It’s been nearly a full month since we first arrived in Sweden! In no time at all our new apartment has started to fell like home (aided of course by Ash’s wonderful home-style cooking). Nothing beats the fun that comes with learning the ins and outs of a new city. JoJo cards in hand we’ve now mastered the bus, train and city-bike systems. I feel a flurry of pride every time we successfully purchase discount duo tickets or transfer from the bus to the train without having to pay twice. Oh the joys of being thrifty! Speaking of which, my innate stinginess has never been of greater value since things here are so expensive! The exchange rate is currently around 1.6 Rand to 1 SEK and I’ve now given up converting in my head. It’s too depressing. Let’s just say, when I look at prices in the grocery store, I pretend it’s in rand and I still think it’s expensive! Living mere moments away from our supermarket (which contains the most exciting array of Swedish foods) hasn’t helped this situation. We now shop the weekly specials and only buy produce that’s in season. Did I mention that beef is R350/kilo? Looks like we won’t be having steak any time soon…

Our arrival was just in time to catch the last bits of summer sun – something I am very grateful for – but the days have already become noticeably shorter and Autumn is rapidly approaching. Not that I mind in the least. Our apartment seems fully equipped to handle the cold weather, with radiators in every room and even heated towel rails in the bathroom. Very fancy!

I won’t attempt to describe how annoyingly charming and picturesque Lund is with its cobble-stoned streets and ivy-covered buildings. Instead I’ll leave you with some photos we took on our very first stroll around town. Home, sweet Lund.