October 31, 2026: Welcome to our October cocktail hour. Let’s have a hard cider, a popular Swedish drink. Hard cider in Sweden is known primarily for sweet, fruit-flavored varieties, though a growing craft scene produces traditional dry ciders. Skål!
I have a variety of soda or seltzer water for those of you who don’t drink.
October marked the third and final month of our three month stint of slow travel around the Nordic countries. We started off the month in Lillehammer and Oslo, Norway, stayed in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo in Sweden – with day trips to Copenhagen and Lund – and ended the month back home in Virginia, just in time to vote in the midterm elections and to celebrate Halloween with Allie and her parents.
Two nights in Lillehammer, Norway
October 1-3: We drove from Geiranger to |*Lillehammer, Norway*|, stopping first at the beautiful town of Lom where we checked out the blue waterfall and ate a pistachio bun at a cute cafe by the falls. Then we drove along the Gudbrandsdalen Valley from Otta to Lillehammer. We stopped at Sødorp Church, a wooden cruciform church from 1752. Another detour was to Ringebu, a small village that is home to the atmospheric Ringebu Stave Church, one of Norway’s 28 stave churches, originally built during the 13th century. We arrived in Lillehammer around 5:30 and checked into our hotel, Aksjemøllen by Classic Norway Hotels, an old mill that has been converted to a hotel. I was feeling sick with a bad sore throat, a dry cough and a general head cold and lethargy. Mike picked up some instant ramen on his walk back from returning our rental car to Sixt, and we settled into the hotel room to rest. For once we had a bathtub and I enjoyed a long hot soak. Then we watched Another Self and Leanne, and went to sleep, but it was a miserable night for me with my sore throat and cough. The next day, I was still feeling miserable, but I mustered enough energy to visit the Lillehammer Kunstmuseum which showcases a collection of Norwegian art from the 19th century to the present day. Here we found three Edvard Munch paintings as well as “Birkebeinerne” (1869) by Knut Bergslien (1827-1908); this is one of the most famous paintings in Norwegian art history. Many paintings showed calm landscapes, magnificent panoramas, intimate interiors or intense relationships between individuals. Finally, we came upon art inspired by the lakeside town of Lillehammer. I returned to our room to rest while Mike went on to visit Maihaugen and the Norwegian Olympic Museum without me.
A week in Oslo, Norway
October 3-10: We enjoyed a wonderful Airbnb apartment in the diverse neighborhood of Tøyen in |*Oslo, Norway*|. We ate at the harborfront food hall, Vippa and then strolled along the harbor promenade, shocked by people in bathing suits running into the floating saunas and then jumping into the harbor. We climbed to the top of the iceberg-shaped Operahuset Oslo and admired the views. We explored the old fortress of Akershus festning and then strolled along Karl Johans Gate, where we were floored by grand buildings, the Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament) and the Nationaltheatret. We admired the high rise buildings called Barcode and Mike dropped in to Dr. Dropin to have his red watering eyes checked out. We wandered around inside the Deichman Bjorvika (public library on the harbor) with its grand views and dynamic angles and playful nooks and crannies. I stood among human figures without arms or heads at Fellesskap (“Fellowship”), a sculpture symbolizing equality, unity and a pure, shared humanity. We spent hours at the fabulous Munch Museum and learned everything we could ever want to know about Edvard Munch, the artist famous for his painting The Scream; Munch is prolific with a diverse and emotional body of work, with an estimated 1,750 paintings. We admired the sculpture Moren (The Mother) built to represent all mothers, including the mother Munch lost at age 5. We spent a beautiful bright blue day wandering through the neighborhoods of Grünerløkka and Vulcan, eating pintxos at Mathallen Oslo, walking through a scenic lane of colorful houses at Telthusbakken and finding Gamle Aker Kirke, Oslo’s oldest remaining building from 1150 and a stop on the St. Olav’s Way pilgrimage to Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. In Our Savior’s Cemetery, we found the graves of Edvard Munch and Henrik Ibsen. We found hundreds of expressive sculptures in Vigelandsparken wihin Frognerparken and learned about Oslo’s history, especially under Nazi occupation, in the Oslo City Museum. On a cold and rainy day, we took a bus to Bygdøy, where we ran into Aussies Liv and Max from Melbourne, along with Liv’s parents, who we’d met on the Hurtigruten cruise. We learned about Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 101-day voyage on a raft from South America to the Polynesian Islands in the Kon-Tiki Museum. We went aboard The Fram and read about polar explorations in the Fram Museum. We saw art inspired by Colombia’s violent years under Pablo Escobar’s drug cartels by Colombian artist Beatriz González at the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art in Aker Brygge. Finally, we visited the Nasjonalmuseet to learn about design, modern and classical art and architecture. We walked by the Nobel Peace Prize Museum on the day the committee announced the 2026 winner of the prize, Navenethem “Navi” Pillay, for her efforts to promote peace and international law. We wrapped up our time in Oslo by eating small dishes at theka indian street food in the charming Grünerløkka neighborhood. How I loved Oslo!
