We spent an hour or so exploring Uppsala's Botaniska Trädgården (Botanical Garden) when we were in…read moreUppsala for a day last week. On a pretty day, it's lovely. When we visited (last day of May), it was gorgeous, with a lot in bloom. There's a cafe where you can get some ice cream and a tropical greenhouse (sadly, both closed just before we arrived), but it was wonderful just to explore the gardens. I got some great photographs of the flowers in bloom when we visited. Definitely a nice place to relax in Uppsala!

I really love the botanical garden in Uppsala! It is just this little oasis in the center close to…read morethe castle and its gardens. There is a greenhouse with a giant water lily and many other beautiful flowers. In summer the garden also has a nice cafe that serves lunch and tappas in the afternoon. Here you can just sit on the gras and enjoy a nice meal and have the feeling that you are sitting in your own backyard.

This was the first botanical garden in Sweden starting in 1655 and later the home and garden of…read moreCarl Linnaeus (swedish nobility name: Carl von Linné.) On the website it says "It is laid out in the French Style and restored following Linnaeus' and Carl Hårleman's design from 1745." The university took the time and effort to restore the gardens according to their original drawn up plans and I think that's pretty cool! There are three gardens that are associated with the famed "father of modern botany" in Uppsala today that you can visit. The three gardens include this one, the Upsalla Botanical Garden (near the castle) and the Linnaeus' Hammarby (his old summer house.) This one, The Linnaeus' Garden, is the oldest of the three. It has a cover charge for entrance to the garden itself and a walk through of his original home--that has now been converted into a museum and maintained separately by The Swedish Linnaeus Society. I thought it was an enjoyable visit and liked seeing a small piece of history kept up here. It's not the most exciting museum i've ever visited, but If you like history and are in the area it's a nice little landmark to stop by. I thought a few of the plants were a bit overgrown and not as well taken care of as they could've been in Carl's time, but it's understandably not been in professional use for a couple hundered years. ;) The garden was a lot smaller than anticipated, and is really more about the historical preservation of a landmark other than really being wowed by the enormity of it. I also did not take the time to use the audio tour and was a little underwhelmed by the museum in the house itself. It might have been more useful to have actually listened to the descriptions of each exhibit in their entirety. We just did not have the time to spare to do so. It looks like there are a few events that happen throughout the spring, summer and fall at all three gardens. We were not at any of them, but there was an "Apple Days" event going on at The Linnaeus' Hammarby estate that had apple picking and juicing on site. I was a little disappointed we went to this older home/garden to visit instead of planning ahead to go to the the summer house festival--it sounded pretty entertaining! Check the website for events if your planning on a visit so you don't miss out like we did!! Was this place worth a whole 60 SEK (about $7-$8)? I think so! It's not much money and I certainly wouldn't mind paying such a small sum towards the university just to take a peek! I'm sure it's costly to upkeep everything and they brought back to life something that is from 1745! That is pretty enjoyable in itself.

I liked that the museum had so many pieces of original furniture and it wasn't all behind distant…read moreglass cases. Even on a Saturday I found myself alone in the first floor of the house of the greatest botanist that ever lived. His bed in front of me as well as a variety of things that used to belong to his everyday life. I felt transported to another time.

This is our favorite cafe. The interior is beautiful, with lots of thoughtful design details. The…read morefood, coffee, and tea are delicious, and the service great!

