I've totally moved!

Moved to a NEW SITE!!!!

I hope you will like the new layout and all the pretty pictures I get to put up there! All the articles here have slowly been linked from the new site. I'm pretty excited about it. :-)

So CHECK OUT the latest posts at www.travelwithalaine.com

Ciao!!! 
- Alaine

A perfect weekend getaway to Malmö

A beautiful summers day to be out and about in Malmö Stad!

Malmö is the 3rd largest city in Sweden and is located in Southern Sweden a.k.a. Skåne (pronounced sko-neh). A fairly easy walkable city with a bad reputation recently due to the rise in car fires in certain neighborhoods. HOWEVER, you shouldn't be afraid because Malmö is a fun little city for a weekend getaway and much cheaper than Copenhagen just across the Öresund strait. Apart from the rising violence is certain neighborhoods, the central part of Malmö is charming and quite safe to walk around in. I've been here mostly on day trips from Copenhagen because it is so easy to travel here by train. I spent a weekend in the winter here and had a great little trip wandering around the city on foot. I like the smaller cities of Europe as they are not inundated with so many tourists and easy to navigate around by foot. 

Just outside the Central Station there are these beautiful bridges to cross into Gamla stan

A bit gloomy in the winter but still lovely to explore!

A sunny summers' day for a day trip in Malmö! Outside the Central Station

How to get to Malmö

Flight to Copenhagen Airport (København Lufthavn) and then taking the train from the airport across the Öresund bridge. This bridge is famous as the location for the hit Danish-Swedish TV drama series, Den Brøn/Den Brön or The Bridge. The views from the Bridge are quite stunning so remember to get your cameras out!

Travel tip: Bring your passport with you when crossing the border from Denmark to Sweden as the border control is in effect due to the rising refugee crisis and security efforts.

The Öresund Bridge

What to see

Turning Torso

1) Turning Torso

This architecture marvel is the tallest building in Scandinavia and the residents are so lucky to live in such cool building. I walked here from the central station on my birthday last year and it was quite the eventful walk. It is quite a distance from the central station so I recommend that you take one of the public buses to get here. Otherwise, you'll be walking for about 30 minutes and it is fine if the weather is nice and not too windy!

2) Ribersborgsstranden

Just next to the residential neighborhood that houses the Turning Torso building is Ribersborgsstranden (see if you can pronounce that like a native Skåne resident!). It has beautiful views of the Öresund strait and Öresund bridge. The picture above was taken that this very particular beach park. I watched the sunset from this place and it was so stunning. I'd imagine summers here are wonderful with picnics, sunbathing, and jumping into the cool waters.

3) Malmöhus Slott

For a glimpse at Swedish history with Denmark and Skåne county, this former castle fortress is an interesting stop. Skåne used to belong to Denmark and one can argue that Skånska (southern Swedish vernacular) sounds a bit like Danish. Many Swedes from the north, particularly from the capital city of Stockholm lovingly mock the accent. As a Swedish language student, I find it a bit difficult to understand but there are many Swedish residents in Malmö that come from the north and reside there or deal with northerners frequently so will speak a bit more clearly. 

This castle is the oldest standing fort from the Renaissance era and was once an important place where Denmark's coins were minted there. Erik of Pomerania, King of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden built the castle on the grounds now occupied by Malmöhus in 1434. The strategic position of the castle facing westwards could monitor and protect all the shipping traffic coming in from the Öresund strait. During World War II, Malmöhus was used as a refugee camp to house all those fleeing from the war. When I went to visit the museum there was an exhibit telling the stories of those who fled the war and stayed in Malmöhus with the stories of the new immigrants coming into Sweden. This museum also holds temporary exhibitions that shed light on Swedish history and Swedish way of life. 

4) Slottsparken
Just next to Malmöhus Slott is a beautiful park with gardens. Malmö has these gardens littered throughout the city that offers a nice respite from the brick buildings and concrete. I recommend that you take a stroll through the park either before or after your visit to Malmöhus Slott if you have time and it isn't too dark. 

Just outside the Moderna Museet Malmö 

5) Moderna Museet Malmö
Unlike all the modern museums I've visited in bigger cities. This was a small museum and perfect for an indoor activity when the weather is rather cold, windy, and raining! I love modern art and all its weirdness because it is an edgy art form that pushes the envelope on what our views of the world and what we consider as art in itself. This museum isn't very big and houses temporary exhibits. The museum is free entry.
I wish I had seen my former movement improvisation teacher, Simone Forti's work reconstructed and performed at the museum in 2015. 

