Tis but juice!". Well, guess what? The idiom: 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do', is very applicable here. Backstory: in Sweden, there is a concept known as "allemansrätten" or 'Everyman’s Right" which essentially grants anyone the freedom to roam the land, sail the water, camp, and forage for food, pretty much anywhere in Sweden (this custom exists in many nordic countries). This centuries’s old edict is still just as strong today and as Lingonberries grow quite commonly all over Sweden, consuming them in various forms is a part of life. The Ice Hotel is no exception and makes it a habit of providing hot Lingonberry juice at opportune moments throughout your stay; from your first arrival to your morning wake up call, Lingonberries will be in your face and I recommend you be Roman.

A Song of Ice and Fire? 

4. The Ice Hotel Art Suites

Every year, ice artists and sculptors (from the cold parts of the world), descend on the Ice Hotel to showcase their woks in the form of exquisitely detailed suites made entirely of ice and snow. Each room has its own theme, ranging from the instantly recognizable 'Casablanca' with its Moroccan geometric embellishments, to the more subtle (and frankly unsettling) 'Faces' room which contains a 3m tall face staring at your bed while another ten faces gaze down at you from the ceiling, judging your dreams and snickering at your snores. The Ice Hotel commissions thirty five unique suites every season and offers one of the few places in the world where you can essentially sleep inside a sculpture.

5. The Northern Lights

The Sámi people have inhabited the northern portion of Scandinavia for a millennia and developed their own belief system, much like any other people, around their environment (think :sun gods, weather gods, ocean gods, etc). In this case, the Sámi people believe that the Northern Lights are the sparks flung from the tail of a fox as it bolts across the sky and represent the souls of fallen relatives. 

At this point you may be scratching your head over how we just went from a solar particle phenomenon to foxes, but just bear with me and I will connect the dots! The Sámi people stem from the northernmost portions of Scandinavia which, as some of you geography buffs are aware of, contains a little country called Finland. Now here’s the line between the dots: The Finnish word for 'Northern Lights' is 'Revontulet’ which literally translates as 'fire fox'. Voila! Pretty cool, right? Anyway, this is the main event at the Ice Hotel, this is the once-in-a-lifetime experience you drag your loved ones with you to see. Our guide advised us that it needs to be cold, clear and dark to experience the revontulet at its finest, so bundle up, be patient and keep your eyes on the sky.

Side bar:

The Northern Lights experience at the Ice Hotel comprises three arctic adventures rolled into one. First off, you take a snowmobile on a 2.5 hour journey from the hotel to a secluded wilderness camp with Finnish style cottages. Secondly, your guide will prepare dinner for you and talk about the history and culture of the area. Last but not least: The Revontulet will hopefully make an appearance (I still have a lawsuit pending with the Swedes over the clouds that ruined our chances but I doubt I will hear back from them).

Until next time - BAP

Week 28: Scandinavian Adventure. Nordic Shop!

Whether you are planning your visit to Scandinavia, or just love everything Nordic, my curated selection of items will make you feel cozy and warm inside and out!

Check out our SHOP to see more curated themed shops!

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Week 28: Scandinavian Adventures. Stockholm Travel Guide

We got back from Northern Europe two weeks ago, but I only now finally sat down to write and edit the ‘Scandinavian Adventures’ guide. I will also share a trip video my husband made, so stay tuned and enjoy the plunge into the land of Vikings!

Ben and I flew to Stockholm via Moscow right after Christmas. The flight was long, so when we got to Stockholm, all I wanted to do was unpack and sleep. However, the freezing air of Skeppsholmen Island where we were staying (did you know that Stockholm is an archipelago and consists of 14 islands?) and delicious coffee in a pretty mug brought me back to life.

Ok, I am lying, because what really woke me right up when my husband said we need to check out a few boutiques so I can pick out a new bag for myself :)

There are a few nice boutiques at Birger Jarlsgatan, including Louis Vuitton and Gucci. If you live in the USA, you will definitely want to buy something in these boutiques as prices are lower and you will get a VAT return (just don’t forget to ask for a Tax Refund form!).

Our first days in Stockholm were cold, but quite manageable. I did expect Scandinavian countries to be much colder in winter than they actually were to be honest, so I was pleasantly surprised with the mild temperatures and absence of snow in the capital cities of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Of course I did pack wisely, and brought a very warm wardrobe that saved me from freezing, but I will talk about it in one of the next posts!

Stockholm

is an undeniably beautiful city, stunningly decorated around Christmas and New Years. I could talk a lot about its narrow colourful streets, breathtaking castles, little cafes with delicious, sweet pastries and hot chocolates, but you probably read that many times before in other travel guides. Therefore, I will focus on just best places Ben and I visited and share some photographs I took on our journey.

1. Skansen Museum

I absolutely fell in love with Skansen! Apparently it is the world’s first open-air museum, and was founded in 1891. The museum territory is huge and has many different, interesting parts covering five centuries of Swedish history. There are churches and houses, shops, bakeries and farmsteads, all authentic to the period each depicts. 

Skansen is a remarkable ‘immersive experience’ place. While you walk around the historical buildings or a beautifully decorated merchant’s house from the 19th century, you can easily stumble across actors/characters in period dresses who will answer all your questions. 

The museums also have a zoo with wild bears, reindeer, wolves and other beautiful animals.

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2. Wienercaféet

There are many cafes with delicious deserts and traditional Swedish food around Stockholm, but my favourite one was Wienercaféet. Their smorgasbords with salmon and avocado were amazing, and I liked their pastries so much, that I had to take two pieces of cake to our hotel and devour them in bed while watching Vikings.

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3. Hotel Skeppsholmen

By the way, speaking of hotels! Ben and I were staying at the Skeppsholmen which is situated on the beautiful and very quiet island of Skeppsholmen. Our room had a great Scandinavian minimalist design, big shower and in the mornings we were ate a very, very tasty breakfast with various choices of food.

The hotel has a very colourful history and is a government listed historic building. To read more about hotel’s history click here.  

4. Gamla Stan

Probably the most photographed area of Sweden, Gamla Stan or ‘Old Town’, is one of the largest and most gorgeous medieval city centres in Europe. Come here for charming little streets, churches, pictures in front of colourful buildings, souvenirs, cafes, museums and old-fashioned romance. The Royal Palace is also located in Gamla Stan, and you surely don’t want to miss it!

5. The Royal Palace

Kungliga slottet, the Royal Palace is one of the largest and most lavish palaces in the world with its 608 rooms. Although the Swedish Royal family, the House of Bernadotte, reside in the much smaller and modest Drottinghom Palace, the king and the queen still hold audiences and host some official ceremonies in Kungliga slottet.

6. Djugarden

The island of Djugarden, once a royal hunting ground, doesn’t only have Skansen. The Nordiska Museum, Junibacken (which is a museum dedicated to fictional characters from Astrid Lindgren’s creations, e.g. Karlsson-on-the-Roof), The Abba Museum, Vasa Museum with its massive warship, Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628, and other smaller museums and galleries.

I think Djugarden was my favourite island in Stockholm, and I would definitely love to explore it in summer next time.

7. Fartygsmagasinet i Stockholm AB

I LOVE antique stores, and Fartygsmagasinet immediately caught my attention when we were walking around Gamla Stan. This antique store specialises in nautical antiques and maritime interiors, and has a large selection of unique pieces you just want to peruse. 

Next, I will share my Lapland and Ice Hotel review, and also my Copenhagen guide, so stay tuned!