Berry picking in Uppsala

28 July 2021

For the past 2 years, we plucked strawberries in this farm - Ulva Kvarn. This year, we decided to pluck raspberries and blackberries which are more expensive than strawberries. We got to eat some as we plucked them to taste them. This year, the strawberries cost SEK115/kg. Increased from SEK100/kg in 2019 which was the first year we plucked the strawberries.

Raspberries - SEK180/kg and blackberries - SEK140/kg. Entrance fees for adults is SEK100 per person. We paid the entrance fees and the cardboard box (SEK20 for a box). One can bring their own container. I checked a local grocery store's website and found out that store-bought raspberries are from Spain and cost SEK181/kg whereas store-bought blackberries are from Mexico and cost SEK255/kg. 

The berries are so huge! Way larger than the wild berries that we plucked two weeks ago. We plucked wild raspberries in the countryside and the size of the wild berries are 1/3 of these berries. The plants are under a roof which protect the plants against the sun and rain. I think that helps with the growth. We got 2.75kg of raspberries and 1.75kg of blackberries. Also, there are no worms and insects in these berries. The staff weighs the weight of the box (with the berries) and deduct the box's weight to get the net weight. In total, we paid SEK800 for the berries. 

Camping at Siggeforasjön

30 April 2020

As tomorrow is 1 May 2020 which is a public holiday, we decided to camp in a nature reserve on 30 April. We know that if we do it the next day, there will be more folks. We drove to Siggeforasjön where we walked about 100 meters to the camping spot. We were lucky to see a huge bonfire across the lake where the Swedes were celebrating the beginning of spring which is known as Valborgsmässoafton. Due to Corona virus, this bonfire celebration is cancelled in most areas to avoid the crowd. However, across the lake was a proper camping spot so I guess the owners of the camping spot built a bonfire for their campers. We hiked a bit around the area. It has a proper trail. We did not build any fire because the wood was wet. 

Camping in Hosjön

25 April 2020

An overnight in Hosjön for the weekend. Pronounced as 'hoo-hwen' which means The Ho Lake. The place is named Ho as there are birds that made the call of Hoo Hoo. It was a bit frightening initially but we got used to it. This place is part of Upplandsleden trail which we did not explore. I was surprised to see there is an outdoor toilet (in Swedish, this is called utedas). Of course, this is not the type of home toilet. This is the toilet where you can see all the other human waste inside. It does not smell, though.

We drove there on a Saturday and left on Sunday. We just wanted to have a taste of nature and smell fire again. We were very lucky that there were no other campers except for a group of 4 students who cycled there and camped next to us but with a good distance. They did not sit with us by the campfire, thankfully. As there was a small jetty nearby, they sat there and had their dinner. We sat by the campfire, had our dinner, and poked at the embers. 

Strawberry Picking in Uppsala

19 July 2019

Bucket list checked for today - pick strawberries! I have always wanted to do this since I found out that this is a summer activity in Sweden. Strawberry is a luxury item for me in Malaysia as they are mostly imported and costs a bunch to buy from the grocer store. So, you can imagine that I stuff myself with strawberries during summer because it is relatively cheaper here. With an activity like self-picking of strawberries, I will definitely go for it!

So, when my friend asked me if I would like to go strawberry picking, I said yes! No hesitation. We were weighing between two strawberry farms that are located in Uppsala and Södertälje. We chose the one in Uppsala - Ulva Kvarn. It costs SEK100/kg which includes a small plastic pail to put the strawberries in. You can bring your own box to pluck the strawberries and the staff will weight the box first.

Luckily, there were portable toilets on the farm. I was in desperate need for a toilet. 

Uppsala - Botanical Garden, Uppsala Town, City Park

5 July 2018

Another town that is worth visiting during the summer is Uppsala! This is about an hour drive from Stockholm and it is mostly a university town because it has a university there (obviously!). Uppsala University is the first university in Sweden and most students choose this place because it has an authentic studying environment. 

All the photos were taken between 7pm and 9pm. Swedish summer is fantastic!

We went to a Botanical Garden (looks like most towns have A botanical garden) that looks almost dried out. I mean, the plants and not the giant bushes. The Botanical Garden faces Uppsala Castle which has an art museum inside (I went there last winter and will be blogged about too).

Uppsala University and Domkyrka (Cathedral)

31 January 2018

A school excursion trip to Uppsala University, the first university in Sweden that was built in 1477. Uppsala is an hour's drive from Stockholm. Totally recommend anyone to visit the first building of the university. The first building built in 1477 has now become a museum. Uppsala is beautiful during the winter.

Ta-da, the gorgeous university! I heard that this university is more authentic than Stockholm University.