Last Summer into Fall, I traveled to Sweden for an artist residency organized by an old friend of mine. Flying first into Stockholm, I joined Malin, Alex, and Ava, where we packed up the car for another road trip, taking everything we could fit for the journey north to Jämtland. Along the way we stopped at the loveliest truck stop I've ever been to, where I saw the first of many Swedish rainbows.
The view from the loveliest truck stop!
We stayed in a beautiful wooden mountain cabin nestled in the woods in a small town close to Åre.
The Right of Public Access in Sweden allows everyone to walk freely through the Swedish countryside, with respect to both the land and property owners. So walk freely we did, up into the forests, gathering mushrooms and lingon berries along the way.
Malin gathering lingonberries
Souvas is a traditional nordic dish. We prepared some with the berries and mushrooms that we gathered in the forest.
To make Souvas you need:
Smoked and dried reindeer meat
Red onion
Garlic
Chanterelles and gypsy mushrooms
Lingonberries
Crème fraîche
Seasoning to taste
Then, serve with potatoes and lingonberries.
Tännforsen is Sweden's largest waterfall, and was just a short drive from where we were staying. We packed a picnic, and hiked the trail down from the top of the waterfall to the bottom, where it opened into a lake, and found the perfect spot for lunch.
Åreskutan
It’s peak long ago smoothed over from years of glaciers, Åreskutan is all picture takers hikers and bikers in the summer and packed with skiers come wintertime.
Of course once we got to the top of the mountain, I realized that I'd forgotten my camera's memory card back at the cabin so I only got a few camera phone pictures.
At the top of Åreskutan in the middle of a swirl of clouds we picnicked in this warm hut. As we began to make our way down the mountain, the clouds began to clear. The sun came out and the view was even more spectacular than I'd anticipated.
You can find a hyperlapse video of the trip down the mountain here.
A day of shooting at a local farm. I wouldn't mind if I never left this spot...
