In October 2020 I took a work trip to Sweden to explore a little beyond the capital. It was my first time in the country and also my first trip abroad since March 13 we interrupted a production to back from iguazu , fearing that the borders would be closed to us (and we were right, because the next day our flight did not leave).
Perhaps many will think that, after six months of semi-closure, we would have preferred to stay in stockholm , where, at the time, everything was very 2019.
In early summer, it hosts one of the most prestigious regattas in the Baltics: the Gotland Round Race.
No one with a mask bars and clubs open , false sense of security to the point of sharing a glass with people you met that night... a good flashback to better times? Other than that, for sure.
Precisely, I think that is why we ended up in Sandhamn, a tiny island of a hundred inhabitants east of the Stockholm archipelago. We arrived in a bus (the 433/434) from Slussen , in Stockholm, to Stavsnäs vinterhamn.
The central area of the town is a mix of wooden houses and summer villas from the early 20th century.
From there we take the ferry to Sandhamn, So, after an hour's journey by bus and another by boat, we arrived at this piece of rock, sand, and pine trees; thirty minutes it takes to cross it on foot by any of the paths that cross Pinewood. A peaceful place , especially out of season : a restaurant, a yacht club, wooden houses scattered through the woods and a chapel.
Michael Blomqvist, the protagonist of the saga Millennium, I had a summer house over there. And yes, this is relevant because it is one of the few things, even if they are fictitious, that have happened on the island. Beyond fiction, Sandhamn offers what so many of us need: a little peace of mind. To eat, out of season just stay open Sandhamns Värdshus, next to the port.
In summer there are two or three more options that you will find on the way. Also, the light is amazing in scandinavia. Professional distortion as a photographer, I suppose, but it is something that always catches my attention when I travel. Ryszard Kapuscinski, that he was very inclined to notice how the light changes in each place, he said that in equatorial africa the sun appears in the sky as if he was catapulted there every morning.
The new construction maintains the historical aesthetics of the island
here in autumn the sun rises only about thirty degrees above the horizon at its highest point and rises slowly, calmly, appearing little by little and projecting long shadows throughout the day. It is curious because, coming from other latitudes, these light variations significantly change our time perception.
Yes, it advances, but with a different rhythm, much slower, more serene. There's something that Get hooked on living slowly. Actually, perfect for today after having lived through the year that the weeks seemed like months , the months, lustrums, and the sunsets (that day, at least), infinite.
HOW TO GET
In bus 433/434 from Slussen in Stockholm to Stavsnäs vinterhamn . And from there, in ferry to Sandhamn. In summer, there are companies operating routes from central Stockholm.
Most of the inhabitants are not employed in it, but are entrepreneurs, teleworkers...
In autumn, the sun rises only about thirty degrees above the horizon at its highest point
Out of season, the beautiful paths and trails through the pine forests are practically deserted
If you (miraculously) bump into someone, you're sure to get a hej hej (hello hello) and a smile
The chapel was inaugurated in 1935 and is built on top of a hill overlooking the sea
A quiet place, even more so out of season
An hour by bus and another by ferry to reach this piece of rock, sand and pine trees
***This report was published in *number 146 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (Summer 2021) . Subscribe to the printed edition (€18.00, annual subscription, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The summer issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your favorite device