A week in Stockholm, Sweden
October 10-17: In |*Stockholm, Sweden*|, we were NOT enamored of our plain and outdated Airbnb. Generally speaking the city was cold, dreary and rainy. We ate Swedish meatballs and goat cheese salad at the Lundberg Pub just as locals were piling in to watch a rivalry match between two Stockholm soccer clubs. On a rainy day, we visited Gustaf Vasa Kyrka with its high dome that towers over Odenplan plaza and then took the random bus #53 to the end and back just to get one overview of the city. We strolled one morning by Karlbergs Slott, a 1630 palace now housing the Military Academy Karlberg, as well as the canal alongside and the forest behind. We dropped into several of Stockholm’s metro stations to see the “world’s longest public art gallery.” We visited the fascinating Vasamuseet which shows a 17th century ship that has been salvaged after it sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628. We also visited the sister museum, The Vrak – Museum of Wrecks, where we learned about shipwrecks and marine archeology in interactive exhibits where we conversed with hologram scientists. We ate tapas and fish soup at Östermalms Saludhall. We had a fun morning at the ABBA Museum, where we got to sing karaoke, silent-dance and learn about the band members, the band’s early days, the famous song “Dancing Queen,” and the band’s costumes, and production facilities; there was only a small display about Mama Mia! We wandered around Gamla Stan where we accidentally saw the changing of the guard at Kungliga Slottet (Royal Palace); we also admired the impressive Riksdegshuset (Parliament) and Storkyrkan (Cathedral). We ate lunch at Pane Fresco and then popped in the cute boutique Monchique, where I ended up buying two embroidered jackets. We visited Fotografiska, a museum devoted to photography, with special exhibits about breast cancer, South African low-cost housing that didn’t deliver on promises made, women’s faces and bodies covered with odd items, and societal expectations about men. We visited the Nationalmuseum where we enjoyed the exhibit To the Sea! about how railroads expanded coastal tourism especially in France. In Södermalm, we ate at Meatballs for the People, which we enjoyed but decided we’d had our fill of meatballs. We enjoyed fika (the Swedish art of having a coffee which encompasses socializing or networking) too many times to count. We topped off our week at Tehran Grill where we enjoyed watching a Swedish family’s birthday celebration and savored our exotic meals. Finally, I found a tailor to hem the jeans I bought in Bergen.
Six nights in Gothenburg, Sweden
October 17-23: We enjoyed our apartment in |*Gothenburg, Sweden,*| where we stayed for 6 nights, despite having to carry our luggage up 2 flights of stairs to the 3rd floor. We had a lovely day out at the island of Stora Amundön, where we walked through birch forests, scrambled over boulders along the sea, and enjoyed a picnic lunch under blue skies. We walked to Saluhallen, a food court where we found decent Vietnamese food, but a rather flavorless fava bean soup at a Greek food vendor. We climbed to Skansen Kronen, an old castle used for defensive purposes against Denmark, and enjoyed views over the city. We strolled through the adorable neighborhood of Haga and to Feskekörka, a fish market in the shape of a church. On another lovely day, we explored the expansive Botaniska (the Gothenburg Botanical Garden), enjoying the hilly terrain and the magnificent varieties of plant life in the gardens. Mike found a barber in Linné and got a haircut, and we stopped for fika at yet another Espresso House. In the evening, Mike went to a hockey game at the nearby arena, Scandinavium, while I watched a romantic movie, Love of Your Life. We said hello to the huge Poseidon statue in front of the Konstmuseum, and then explored the art collection there. We enjoyed a delicious pizza at Blokk Restaurang two doors down from our apartment. On our last day, we visited World of Volvo, where we learned about Volvo’s focus on safety, interacted with various stations, and saw vehicles from their long history. I loved Gothenburg!
