Category Archives: Travel

Photos from our Family Mountain Hike in Norway

May 14, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

We’ve regularly enjoyed Norway’s majestic mountains as a family. All four seasons have their own charm, with the Summer being the most attractive season as the weather is more stable. Our favourite is probably early Autumn, from August when the green landscape turns bright orange and red.
These photos are from one of our hikes, in Hardangervidda. Little b was 5 years and Little A was 1 year old. We had one mountain hut as a base and went on day hikes in the surrounding area. Being a bit more flat and not so stoney Hardangervidda is probably a bit more child friendly and better suited for families with younger children compared to the area mentioned in an earlier post Hiking with kids in Jotunheimen National Park. Other tourist attractions like Rallarvegen and the beautiful fjords of the Norwegian West Coast are reachable by car. If you manage to leave this stunning scenery…

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City guide, explore child-friendly Copenhagen

May 9, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

Copenhagen is a wonderful city and very child-friendly as well. The city is very clean, safe and it’s easy to get around.

Meet-Heidi-from the blog I’m With Leia! Heidi lives in Copenhagen together with her husband and baby, currently on maternity leave and when she’s not busy knitting and blogging she’s out and about with little Andreas, exploring the city.
We’ve asked Heidi if she would like to share some inside information, a quick guide to “Copenhagen for families”.
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Mountain Hiking with kids in Jotunheimen National Park, Norway

May 7, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

This summer the Little Scandinavian family will be doing a child-friendly mountain adventure! Norway has several National Parks and mountain areas, one of the most stunning ones being Jotunheimen National Park. Known as “Home of the Giants”, from Norse mythology, Jotunheimen has more than 250 peaks rising above 1,900 metres. The landscape has inspired famous authors and musicians throughout the times, such as Henrik Ibsen and Edvard Grieg.
Hiking suggestions in Jotunheimen include the family friendly Hulderstigen and the more challenging Glittertind, Besseggen and Norway’s highest mountain, Galdhøpiggen 2,469 m.a.s.l. But what’s truly unique and attractive with this National Park is not only the spectacular scenery, fresh mountain air and clean lakes. It’s also the fact that the family can enjoy the outdoors together, walking from hut to hut. Jotunheimen is in fact one of the best developed touring areas in Europe with DNT (The Norwegian Trekking Association) managed and unmanaged tourist huts. A membership in DNT is recommended before you go, for discounted accomendation rates and access to a master key to unmanaged huts.

© VisitNorway

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Mini Shopping Guide for the Nordic Capitals

April 17, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

Will you be visiting any of the capitals of the North; Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm or Helsinki and want to shop true Scandinavian styles and design? We’ve gathered a Destination Scandinavia Mini shopping guide to get you started.

Copenhagen
ROYAL COPENHAGEN FLAGSHIP STORE Royal porcelain and grand café
Amagertorv 6, Copenhagen. Open Mon-Thur 10am-6pm Fri 10am-7pm and Sat 10am-5pm.
MARIMEKKO CONCEPT STORE COPENHAGEN From kitchen to wardrobe
Gammel Mønt 7, Copenhagen DK 1117. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm and Sat 10am-4pm.
ENGLEBØRN Danish Children’s Fashion
Læderstræde 16, Copenhagen. Open Mon-Thur 10am-6pm Fri 10am-7pm and Sat 10am-5pm.
BARNLIL Great selection of Scandinavin children’s fashion
Smallegade 36E, 2000 Frederiksberg. Open Mon-Fri 11am-5:30pm and Sat 10am-2pm.
MILIBE Children’s Clothes and shoes
Gammel Kongevej 92, 2000 Frederiksberg. Open Mon-Thur 11am-5:30pm Fri 11am-6pm and Sat 10am-2pm.

Oslo
NORWAY DESIGNS The best of what Norway has to offer, from glassware and stationary to textile and children’s fashion.
Stortingsgt. 28, Oslo. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Thur 10am-7pm and Sat 10am-4pm.
BLAFRE Retro design and coffee shop.
Ekeberg hageby, Ballplassveien 2, OSLO. Open Tue-Fri 9:30am-4pm and Sat-Sun 11am-5pm.
HOUSE OF OSLO Shopping centre for Scandinavian Design
Ruseløkkveien 26, 0251 Oslo. Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm and Sat 10am-6pm.

Stockholm
DESIGNTORGET – Up and Coming Scandinavian designers
31, Götgatan , Stockholm 116 21. Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 12pm-5pm.
MINI RODINI Cool and Quirky Children’s Fashion
Nytorgsgtan 36, 116 40 Stockholm. Open Mon-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat 11am-5pm and Sun 12pm-4pm
SHAMPOODLE Unisex and eco friendly Children’s Fashion
Wollmar Yxkullsgatan 10, 11850 Stockholm. Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and Sat 11am-4pm.
MOONKIDS -Retro Modern Children’s Fashion
Brännkyrkagatan 73, Södermalm Stockholm. Only open one day a week (this week Wed 18th April 9am – 4pm).
GOOEY BRAND CONCEPT STORE – Organic cotton and playful prints for kids
Gamla Stan, Köpmangatan 14, Stortorget Stockholm. Open Tue-Fri 11am-6pm and Sat 11am-4pm.
SPRALL Quality designer toys and children’s clothes
Nybrogatan 51, Stockholm. Open Mon-Fri 10am-6pm and Sat 10am-4pm.

