Scandinavian Adventures

While in Chattanooga with my in laws for Christmas my Mother in law proposed a family trip to Peru this summer to go to Machu Picchu. I was immediately captivated and excited, but as the months passed the trip got more complicated. My father in law had a hip replacement and my sister in law announced that she was pregnant which made a hiking trip in Peru seem like a very ill fated endeavor.

A pivot to instead go on a trip to Norway involving a Fjörd cruise was proposed and again I was excited. However, as time passed this trip also seemed less and less likely. My brother in law got a new job which knocked him out of the group and the travel agent my mother in law was using seemed to be stringing her along. When we were all together in Pawley’s Island at the end of June I asked about the status of the trip and nobody seemed overly optimistic it would take place.

With August quickly approaching and my PTO already booked I felt that it was time to take matters into our own hands. With the looming threat of the trip falling through we decided to preempt it by bowing out of the family plans.

By traveling to Europe as frequently as I do for Old School Magic I have developed a lot of amazing relationships in the Old School community. My friend Joakim Sørmo had hosted me in February before Arvika Festival and mentioned how it would be really cool if my wife Lucy and I could come and visit at some point when it’s not the dead of winter. With that invitation in mind we decided to book our own trip to Scandinavia.

I found us an inexpensive flight to Stockholm and then started to reach out to a few friends to see if they would be around to spend some time with us if we were in town. What ended up coming together was better than I could’ve possibly hoped.

We started out flying into Stockholm, arriving on Sunday August 3rd. From there we met up with Björn Iversen whom I had hung out with at the X Files event and played in the Summer Derby. We’d crossed paths many times before then, but not spent a ton of time together so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Björn delivered in a massive way! Lucy had compiled a list of several museums/cathedrals/parks/sights she wanted to see and Björn curated a walking tour of Stockholm for us. We had frequent stops for coffee and tea to offset the red eye flight and ended up having a blast.

On our walking tour we stopped into Skansen and soaked up the culture. The combo of a zoo and historical site was really cool. From there we popped over to the Vasa Ship Museum which was outstanding.

Somewhere in the Vasa Ship Museum Lucy and I both lost our minds a little bit due to sleep deprivation, but it was still really cool. Björn then helped us find a tasty place for dinner, wandered around town some more with us and finally we parted ways and got some much needed sleep.

On Monday morning we woke up, got breakfast, walked around Stockholm for a bit and then caught a train to Linköping where we met up with Svante Landgraf. Svante and I are old friends at this point, having a near constant conversation going for 7 years at this point about the spiky side of Old School.

Svante graciously picked us up at the train station, hosted us at his apartment, and showed us around Linköping. We got over to one of his favorite cafes for lunch and then went for a hike in the woods.

One of the things I have learned to love about Svante is how easily intellectual conversation comes to him. Whether it be the 15th SB slot in a deck, a possible sequencing error in a game, or something totally different like philosophical theory, Svante can talk about it intelligently. This attribute pairs extremely well with Lucy’s appetite for deep conversation. I really enjoyed being a fly on the wall hearing Lucy and Svante discuss philosophy. I popped in for a few wisecracks here or there, but it was nice to just soak it in as they got into the weeds of analytical and continental philosophy.

Svante showed us around Linköping and then took us to his local Indian restaurant for a tasty meal. With our bellies full we had a meandering walk back around town and then capped the night off with an in person dive into sideboarding with The Deck. The next morning we had breakfast on Svante’s balcony before he dropped us off at the bus station so we could continue our journey.

After 3.5 hours on a bus we arrived in Gothenburg. Despite making several trips to n00bcon, I generally avoid public transit while in Gothenburg and am thus a novice when it comes to using the trams. Thankfully we made it onto our tram minutes before the sky opened up and a downpour began. When we got to our Airbnb we took a nap and then made our way back out to meet up with Kalle Nord at his tattoo shop and then went for dinner.

Kalle is a legendary figure in the Old School scene; having helped to create the format with MG in 2007. Among other things, Kalle is known for his artistic abilities, insane collection, and being a fun loving and easygoing person. Over the years Kalle and I have shared a ton of laughs and deep conversations; this time in Gothenburg was no exception.

With my belly full of schnitzel courtesy of a restaurant that Lucy spotted on our walk to meet up with Kalle we started our walking tour of Gothenburg with Kalle. We enjoyed a walk back towards our airbnb and then parted ways to get some sleep.

On Wednesday we went over to Kalle’s for coffee which gave us a chance to swap Books as part of a trade we have been working on and also let me get a sneak peek into his legendary Old School collection. I could’ve spent hours poring through his cards, but instead we headed off to explore Gothenburg.