A week in Malmö, Sweden with day trips to Copenhagen and Lund
October 23-30: We arrived in |*Malmö, Sweden*|, where we had another nice apartment except for having to carry our luggage up three flights of stairs to our 4th-floor apartment. Our first day we walked through the Möllevången neighborhood, where we found a lively market square, regal buildings, and graffiti or street art adorning many buildings. We enjoyed the charming little street of Fricksgatan and then explored an old shopping mall that sold off-beat and used items; in the mall we perused the shop called Pill & Punch which had a lot of beads, jewelry, hair clips and various hobby-centric and unusual items. We ate a lunch in Ölkafèet, a sports bar where the food was mediocre, but we enjoyed drinking a beer inside where it was warm and cozy. We went to the Triangeln Mall to the Apotek to load up on throat lozenges and cough syrup for me. On the cold, rainy and windy Sunday that was my 71st birthday, I stayed in all day nursing myself back to health; we hadn’t taken a break during our entire trip. Mike however did pamper me by buying pastries at a nearby bakery and making a chicken and white bean soup for dinner. We spent the evening watching Man Up, an old romantic comedy. On Monday, we took a train across the Öresund Bridge to |*Copenhagen, Denmark*|, where we spent a good deal of the day learning all about the brewing company at Home of Carlsberg, walked through Gamle Carlsberg and the pretty neighborhood of Humleby (“Hops Town”) and continuing on to Vesterbro. Back in Malmö on Tuesday, we moseyed along the harbor walk after seeing the Turning Torso, and then saw the old castle, Malmöhus Slott, from across the moat. We enjoyed walking through the Slottsparken and seeing the old windmill, dropping in to the Stradsbiblioteket, and then walking home, seeing along the way the Malmö Opera, Malmökonsthall, Triageln Station, St. Johann’s church and then eating Indian food at Art of Spices back in Möllevången. On Wednesday, we took a train to Lund where we visited Lund Domkyrka (Cathedral) and watched the noon performance by the characters of the amazing astronomical clock there. We ate a piece of Princess Cake at Mormors Bageri (Grandma’s Bakery), ate a delicious lunch of spicy shrimp and fish soup at Malmstens Fisk at Lund Saluhallen, strolled around the adorable town, and then returned to Malmö. Finally, on our last day in Malmö, we walked through Gamla Staden (Old Town) and enjoyed the big squares, half-timbered buildings and a final dinner of vegan tapas at FIR, a neighborhood bar and restaurant.
Return to Virginia
We flew home on Friday, October 30 on SAS Airlines. We flew from Copenhagen Airport to Boston and then on to D.C. (a 19-1/2 hour travel day), coming full circle from where we flew in on August 4.
We went directly on Saturday morning to the Fairfax County Government Center to vote; it was the last day to vote early in the midterm elections in Virginia.
This is what democracy looks like!
And of course, Saturday was Halloween, so we offered to hand out candy while Alex and Jandira took Dr. Allie, the surgeon, trick-or-treating.
Homebody Stuff
I finished 2 books in October bringing my total to 48/48. I really loved Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson. The other book I finally finished after lugging it around for 2 1/2 months, The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama, was rather a chore to get through.
We started watching S4 of The Diplomat and Nobody Wants This (S3). We continued watching The Killing; Furious; Ride or Die; Thank You Next (Kimler Geldi Kimler Geçti) (S3); and Ted Lasso (S4). We finished Leanne (S2); Love Life (S2); Trying (S5); Grantchester (S7); De Eetclub (The Perfect Lie); AnotherSelf (Zeytin Ağacı) (S3); and Old Money (Enfes Bir Aksam) (S1).
One night Mike went to a hockey game in Gothenburg and I stayed comfy at home and I watched the movie Love of Your Life. I love Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell’s daughter, who also starred in the fabulous Maid. On my birthday in Malmö, we watched an old romantic comedy called Man Up, which was quite enjoyable. We also watched the movie Den hemmelige kvinde (The Secret Woman).
Family Happenings
During October, Allie celebrated her 3rd birthday by going to the National Aquarium and dressing like a princess for her birthday celebration. She continues to thrive in day care. She took her turn at playing teacher, drove a fire truck and dressed up like a fire woman, and went apple picking, an old family tradition, at Stribling Orchard. She has also taken up learning to play soccer.
Little Mikey is going to a half-day school three days a week, which he’s enjoying. Surrounded by three big sisters, he wants to be a grown-up so badly. He also got a new flotation device for swimming. Mía was suffering abdominal pain and had to go to the hospital in Rivas; they decided to remove her appendix; luckily all went well. She is now home recovering.
My Fall BINGO card
I completed a few things on my Fall BINGO Card in October.
- Norway: Lillehammer ✓, Oslo ✓
- Sweden: Stockholm ✓, Gothenburg ✓, Malmö ✓
- Visit a botanical garden: Botaniska in Gothenburg ✓
- Make soup together (many times) ✓
- Go on a fall nature walk (Stora Amundön, Sweden) ✓
- Take a scenic fall drive (Geiranger to Lillehammer, Norway) ✓
- Celebrate my 71st birthday by taking a rest day and then exploring Copenhagen, Lund and Malmö. ✓
- Trick or treats for Halloween (in Virginia) ✓
- Read 2 books: The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama and Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson. ✓
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I hope you’ll share how the year is panning out for you, and what plans you have for the fall.
How did your October go? Did you have any special family gatherings? Have you welcomed any new additions to your family? Did you celebrate any birthdays or anniversaries? Have you read any good books that can inform your worldview, seen any good movies, binge-watched any television series? Have you planned any adventures or had any winter or holiday getaways? Have you dreamed any dreams? Have you gone to any exotic restaurants, cooked any new dishes? Have you been surprised by anything in life? Have you created a Fall Bingo Card or dream list? Have you made any new friends? Have you learned anything new, taken any classes or just kept up with the news? Have you sung along with any new songs? Have you undertaken any new exercise routines? Have you marched or otherwise participated in political protests? Have you been battered, or alternately, uplifted by any news?
Please share your October with me by giving me the plot below, or a link to a post in your blog that tells about your month.
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