Af Chapman

The tall white ship Af Chapman in Stockholm harbor is a youth hostel.

Brännlands Wärdshus

About 20 minutes west of downtown Umeå is Brännlands Wärdshus, which usually serves a fixed menu of traditional Swedish food, but also does BBQ takeout on Fridays. I haven't tried the takeout, but one of the owners told us that their grill is "from Texas".

Getting there without a car requires catching a bus from an unmarked stop in town and getting off on the side of a highway, the shoulders of which are totally covered in snow, and walking about 300 meters to the restaurant.

Spark: The Swedish Skateboard

Kids can either sit in the seat and be pushed around or they can stand on one of the metal runners with one foot and kick with the other ("spark" means "kick").

The Book I Read

"The Book I Read" bookcase by Anzfer Farms. Photo by Joe.

The Heart of Umeå

Downtown Umeå.

Snow sharks

The frozen river that cuts through the middle of town.

Northern Lights Sculpture

The northern lights sculpture in the middle of the campus at Umeå University.