10 years since Utøya: Norway commemorates the lives lost in its deadliest terrorist attack

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July 22, 2021

July 22 is a solemn day that will be remembered by Norwegians for a long time, as the deadliest attack happened in Norway since World War II.

In 2011, right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik carried out two terrorist attacks within a matter of hours: the first was a car bombing in Regjeringskvartalet, the government quarter of Oslo, where eight people died. Breivik then continued on to take a ferry to Utøya island in Viken county dressed as a policeman, where he would open fire at a political summer camp for teenagers, killing 69 people – the majority of them being kids.

The terrorist attack at Utøya sent shockwaves around the world, and would ultimately lead to a stronger focus on counter-terrorism and extremism in Scandinavia. Today, Ander Behring Breivik is serving a 21-year sentence at a high-security section at Skien prison in Norway. If he is still considered a threat to society by the end of his sentence, it can be extended indefinitely.

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A post shared by Det Norske Kongehuset (@detnorskekongehus)

To commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, a national memorial by Manthey Kula will be placed at the quay from which ferries leave to Utøya. The memorial will feature 77 bronze columns, commemorating every person killed in the attacks.

However, there have been some snags along the way: the memorial won’t be open in time to mark the 10th anniversary because of ongoing disputes between locals and the government.

Some locals are against the monument because they fear that the site will become a tourist attraction, while survivors and those who have lost a loved one are disappointed and angry at the delay.

“It is a beautiful memorial, which has so many different elements that pay tribute to the victims, on a beautiful site down by the water in view of the island. It should have been ready for July 22,” said Lisbeth Kristin Roeyneland, whose daughter Synne was murdered in the attack.

A group of survivors from Utøya also created the Twitter account @aldriglemme, meaning ‘never forget’ in Norwegian, which has reposted tweets about the Utøya attack as they appeared 10 years ago.

Tweets by aldriglemme

Besides the ongoing memorial near Utøya, there are currently more than 1,000 iron roses outside Oslo’s cathedral, replicating the flowers laid by Norwegians in the days after the tragedy. On Utoya island, there is also a suspended metal ring that features the name of each victim.

Photo: Human-Etisk Forbund, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Featured image: Copyright AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

How a Scandinavian Viking inspired the name of this famous tech invention

By

Johanna Skytt

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July 21, 2021

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Have you ever wondered about the origin of the word ‘Bluetooth’? No, neither had we, until we learned about the origins of the name and its connection to Scandinavia. Not only was the Swedish company Ericsson deeply involved in the development of Bluetooth, but the name also originates from a Scandinavian Viking – King Harald “Blåtand” Gormsson.

King Harald “Blåtand” Gormsson was born in Denmark during the 10th century. Today, he is primarily known for bringing Christianity to Denmark and spreading it throughout the rest of the Scandinavian region.

The Vikings, who were pagan at the time, faced the introduction of a whole new religion and along with it cultural changes. Traditions within the culture were considered barbaric or violent by outsiders changed thanks to King Harald and the rising popularity of Christianity. Fittingly, King Harald was also the first Scandinavian king to get baptized.

How did Harald Blå Tand inspire the name ‘Bluetooth’?

King Harald was not only famous for bringing Christianity to Scandinavia hence ending an old era, and starting a new one for the Vikings. The king was also known for uniting countries.

Jim Kardach from Intel, which was one of the corporate members in the Bluetooth SIG, had read about the Scandinavian Viking and was inspired to name his new invention “Bluetooth”. He made the connection when learning that King Harald had united Denmark and Norway.

“King Harald Bluetooth was famous for uniting Scandinavia, just as we intended to unite the PC and cellular industries with a short-range wireless link,” Kardach wrote in an article for EE Times.

“Bluetooth” was initially supposed to be a temporary name until they had come up with something better, but it became so popular with the public and the press, that Jim Kardach and his team at Ericsson decided to keep the name.

The Bluetooth symbol is a combination of Harald Bluetooth’s initials H and B written in Scandinavian runes.

Why was this Viking king nicknamed Blue Tooth, [Swedish:Blå Tand]?
There are a few theories in regards to his rather uncommon name: One is that he loved blueberries, another one is that he had a bad tooth which had started to rot so badly it was blue. A third theory is that he often wore blue clothes which was the color of royalty at the time.

Whichever the truth may be — we love the fact that an old Viking continuous to live in the future through technology.

This article was first published on Apr 24, 2018 and has since then been edited.

Swedens Famous, Month-Long Vacation Law Is Over 80 Years Old

By

Swedes in the States

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July 19, 2021

0

Most countries around the world have labor laws that mandate employee leave and vacation.

In the European Union, each country must have at least twenty days of statutory leave. The United States has zero, which means that they’re the only developed economy in the world without mandatory statutory leave. In the States, vacation is normally negotiated between employer and employee. About 1/4 of all working Americans are without paid leave.

The Nordics on the other hand are famous for their generous vacation days, with at least twenty-five days paid leave each year in Sweden, and up to thirty in Denmark and Finland. The Danes aren’t one of the happiest people in the world for nothing.

It is also much thanks to their generous vacation days that the Scandinavian countries top OECD’s Better life Index as one of the countries with best work-life balance.

You will find more infographics at Statista

Perhaps it’s the short summers in the Nordics that have sparked the early and generous leave legislation. Swedes are by no means religious people, but summer vacation is as holy as it gets. Sweden got its first statutory leave in 1938, with at least two weeks paid leave guaranteed annually. The idea behind annual paid vacation, apart from a well-earned rest for the working class, was to equal out the class dimension that summer vacations previously had meant. Some ten years later, in 1951, another week was added. In 1963, a new method for calculating vacation wages was introduced, and yet another week was added. This meant that Swedish workers were guaranteed twenty-four days of annual leave because the working week was still six days long at the time.

Most Swedes enjoy at least some part of, their vacation abroad. In 2017 almost 60% of Swedes on paid leave left the country, perhaps because of the weather not being particularly reliable. Vacationing abroad has been popular among Swedes since 1930 when the average income started to increase quite radically. Between 1930 and 1950 the number of international travelers increased five times over! The first charted vacation, nowadays an annual tradition for many Swedes, left for Mallorca in 1954. The travel time is said to have been 12 hours and required 4 stops!

It wasn’t until 1978, that the working week changed from six to five days a week and another day was added to the annual leave. These changes meant that the annual vacation Swedes were guaranteed, was increased to five weeks, which also is the amount of annual leave Swedes enjoy today. For a short period in the nineties, the annual leave was increased by a further two days (to twenty-seven), almost reaching Danish levels! However, the twenty-five-day annual leave was reinforced in 1994.

Note that the annual leave for all these years is a minimum, in Sweden, it is not unusual to enjoy up to seven weeks of paid vacation each year! Great, right?

This article was originally published on July 18, 2018 and has since then been updated.

These Two Nordic Capitals Cut Pedestrian Deaths to Zero – Here’s How They Did It

By

Luda Berdnyk

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July 19, 2021

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In 2019, Helsinki, the capital of Finland, recorded absolutely no pedestrian deaths. A few thousand kilometers away, Norway’s capital, Oslo is echoing the same statistics with no pedestrian or cyclist deaths in the city of almost 700,000.

To put it in perspective, New York City recorded a whopping 121 pedestrian deaths and 28 cyclists deaths, while Los Angeles recorded 128 pedestrians, and 19 cyclists being killed in 2019.

How did this happen? And what can we learn from it?

The Nordic secret is simple: Make it a burden to drive.

Christoffer Solstad Steen from Trygg Trafikk, a road safety organization in Norway, stated, “[Politicians in Oslo] have chosen to make it more difficult to use a car – it takes more time to drive from one part of the city to another now and you have to pay money to use the road much more than you used to.”

Although it takes some time to put these measures into place, we can see that it clearly pays off. In 2017, there was a 70% increase in tolls across Oslo, leading to a 6% decrease in overall traffic. Likewise, parking fees were also increased – by 50% in central Oslo and 20% elsewhere – along with wiping out thousands of single parking spaces to create 35 miles of new cycling lanes.

Over in Helsinki, similar measures have been deployed. Over the last few years, the speed limits have gradually decreased to 30km/h on most residential streets and the city center; 50km/h on main streets in the suburbs; and 40km/h in the inner city.

