Reflections on Scandinavia
It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows us well that Scandinavia was our favorite region, and we now completely understand why these are the happiest countries in the world! Snow, coffee, huskies, mountains, modern design, hygge, more coffee…what more could anyone want?! Seriously though, we felt such a strong connection in every Scandinavian country we visited, most notably Finland and Iceland. If you haven’t read those posts, we highly recommend you do — at the very least to see the unbelievable photos we got to take. In the meantime, here are our five takeaways from this magical region:
1. They’ve mastered the art of aesthetic + efficiency.
Not only is everything in Scandinavia pleasing to look at but it’s also thoughtfully designed so that no space is wasted and nothing is more complicated than it needs to be. Plus, everything is just so clean! Neither of us knew our hearts are actually drawn to modern design until we were fully immersed in it – and now there’s no going back.
2. The coffee culture is second to none.
Four of the top five largest consumers of coffee in the world are Scandinavian countries, with Finland at the very top. The Finnish average 12 kilos of coffee per person per year. That’s roughly 26 POUNDS of coffee, per person, per year! Let that sink in…
In Sweden, nearly everyone participates in a daily break (known as Fika) where they grab a cup of coffee and pastry, either alone or with friends, to just take a moment to enjoy life. Let that sink in…
Coffee is so deeply ingrained into Scandinavian culture, so visiting is like a day at Disney World for coffee lovers!
3. Each country is green to the core.
Iceland is the greenest country in the world, with 100% of its energy coming from renewables (hydro and geothermal). And the other Scandinavian countries are not far behind. All of them are enthusiastically spending money and putting laws into place to make their respective countries greener. Even Finland, who has had a distressing history of environmental abuse, it trying to turn things around at an accelerated rate. It’s truly remarkable and something we hope the entire world will one day look up to and follow.
4. Christmas Markets are the most magical places to be during the holidays.
Gluehwein. Hot cocoa. Sweets. Bread filled with melty cheese. Need I continue?! Walking through the Christmas Markets is what I image walking through a Hallmark snow globe feels like. The air was crisp and everything sparkled. And the fact that it was almost impossible to walk for more than 10 minutes before stumbling upon a Christmas market really made the holiday season feel extra special and festive.
5. Iceland is the most expensive country we visited, and it’s worth every penny!
The land of ice and fire lives up to its name in every way, but it can easily burn a hole in your bank account if you’re not careful! From everything we had heard, we honestly were expecting Switzerland to be the most expensive. But, between the absolute need for a car, limited food options, and some once-in-a-lifetime excursions we just couldn’t pass up, we found Iceland to top our list of most expensive places. We wouldn’t be able to have those experiences anywhere else in the world, which is why we firmly believe it was money well spent.
Big hugs,
Jules