Helsinki
MARIMEKKO FLAGSHIP STORE From kitchen to wardrobe
Pohjoisesplanadi 33, Helsinki 00130. Open Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm and Sun 12pm-5pm.
MOOMIN SHOP Toys and memorabilia
Forum Shopping Centre, 20, Mannerheimintie, Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm.
AARREKID Funky prints and comfy children’s clothes
Fredrikinkatu 19 Lh2, Helsinki. Open Mon-Fri 12pm-6pm and Sat 12pm-4pm.
SOPIVASHOP A design collective featuring Unique clothes and accessories by 7 young Finnish designers.
Eerikinkatu 15-17, 00100 HELSINKI. Open Mon-Fri 12pm-6pm and sat 12pm-5pm.
DESIGN DISTRICT HELSINKI Neighbourhood, design and Finnish city culture
Helsinki area filled with design from Finland, launched under one umbrella -a website worth checking out before going!

Do you have any great shopping experiences from the Nordic countries -please share in the comment field below!

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Multi use of thermals, climbing in Isbjorn of Sweden

April 11, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

After a full day of skiing in the mountain slopes at Norefjell Norway Little A still had more energy and we decided to head to the hotel climbing wall at Quality Spa & Resort Norefjell. By simply removing the outer layer and the fleece layer she was ready in minutes to go all the way to the top in her Isbjorn of Sweden bright green thermals.

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Family Easter holiday in Norway

April 9, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

Finally internet connection again! Hope you’ve enjoyed the weekend! Update from our Easter holiday in Norway to follow shortly. Meanwhile a few photos. And it’s snowing as we speak…

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Little Scandinavian goes on holiday

April 4, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

We’re off on Easter holiday tonight! British Airways will take us to Oslo, Norway where there’s a rental car waiting for us to take us up to the Norwegian snowy mountains… The blog will be running as usual and there will be occasional updates from the cold North over the next week and a half! Do you have some relaxing plans in store too? We would love to know so please do share in the comment field below what you are up to! Wish you a Happy Easter!

Photo: M. Bøe for Krodsherad kommune

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Save 20% on your stay at The Pierhouse Hotel, Scotland

April 3, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

Mentioned as “Best for Seafood” by in The Times in a recent review of ‘Britain’s Thirty Best Beach Hotels’, The Pierhouse in Scotland is worth checking out.

“Overlooking a narrow shingle beach on the sea loch, Loch Linnhe, The Pierhouse is a family-run hotel with great service. It has 12 rooms with a light, Scandinavian feel and is winning accolades for the associated restaurant, which serves seafood and game. Everything is locally sourced, from hand-picked Lismore oysters to Loch Linnhe langoustines.” The Times, 3 March 2012

Also thought you should know that The Pierhouse has a Spring Offer on at the moment; Enjoy a mid-week Spring Break at The Pierhouse and save 20% on the B&B rates. The Spring Offer applies to bookings for double rear bedrooms from Sundays to Thursdays during April and May (excluding Easter and Bank Holidays). For more information about The Pierhouse, local attractions and for booking, visit pierhousehotel.co.uk

We’ve already booked our stay later this spring and are very much looking forward to go, to experience the picturesque coastal line of Argyll, the fantastic food and then a good nights sleep in Egyptian cotton sheets…

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Grand Norwegian Designs in the UK for let

March 9, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

Do you, like us, follow the series Grand Designs? And building your own dream home sadly isn’t within any near future?
Well, this is your chance to spend time in some proper Grand Designs. The Company Living Architects have build several contemporary holiday homes around the UK -Grand Designs is now for let. One of the holiday homes on offer from Living Architects is the The Dune House, located just to the south of the picturesque village of Thorpeness in Suffolk, designed by the Norwegian architects at the company Jarmund/Vigsnæs Architects (JVA). JVA are famous in Scandinavia for their creative responses to the highly seasonal Nordic landscape.
The Dune House offers a total of 250 m² seaside delight! You can walk out from the living room directly onto the beach and enjoy extraordinary panoramic views over the sea from the terraces, bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper floor.
A stay in the Dune House must be the ultimate recreational holiday for all design lovers!

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Historical Scottish hotel with a Nordic influence

March 2, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

In the heart of the tiny village of Port Appin you’ll find a hidden gem, The Pier House Hotel, originally the residence of the Pier Master back in the 19th century. After living several years in Sweden the hotel owner brought back a strong Nordic influence and the historical hotel is today preserved with a modern contemporary feel providing extremely high standard and quality.
The Pier House hotel has been nominated as top 30 Best Boutique Hotels in Scotland by the Times in 2012 and the Seafood Restaurant was the winner of the Romantic Restaurant of the year in 2011 by the Scottish Hotel guide.

Port Appin is located, 2 hours and 15 minutes drive from Glasgow, on the West coast of Scotland with a picturesque appearance; stunning sea view and sunsets and its bewitching island setting against a dramatic backdrop of mountains.


Experiencing the best known attraction in the area, the Castle Stalker, an entirely authentic medieval tower-house in western Scotland, often seen in films and on post cards, or go on a boat trip to discover the area from the seaside.
When returning to the hotel after a long day out in the fresh air you can try out the traditional Finnish sauna before heading down to the hotel restaurant, one of Argyll’s best-kept secrets; Watch local fishermen land their catch, whilst enjoying the locally sourced fine dining.
After a perfect night’s sleep in a contemporary Scandinavian styled bedroom you’ll be able to enjoy the sunrise and the stunning sea views over Loch Linnhe to the islands of Lismore and Shuna before heading down for breakfast.


We had our most romantic getaway to Port Appin a few years back. And with our lovely memories of the place we can’t wait to explore the area, the local seafood and the peacefulness of the hotel with our girls, as a family.

The Pierhouse Hotel & Restaurant
Port Appin, Argyll PA38 4DE
0044 (0) 1631 730302 ‎

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