First we went to Röda Sten, then Slottsskogen, the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, and then the Gothenburg Museum of Art. All along the way Kalle shared personal anecdotes from his time living in Gothenburg which added to the experience. Following a tasty meal at the restaurant next to the museum we continued our walking tour of Gothenburg which included a stop by his art studio and eventually returning to his apartment to have tea and give me more of a chance to look through Kalle’s cards.

At the end of the day I checked my phone and we had walked 16 miles (26km). My legs were feeling a bit sore, but I was now in possession of a Book which Kalle had altered in 2016 as well as having a fuller heart as a result of the experience.

Following a good night’s sleep and a pit-stop to get coffee and pastries we took a tram into town and then boarded our bus to Oslo for the next leg of our journey. After 3.5 hours we arrived in Oslo, made it over to our Airbnb and set off to explore the city. I beelined to a ramen shop with good reviews which while tasty turned out to be a mistake. Not sure if I got food poisoning or if the meal just did not agree with my frequently temperamental stomach, but I was moments away from disaster when I made it to the restroom at the Oslo Botanical Garden. My stomach calmed down enough for us to wander around the botanical garden in peace before finding dinner for Lucy and treating myself to a delicious brown cheese waffle before calling it a night. Lucy regretted not getting one for herself and instead settling for a few bites of mine.

On Friday we got out for breakfast at a local cafe before checking out of our Airbnb and setting off for the National Museum. On our way over I was captured by a sign for the Historical Museum and on a whim we decided to check it out. The Historical Museum ended up being amazing. The combo of Norwegian artifacts like viking swords, relics, and gold jewelry is hard to beat in my opinion.

From there we grabbed a food truck lunch outside of the National Museum and then went in to see some art. This was my third visit to the National Museum so the experience was less mind boggling than it could be otherwise, but I enjoyed showing Lucy around nonetheless. Once we wrapped up in the National Museum we set out to Drammen to meet up with Joakim. The trip to Drammen was more complicated than usual due to construction, but after some delays we made it to Joakim’s place.

Joakim and I first crossed paths in Arvika Festival in 2023 when he was flabbergasted to see me play Healing Salve in my Top8 match. After that first meeting we have grown closer online and I stayed with him before and after Arvika Festival this year and also spent a bunch of time hanging out with him at n00bcon this year. He is kind, easygoing, and generally pleasant to be around which is a great combo. After getting settled at Joakim’s and enjoying a tasty salad that he made for us, we walked to see an incredibly cool 6,000-8,000 year old stone carving before heading into town to get some Indian food for dinner. Unsurprisingly, Drammen looks much different in August than February!

We enjoyed a slow Saturday morning at Joakim’s house and then set out to see the Spiralen Cafe, the venue for the Plague tournament in Drammen. By the time we arrived at the Spiralen Cafe it was unfortunately closed due to a wedding so we pivoted to going for a hike and enjoying some of the natural beauty that Norway is known for. Along the way we foraged wild blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries which were all delicious and helped fill the space I had reserved in my stomach for our stop at the cafe.

After our hike we hung out at Joakim’s house listening to music and reminiscing on old YouTube videos such as Llamas with Hats which was a fun walk down memory lane. For dinner on Saturday night Joakim graciously whipped up a delicious fish stew for us. Lucy has a restrictive diet which is difficult for most to accommodate, but not Joakim. We followed up dinner with a late night stroll around Drammen before calling it a night.

On Sunday we made our way back to Stockholm. Construction in Drammen made the trip slightly more complicated, but before we knew it we were in Oslo Lufthavn waiting for our flight. We arrived with enough time to spare that we could hunt down a brown cheese waffle for Lucy so that she could leave Norway fulfilled. We both agreed it wasn’t nearly as good as mine from Thursday night, but it was better than most airport food. After a quick flight and train ride to Stockholm we checked into our Airbnb and once again met up with Björn.

Part two of our Stockholm walking tour with Björn was even better than part one because we were not cripplingly tired. We enjoyed a lovely afternoon walking around with Björn, got to see his apartment, and then went to dinner at his favorite local restaurant. The scenery was breathtaking and the food was tasty which is always a great combination.

After dinner we parted ways and walked along the water back into town. We spent much of our hour plus walk to our Airbnb and subsequent trip home the following day marveling at how well the trip had gone. Having friends to visit and explore with changed the dynamic in a really positive way. We both enjoyed the combination of having some time to ourselves and also having time with friends who could show us around.

I am so grateful for the Old School community. I have made so many meaningful connections along the way which this trip is a real testament to. Being able to go with my wife to Scandinavia and spend time with some of the people she has heard so much about in some of the places that previously only existed in photos and stories is extremely powerful. It turns out that the old catchphrase of, “Play the game, see the world” was pretty accurate after all.