Day 3 – If you look hard enough, you can find the coolest places.

Business:

We did not meet with any businesses today.

Leisure:

Today started off a little differently than a normal day. The night before we had gone out because our professor informed us that going out to the island of Brännö was dependent on good weather. Since it began to snow pretty heavily that night, we thought it was safe to stay out a little later. Much to our surprise, a loud tapping on our door awoke Connor (my roommate) and I. Megan Shover had gone to breakfast early that day and our professor instructed her to go wake everybody up and tell them we are all going on an adventure.

Therefore, we quickly got ready and put on the warmest of clothes we could find because it was forecasted to be the coldest day thus far. After getting out of the building, we took the tram to the ferry and the ferry to the island. Thank god for dressing warmly, because my nose was almost frozen waiting for the ferry

The ferry was about a 15 minute ride to Brännö and it was a beautiful view. Once we were there, we walked to a small Swedish restaurant.

The restaurant owners looked immensely surprised when 18 people walked into her small "ma and pa" shop. When the owner saw J.J. and Suzy Shields, her face brightened as she remembered them visiting on the previous Sweden J-term trip two years ago. Due to the surprise visit, the location was unable to supply everybody with the cod meal and some people had to change their meals. Luckily, it was not much of an issue because they had an awesome menu of fish gratin, archipelago toast, herring, seafood soup, and a burger.

Being Italian, I let everybody try my food at the table. Which for those of you who don’t know, is key for, “I want to try your food.” Every dish tasted amazing; however, the herring is definitely an acquired taste. The pickled flavor is a bit harsh for my pallet. After about a 3 hour European style meal, we decided we should head back. Below is a picture of the dishes that were included in the daily special. To drink, I had a unique orange soda. The starter for the meal was a three herring dish. The main course was a fish gratin, and the dessert was a chocolate brownie cake. I must say it was a delicious meal!

On the way back, we decided to take photos of the beautiful and cute homes along the way. It was probably very strange for the natives to see a bunch of Americans taking photos of their homes, while they are doing dishes in the kitchen or playing in the snow. There is no better way to catch the culture than a confused Swede in the background.

Since we had taken up so much time at the restaurant, we had decided to walk back “early” to the ferry. It was about a 45 minute wait in the cold as the sun was beginning to go down. We stood huddled together for warmth as we waited for the boat and we had the opportunity to discuss Welfare, Healthcare, and the difference between American Politics versus Swedish Politics. It was a highly insightful discussion and I would like to thank J.J. Shields for initiating the discussion.

Once we got back to the Youth Hostel, nobody was hungry and everybody just wanted a nice warm shower. At about nine 9 o’ clock, we decided to order a pizza. It was really good but because the pizza place was closing, the owners were rushing the pizza building process. That being said, it was hilarious to see that one large pizza was cut into four slices. Talk about a big slice of pizza!

Daily Reflections:

1.  Herring tastes good, but is a little bitter
2. Traveling in a group of 18 definitely draws celebrity status attention
3. Taking pictures of locals is acceptable
4. It can get very, very, very, very cold in Sweden
5. There is nothing more beautiful than a small village in an archipelago
6. I wouldn't want to travel to Sweden with any other group
7. Huddling behind a shed is the best way to stay warm (besides sitting by a fire or being inside!)  

Posted in: Brännö