"We're not giving up. Let's save the Arctic!" Thank you!

Many thanks to those of you who sent me emails with their opinions on the "Arctic problem"! 
Here are some sentences that I think are very meaningful: 

"It's unbelievable how the great powers of the world close their eyes in front of all this [...]. In spite of everything, we're not giving up! Let's save the Arctic!" 
(Francesca, Italy) 

"We're destroying everything. The Arctic is one of our last chances (maybe the biggest one) to try to turn the tide. I think that if we lost this battle...we could have lost the war."
(Michel, Canada) 

"If we were able to save the Antarctic, more than 20 years ago, we can do it again and save the Arctic."
(Ebba, Sweden) 

Keep sending me emails with your opinions and suggestions to thenorthernlightsdiary@gmail.com!

The Swedish National Heritage...NATURE!

Love for nature unites and characterizes all the inhabitants of Sweden. 
The Swedish territory is vast and nature plays a fundamental role. In Sweden, breathtaking views, pure water, clean air and great outdoors are available to everybody, even just outside the big cities. 

Thanks to its extension, Sweden has a wide range of territories and landscapes. 
Probably the most known is the the northernmost, the Lapp highlands, thanks to their natural phenomena: the midnight sun in summer and the aurora borealis in winter. 

All around Sweden there are forests where you'll find relax and peace. The activities that can be done are many: raft rides, fishing, animal watching, biking. 
The seascape of the archipelagos offers fantastic views, as well as the hills and the flowery fields of Skane. 

Sweden gives you the unique chance to combine urban attractions and nature experiences in an only (even short) holiday. 

Safari...made in Sweden!

When you hear the word "safari" you immediately think of the great African savannas, of the elephant, rhino and lion watching...

However, for some years in Sweden has been launched a new safari concept. Indeed, in this country there's still the chance to observe immense forests and its beautiful inhabitants which once characterized whole Europe. 

Today, lots of tour operators and local guides organize these Scandinavian safaris to let the nature lovers observe bears, elks, wolves and lynx. The tours of lakes, rivers and archipelagos are also very popular: there you can sight fantastic water animals like otters, beavers, seals and porpoises. 
Finally, also birdwatching and butterfly-watching are having increasingly success. 

What to say...you just have to go! 

(Thanks to Lorenzo S. for helping me writing this post)

Did you know...? The story of the prinsesstårta.

The prinsesstårta (princess cake) is a traditional Swedish layer cake consisting of alternating layers of sponge cake, raspberry/strawberry jam, pasty cream and a thick domed layer of whipped cream. 
This is topped by marzipan, usually green sprinkled with powdered sugar and sometimes decorated with an extra pink marzipan rose. 
The receipt was invented by Jenny Åkerström in the 1930s in honor of three princesses: Margaretha, Märtha  and Astrid of Sweden. 

Green cities, Sweden: Malmö and Stockholm.

Malmö

It is the biggest town in Skane and at the end of the '80s it was in desperate decline after the dismissal of thousand Kockums shipyards workers. 

Today it is a completely new coastal city, which has worked hard and has been staking everything on sustainability and the environment. 

The first neighborhood to be converted was Västra Hamnen: this former industrial area has become a residential and commercial zone, powered by 100% 0 km renewable energy. It's the symbol of Malmö's transformation into a sustainable city. 

Another green neighborhood is Augustenborg: it is home to the largest concentration of green roofs in the world! 

In 2000 it was decaying and abandoned; the city administration adopted a sustainable approach to the problem, posing 10,000 square meters of green roofs to avoid floodings, extending the green areas and improving energy efficiency and the access to recycling facilities. 

Furthermore, Malmö was the first Swedish fair and equitable city. 

Stockholm 

It is one of the greenest capital cities in the world and its inhabitants pay much attention to the sustainability and the environment to better preserve their city. 

There are lots of cycle paths and the public transport in environmentally friendly and clean.

The city is full of parks and natural reserves and in and around the town nature is the undisputed protagonist. 

Hammarby Sjöstad is a known in the world ecological neighborhood. It is located on the shores of the lake which bathes the city and the water is its main source of energy. All domestic waste is used to produce energy and the hydroelectric plant and the solar panels produce electricity. 

The aim is to create a sustainable resources based residential system and a new way of life, compatible with the environment and nature. 

These two Swedish cities are fantastic examples of urban sustainability and respect of nature. 

Swedish Big 5: the Golden Eagle.

In Sweden, there are around 5,000 adult Golden Eagles, declining in the North but increasing in the southern parts of the country. 
The Golden Eagle is the second largest bird of prey in Sweden. They are shy and prefer to live in unpopulated areas, although sometimes they may come closer to inhabited areas to take advantage of carrion found on roads or in gardens. 