However, these new measures haven’t come without their fair share of opposition. Arild Hermstad, Oslo’s vice mayor for environment and transport, noted that a good amount of locals were opposed when the news first broke.

However, once people become accustomed to the new rules, they see the benefits more clearly: “When it actually starts happening and people see that it’s working, then no one wants to reintroduce the cars into these roads. So I think more and more people are seeing that this is actually good for the city,” he said.

“We want to reduce the overall car traffic in Oslo by 30% by 2030. It’s a hard goal, but we think it will be good for the city as well.”

This article was originally published on April 22, 2020.

These are the most popular names in Iceland

By

Swedes in the States

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July 19, 2021

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Iceland is a unique country in every single way. From their breathtaking nature to their mystical beliefs in the supernatural and fairies to the cuisine, which includes more types of fermented foods than any of their other Nordic neighbors.

Iceland’s language and their names are not an exception. We were curious and decided to find out what the most common names in Iceland were. We were not disappointed. According to Statista, these were the most popular names in Iceland last year.

If you are looking for a unique name to name your baby, pet or cactus, look no further – get your inspiration from Iceland!

Female names

Guðrún
In 2019, the most popular name was Guðrún, with 4,656 individuals bearing the name.

Anna

In 2019, 4654 women were named Anna in Iceland. The name is also very popular in Denmark and Sweden.

Kristín

3487 women are named Kristín in Iceland.

Sigríður

3343 women were named Sigríður last year.

Margrét/Margjret/Margret

2886 women named either Margrét, Margjret or Margret in Iceland. This is a combination of all women with slightly different version of the name.

Helga

2713 women were named Helga.

Sigrún

2532 women were named Sigrún.

Ingibjörg

2136 women were named Ingibjörn.

Maria

1962 women were named Maria.

Jóhanna

1915 women were named Jóhanna.

Male names

Jón

In 2019, the most popular name was Jón, with 5,177 individuals having the name.

Sigurður

This, to the rest of the world, unique name, is the second most popular name in Iceland with 4187 named Sigurður.

Guðmundur

3927 men were named Guðmundur in 2019

Gunnar

Gunnar used to be a popular name in Sweden a few decades ago. Today it is still one of the most popular names in Iceland with 3130 men named Gunnar.

Ólafur/ Olav

2776 men were named a version of Ólafur or Olav. The snowman in Frozen I and II is one of them.

Einar

2443 men were named Einar.

Kristján/Kristian/Christian

2436 men were named either Kristján, Kristian, Christian in Iceland. This is a combination of all men with a slightly different version of the name.

Magnús

2325 men had the name Magnús in 2019.

Stefán/ Stefan

2243 men had the name Stefán or Stefan in 2019.

Jóhann –

2040 were named the more exotic version of the very Scandinavian name Johan, Jóhann.

Source:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/746010/most-common-female-names-in-iceland/

Easy ways to experience Sweden Online

By

Swedes in the States

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July 14, 2021

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When the global pandemic left the world in a complete shutdown in order to contain the spread, Sweden famously stood out from the crowd in its lockdown, or no-lockdown, strategy. Because of that, Sweden was a total no-go zone for most tourists, and Swedes living abroad were finding it increasingly difficult to navigate the travel rules between the country of residence and Sweden.

Thankfully, there are many ways to experience Sweden virtually:

See an online exhibition

Thankfully, many of the museums decided to share their exhibitions with the world online last year. You can find many of the exhibitions from the Royal Palace to Moderna Museet on Visit Stockholm’s website.

Check out Skansen’s digital museum

Sweden’s famous open-air museum Skansen was hit hard by the sudden drop in tourism, and although the gates to Skansen have officially been opened up to visitors, you can find many of the experiences of visiting the zoo online.

Sweden’s official playlist on Spotify

The editors at Sweden’s official information site, Sweden.se have put together a playlist on Spotify, perfect for anyone who wants to set the mood and feel a little bit more Scandinavian for the day.

Play Swedish games

Famously known for their gaming culture, many Swedish games are designed with Swedish nature or culture in mind. Svea Casino does its best to navigate the world of Swedish games and casinos.

