The offer works from both east and west coast: a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to Barcelona is only $159; Chicago to London is $140 one-way, and New York to Rome is $134 one-way.
Travelers can also find flights leaving from Boston, Miami, Florida, Austin, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle. There are plenty of destinations, which include London, Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Oslo, and Rome, among others.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was always seen as a superstar in Malmö, the city where he started his football career over 20 years ago. Ibrahimović was born in Malmö and signed his first contract with Malmö Fotbollförening in 1996 before moving up to the senior side for the 1999 season. In fact, the city loved Ibrahimovic so much that they erected a statue in his honor this past October.
But all is not well in Zlatan world. When news broke that Zlatan had invested in the rivaling team, Hammarby IF, Malmö fans spray painted and set the statue of Ibrahimovic on fire. Fans located in the capital went over to his house in central Stockholm and wrote the word “Judas” (among other things) on the front door and poured surstromming (foul-smelling fermented herring) in the doorway. Later the next day, a toilet seat was placed around one of the statue’s arms and a plastic bag put over its face.
The final straw came in January, when vandals sawed off both legs, causing the statue to topple over.
“The best way to solve [the problem] is if it is removed and put somewhere in Stockholm or something,” Kaveh Hosseinpour, vice-chairman of Malmo’s official supporters’ group said about the statue.
Now, that may be a reality. The sculptor who created the towering statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has called for it to be moved to Milan:
“Stick it in Milan, that would be a good place. There they’re happy for him, and not so idiotic as they are here,” Peter Linde told a newspaper. Ibrahimović is currently signed as a free transfer for Milan on a six-month contract.
At the moment, the statue has been moved to a secret location for repair.
Will Statue Zlatan ever see the light? Only time will tell!
Sweden is often touted as the model for a cashless society. In fact, 56.6 million Swedish Kroner was circulating in Sweden in 2018 – which is only 1.2% of the country’s GDP.
Indeed, there are many facts to back this up: 80 percent of Swedes use a card to pay for purchases (both in-person or online). Four out of five purchases in Sweden are made electronically. Even children have their own debit cards.
Even though it may seem that Sweden is on its way to being completely cashless, this is not the case: A new law that came into effect on January 1st is aiming to force Swedish banks to continue to offer cash services.
The law started as a way for underrepresented people to pay simply and, especially for those that don’t have easy access to cards or digital wallets, such as those with mental disabilities, the elderly, and those who live in rural Sweden.
Figures show that around 64,000 people in Sweden need to travel more than 20 kilometers from their homes to visit an ATM, and 280,000 people needed to travel more than 20 kilometers to visit a cash deposit machine.
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency also speculates that a pure cashless society could easily be paralyzed in the event of a natural disaster or invasion, rendering payments impossible if the internet or power systems were to collapse.
The law, which is officially called the Obligation for Credit Institutions to Provide Cash Services, was created early last year. It was announced by Swedish finance minister Per Bolund in June, submitted to parliament in September, and passed the voting stage at the end of November. Bolund emphasized that the government wanted to make sure that it would continue to be possible to take out and pay in cash, even in rural Sweden.
“Unfortunately the banks have continued to reduce their cash services, especially in sparsely populated areas. This proposal means that the big banks will have a special responsibility to maintain cash services across the whole country,” he said.
The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, which oversees the implementation of the new law, will ensure that banks holding more than 70 billion SEK in deposits will offer cash services across Sweden. The banks’ regulator, the Financial Supervisory Authority, will then be able to levy fines on banks who fail to comply.
2020 will be the “testing phase” of this law, since it will only begin to apply in practice on January 1, 2021.
However, Björn Eriksson, who leads the lobby group Kontantupproret (Cash Protest), said the struggle for those who wanted to keep using paper money was not yet over.
“This is only a partial victory if it isn’t now followed up by the retail industry taking cash. That will be the next big battle.”
After the law was passed, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency suggested that supermarkets, pharmacies, petrol stations, and health services (those that are most important during an emergency) must be required to accept cash.
How will this law fare in reality? We’ll have to see to find out.
