½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Hiya Nancy.

Sweden is such a diverse country that you'll have your pick of experiences. The southern and central cities are beautiful, filled with a complete cross section of the world's societies. The north, my home, is the place for breathtaking scenery and wildlife. So you've got the lot in one package. It doesn't rain so much in the north, but then the south doesn't get minus 30 deg C during the winter. Boating and sailing during the summer in the south, hiking and 24 hour daylight in the north. Where to start ?

Hello Boden. It sounds divine! I would just like to go somewhere with my 8 year old for maybe a year, just long enough to get a feel for the country ie, the people and the culture.I think it would be an invaluable experience for my son and myself. Thank you so much for taking the time to write.

Nancy, Most of the ex-pat people on this forum live in the south or central parts of Sweden. So they are probably better qualified than me to give advice on the big cities of Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, and the like. I live in a town of 30,000 which lies pretty much on the Arctic Circle. So life is quite a bit different here.

If you're coming on holiday, then don't fret too much over language. English will get you by, particularly in the cities. It will help you if you can learn to recognise some key words that you might need. Words for different foods, doctor, chemist, that sort of thing. And the mandatory "Kan du tala engelska ?". That will get you by.

Eight months is a long time, but really good. If you time your arrival right, you will get to experience the full range of what is a pretty unique climate. Summer is a special time, with 24 hour daylight. And experiencing an Arctic winter, northern lights, and all that, is special too. I note that you're a skier. You've come to the right place.

Feel free to chuck any questions that you might have.

Grant