Take a virtual tour of some of Sweden’s largest cities

Do you miss walking down the beautiful cobbled streets of Stockholm or the harbor in Gothenburg? Smart City Sweden offers virtual tours of some of Sweden’s largest cities, allowing you to tour the country whenever you want to, wherever you want to from the comfort of your home.

5 Swedish Soccer Players to Keep Your Eyes on Right Now

By

Swedes in the States

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July 2, 2021

0

Over the years, Sweden has produced some incredible soccer players, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gunnar Nordahl, and Nils Liedholm. But who are the Swedish players to keep your eyes on right now? Here is our rundown of the top five.

Mikael Lustig

Born in 1986 in Umeå, Mikael Lustig has been putting in a solid effort at Euro 2020, despite getting a yellow card. He has played for the Swedish national team since 2008 and has represented his country at the two previous UEFA Euro competitions as well as the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Lustig first made a name for himself in the under-21 national team, where he fittingly played twenty-one matches. He went on to play for Scottish Celtic and Belgium’s Gent. Today, the right or center back plays for AIK. Lustig is known for his keen eye and his ability to read the ball quickly, and he is undoubtedly one to keep your eyes on right now.

Robin Olsen

At Euro 2020, Olsen has already made five saves in his first two matches. In addition to playing for the Swedish national team, the goalkeeper, who was born in Malmö in 1990, plays for Everton in the English Premier League, but he is on loan from Roma. After being picked as Sweden’s backup keeper at Euro 2016, he became the national squad’s first-choice goalie, and he has proved his worth since. It will be interesting to see how Olsen progresses at Euro 2020. And if you need more soccer action than that already being provided at the European Championships, you can always play fun and thrilling soccer video games like FIFA 21, or even the great slot game Football Star, which is available at Casumo casino.

Victor Lindelöf

Victor Lindelöf was born in Västerås in 1994. The twenty-six-year-old defender plays for Manchester United and the national Swedish team. His career began at Västerås SK in 2009. He then went on to play for Benfica in Portugal, initially at youth and B levels before playing for the first team and winning three Primeira Liga titles. Lindelöf moved to Man United in 2017. He has represented Sweden at under-17, under-19, and under-21 levels, and was a key player of the squad that won the UEFA Euro Under-21 Championship in 2015. He made his debut appearance for Sweden in a senior role at Euro 2016.

Alexander Isak

In the last LaLiga season, Alexander Isak scored fourteen goals and came in sixth place in the league. He may not have yet scored at Euro 2020, but Isak is unquestionably one of the Swedish players to keep your eyes on right now. Born in Solna, Stockholm, the forward now plays for Real Sociedad and the national Swedish team. He began his career with AIK back in 2016 before moving to Real Sociedad in 2019. Alexander has won more than twenty caps for his country and is the youngest ever scorer both AIK and the Swedish national team has ever had.

Dejan Kulusevski

Juventus may have had a frustrating season, but that did not stop Dejan Kulusevski from being a force of positivity during difficult games. Most notably, the young winger scored and assisted in the 2-1 Coppa Italia final win against his former team Atalanta, which helped to secure his place in the Swedish national squad. Born in Stockholm in 2000, the twenty-one-year-old began his career with Atalanta in 2019 before moving to Parma on loan the next season. He then moved to Juventus. Kulusevski already has eleven caps to his name, and with his quick, physical, and technical skills, along with his ability to play in various midfield and attacking positions, most agree that Dejan Kulusevski is the brightest star to emerge from Sweden in a long time.

Sweden opens up to travelers from the United States

By

Swedes in the States

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June 30, 2021

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Americans can finally travel to Sweden just by providing a negative covid test less than 48 hours old and proof of residence in the United States. This comes more than a year after Sweden first introduced a travel ban for U.S. residents.

Yesterday, the Swedish government announced the pullback on restrictions as they open up the borders as the EU Digital COVID Certificate is introduced in all EU member states, allowing residents in Europe who have the digital certificate, to travel freely in Sweden.

In addition to opening up the borders to holders of the certificate, it was also announced that certain countries will be exempt from the ban starting June 30 including the United States, Australia, and Japan. Travelers are required to provide proof of residence in the countries that have been added to the list, which means that proof of citizenship or showing a passport is not enough.

