A trip to Northern Europe with my sister, who loves mythology and fjords, and my younger sister, who loves design, miscellaneous goods, and cafes.
Lapland, where the Snow Queen lives, Pippi, Mr. Nelson, Moomins, the Kamome Restaurant, and the lighting of master designers come to mind. It is a land where fairies seem to live.
I stayed in this mysterious place for three months.


We rented a small room on a quiet street in Sweden, with an apple tree visible through the window, prepared a simple breakfast, took a walk around the neighborhood, and on particularly sunny days, went for a picnic in the forest.
One day, I packed my bags and went on a trip to the countries surrounding the beautiful Baltic Sea, thinking, "I'll go for a while."
During a splendid summer, a handful of autumns, and a mystical winter, I visited five countries: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia.
And then you nod your head.
I want to know the countless myths and fairy tales that led to the creation of their designs.
And if you go along that path, you too might fall in love with Northern Europe.

I tend to plan my trips thoroughly, but once I actually start traveling, I tend to go wherever my heart takes me.
The thing I did most while traveling in Northern Europe was walking.
As soon as you open the door, you can't help but head towards the blue sky, the fresh air, and the forest that stretches all the way to the sky.
The forest sometimes leads to a lake, and sometimes to a pretty cafe.
When I saw a tram, I got on it and when I saw a place I liked, I got off.
And as always, happy people and beautiful scenery.
Even when I wasn't wearing a red cloak, I always felt like I was the main character in a fairy tale.

--- From "Days of Walking"

After the cold winter arrived, we returned home at sunset and spent long nights sitting in chairs under warm lights, reading books.
Designed to keep your back from hurting even after sitting for a long time, to keep your eyes from getting tired even after reading for a long time, and to bring a smile to your face when you look away from it for a moment.
Within the simple yet beautiful and functional furniture and lighting, we were able to travel through the world of Nordic myths, legends and fairy tales without feeling gloomy on long winter nights.
That's what good design is.
Rather than being flashy and capturing people's hearts right away, it's important to be there in the right place and in the right shape.
Something you don't get tired of looking at for a long time.
This is why I admire Nordic design.

--- From "Understanding Nordic Design"

The Nordic people we met were laid-back.
On sunny days, we would go outside and spend time doing nothing, and in places with nice views, people would invariably gather to eat cinnamon rolls and drink coffee.
He didn't show too much interest in strangers, but he showed just the right amount of kindness.
That was really good.
People who drink seven cups of coffee a day.
For those of us who love coffee and cafes, pica time is a great excuse.
I lived a life of warmth and comfort, like a candle lit on a dark night and a ray of sunshine on a winter day.

--- From "Pikachu's Leisure"

If you ask me what I liked best about traveling in Northern Europe, I would say the air and the sky.
The sky is exceptionally clear and transparent, resembling the blue sea, and the air is so refreshing that it clears your mind.
Perhaps the leisurely lifestyle of Northern Europe, its beautiful fairy tales and legends, and its sensual design all originate from this nature.
As we encountered the fjords of Norway and the birch forests of Finland, our hearts were quietly stirred by the grandeur of nature.

--- From "Nature, That's Nature"

We diligently visited the market of our travel destination.
The main character of the movie [Kamome Diner] bought lingonberries and golden cantarella mushrooms at the red tent plaza where he shopped, took them back to his lodgings, cooked them, and bought soup at the market along the seaside.
On weekends, I would go to the vintage market in the park and giggle at the sight of things that seemed like they would never sell, and I even bought an antique teacup from Gustav Berg for a surprisingly cheap price.
One way we get to know the city is by going to the market.
Although they may look different, the markets of Northern Europe add vitality to the cities and enrich our travels.
It's the easiest and most enjoyable way to become a local, even if only for a little while.

--- