Staying with locals gives you a completely different perspective on a city compared to the way you experience it as a tourist. We were lucky enough to stay with Geoff’s cousin Ann and her Swedish husband Clas. Better than any tour guide, they showed us around their beautiful city and neighborhood warmly sharing their summer …
Driving through Norway, one passes through one picturesque village after another. At the heart of some of these towns you may even come across an historic wooden or stave church built in the Middle Ages and looking like something out of Grimm’s Fairytales. Each churchyard houses manicured grounds with well tended graves, swamped with flowers …
Norwegian Cemeteries: Not so easily “dust to dust”… Read More »
Fjords. Waterfalls. Glaciers. These were some of the wonderful natural sights that we were looking forward to seeing as we set off from Ă…lesund airport for a week long road trip. There is something so exciting and independent about having your own car. Luggage in the boot, our mascot Shorne the Sheep, padkos for the …
Apparently there is a name for people like me who are fascinated by the beauty and the history of graveyards – “Tombstone Tourists”. Most people see graveyards as a harsh necessity, while others go out of their way to avoid them. I think I’m captivated by the unknown, by the finality of the lives that …
There is nothing quite like the Scandinavian summer for endless hours of daylight and it really allows you to pack in the sight-seeing. Three days in Oslo is just enough time for you to get a feeling for the city and then wish you didn’t have to leave! Wednesday We arrived by coach from Gothenburg …
We never had big plans to visit Gothenburg, which is Sweden’s second biggest city located in the southwest of the country on the river Göta Ă„lv. This river feeds into Kattegatt, an arm of the North Sea. We chose Gothenburg because it was the departure point for some of the best sailing in Scandinavia. Coincidently, …
Sunday Ă–ckerö. We woke up late and well refreshed after our mad rush the day before. We had another shower in the spotless facilities. Over a leisurely breakfast we chatted to our Swedish neighbours who were finishing a 3 week sailing holiday. They highly recommended Marstrand, which we had planned to avoid as it sounded too …
Sailing in Gothenburg – Part 2: The Bohuslän Coast Read More »
I love the first day of picking up a new yacht charter. It’s like it’s own voyage of discovery – the idiosyncrasies of a new boat, local provisions, making sense of the charts and orienting ourselves to the new environment and it’s generally rushed as you are eager to leave harbour and start the new …
Sailing in Gothenburg – Part 1: The adventure begins Read More »
Although I have no idea how they quantify it, the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland are in the top 10 Happiest Countries in the world, according to a 2018 Forbes survey. Well, all I can say is that we could feel the warmth the minute we landed in Copenhagen airport. And …
Getting to grips with the Danish concept of ‘Hygge’ Read More »
I admit to having been fairly ignorant about the Nordic countries. Copenhagen to me was all about fairytale castles and romantic waterways, Carlsberg beer and of course, the little Mermaid statue. Denmark’s capital city has come a long way from its origins as a Viking fishing village in the 10th century! It is vibrant and trendy …
Les saveurs de la vie is a blog about lifestyle, travel, food, photography and other musings. We are Nikki and Geoff, married since 1995 and based in Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦.