Try saying the title of this post in a voice other than the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” one (I can’t and I’m the one writing this)! But seriously, we’ve all got that one friend/acquaintance/Facebook friend who is constantly jet-setting off to new destinations seemingly every day. The one who wakes up and decides that they want to be in another country. The one who seems to have the best life ever. Well, during my study abroad in Europe, my friends and I decided it was our turn. We gave in to a fantastical whim while we were staying in Copenhagen: we decided we wanted to have breakfast in Sweden the next morning. Why not?
After a fun-filled touristy day bopping around Nyhavn, Tivoli Gardens, and downtown Copenhagen, we awoke the next morning and piled into our BMW for a trip across the border into Malmö, Sweden. We streaked past the border crossing without incident over a newly-created bridge and meandered around a small section of the neighborhood, searching for a place to eat. There weren’t any IHOPs around the corner, so we quickly turned on our phones in search of a nearby restaurant and stumbled upon Melvin’s Cafe (which has since closed down, sadly). As we munched on our pastries and sandwiches, we excitedly discussed our lack of plans for the morning. I knew nothing of Malmö or Sweden, so although I didn’t contribute too much to the conversation, I was a staunch supporter of whatever ideas my travel companions threw out.
One of my travel companions was particularly adamant about visiting The Turning Torso, which just happened to be close to where we were. The Turning Torso is a residential skyscraper, boasting to be the tallest in Scandinavia, and reported was the first “twisted” tower to ever be constructed. Apparently, my friend spent 3 semesters irritably staring at The Turning Torso as it was on the cover of the course’s textbook, and sought closure now that the courses were completed. While not horribly entertaining of a location, the structure itself is breathtaking, sleek, and an oddity, having been built in 2005 while Malmö was in the middle of a renaissance. The city hoped the structure would become a beacon and create a strong impact on architecture around the world. Well, if they were looking for a statement, they got it!
Wanting to experience something else besides a cafe and skyscraper, we pulled up TripAdvisor and searched out another adventure. St. Petri (St. Peter’s Church) was/is listed as one of the top-ranked sight to see in Malmö and struck our fancy immediately. Navigating this part of Sweden was fairly easy and St. Petri is a gargantuan edifice that is also easy to locate. I never grow tired of visiting the churches in Europe!
Wandering around the grounds at St. Petri caused me to dream about a simpler time in life, where Gothic architecture was king and everyone’s lives centered around religion. I marveled for quite some time on the fact that the very building I was exploring was more than twice the age of my current home country. Wild.
Satisfied with our time in Malmö, we were eager to get back on the highway and return to Denmark and continue exploring on our weekend getaway. On our way back to Copenhagen, we passed by a local park with what appeared to be LARPers and Quidditch hoops, but we didn’t stop to verify. Just another example of how we’ll all be able to find friends in every corner of the world…
Have you ever decided to have a meal in another country on a whim? If given the chance, would you? Where?
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