If there is one thing Swedes know about themselves, it’s that the moment a Swede steps outside the borders of Sweden, we change. To the rest of the world, Swedes might look like a well-kept, low key and calm type of people. But what really hides underneath that polished surface?
According to a survey, done by Ebeach, where 1040 Swedes were asked what the most embarrassing thing their fellow countrymen do while on vacation.
“Even if many feel that other Swedes can be embarrassing sometimes, most think it’s fun meeting other Swedes abroad. It creates a feeling of belonging and it makes you talk to people you wouldn’t otherwise talk to. While on vacation, we Swedes are a little more open and relaxed, which makes us socialize more than we usually would,” said Rebecca Petterson, Marketing Manager at eBeach.se, to Allt Om Resor.
Here’s the full list of what Swedes do, that embarrasses other Swedes, while vacationing:
1. Get too drunk. 48%
2. Too loud. 31%
3. Let their kids run around and play loudly. 25%
4. Leave their trash on the beach/by the pool. 23%
5. Complains loudly to the staff at restaurants and hotels. 22%
77th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS -- Pictured: Stellan Skargard, winner of Best Supporting Actor - Series/Limited Series/TV movie for "Chernobyl" at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 5, 2020 -- (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
Stellan Skarsgård just won his first Golden Globe!
The Swedish actor, 68, took home the Golden Globe award for best supporting actor in a series, miniseries or TV film at Sunday’s 2020 Golden Globes for his role in Chernobyl.
After accepting the award, Skarsgård joked, “I was so sure I wouldn’t win, so I already thanked everybody.”
He beat out fellow nominees Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method), Kieran Culkin (Succession), Andrew Scott (Fleabag) and Henry Winkler (Barry).
Skarsgård also poked fun at himself, saying: “I should thank one person, and that is Milos Forman, who said to me a couple of years ago, ‘Stellan, I’ve seen so many films with you, but I never remember your face!’” he said.
“And I realize it was because I don’t have any eyebrows. Nobody could tell if I’m angry or surprised, it’s not like Colin Farrell. You can tell if he’s angry 20 miles away.”
Skarsgård comes from a long line of actors, including his own sons: Alexander Skarsgård, who plays Eric Northman on the HBO series True Blood; Gustaf Skarsgård, who plays Karl Strand in Westworld; and Bill Skarsgård, who played in the horror films It and It Chapter Two.
This was the first Golden Globe nomination (and subsequent win) for Skarsgård, who was recognized for his role as Boris Shcherbina in the HBO miniseries Chernobyl. In the original incident, Boris was the deputy chairman of the council of ministers and head of the bureau for fuel and energy. He started as a deputy prime minister to prime minister Nikolai Tikhonov in 1984 and subsequently became the chairman of the Gorbachev-ordered state commission during Chernobyl. Shcherbina was ultimately the person who ordered the evacuation of Pripyat after the explosion.
“It’s interesting to play a character who is representative of a faulty system, and has spent his life defending it, and then has to look back at his life and admit that he’s been wrong. Finally, he comes to the conclusion that he has to stand up for something else,” Skarsgård’s told of his work on the show.
Along with Skarsgård’s win, Chernobyl also received nominations for best miniseries or television film, best actor in a miniseries or television film (Jared Harris), and best-supporting actress in a series, miniseries or television film (Emily Watson).
The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony will air live on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 5. Don’t forget to catch Skarsgård, along with your other favorite actors, as they win big!
2019 is coming to an end, and with only one day left of the year, we at Swedes in the States are slowly closing this chapter, and looking forward to the new year. But before we move ahead with all the exciting things we have in store for you in 2020, let’s take a look at some of your favorite articles from 2019.
The list is in no particular order, and interviews have been excluded from the list.
The Nordic countries have some of the best places to experience this winter.
If you’re looking for a winter wonderland, look no further than our top ten places to visit in the Nordics this holiday season. Warm up some lussekatter (traditional Swedish Christmas buns), pour your favorite bottle of glögg, and let’s take a look!
ICEHOTEL, SWEDEN
Looking for a cool hotel to impress your travel buddies? Check out the original ice hotel, which is only 200 kilometers from the Arctic Circle.
