ediblegarnish: lush lyfe

I love when a city successfully blends urban and nature, like Stockholm.
Walking tours around Djurgården and Södermalm put me in the most serene mood. And I found the most friends I'll ever have just nesting in the middle of the road somewhere outside the Vasamuseet.

Fear less, hope more

Eat less, chew more

Whine less, breathe more

Talk less, say more

Hate less, love more

And good things will be yours

-Swedish proverb

Somewhere in the middle but like kinda to the north of Djurgården is Rosendals Trädgård. Otherwise known as the tangible representation of my ultra serene mood.

Plant nursery, cafe, and book store all housed in a row of greenhouses. Surrounded by flourishing flowers all over. The entire place was just so green.

And fairytale like.

I nearly got one of everything at the cafe where the ingredients are sourced right from the garden.

I mean, look at this beautiful wedding cake.

But I managed to narrow it down to a hefty rectangle of olive and zucchini focaccia (which was so salty and oily in the best way) and a deceivingly dense rectangle of vegan (aka straight nut and chocolate) brownie. But I firmly believe I would've been satisfied with anything on that table.

Believe it or not, this ambiguous brunch kept me filled until dinner.

That plus a coffee to wash it all down with while I struggled to not fall asleep mid-walk. Because the gray clouds were lifting and the sun was warm on my head and my tummy was so satisfyingly full, and if someone laid out a cot for me right in the middle of these greenhouses, I would've called it a day. And a night. And probably my life. Why didn't I drop out of school right then and there to tend to Swedish gardens for the rest of my life?

Instead, I took advantage of the fact that I had a 72hr transit pass and commuted all the way north to Millesgården, a sculpture garden by Carl Milles where I resolved to also include a sculpture garden in the backyard of my growing future fantasy home. This one (The Hand of God) was my favorite because the man just felt so relatable.

I often feel quite out of shape. Actually, I always feel terribly out of shape. But the guilt of not doing a thousand burpees a day hit me hard in Sweden. I tried to console myself by reminding myself that I was walking 12-15 mi everyday. Everyday! My shoes were dusty and worn and I desperately needed a full body massage and I couldn't afford to eat back all the calories (this last part is probably definitely a lie because one $5 slice of pie could replenish all the calories and more)... but what the fuck is up with all the people running? Beautifully fit runners everywhere. At all times. I thought I left Madison. And then they would stop running and start lifting at these gym parks or park gyms or nature gyms or outdoor gyms or adult playgrounds. I even saw a man doing something not so dissimilar from acrobatics on a set of pull up bars. I had stopped at this one with the intention of messing around on the wooden "machines," but there were too many serious (and fit) humans around me that I couldn't risk looking like that weak American moron in semi-nice pants.

On my walking tour around Södermalm, I ignorantly passed through some koloniträdgårds (ha, I don't know the proper grammar here...). They were mindnumbingly cute. Adorable little houses surrounded by adorable little fences lining the hills on the southwest-ish side of the island. And surprise, surprise, they were so freaking green. So lush. More little fairylands. How can I live here?!?! I kept thinking.

And then I learned that koloniträdgård translates to allotment. Plots of lands allotted to city dwellers to have their own gardens for livelihood/fresh air/rejuvenation/etc. What a freaking amazing idea! And I was hit yet again with the urge to drop out of school and tend to Swedish gardens. It just felt so inspiring. And reminded me of summer weekends in New Mexico when I'd help mom with the gardening because I had no other responsibilities and the weather was nice and all was right with the world. And now I'm an adult and kinda living in a drought and can't keep a plant alive for shit.