Swedish summer: Expectations vs Reality
For all those who have a love-hate relationship with the Swedish summer.
When we put together this piece about why Sweden is the best place to be in summer, some readers (you know who you are) accused us of putting slightly too positive a spin on it. So here's one for all you grouches out there: what you think the Swedish summer is going to be like versus what it is actually like.
What you think the weather is going to be like...
Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
What it's actually like...
The next day it will be overcast, 18C and they'll call it a heatwave.
Photo: Marcus Ericsson/TT
What you think going for a dip in the sea is going to feel like...
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
What it actually feels like...
Bring your swimsuit, they said. It will be fun, they said.
Photo: Knut Fjeldstad/TT
What you think you're going to eat...
Photo: Susanne Walström/imagebank.sweden.se
What you will actually eat...
Dear dog trying fermented herring for the first time, we feel your pain.
Photo: Tomas Oneborg/SvD/TT
What you think meeting your in-laws is going to be like...
Photo: Monkeybusiness/Depositphotos
What it's actually like...
Picture yourself and your father-in-law in the sauna. Naked.
Photo: Dan Hansson/SvD/TT
What you think you're going to look like at that crayfish party...
Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
What you actually look like...
And that's after your Swedish friends have instructed you how to eat the pesky little creatures.
Photo: NataliaD/Depositphotos
What you think you look like after a couple of shots of akvavit...
Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
What you actually look like...
At least the pickled herring finally tastes good.
Photo: Vox19/Depositphotos
What you think eating out in Stockholm is going to be like...
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
What it's actually like...
Closed for the summer.
Photo: Emma Löfgren/The Local
What you think the sommarstuga is going to be like...
Photo: Johan Willner/imagebank.sweden.se
What it's actually like...
Utedass (outdoor toilet). Because in summer Swedes forget they do have running water.
Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT
What animals you think you're going to see...
Photo: Eddie Granlund/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
What animals you actually see...
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
But in the end it's all worth it for those days that are exactly like this...
Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Werner Nystrand/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Faramarz Gosheh/imagebank.sweden.se
All right, we admit it, we love the Swedish summer!
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When we put together this piece about why Sweden is the best place to be in summer, some readers (you know who you are) accused us of putting slightly too positive a spin on it. So here's one for all you grouches out there: what you think the Swedish summer is going to be like versus what it is actually like.
What you think the weather is going to be like...
Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
What it's actually like...
The next day it will be overcast, 18C and they'll call it a heatwave.
Photo: Marcus Ericsson/TT
What you think going for a dip in the sea is going to feel like...
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
What it actually feels like...
Bring your swimsuit, they said. It will be fun, they said.
Photo: Knut Fjeldstad/TT
What you think you're going to eat...
Photo: Susanne Walström/imagebank.sweden.se
What you will actually eat...
Dear dog trying fermented herring for the first time, we feel your pain.
Photo: Tomas Oneborg/SvD/TT
What you think meeting your in-laws is going to be like...
Photo: Monkeybusiness/Depositphotos
What it's actually like...
Picture yourself and your father-in-law in the sauna. Naked.
Photo: Dan Hansson/SvD/TT
What you think you're going to look like at that crayfish party...
Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
What you actually look like...
And that's after your Swedish friends have instructed you how to eat the pesky little creatures.
Photo: NataliaD/Depositphotos
What you think you look like after a couple of shots of akvavit...
Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
What you actually look like...
At least the pickled herring finally tastes good.
Photo: Vox19/Depositphotos
What you think eating out in Stockholm is going to be like...
Photo: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
What it's actually like...
Closed for the summer.
Photo: Emma Löfgren/The Local
What you think the sommarstuga is going to be like...
Photo: Johan Willner/imagebank.sweden.se
What it's actually like...
Utedass (outdoor toilet). Because in summer Swedes forget they do have running water.
Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT
What animals you think you're going to see...
Photo: Eddie Granlund/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
What animals you actually see...
Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
But in the end it's all worth it for those days that are exactly like this...
Photo: Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Werner Nystrand/Folio/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Carolina Romare/imagebank.sweden.se
Or like this...
Photo: Faramarz Gosheh/imagebank.sweden.se
All right, we admit it, we love the Swedish summer!
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