{"id":6055,"date":"2026-08-27T02:31:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T02:31:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=6055"},"modified":"2026-08-27T02:31:46","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T02:31:46","slug":"a-week-in-scandinavia-cup-of-jo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=6055","title":{"rendered":"A Week in Scandinavia | Cup of Jo"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Stockholm<\/p>\n

After spending time with our family in England<\/a>, the boys headed back to Brooklyn to see their dad, and Freddie<\/a> and I stayed to visit friends in Scandinavia. What a magical place! Here are a few photos, if you\u2019d like to see\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Joanna<\/p>\n

Right before leaving London for Stockholm<\/em><\/p>\n

Our first stop was Stockholm. Have you ever been to Sweden? (Or are you lucky enough to live there?) I\u2019d never visited, and damn was it gorgeous. When I think back on the week, my mind fills with images of sparkling water and green grass and blue skies.<\/p>\n

\"ett<\/p>\n

My friend Jen, who lives there, highly recommended the hotel Ett Hem<\/a>. It was definitely a splurge, but since we\u2019d stayed with family for most of our trip, we decided to go for it.<\/p>\n

\"ett<\/p>\n

The hotel wants guests to feel like they\u2019re staying with family friends \u2014 and we really did. Every corner offered a cozy nook for reading books or playing games, and they had honesty bars set up around the hotel so you could pour yourself a glass of wine. They also had an open kitchen where you could help yourself anytime to afternoon cake.<\/p>\n

\"ett<\/p>\n

The breakfast, which was included with the stay, was extraordinary. Our first morning, we sat by a big bookcase, and the plates just kept coming \u2014 farm fresh scrambled eggs, sliced cheese and ham, lettuce and tomatoes with flaky sea salt, and bread rolls with butter. This isn\u2019t sponsored \u2014 it was just an incredible place!<\/p>\n

\"Joanna<\/p>\n

After breakfast, we biked to the ABBA Museum<\/a> (big fan) and the Vasa Museum<\/a>, which features a giant warship that sunk\u202620 minutes after setting sail. A real example of hubris, gahh. Also, while biking around town, I was struck by how closely people followed the rules. In New York, where I\u2019ve ridden bikes for 25 years<\/a>, it always feels like a bit of a free-for-all where you could tumble off at any time \u2014 car doors open unexpectedly, pedestrians walk in bike lanes, delivery trucks block pathways. I\u2019m used to it, but in Stockholm, the system just ran\u2026according to plan.<\/p>\n

\"Stockholm<\/p>\n

Our second day, we took a ferry into the archipelago, a stunning group of 30,000 islands in the Baltic Sea. Public transportation can get noisy, but people were surprisingly quiet on the ferry \u2014\u00a0and I thought about lagom<\/em>, a concept in Swedish culture where people live together with moderation, fairness, and simple satisfaction. Apparently, the Swedish proverb \u201cLagom \u00e4r b\u00e4st\u201d means \u201cthe right amount is best.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Stockholm<\/p>\n

Side note: I loved these girls\u2019 braids!<\/p>\n

\"Jen<\/p>\n

We then met up with my friend Jen<\/a>, her husband Nik, and their twin boys. She\u2019s American, he\u2019s Swedish, and they moved to Stockholm a few years ago. We went to a classic restaurant called Pelikan<\/a> for meatballs, potatoes, and lingonberries and played a rip-roaring game of Ono 99<\/a>. (The other restaurant we loved during our stay was Bar N\u00eemes<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

Next, we headed south to Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a five-hour train ride.<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

The design of everything, even the bike racks and airport carts, was beautiful.<\/p>\n

\"Juno<\/p>\n

Everyone we met advised us to get pastries \u2014 especially cardamom buns \u2014\u00a0so we went to Juno<\/a>. Another day, we had delicious folded eggs at Studio x Kitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"la<\/p>\n

We also biked to La Banchina<\/a>, an all-day caf\u00e9, where you can also swim in the harbor.<\/p>\n

\"apple<\/p>\n

We then headed to our friends Maz and Lee\u2019s house, where they live with their two boys. She\u2019s Danish, he\u2019s American, and they\u2019re splitting their time between Copenhagen and Queens. <\/p>\n

\"fika<\/p>\n

While snacking on apple cake and coffee, their older son told us about school in Denmark. \u201cWe learn math and science, of course,\u201d he said, \u201cBut we also learn life skills. We went mountain biking this week, and we\u2019re learning to sew by hand and with a machine.\u201d And the coolest part? Teachers recently asked the students to come into school wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants over swimsuits. \u201cWe learned how to fall into water and take off our clothes efficiently,\u201d he said. \u201cBecause if you unexpectedly end up in water, you\u2019re usually fully dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

Their younger son picked more apples.<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

Our final day, we walked around town and peeked into little shops\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

\u2026and spotted a pacifier tree, where toddlers hang up their pacifiers when they\u2019re all done.<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

That evening, we had dinner with my friend Miriam<\/a>. The boys and I visited her family<\/a> a few years ago, and they now live in a different house with a wild garden. \u201cWe considered putting up a sign saying it was on purpose, so our neighbors wouldn\u2019t worry,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

Miriam and her husband Monty now have four kids, and we played in the garden before dinner.<\/p>\n

\"Copenhagen<\/p>\n

She made a delicious meal, including smashed beef with cucumber yogurt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"freddie<\/p>\n

And apparently Freddie juggles, haha.<\/p>\n

Have you ever been to Copenhagen, Stockholm, or anywhere in Scandinavia? I\u2019d love to hear any more insights or anecdotes. I fell so hard for both cities and am still pinching myself for the time we spent there. Thank you so much for reading. xoxo<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. The weirdest best part of trips<\/a>, and four things I always pack for a trip<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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