The only sad things: it's only opened during the summer (May 1 to September 30) and seating is only…read moreoutside, so watch out for rain and bees! Café Victoria is located in Uppsala's Botanical Garden (Botaniska Trädgården). It's tucked away in the back, and you can see the edge of the garden. Seating consists of a patio of scrunched together tables with umbrellas and heaters, and tables scattered under the trees. The former are probably your only option on rainy or cold days, and the latter are wonderful on sunny days. We came for fika one day and lunch the next. Coffee is 15kr. It wasn't my favorite. Aside from coffee, they have a number of other espresso drinks. We tried the "Kall Latte," which is espresso, milk, ice cream, and whipped cream on top. More like a coffee-y milkshake, and a great treat. They also sell beer and cider. The pastries were tasty and fresh. I had the småbulle (which was quite large), and the linnebulle (which was huge!) We visited for lunch on the last day they were open, so the menu might have been shorter than usual. As is typical in Sweden, their lunch menu was short on vegetarian options. I think there was a cheese sandwich and cheese pie. I went pescetarian with the smoked salmon potato salad. It was a great mix of greens, sauces, potatoes and salads.

In summer Cafe Victoria serves the lunch and tappas in the afternoon. You can just sit on the gras…read moreand enjoy a nice meal and have the feeling that you are sitting in your own backyard. The food is very good and they have a good selection of meals. They also sell home made bread and if you are still hungry after lunch you can have a nice dessert, because they also have a large variety of pastry. I absolutely love this place in summer and it is definitely worth a visit!

Tant Gredelin is such a cute cafe with a very traditional Swedish feeling. It's nice to walk in and…read moresee a lot of home baked sweets on display by the counter and the whole interior has a matching theme. There were a couple of gluten free options which were made using almond flour, I tried the apple cake and it was really good. I guess this cafe is mainly worth a visit for their home baked sweets but there are also sandwiches which could work as a breakfast or lunch option.

Arriving at this airport while awaiting for a layover departure, I was hungrrrry! I came upon this…read moregrand cafe when heading to the terminals and they have a very nice buffet deal for 119 kroner, which is equivalent to roughly 18 dollars! Not too shabby at all - considering highly priced airport food! Their selections of the buffet included salads, sausages with pieces of pork, pancakes and bread! It was a deal! You get to dine in as well, which was leisurely great! If you are not too hungry for a buffet, they do offer quiches, sandwiches, beverages and the usual cafe items at the front! This grand cafe conveniently has wifi too! I loved to linger here while awaiting for my flight returning home!

I had a latte and princess cake in the cafe area (not the restaurant), and I enjoyed both. It's in…read morean airport, so it's not the cheapest place. But it has decent seating and outlets to charge your electronic devices. If I'm in Arlanda airport again, I'll pass this up and just go to the Starbucks in Sky City. I'm giving this three stars, because there is nothing remarkable about it, not because I necessarily had a bad experience.

Sweet cafe in an old building from the 1600s. Wobbly floor and old furniture help you feel like…read moreyou've been transported back in time. Delicious but simple sandwiches and pastries. Great service. Cute aprons.

Our last stop in Sigtuna (and Sweden!) last week before heading to the airport was Tant Bruns…read moreKaffestuga. I'm so glad we stopped by. From the sign at the corner of Strandvägen and Laurentii gränd pointing us in the direction of the cafe, I knew I'd love it. At the front entrance is a charming doll (Tant Bruns?), and then it opens up into the most charming outdoor cafe (there is some indoor seating that is also adorable). A very sweet staff member came out almost immediately with menus, and we wanted everything. They have pastries and sandwiches and coffee and ice cream (there were a few girls sharing a banana split not too far from us). We got a couple of cappuccinos, a Sigtuna donut (turns out that a Sigtuna donut is pretty similar to a US glazed donut, only way better - that lamination in the dough made it fluffy and light), and a lox open-faced sandwich. Full of charm, do not miss a stop at Tant Bruns if you're in Sigtuna!

I am a huge fan of their pastries and selection of teas. My favorite is the Raspberry Coconut Pie…read moreand the Champagne Tea. It is a little pricey, but worth it in the end. There is also ample seating available and it is a wonderful place to Fika with your friends. There is NO Wifi, so plan accordingly.

Nice coffee room with vintage style furniture. they offer a few meals with salads and a large…read morevariety of pastry. the cinnamon rolls are huge and awesome!