Full disclosure - As I write this, I'm stretched out on the couch with a cup of coffee and my only plans for the day include making another pot... But just go with it.
I like the weekend… a lot. It’s safe to say Saturday is the best day of the week followed closely by Sunday and then Friday. (That’s the truth and anyone who claims otherwise is wrong.) And I like lazy weekends: mornings when I don’t set an alarm, afternoons filled with a book or a hike, unhurried dinners and a second glass of wine. I like that. But in addition to liking restful weekends, I also like to—wait for it—do stuff. Crazy, right? And it just so happens that those two glorious days can also be spent doing stuff, and I like that too.
Aun, Adil and Egil or maybe Thor, Odin and Freyr??
Last weekend, I did stuff. I biked out to the museum in Gamla Uppsala, or “Old Uppsala,” where viking kings were buried in these massive mounds. The museum is filled with all things archaeology and mythology and the mounds themselves, named Aun, Adil and Egil, were once thought to hold the Norse gods Thor, Odin and Freyr. Even though I’d visited the site before, I was still taken by the fascinating history (and mystery) of the spot and the incredible views of Uppsala’s cathedral in the distance. And as much as I like my leisurely Saturdays, days spent exploring a city’s culture are pretty awesome too.
Kungsholmen by kayak
Later that weekend, I tagged along with friends kayaking around Kungsholmen. Stockholm is a city of islands and Kungsholmen, Swedish for “King’s Islet”, is one of the city’s central neighborhoods. It was a perfect day to be outside and it seemed like everyone had the same idea, especially since the sun has made few appearances this summer. The island has these stretches of rock where loads of people were laid out. It was so cool to see people swimming and boating while still very much in the middle of a city. After paddling more than 10k (I’m slowly learning the metric system…), we had a well-earned beer at a waterfront restaurant. Few things compare to a cold beer after a long day. On the train back to Uppsala that night I was exhausted, but so very satisfied. Funny how that works. So to recap: weekend spent relaxing = good, weekend spent doing stuff = heaps better. More to come soon!
- EM