The countries that can currently travel to Sweden are all EU/ ESS countries. Additionally, these are the following countries that have been added to the list of exceptions from the travel ban:

Albania
Australia
Hong kong
Israel
Japan
Lebanon
Macao
North Macedonia
New Zeeland
Rwanda
Serbia
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
USA

Prior to the EU agreement of opening borders between all EU countries, travelers from the Nordic countries, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland were allowed to travel freely within Sweden as of May 31.

Looking for Scandinavian food in the U.S? City by city guide

By

Natalie Söderberg

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June 28, 2021

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We are constantly updating this list, and will also include our own reviews when we’ve had the opportunity to do so. So keep checking back!

NEW YORK

NYC

Kaffe 1668

Café founded by two Swedish brothers, with three locations in New York.

275 Greenwich Street // 401 Greenwich Street // 530 5th Avenue

Aquavit

This Michelin star restaurant serves up modern Nordic cuisine built on the cornerstones of Sweden’s500-year-oldd culinary tradition.

65 East 55th Street

Sockerbit Sweet & Swedish (candy store)

If you haven’t heard that Swedish candy is the best, you have clearly been living under a rock your entire life. For all you others, we know you’re having some Swedish candy cravings from time to time, so hit up Sockerbit next time that happens.

89 Christopher St. NY (also have a LA location)

Konditori

The Swedish word for patisserie or confectioner. This coffee shop has a seriously Swedish menu, and they have seven locations throughout New York.

114 SMITH STREET// 182 ALLEN STREET// 240 FIFTH AVENUE//

186 FIFTH AVENUE// 696 WASHINGTON// 167 NORTH 7TH STREET

687 MANHATTAN AVENUE

Smörgås Chef at Scandinavian House

Ok, seriously though. The way to a Swedes heart is with a smörgås (try pronouncing that!) From Smörgåsbord to Smörgåstårta, us Scandinavians love our Smörgås. Check back soon for a review on this place, because we are in need of that Norwegian gravlax smörgås ASAP.

58 PARK AVENUE // WALL STREET LOCATION: 53 STONE STREET

BON BON NYC

A newly opened candy store located in Manhattan by 3 Swedish guys.

130 Allen St, 10002, New York

N’EAT

n’eat is located in New York City’s East Village neighborhood. The menu is influenced by both old-world and progressive Nordic cooking techniques, while also remaining clean, fresh and simple.

58 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10003

Agern

Agern, meaning “Acorn” in Danish, is a season-driven restaurant and bar, located at Grand Central Terminal, tucked away between Vanderbilt Hall and the 42nd street southwestern passageway entrance.

The menu, from the hands of Icelandic head chef Gunnar Gíslason and his team, features farmed and wild ingredients from the New York State region exposed to time-honored techniques, and flavors rooted in Nordic Cuisine.

89 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

aska

Located in an 1860’s restored warehouse building at the edge of the Williamsburg Bridge, Aska is the two Michelin star Brooklyn restaurant run by Swedish chef Fredrik Berselius offering seasonal tasting menus in an intimate yet spacious ten table dining room.

47 South 5th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11249

Great Northern Food Hall

Behind Great Northern Food Hall is MeyersUSA, a hospitality group in New York recently started by culinary entrepreneur Claus Meyer.

Claus hails from Denmark, where for the past 30 years he has been instrumental in unlocking the potential of Danish food culture through research, consulting, community and entrepreneurial initiatives.

He is the creator of the New Nordic Cuisine movement, and co-founder of noma, Copenhagen’s famed New Nordic restaurant.

89 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017, USA

CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

Berolina Bakery & Pastry Shop

3421 Ocean View Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91208

Gravlax

Swedish and Turkish cuisine. You’ll find knäckebröd, lax and other Swedish items on the menu.

12400 W. Washington Blvd, Culver City

Sockerbit Sweet & Swedish (candy store)

If you haven’t heard that Swedish candy is the best, you have clearly been living under a rock your entire life. For all you others, we know you’re having some Swedish candy cravings from time to time, so hit up Sockerbit next time that happens.

7922 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles

Shoops European Market and Café

A European market and Café with Swedish imports and authentic German bread baked daily.

