An Illini in a Swedish Land

by Rachel Bonnet and Matthew Borden Thus far you have seen a number of recreational, cultural, and relaxing activities from us, the abroad-Illini. While these accounts seem to frame our travels into an extended vacation/field trip, we wanted to remind everyone that first and foremost we are students with responsibilities and normal routines outside of the classroom. Here is a glimpse into the daily life of a student studying here in the beautiful city of Stockholm. With a sun that rises around...

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A Royal Weekend

by Alexandra Wright and Jane Rivas This past weekend, our group embarked on an exploration of the Swedish Royal Palace.  Along with viewing the Royal State and Bernadotte Apartments, we were treated to a viewing of the Changing of the Guard, glimpses of the Royal Treasury, a walking tour of the palace’s exciting history, as well as the antiquities collection of King Gustav III.  We began the day with a guided tour of the Royal Apartments as an introduction to the palace.  After...

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Glad Midsommar! (Happy Midsummer!)

by Noel Piatek Midsummer is a holiday recognized all over Scandinavia and Europe. However, Midsummer is especially important in Sweden wherein Christmas is the only other holiday more celebrated. Midsummer was created to welcome summertime and celebrate fertility, and although it appears to have turned into a large celebration to be with family, many of the traditions remain intact. Midsummer was traditionally the longest day and the shortest night of the year, but has since been...

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Journey Northward

by Robert Nystrom and Miriam Zarate As our first week of class comes to a close, we are a week closer to our trip up north to Svalbard. Our lectures this week began with one on Swedish colonization and future visions in the Arctic, a lecture on Artic governance and geopolitical interest of both Arctic and non-Arctic states, another lecture on literature regarding arctic travel specifically concerning the Vikings and their records of discovery, and concluded with a lecture about the personal...

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Kickoff to Summer in Stockholm

by Sarah Rivard and Nick Musso This Wednesday marked our third day of the Arctic course with the Swedish students. Our lecture was on the Foundations of Arctic Travel Narratives, with a focus on the Vikings. We read two historically-based VinlandSagas – Saga of the Greenlanders and Erik the Red’s Saga – as well as three Norse mythology stories: "The Creation," "The War of the Aesir and Vanir," and "Ragnarok." We learned how these readings could be interpreted in several different ways, including...

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Politics, Campfires, and Peace Prizes

by Rebecca Herrmann and Aaron Letterly We started the first portion of our Arctic classes this week! Meeting the Swedish and international students taking the class alongside us was exciting, but also daunting. The other students are all masters or PhD students, but we plan to make an excellent name for ourselves! Today we had a guest lecture, Annika Nilsson, who educated us on "Governance in a Changing Arctic." The discussion brought to our attention the political intrigue and challenges surrounding...

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Parading through Helsinki

by Dariusz Hareza and Lauren Ceckowski As much as we enjoy learning about the history and culture of Scandinavia in the classroom, we knew that experiencing it first-hand would be far more enriching. So part of the group from U of I studying at KTH this summer decided to immerse its weekend in Finnish culture by traveling to Helsinki on a cruise ship. The moment we stepped off the ship the contrasts of the city caught our eyes. Old red-brick industrial buildings housed the latest exhibits...

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The Wonders of Skansen

by Sarah Buckman, Pratik Patel, and Alex LiOn Wednesday, we had our third excursion to Skansen. Skansen is very special because it is not only an outdoor museum, but also a zoo. Skansen is the first outdoor museum in the world, founded in 1891. It is also a miniature of the whole of Sweden before the industrial era. Walking from the very south to the very north in Skansen, we can see different styles of buildings from the south to north in Sweden. Among them, the Sami camp left the deepest impression...

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Hejsan from Stockholm!

by Rachel Bonet and Matthew Borden Hejsan! The University of Illinois students living here in sweet Stockholm Sweden kicked off their studies with a tour of Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm, and a tour of the Vasa, a famous Swedish warship from the 17th century. Our tour started off with a guided tour as well as a history lesson on the Riksdaghuset – Parliament House – the Royal Palace of Stockholm, and various historical areas throughout old town. The Royal Palace, a once mighty fortress...

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