Every year when Torne River turns to ice, a new Icehotel is built in the small village of Jukkasjärvi. Workers harvest huge blocks of ice from the river and construct the hotel from snice (snow + ice), which is used for the floors, walls, and ceilings. The end result is a gorgeous hotel made almost out of ice.
How did it all start? Yngve Bergqvidt recalls, “On a cold winters day, all of our warm cabins were booked for the night but we had a group that wanted to stay the night. I suggested that they could sleep in the cold Artic Hall. To my surprise, the guests said yes so we equipped them with warm sleeping bags and instructed them how to sleep in the cold. The morning after they were blown away by the experience. Icehotel was born.”
Every year is a new experience. That’s because Icehotel gathers graphic designers, architects, industrial engineers, and artists from around the world and asks them to come up with a new concept for the suites.
The artists come to Jukkasjärvi in November to build their design, and six weeks later, the hotel is ready for business!
Besides chilling out (get it?) at the hotel, you can also go snowmobiling across the frozen lake, hiking, cross-country skiing, and even dog-sledding with a team of Huskies.
ALTA, NORWAY
Alta is commonly known as The Town of Northern Lights, and for good reason.
Although this small town has a population of only 20,000, thousands of tourists visit it annually to get a chance to see the dazzling Northern Lights phenomenon.
During the winter, Alta experiences the Polar night, when the sun never rises above the horizon. This means that for 20-22 hours a day, it is almost pitch black — which makes it the perfect place to chase down the elusive light show.
In order to have the best chance of seeing the lights, we recommend booking at least two nights in Alta, bringing a tripod to stabilize your shots, and hiring a guide to find the best spots.
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
For the best Christmas decorations in all of the Nordics, head to Tivoli Gardens.
Every year, the capital of Denmark is decked out in Christmas lights, a blanket of (fake) snow, and a warm atmosphere. The best part is that the rides at Tivoli Gardens operate in the winter, so you can sneak in some amusement park fun.
Copenhagen will also launch an exciting new indoor ski slope called CopenHill. Built on top of Copenhagen’s waste management center, travelers will have the chance to ski or snowboard all 400 meters of the ski slope.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
For travelers who want to combine the charm of a big city with the coziness of winter, look no further than Sweden’s capital, Stockholm.
Start your trip by walking down Drottninggatan (Queen Street) and enjoying the Christmas lights. Don’t forget to stop by a cafe for some fika before heading over to the skating rink at Kungsträdgården. Depending on the weather, you might even be able to skate on Lake Mälaren if it’s frozen enough!
In the month of December, grab some souvenirs at one of Stockholm’s many Christmas markets, the oldest and most famous one being at Stortorget in Old Town (Gamla stan). or just walk around and drink mulled wine and eat gingerbread cookies.
SEE SANTA IN FINLAND
Most people believe that Santa Claus lives at the North Pole… or does he?
Kids and adults alike can see Santa Claus in real life at the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. The entrance to the village is free and includes an entire campus filled with restaurants, Santa Claus’ home, the elves’ workshop, souvenir shops, and hotels. If your little one has been good all year, he or she can even take a photo (and receive a gift!) with Santa Claus.
ICELAND
We’re including the entire country of Iceland in our list of the best places to visit in winter because, well, why not?
The whole country is turned into a holiday wonderland and there are so many things to do in Iceland during the winter.
For starters, beat the cold by soaking in the world-famous Blue Lagoon, where the temperatures are always a steady 37°C to 40°C (98-104°F). There are also natural mud masks available to clean out your pores while you warm up.
Afterwards, book a tour on a unique Iceland-only activity, like exploring an ice cave (such as Vatnajokull glacier in South East Iceland or Langjokull glacier in Southwest Iceland), scuba diving between two tectonic plates, or glacier hiking (such as the Solheimajokull glacier). It’s best to book in advance since tours sell out quickly during the winter period.
