First of all, I would of course prefer to be in Scandinavia. But because it will be a while before I can go there again, I started making a list of five Scandinavian things that you can do nearby.
What makes Scandinavia so nice for me is the peace. There are few people living on a very large piece of land and you only really meet someone if you look for it. Then there are the endless beaches on the Danish west coast, the dense - by trolls and elves inhabited - forests in Sweden, the beautiful design of basically everything, the sound of both Danish and Swedish and the stories about Vikings, Norse gods and fairytale princesses. I love it and like to be inspired by it for my illustrations .
Scandinavia is known for design; practically everything you encounter is beautiful. Usually not exuberant or brightly colored, but beautiful through simplicity. However, the northern countries are not immediately at the top of the list when it comes to visual arts. But what do you think of the Swedish painter Hilma af Klint? She was interested in mathematics and spirituality and this is reflected in what she made. Her work can be seen in a duo exhibition with Piet Mondriaan in the Kunstmuseum in The Hague until February 25. And if you are in the area, you can also go to the beach in Scheveningen :)
Swedish coffee breakThen it's time for Fika; a Swedish custom to put your work aside for a while and take the time for a cup of coffee with, for example, a cinnamon bun. Although it's not about the coffee, but to get away from your screen or the laundry to socialize with colleagues or take a moment for yourself. Of course served in a nice cup with saucer. In Hengelo is Røllesmølle , a Lunsjkafé where you can also enjoy Swedish kanelbulle and Kladdkaka (chocolate cake). Super nice place to have a nice chat with a friend.
Peace and quiet like you find in Scandinavia is rare in the Netherlands. Actually, there is always a highway somewhere and on a nice day you are never alone in the forest. Recently we walked with the children on the Sallandse Heuvelrug and we followed a gnome path . There were gnome posts for the route and along the way we came across doors in the trees, pointed hats hanging on a washing line and mushrooms along the path. So magical and nice that you almost start to believe in it. And it is also a wonderful place for adults!
Staying overnight in a cabin
If you have ever been to Sweden, you are probably familiar with stuga's. Small wooden houses, often painted red and situated on a lake or in the forest (or both). The interior is simple but very cozy. You can drive to Sweden for it, but at Oet door, Scandinavia Experience in the Achterhoek , you can also sleep in a stuga! Complete with wood stove, woolen hot water bottles, a nice chair and a view to match.
Hygge can of course not be missing from this list, my 'keyword'. Hygge is the Danish art of living. It resembles 'our' coziness, although hygge goes further. Candles, warm drinks, blankets on the couch, big thick scarves and going into nature are important elements. And a nice home is a big part of it. To make your home cozy you can go to Ikea, but you can also go to Blikfang in Deventer. Here you will find nice Scandinavian brands to make it completely hyggelig, such as the woolen plaids from Klippan, beautiful cups from Marimekko and nice warm slippers.
In my opinion, this has become a nice list of Scandinavian things that you can do in the Netherlands. To complete the list, you will find a lot of Scandinavian-inspired illustrations by me, to dream away with.
I'll start with a nice cup of coffee and plan my visit to the Kunstmuseum in The Hague.