swedish sustainable tourism

Gosh, aren't you wonderful? Thank you so, so much for your support. With it, and the company of friends, I've been focusing on taking advantage of this city in every which way. The bustle of la rentrée (the return of vacationing Parisians) has meant busy, productive days and long, fun nights. It hasn't come without a cost though. I'm exhausted. So much so, that I left tonight's PageYourself office-apéro early... to come home, cook, and reminisce about the serenity that came with my one day in the Swedish countryside.

Nature has a way of doing that to me. On the last day of The Conference (and, I promise, I will recap the bulk of the program itself soon), I had the opportunity to take a tour of Christinehof Ecopark. It had been created, "to protect, preserve and exhibit the sites and artifacts of natural and cultural value [wetlands and woods] that surround Christinehof", a baroque manor house. But even with such a warning, I couldn't have been prepared for the amazing experience I shared with Petter, Eva, Ariel, Leonora, and more.

We began with coffee/tea and a homemade kanelbullar (cinnamon roll) in Fyledalen; taking in the warm sun, fresh air, and lush, green surroundings. Did you know: "following Australia's lead, Sweden was the second country in the world to introduce an eco-tourism charter"? I hadn't. And yet it seems so obvious to me now. My host and every one of her friends had a cabin outside Malmö. Petter raved about Swedes' love of their great outdoors. He told us too about the wonderful constitutional law, Allemansträtten, which allows access to any and all countryside--for camping, hiking, berry-picking, etc.--as long as the natural integrity is maintained.

After, we got a taste of it ourselves. With Eva as our guide, we mingled with grazing cows, learned about an industrious Dane, chased a herd of sheep, heard about Christenhof's education programs, took a nature walk, ate edible clovers, and made lunch: baked rye with sour cream and "chicken weed" alongside a wild green soup garnished with local flowers, parsley, and more creme fraîche.

Then we retreated inside the manor house to take a look at their eclectic collection of furniture, decorative arts, and portraits, in addition to an exhibition of the work by Sweden's first professor of textile design, Hans Krondahl. The juxtaposition was gorgeous.

And just when I thought the excursion couldn't get any better, I met "the love cake." We each enjoyed a square alongside coffee or tea as we thanked Petter profusely for the unforgettable day he, Eva, and all the staff at Christinehofs Ekopark had provided; yet another Swedish memory I'll forever cherish. With that sweet thought, I'm off to finally get a good night's sleep :) happy birthday, K!

rain in tortuguero

The rainforest is named as such for a reason. Seriously. I know this fact seems rather obvious, but it is even more wet than you imagine. I'm not complaining though ;) thanks to Matt’s partnership with Gap Adventures, we were able to join a tour as they went northeast to one of Costa Rica’s incredible national parks.

We left San José quite early on Monday morning and stopped about half-way along our journey for a delicious breakfast of fruit, gallo pinto, scrambled eggs, and palm hearts. Before we left, I took a peak at the butterfly garden:

Eventually, we arrived at the river where our boat was waiting for us. I have mentioned that you can only travel through Tortuguero National Park by boat, right? It’s awesome.

Along the sides, I saw more unique plants than I ever have before, a multitude of birds in colors that I hadn’t known to exist in nature, and even a pair of monkeys. Unfortunately, we passed by too quickly for any of us to snap a photo of the couple but I assure you that the white-faced little things were beyond adorable.

After lunch at the lodge, I walked through the grounds and alongside the beach. The rain stopped for a short amount of time, leaving only clouds and a humid mist hanging in the air. Hope you enjoy the tour as much as I did:

Following my paseo, I showered, read more of Three Cups of Tea (it is such an amazing book and story, by the way) and made new friends with guests staying in nearby cabins. Before long, dinner was served, and this time I felt comfortable enough to reveal my blog habit of photographing my meals.

And that brings us to Tuesday, the rainiest day of them all. We had plans to take a morning open boat ride at 5:30 a.m. and see the wildlife out and about, but it was delayed due to the rainy weather. Fortunately, by 8:30, we got our chance and were able to spot quite a few animals:

We also saw yet another pair of monkeys that went unphotographed. So sad. The snapping turtles may have been just as cute though and I have a video coming your way soon! Anyway, once we returned to the lodge we were all astonished to see blue, sunny skies. I was determined to make the most of it before lunch:

Buffets at Turtle Beach Lodge were such a treat. Tuesday afternoon I enjoyed a plate of rice and beans, green beans, tomatoes, and squash alongside a glass of juice. Similar to Ecuador, fruit juices are very common in Costa Rica and most restaurants serve fresh ones throughout each day.

Later that afternoon we went out on a hike joining a team of leaf-cutting ants.

It took about an hour to get to the top, but when we did we sure did have a view to feast on of the river, rainforest, and Caribbean Sea:

Tuesday evening was mostly uneventful as I'd woken up so early that morning so before I knew it, it was Wednesday, and we were leaving.

The rainforest was so incredible that at times I felt as though it were fake, as if I were somehow living in the Jungle Book or something silly (I hate that word) like that. I'm so glad that I had the chance to experience it, even if were for a short time, and now I am in the southern part of the country hopping through beach towns until we reach Panama. Hasta luego, my friends!