2400 Main Street, #A1, Santa Monica

Clark Street Bread

Clark Street was founded in 2014 by Zack Hall out of his apartment in West Hollywood, CA. After spending the summer at his wife’s family’s town working in a wood-fired bakery in the Swedish countryside and falling in love with the craft, Hall returned home to become a full-time bread baker.

Clark Street has 4 locations in Los Angeles:

331 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90026
11702 Barrington Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90049
317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA, 90013
1115 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90012

11702 BARRINGTON CT.

Copenhagen Pastry

Our bakery is the first authentic Danish pastry shop in Culver City, California offering light, and flaky pastries baked fresh throughout the day.

11113 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

SAN FRANCISCO

Pläj Restaurant

Robert and Andrea Sundell’s upscale Swedish restaurant has been recognized as one of San Francisco’s best restaurants. Located within the Inn at the Opera.

333 Fulton St, San Francisco

Hults Restaurant

This fantastic farm-to-table restaurant has a very varied menu, but we spot some amazing Swedish dishes on the menu, including Toast Skagen and Swedish meatballs.

165 Los Gatos Saratoga Rd, Los Gatos

Kraving Kebab Pizza

Without any statistics to back us up, we are still pretty sure that the Kebab pizza is the most ordered and loved pizza in the entire Scandinavian region. This Turkish – Italian fusion is as Swedish as it can get.

217 S. Golden State Blvd., Turlock (ca 1 hour away from San Francisco)

ILLINOIS

CHICAGO

Elske Restaurant

We weren’t sure if this restaurant was suitable for the list or not, but we ultimately decided it was a go. The word “Elske” is Danish for love; to love and the interior design of this place is definitely sleek and Scandinavian. As for the menu, this is definitely a more contemporary menu with a small hint of Scandinavia in certain dishes.

Review coming soon!

1350 W Randolph St, Chicago

Tre Kronor

3258 W Foster Ave, Chicago

You can read Swedes in the States review of Tre Kronor here!

Restaurang Svea

5236 N Clark St, Chicago

WISCONSIN

Norske Nook

Located in Rice Lake, Hayward, DeForest, and Osseo, Norske Nook is renowned for its homemade cooking of Norwegian food and American favorites and “made from scratch, each crust rolled by hand” award-winning pies. Each location is open seven days a week and offers a full menu along with daily morning, noon, and evening specials.

13804-7th Street | Osseo, WI 54758
2900 Pioneer Avenue | Rice Lake, WI 54868
Hwy. 27 South | Hayward, WI 54843
Corner of Main and Holum |DeForest, WI 53532

Al Johnson’s

Al Johnson’s is an authentic Swedish family-owned restaurant where you can find goats grazing the sod roof. It’s quite a sight, and it’s made this place one of the most famous restaurants in Door County. Inside the casual, carpeted dining room, young ladies in Scandinavian garb dish out limpa bread and Swedish meatballs.

The menu consists of a variety of Swedish fare, from pancakes with lingonberries to Swedish meatballs, whitefish, sandwiches, salads, and a variety of hot and cold plates.

10698 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay, WI 54234

OREGON

PORTLAND

Broder PDX

Broder Restaurants serve Nordic brunch and lunch 7 days a week, in Portland and Hood River. Featuring fika and Portland’s largest selection of aquavit.

2508 SE Clinton St., Portland
2240 North Interstate Ave., Portland
8800 SW Oleson Rd., Portland
102 Oak St. #100, Hood River

FLORIDA

PALM BEACH

Johan’s Joe

Swedish coffee house and café with open mic night every Thursday! Time to get your inner ABBA out! You can find Swedish Meatballs, Toast Skagen, Swedish Pancakes, Salmon and Shrimp Sandwich (Räkmacka!)

401 S. Dixie Highway St. 3, West Palm Beach

Polar Bakery

Polar Bakery is an established Swedish family bakery serving the Finnish and Swedish community and people from all over the U.S. and other countries now living full or part-time or vacationing in the immediate area of Lake Worth and Lantana.

5817 S Congress Ave, Lantana, Florida 33462

WASHINGTON

SEATTLE

The Swedish Club

The Swedish Club in Seattle has a couple of dining options if you want to try out Scandinavian food.