IGLOO HOTEL, FINLAND
If the ice hotel didn’t inspire you, hop on over to the neighboring country of Finland and reserve a spot at an igloo hotel. Kakslauttanen, located 150 miles above the Arctic Circle, is home to the famous igloo hotel pods that have been popping up all over Instagram and Facebook. Guests can choose between reserving a glass igloo (clear enough to see the Northern Lights!) or a snow igloo (kept at a comfy -3C).
The best time to visit is between August through late April, where your chances of seeing the Northern Lights are the highest.
Besides gazing at the stars, another unique activity near this area is going on a reindeer safari, where travelers can help herd reindeer and interact with the Sami people that live nearby.
SKIING, SWEDISH LAPLAND
If you’re into snow sports and prefer an active vacation, why not try skiing at the world’s northernmost ski resort?
Riksgränsen, located in Swedish Lapland, has plenty of snow and a variety of different ski runs for travelers of all skill levels. For the especially adventurous, there’s even heliskiing, which is a trail that is only reachable by helicopter instead of the traditional ski lift.
DOG SLEDDING, GREENLAND
Greenland, one of the lesser-known countries on our list, is popular for a long-standing winter tradition: dog sledding! In fact, Eastern Greenland is known as the dog sledding capital of the country, especially the small town of Tasiilaq.
Take a tour with an experienced dog musher, where you’ll travel to the Tasiilaq fjord, learn how to manage your own team of sledding dogs (called Greenland Dogs, which are closely related to the Husky), and take in the picturesque views of the country.
If you’re considering a career change, you can even get your own dog sled drivers license after a couple days of training! How’s that for a unique souvenir?
VISIT A CHRISTMAS MARKET
If you’re like us and can’t decide on a country, why not visit all of them?
The best part about winter is all of the Christmas markets that pop up around the Nordics. A Christmas market is usually an area that is decorated with lights and ornaments, and include kiosks that sell everything from homemade souvenirs to cookies, mulled wine, and more. Here are a few of our favorites:
Liseberg Christmas Market in Gothenburg: Open every December, this is one of the biggest traditional Christmas markets in Scandinavia. There are more than 80 (!!) holiday booths with decorations, Christmas-themed food and drinks, and plenty of activities for kids.
The Aarhus Christmas market in Denmark is perfect for any weather – that’s because it’s one of the few indoor Christmas markets! Artists will especially love this Christmas market because it comes with almost 100 booths full of unique Christmas art, decorations, and handicrafts.
The Icelandic Christmas Village in Hafnarfjörður is a popular winter destination for travelers visiting Iceland, where they can buy Icelandic crafts, contemporary gifts, and holiday decorations. If you’re up to date on your Icelandic mythology, you can even meet Iceland’s 13 Santa Clauses at this market.
Those are our top picks — which places or activities would you love to do? Let us know in the comments, and happy holidays!
Ever dreamed of sleeping with a White Walker watching over you? Now you can! The Lapland Hotels SnowVillage is a hotel in Finland entirely built out of ice. Every year the hotel’s shape, size, and design is changed into something new. In collaboration with HBO Nordic, the ice hotel is Game of Thrones-themed. Don’t miss the video at the end of the article!
Scary or inviting? Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage.
To create the hotel, over 20 million kilos of snow and 350 000 kilos of crystal clear natural ice is transported to the SnowVillage and designed on the spot. The entire hotel area is massive — covering an area of 20 000 square meters, including the Snow Hotel where the icy room and suites are located, the Ice Restaurants, Ice Bar and Ice Chapel.
Sculptors from all over Europe have helped put the essence of Game of Thrones to life. There’s even the Iron Throne — made out of ice! There’s also the famous Braavosi Hall of Faces where Arya Stark spends most of her time in season 5 of the show.
Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage.
Lapland Hotels SnowVillage promises that “sleeping, dining and visiting the SnowVillage is an enjoyable experience when wearing suitable winter clothing” since the temperature of the Snow Village stays at between -2 and -5 Celsius degrees (23-28 degrees Fahrenheit), no matter the weather conditions outside. All of the rooms have thermal sleeping bags and fleece lining bags to ensure the guests can sleep comfortably.
Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage.
