SLU Campus

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Originally uploaded by watermirrors

SLU has an incredible campus that's lush with country gardens and forests even though it's only 15 minutes from campus. It's difficult to explore the whole place and each day I feel like I discover a new place. Just yesterday I came upon a marsh with a boardwalk through the lily pads and cattails. This picture was taken in one of the gardens at sunset.

Arla Ko Ekologisk gammaldags mjölk

I don't normally drink milk, but I love this style of milk. Most Swedes prefer mellanmjölk, which has a "medium" fat content and is homogenized, but gammaldags milk is unhomogenized and has a high fat content that varies with the season. People who worry way too much about life drink lättmjölk (.5%) and people who have no idea what milk tastes like drink minimjölk (even less than .5%). Lame. If I'm going to drink milk it's going to be rich and creamy. It's also much cheaper than similar American milk at 12-15 kr.

Filmjölk

Filmjölk roughly translates to something like "thick milk." It's much like a very thin plain yogurt, but has a distinct taste thanks to special cultures. Some Americans do not like Filmjölk because it isn't sweetened and has a sour taste, but I immediately liked it. Muesli, the breakfast of choice for many people here, doesn't taste right with regular milk, which just makes it soggy. So far I've only tried plain Filmjölk, but there are many different types and I hope to try them all.

GB Glace

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Originally uploaded by watermirrors

GB Glace makes ice cream similar to the Nestle brands in the US sold from ice cream trucks. The difference seems to that these are sold in cases nearly everywhere. So far I've tried only three types: two like American King Cones and this jordgubbar ice cream sandwich. The King Cone- like confections were inte so bra (not so good...the chocolate was waxy), but this strawberry bar hit the spot.

Why Swedish people are not big as houses given the ubiquitousness of ice cream, candy, and baked goods will be the subject of another post....once I figure it out. I have an inking that it has to do with all the walking, biking, and skiing people here do. And I think these things really are treats to have at sweet shops on the go or while having afternoon coffee (fika)...and not something people sit around at home eating.

I'd like to be able to say that it's because sweets here are less horrifying, but that's sadly not true. Bubble gum flavored gummy colas and princess cake, which is a cream cake covered with garish green marzipan, pretty much make the horrifying cut.

jordgubbar/strawberries

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Originally uploaded by watermirrors

Strawberries are very popular in Sweden and are affordable. In America, most of our strawberries are large, but tasteless. Good berries are only available in America for about a month at farmer's markets and can cost up to $7. Locally grown strawberies in Uppsala cost around $5, but similar Belgian strawberries can be found at street stands for about $3. They are ruby red through and through and smell divine. Lately I've been eating a carton nearly every day.

Diakonistiftelsen Samariterhemmet

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Originally uploaded by watermirrors

When my fellow travelers and I realized that the housing office was closed, we found it hard to find accommodations in Uppsala. Thankfully, my friend found Diakonistiftelsen Samariterhemmet, a bed and breakfast run by the Church of Sweden. It was around 700 SEK for both of us and we had separate beds in a gorgeous room. The building was lovely and located right near the city center. Breakfast was in a seperate building and was delicious traditional Swedish food like muesli with filmjölk and lingonberries.