Sweden {Part IV - Costco & Copenhagen}

For our last day in Sweden, C's parents drove us down to Malmo where we got to visit Costco, a real treat if you know this family :)  We spent hours wandering the aisles and marveling at the differences {Princess Cake} and similarities {rotisserie chicken} of the Swedish and US versions.  Afterwards it was time to say goodbye and drop us off at the train station, where we waited in the freezing cold for an hour while our trains were delayed.  After having to switch trains again in Malmo city center before making our way to Copenhagen, we were almost tired and cold enough to stay in the hotel and have a bad last dinner, but we rallied and put on our warmest clothes for one night out in my favorite city.  We took the train from our airport hotel to the city center, where we wandered the dark and rainy streets, pointing out places we've been and wanted to go back to, before making our way to Brus for a delicious dinner after not eating since breakfast.  Since we had a super early 6am flight we headed back to the hotel after dinner, but I'm so glad we made time to have one final date night out in Copie before the long trek back to reality.

walking by our favorite we talk about all the time

double smashed beef burger and fries

labneh with flatbread, sumac & mushrooms {our favorite}

not your average meatball & spatzle 'n' cheese

even in the cold and freezing rain, i love wandering around this city

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Copenhagen {Last Breakfast} and Sweden {Family Lunch}

For our last morning in Copenhagen we woke up bright and early and headed to breakfast at the hotel next door to ours.  We had a yummy meal and coffees, then made our way to the train station to start our journey north.  After a 2 hour train ride we were picked up by Christian's parents who were so happy to see us, then we all drove out to the coast to have a family lunch with Phillip & Thomas at the cutest little restaurant by the sea.  It was cold and snowy {a rarity for that area} but our lunch warmed us up and it was so fun catching up with these people I hadn't seen since the last trip.  Afterwards we said goodbye to Phillip and headed over to Ebba's adorable farmhouse for fika {coffee and treats} and more catching up.  Once it was time to say goodbye, we headed out on the snowy roads towards the family home where I was shocked at how icy the roads were but thankful for a cozy bed after a long day of traveling.

the strangest glass of orange juice

our weird hotel bathroom pod that you could change the color of the lights

how we were greeted everyday in the hotel

anders, thomas, christian, and me

maggie, ebba, me, thomas, and anders

the drive to the house

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Copenhagen {Høst}

Christian and I decided that instead of going overboard on Christmas gifts this year, we'd go out to a nice dinner while it was just us in Copenhagen.  After a lot of crowdsourcing, so many people recommended Høst, a Michelin star restaurant serving new Nordic cuisine in a cozy space near our hotel.  After cocktails at Ruby {and a quick sausage from the Christmas market to tide us over until our 8:45PM dinner reservations} we headed back to the hotel to relax and get ready for dinner.  We made the freezing trek to the restaurant beside the snow-covered park and arrived a little early to the warm and inviting space.  We were seated downstairs, which was almost like a cave or cellar lit entirely by candlelight and ultra-cozy, and while I was worried that the place would end up being too fancy for us, my nerves were instantly eased with the friendly staff and casual vibe of the upscale restaurant.  Høst serves a tasting menu of either 3 or 5 courses and at our server's suggestion we decided to do one of each so we could share those extra dishes {plus all of the accompanying ones that came in between}.  Every dish that came out seemed even better than the last - they were so inventive and unique, yet incredibly tasty and filling - and even though each one was so small, but the time we got to the end we were thoroughly stuffed.  It was a super late night by the time we finished but I'm so happy we followed through on our date night {it would've been so easy with jetlag to just have fallen asleep waiting for dinner} - it was a such a fun night that I won't soon forget!

the christmas tree across the street from our hotel

homemade bread with wheatgrass infused butter

smoked trout

salted cod with white dill & horseradish

crab salad with hazelnuts and beets

mussel soup with sprigs of thyme

fried cauliflower with truffle & juniper and some sort of cheese that i can't remember

fried chicken with gooseberries

sea buckthorn sorbet

pears with caramel and white chocolate

xoxo,

stephanie marie