You’ll get your drinks “on the rocks” in this bar. There are also dragons acting as bouncers, making sure all the guests behave properly. Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage.
A map of the Seven Kingdoms, which might, or might not help you, depending on where you’re trying to go. Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage.
The SnowVillage is located in a Finnish Lapland town called Kittilä, which is about 90-minute flight away from the capital, Helsinki. Staying in the village have more to offer than just the cool (no pun intended) experience of the hotel, there are daily activities such as reindeer sledding, husky safaris, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ice sculpting classes.
Feel like a true White Walker King by sitting on this Iron Throne made out of ice. Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage.
Staying a night at the Game of Thrones Hotel starts at $270 for a standard double room and snow suites from around $360. If sleeping in an iced room is out of your comfort zone, there are several “regular rooms” to choose from. For visitors just wanting the experience of the surroundings, restaurant or bar, the hotel village is open from 10 am to 10 pm every day with last entry at 9 pm.
This article was originally published on January 22, 2018.
In a landmark move, the Swedish government announced that it will be investing 1.7 million Swedish Krona (around $175,000) to encourage drag shows for kids in libraries, schools, and daycares around the country.
The funding will be given mainly to Kulturföreningen Mums (“Cultural Society Moms”), a politically independent association based in Stockholm, whose mission is to broaden Sweden’s cultural offerings with a special focus on LGBT+ and diversity.
The money will come from the Swedish Inheritance Fund, a state entity that manages the inheritance money of Swedish citizens who die without a written will and without any heirs.
“The project will, together with children, young people and adults with disabilities, develop available normative creative fairy tales in the form of drag shows,” said Sweden’s General Heritage Foundation.
The drag queens will mainly come from the Bland Drakar Och Dragqueens (“Among Dragons and Drag Queens”) company, and will include drag show workshops based around drag queens reading storybooks to children in libraries.
Kids will also be able to take part in workshops intended to teach children how to perform and organize their own reading events.
The project is expected to be rolled out starting early next year.
There are many inconveniences that we have to face in winter, such as bone-chilling weather, shoveling snow, or the car not starting. However, those hurdles fade in comparison to what Iceland has been going through the last couple of days.
The island recently went through some of its toughest storms in the last decade as 150 mph winds and sub-zero temperatures (reaching-15 C) battered the country.
In fact, the storm was so severe that it even prompted the Icelandic Meteorological Office to issue a “red alert” — which was the first of its kind.
“This was the first red alert we’ve issued with the new system, [which has been] used since 2017,” said Hrafn Gudmundsson, a meteorologist with the Icelandic Met Office, “We’ve basically only been using yellow and orange colors. The orange color was for pretty serious storms, but this one was a level higher, I would say.”
The capital, Reykjavik, was fine, although many cities and towns nearby were not:
“It was really windy in many places… There’s a weather station on a mountain in the southwest that is pretty high up [that] had sustained winds up to 130 mph.”
Gusts reached as high as 149 mph at the station — Skálafell — which is about 20 miles northeast of Reykjavik.
Thanks to the topography of the country, winds were able to get further inland: “There were really high winds everywhere in the country,” said Gudmundsson. “In the upper highlands, and in the mountains … it was also very gusty in the southeastern part under the big glacier, [due to a] wave formation.”
Due to this, many roads were closed, and the government warned citizens to stay indoors.
Besides the road closures, many households in remote areas were left without power, with figures estimating that it had affected more than 20,000 people.
“The houses are cooling down in many places in the north, and we’re having extremely cold conditions,” Gudmundsson continued. “I would say this is one of the most memorable [storms],” Gudmundsson ended. “It’s probably because of the impact. Of course, we’ve had these before, but this is probably a 10-year storm.”
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Scary or inviting? Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. 
Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. 
Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. 
You’ll get your drinks “on the rocks” in this bar. There are also dragons acting as bouncers, making sure all the guests behave properly. Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. 
A map of the Seven Kingdoms, which might, or might not help you, depending on where you’re trying to go. Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. 
Feel like a true White Walker King by sitting on this Iron Throne made out of ice. Photo by Tuomas Kurtakko for Lapland Hotels SnowVillage. 