Lilla Torg

Lilla Torg

Sankt Petri Kyrka - Saint Peters' Church

6) Gamla Stan: Stortorget, Lillatorg, Gustav Adolfs Torg

I highly recommend wandering around the old town and the Stortorget, Lillatorg, and Gustav Adolfs Torg are perfect squares that have little stores, cafes, hotels, restaurants, and bars to leisurely wander through. This is probably my favorite activity in Malmö. I like wandering around all the little streets around these areas. The buildings are well preserved and you'll find so many cute little nooks and crannies to take your social media worthy pictures for #latergramfordays #tbt and #throwbackthursdays ! 

Where I stayed: Radisson Blu Malmö

My room is huge at Radisson Blu Malmö

Centrally located, walking distance to the Central Station, and close to shops, restaurants, bars, attractions. I was surprised by the large room though and would recommend staying here in a heartbeat as Radisson Blu has one of the best hotel breakfasts ever! It is located next to the Caroli shopping centre which has an ICA supermarket housed in it as well as some nice shops and restaurants.

Where to Eat:

Köttbaren is literally translated as The Meat Bar! 

Yummy burger!

Köttbaren recently changed their name to Burger and Friends. This restaurant is located in the shopping centre, Caroli right next to the hotel which is very convenient as I was starving at the time I arrived and checked in. That burger tasted so good! They belong to the same restaurant group that owns Kött & Fisk in Stockholm and the food there is also fantastic.



Peas & Honey gastropub house was recommended to me by a friend in Stockholm. I went there for dinner and ordered a beer to go along with my moules frites. The portion was generous, the fries were salty, the mussels were garlicky and succulent. Friendly people working here with a mysigt (cozy) atmosphere. I returned for a beer on another trip to Malmö with a couple friends because it was a super chill place.

And of course FIKA! You're in Sweden! Fika är bästa tid!

Softest Kanellebulle I've ever eaten!

Coffee Factory Sweden

Or have a sandwich near Gustav Adolfs Torg and sit outside in the summer

Briska cider is probably my favorite Swedish cider!

The best time to visit Malmö is certainly the summer months when everyone is out enjoying the long summer days in the sun. However, it is also nice to visit in the winter when the Christmas market and lights are all set up. There's something magical about walking through the streets on a winter night sipping glögg (Christmas mulled wine) and nibbling on some pepparkaka (cinnamon cookies) then taking refuge in a cozy restaurant with candles all around. 

Despite what anyone says, Malmö is a cute little city and I will always stop by for a visit whenever I'm in the area. 

Why I started travel blogging: I'm a third culture kid

A third culture kid (TCK) is a person who has grown up in different countries and cultures therefore developing cultural traditions as a mixed salad of different cultures as opposed to feeling rooted in just one. A hybridity of cultures.

I was born in Singapore, childhood in Jakarta, then pre-teen through teen years in Singapore, University in LA, early to late twenties working and living in New York, back to Singapore, then Graduate school in Switzerland, internship in Brussels, back to Singapore and now Global Nomad writing about my life as a hybrid of cultures and travel. Its quite confusing to tell people "where I'm from?" because I'm a mixed bag. A long story. A complicated background of cultures. I hold a passport that is pretty foreign to me and when going through visa applications and immigration it always baffles people. I have also spent summers living in Sydney, Lake Arrowhead, San Francisco, LA, Durham (NC), Washington DC, Toronto, and Edinburgh either visiting family, summer camps, and performing in festivals.

My accent is American with an international school lilt sometimes, Californian sometimes, and New Yorker sometimes. I have mostly Chinese heritage (my ancestors but my parents are as global and cultural hybrids themselves) but I speak zero Chinese except beyond "Ni Hao" "Xie Xie" with a English accent. English is my native language although Bahasa Indonesian is my first language though I've got the fluency of a 3 year old. I studied Japanese for 8 years in grade school and can only muster up broken Japanese these days. I studied Swedish in University intensively for a year then in recent years have been self studying with books, newspapers, music, tv/film, online courses, speaking to Swedes, and took a brief course while I was in Brussels and I read and understand it pretty well. Briefly studied German (what a hard language!) for 6 months and can still order food or understand basic German alright. I started learning a bit of French because of my love for wine (what a wine geek!)

So that's just a tip of the iceberg on my complicated TCK life... I'm not going to bother you with the rest

Why I started travel blogging

I wanted a little place to tell my stories. I've traveled my entire life and have been to so many places on this small world. It is my rolodex, my portfolio, and to inspire others to become global citizens. The world is not that big. 

My immediate family and extended family members live across world in different countries - there's no such thing as having a family reunion that all of us can make it. We would fill an entire grand ballroom if that ever happened. I have not met my entire extended family. 

Growing up as an expat kid and then later as an expat and world traveler means that I also have friends all over the world. My network continues to grow in geography. Its wonderful! 

Last but not least, I started travel blogging because I want to remember the stories and memories. Memories are my home and I don't want to forget them. 

This is my ever-growing list of Places I've been to

A showcase by Singapore International Foundation artists who have received funding in 2013/2014. My dance production, Habitat, toured to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2013.