2 Days in Visby on the Island of Gotland, Sweden
A spur-of-the-moment trip to Visby, Gotland
going BACK HOME
This summer, I unexpectedly got to spend a few days back home on the island of Gotland where I grew up. My parents passed away many years ago, and I hadn’t been back in seven years, but then one of my childhood friends and her fiancé (who still live in Visby) suddenly decided to get married after a 40-year engagement (true story!).
There was no way I was going to miss this wedding, and we immediately booked flights and a hotel room. Gotland is a very popular destination in the summer (kind of the Nantucket of Sweden), and things sell out fast. We managed to get a room at one of the best hotels in Visby, and early morning and late night flights. The planes are small puddle jumpers and fill up quickly, so we were really lucky!
On the flight over, I happened to spot this optical phenomenon called “Glory”, which I had never seen before. Pretty cool! 
The Wedding
It was a beautiful ceremony, on a cliff overlooking the sea, followed by a very informal and laid back party in their garden. When we landed in Visby that morning, it was overcast, cold and windy. But by the afternoon, the sun came out and it turned into a gorgeous summer day. It was all perfect, and I was so happy things worked out and I was able to be there and surprise my friend (her fiancé knew we were coming, she didn’t).
2 Days in Visby
We stayed on Gotland for 2 more days, just hanging out, strolling around and taking it easy. Visby is a medieval walled in city with beautiful architecture and cobblestone streets. When you live there, you sort of forget how special it is, but coming back, it really hits you. It was so good to be back, and I hadn’t realized until then how much I had missed it. The smell of the sea and the windswept pine trees, the limestone rocks, and that incredible, unique Gotland light took me right back to my childhood.
These are a few images from our days there.
Visby City Wall
Sea stack known as “Apan” (The Monkey)
art prints FROM Gotland
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