Ask me what season I love the most, and I’d have to ask depending on which country? Summer is for fresh mussels and chilled wine on the French Riviera, fall is for San Francisco and wine country for their beautiful Indian summers, winter is for skiing in Austria, and spring… well, sweet spring is for the rebirth of nature and the return of light in Sweden. After six months of darkness and sub zero temperatures that Nordic winters are known for, it’s as if the arrival of spring here sets off fireworks in our brains, euphoria spewing every which way… and no place is more evident of the Swedes’ joy than in one of the city’s many emerald green royal parks.
Stockholm is a very special city in that despite the fact that is a ‘major capital city,’ it is rich with water and nature and so one can live in the city and still feel totally connected to the planet. No concrete jungle here! I am grateful to say that D and I live right in between my two favorite parks: Hagaparken (where one of the Swedish Royal Princesses lives with her family) and Humlegården, most known for its sprawling grounds perfect for family picnics, its Royal Library, and its abundant lilac bushes, which fill the air with a sweet perfume starting right about now.
The other day was the first day this year that was gorgeous and sunny enough to enjoy Humlegården, and I was so excited to take S so that she could finally- at 11 months old- have a proper introduction with nature (at least at an age where she is now old enough to be aware of it). Needless to say, she was in heaven!
Should you ever get the chance to experience a spring day in a Swedish park, I can guarantee you that you will spot the following:
Young moms with their babies enjoying the sunshine on their maternity leave (because with the Swedish system’s generous health and childcare benefits, this city is always crawling with new babies)…
2. Young dads with their babies enjoying the sunshine on their paternity leave (it is a common assumption among visitors to Stockholm that it is full of gay nannies. Nope! Dads get generous paternity leave, too!)…
3. Children from dagis, or daycare (spotted for their neon vests), whose days are always filled with outdoor time, even in -20 degree weather, because Swedes’ believe in the importance of human connection to nature…
D, S and I awoke this morning once again to gorgeous weather, and so it seems spring really has arrived for good. It’s about time, it is May after all! Winters may get tiring, but the almost-spiritual experience that Sweden’s spring awakening provides always makes November-April worth it. Nature continues to remind us each year that life is about balance and that hardship may occur but we will always come full circle to joy once again.
Our ‘other baby’ Tootsie, soaking up her much awaited morning sun
Ingrid x
Spring Splendor in a Swedish Park! Ask me what season I love the most, and I'd have to ask depending on which country?