“Slide in on a shrimp sandwich” is my new favourite phrase...
And everything else that went on in July
Hey! I’m Emma from Where’s Ems? 👋🏼 I’ve been travelling full-time since 2023 while building my freelance writing business. Join to receive my monthly roundups: a behind-the-scenes look at where I’ve been, what I’ve loved and learnt.
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Last year, I decided to make the journey between house sits more of an adventure by cycling from a sit in Germany to my next one in Luxembourg. This year, I wanted to do it again, only my two destinations were slightly further apart — Sheffield in the UK to Sweden.
Turns out, you can get the train. So I went Interrailing for the first time, ticking off three countries over four days.
I won’t say much more yet since I’m writing up the full journey for The i Paper. But I loved it! I’m already wondering when I can do it again.
July travel roundup…
12 nights house-sitting in Gothenburg, Sweden
10 nights house-sitting in London, UK
5 nights house-sitting in Derbyshire, UK
4 nights Interrailing across Europe
While in Gothenburg, I discovered this Swedish phrase, glida in på en räkmacka, which means “to slide in on a shrimp sandwich” and it’s my favourite thing ever.
It’s used for someone who gets success the easy way through luck or privilege. The closest English equivalents are probably “have it handed to you on a silver platter,” “get a free ride,” or “be born with a silver spoon in your mouth.”
The origin is said to be linked to the idea that shrimp sandwiches (räkmackor) were a bit fancy in Sweden, especially in the 1970s when they were associated with travel and a more posh, jet-set kind of life.
Forget “batshit crazy”, when a Swede is really riled up he or she is skogstokig, or “forest crazy.”
Swedes don’t get “caught with their hands in the cookie jar”, they get skägget i brevlådan, or “caught with their beards in the letter box.”
And if you’ve taken things too far, you’ve skita i det blå skåpet, or “shit in the blue locker.” 😄
Things I loved in July…
I went to a reading rave in London. Yes, a reading rave. The Offline Club runs phone-free hangouts like this across cities in Europe, all built around the same idea: put your phone away and connect with actual humans.
I loved how in Copenhagen they've really invested in outdoor living, so much so that you can swim in the harbours right in the city centre. Inspired (and absolutely boiling), I thought I'd try the new Sea Lanes in Canary Wharf, London. It was pretty surreal swimming in the dock beneath the skyscrapers.
If you like football, perhaps Gothenburg, Sweden, should be on your list. It’s got historic clubs, passionate local derbies and is home to Gothia Cup, the world’s largest youth football tournament. I even went to my first ever football match during my stay thanks to my house-sitting hosts letting me use their season tickets.
July posts you may have missed…
July notes you may want to get involved in…
Coming up in August…
Sadly, a long house sit I had planned in Yorkshire, UK, didn’t work out because their cat suddenly passed away. I’ve managed to fill the gap with sits in an unbearably hot London, but by the end of the month, I’ll be heading to (hopefully) cooler temperatures… I’m going to Norway!
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Some great stuff here Emma 🙂.
Somehow I knew there would be a blå skåpet in this post 😉🤣. Nice one!