Brrrrr......today the temperature has really dropped.  The last two winters were very harsh, I mean really harsh -25C/-13F to be exact and snow piled up several feet.  Trains didn't work because it snowed faster than they could clear off of the tracks and transportation was sometimes at a dead stop. 

This year has been pretty good to us I must say, it has been a very mild winter here in Stockholm, it was even in the fifties in December, something unheard of here!  Many of us have been quite happy about that since the last two winters were brutal.  Even January was proving to be mild and gentle for us, a nice warm welcome from before, but then February came and something changed....the harsh cold came from blowing over from Russia, and oh my has it gotten chilly again!  Last night the temperature dropped to about -15F in the evening and today it is -2F.  What has happened to our nice gentle winter?  My guess is that it is long gone and now it is time to embrace the cold and invite it back in.  That being said, Stockholm (and I am sure other parts of Scandinavia) looks like a winter wonderland.  The sun is shining brightly every day and the reflection off of the snow makes it appear to be glistening and glittering all over in the sky.  It truly looks magical. 

As I sit out the window with a hot cup of coffee I smile as I imagine all the ice skaters skating away on the lakes, as well as skiing on them and think perhaps I should take a winters walk on the lake and join them.  In the forests you see many people cross-country skiing and taking runs through the paths in the nature reserves...and one of my all time favorites, a winter bath (vinterbad)!  This is when you sit in the sauna until you cannot take it any longer and then go in jump in the freezing ice cold water.  There are several places where you can do this in the city, most neighborhoods in the suburbs will offer this. 

My favorite place to go is Hellasgården.  Hellasgården is part of a nature reserve and within it is a giant lake.  In the summer it is perfect to lay out on the rocks or on the large grassy field.  In the winter, Hellasgården is a favorite for many!  They offer saunas, winter baths, and a giant rink they carve into the ice where you can either ice skate or cross-country ski.  If you choose to do the winter bath, you will pay about $14 for the sauna and the opportunity to jump in the lake, a great value and fantastic way to spend an evening or sunny afternoon!  You can read more about it here. I have plans to do one again this year later on the week, so more to come on that. 

For now, I am currently dreaming of warm weather, long summer nights and days lounging out in the archipelago.

Talia is the Sweden Editor for Wandering Educators