1920 Dexter Avenue N, 98109, Seattle

Byen Bakery

Byen Bakeri, which opened in 2013, is a North Queen Anne neighborhood’s Scandinavian designer bakery. As a bakery, they offer a variety of freshly baked bread, pastries, cookies, cakes, sandwiches, quiche, and coffee.

15 Nickerson St, Seattle, WA 98109

Also, not to forget..

Our beloved IKEA

Would you like to help us add to this list? Let us know by sending a message to info@swedesinthestates.com

Victoria & Daniel: A Love Story For The Ages

By

Swedes in the States

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June 27, 2021

6

kpbröllop1-Alexis_Daflos_Kungahuset — Kungliga slottet lördagen den 19 juni 2010. Hyllningsceremoni på Lejonbacken för Kronprinsessan Victoria och Prins Daniel. Brudparet lämnar Lejonbacken.

H.R.H Crown Princess Victoria and her beloved Daniel recently celebrated the 10-year wedding anniversary. Today, they have two children, Princess Estelle, and Prince Oscar, while representing Sweden, hand in hand.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvJLM1NlMbX/

But their love story is far from conventional, and having their relationship accepted by the royal family initially proved to be an uphill battle.

The crown princess Victoria was born into the spotlight, surrounded by media, and was from the age of two trained to be the next head of state of Sweden. Daniel was raised in the countryside, in a small Swedish town called Ockelbo, blissfully unaware that his crown princess one day would become his wife and the mother of his children.

How did the love story of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel begin?

Let’s rewind back to the year 2001: Victoria had just returned back to Sweden from the United States after studying for a few years at Yale University. She had recently ended her relationship with long-term boyfriend, Daniel Collert, who had moved to New York to be close to her while she was in Connecticut.

Like one does when trying to reboot life after a move or a break-up, Victoria joined a small, boutique gym in Stockholm on the recommendation of one of her close friends. The gym, Master Training, was co-founded by the personal trainer and Stockholm transplant, Daniel Westling.

Daniel took it upon himself to be the Crown Princess personal trainer and the two had an instant connection. However, according to Victoria, it wasn’t loved at first sight.

During a press conference announcing their engagement in 2009, she said, “it didn’t say “click”,”, referring to her own father and mother’s love story, where it had, according to Queen Silvia, said “click” the moment they met.

“Daniel and I had a great and well-founded friendship. It was a friendship that grew and turned into love.” Daniel agreed, adding “Our friendship developed into love. It is the perfect personal chemistry.”

Although it sounds like something taken straight out of a fairytale – a humble man of the people, marrying a princess, the struggle to get there has been anything but a fairytale for the two.

There were some bumps along the road that, at times, seemed insurmountable. Daniel, who had no previous experience of being in the limelight, openly admitted that he had struggled with the media attention and pressure that came with dating the crown princess.

On top of that, the king and the queen were skeptical of whether Daniel would be able to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of a prince. They weren’t convinced that he would be capable of supporting Victoria in her role as crown princess, and one day, queen.

According to the journalist, Johan T. Lindwall, who frequently covers stories on the Swedish royal family, Queen Silvia had mentioned to her friends that she simply did not believe the relationship between Victoria and Daniel would last. It was also said that the king was critical of his daughter marrying such a commoner, even though he himself had done so. The difference being the financial status of Queen Silvia’s family and Daniel Westling.

Eventually, however, Victoria and Daniel proved to not only the Swedish royals but also to the entire country of Sweden, that their love was here to stay. The public will never know which struggles the couple had to endure behind closed doors to finally be accepted and later on approved to marry in, but one can only imagine.

In 2010, Victoria and Daniel were married. And with that, set a new standard, pushed boundaries and inspired acceptance, and inclusiveness, among the European royals, inspiring not only her own sibling Prince Carl Philip when marrying former reality show star Sofia Hellqvist, but also perhaps even Prince Harry in his struggle to have his love for American actress, Meghan Markle, fully accepted by his family and country.

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel’s story truly does show that love conquers all. Including disapproving in-laws, even when they happen to be a king and queen.

Below you can see Daniel Westling’s speech at his and Victoria’s wedding.

This article was originally published on March 20, 2019