The Golden Eagle, also known as "the King's Eagle", preys different animals, from rodents to birds and in winter, when the food is scarce, may also eat carrion. It can also hunt bigger animals, such as young deers and raindeers or foxes. Golden Eagles may live up to 50 years. 

The females normally lay two eggs, with an average success rate of 0.5%, although in the southern part of the country the rate of success is higher due to the abundance of prey. 

The Golden Eagle is under threat for several reasons. Forestry activity, the construction of new forest roads and tracks, snowmobile traffic in breeding areas and the increase recreational use of previously indisturbed zones. Another threat is the recent increase in hunting pressure on the ptarmigan, one of the Golden Eagle's preys. Due to the strict EU regolations, it is not possible to leave out animal carcasses to support local eagle populations. 

Anyway, there is hope that is taken into account the need to protect and conserve these wonderful animals by this generation and the ones to come. 

Swedish Big 5: the Bear.

The Brown Bear is an undisputed symbol of the wild and maybe the most magical of Sweden's Big Five predators. It is a mysterious and elusive animal. In effect, notwithstanding the large bear population, few people could tell they have seen one in the wild during their whole life! 

To debunk a myth and remove any doubt about that, in Sweden there are NO polar bears! If you want to see them, the nearest place to go is Spitsbergen (Norway), almost 1000 miles north from Stockholm. 

The bears inhabiting the mountains and forests of Sweden are all Brown Bears (Ursus arctos). 

The Scandinavian Brown Bear Research Project in 2004 estimated a swedish bear population in a number between 1635 and 2840 individuals, with an annual increase of 4.7%. 

They are widely distributed in the northern part of the country, especially in the West side. 

As Brown Bears are omnivorous, they eat a wide range of foods, including berries, ants, roots but also bees, voles and even larger animals such as mooses. 

During the autumn, they fatten up in preparation for hibernation, which usually takes place in a disused anthill or a spot at the foot of a large fir tree. 

Mothers give birth to the cubs during the winter in the dens and when they are 6 months old, they're ready to leave their mothers and start a new life on their own. 

In the past, bear hunting was common, but today the Brown Bear is a protected species. 

In Sweden there is the opportunity to take part in beautiful Brown Bear watching, organized by Wild Sweden. Here is the link of their website, so you can take a look! http://www.wildsweden.com/short-tours/brown-bear-watching-from-hide/

Swedish Big 5: the Lynx.

The Lynx (also called "Tiger of the North") is Europe's largest wild feline. In Sweden, the estimated population is around 1.500 specimens (out of a total of 2.000 specimens throughout Scandinavia!) and it is the third most common large predator there. 
It is not easy to see lynx in their natural habitat, as they are shy and elusive creatures. However, lynx populations are increasing, so in a (hopefully) near future, a higher number of people will be able to see them. 

In Sweden, they can be found mostly in the northern and central regions, but they are expanding their territories and moving to other counties such as Småland, Halland,Västergötland, Sörmland, Uppland and Östergötland. 
In Sweden lynx are legally hunted (controlled by quota), like also in other countries (Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia), while in Switzerland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Italy and France reintroduction programs have taken place. Eurasian Lynx are quick to rebound if hunting pressures are lessened and protected areas with good prey bases are set aside. 

The main threat to lynx populations is the loss of habitat due to forestry activity and development and expansion of agriculture. 

The Berne Convention adopted an Action Plan for the conservation of lynx in Europe. It requires trans-boundary management of lynx and the formulation of national action plans for each country where lynx are present. 

Be Nordic event. A day in Milan.

Today I went to Milan with my boyfriend to see the Be Nordic event. It took place in the bautiful Giureconsulti Palace. It was organized by the major travel agencies of the Scandinavian countries, to give advice about travelling in the "great North" and to show some aspects of the nordic culture, from the food to the languages. Well, I have to admit that my expectations were higher. It was a kind of "stand" with some hostesses who were available to provide information about the 4 Scandinavian countries. There were some desks with small samples of nordic drinks and biscuits and a "children corner" on the outside while, on the inside, there was Santa Claus who was willing to take photos, and some videos of the Aurora Borealis and other nordic landscapes were projected on the wall. 

I took a lot of brochures about Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland, and they are very well made.

Here are some photos of the event. 

After having been to Be Nordic, Lorenzo and I went for a walk in the center of Milan. It's a nice city, but it's too chaotic for me! I couldn't ever live there! 

I had already been there, but today I realized that I had never seen the Sforza Castle. That's huge! Beautiful, and Sempione Park, next to the castle, is very nice. 

And this, as you may know, is the famous "Duomo" of Milan...

...and these are me and Lorenzo, with the "Duomo" behind us. 

It was a nice day, and obviously I bought something :) A pair of beautiful high-heeled shoes, that you're seeing in a couple of weeks in the photos of my sister's confirmation.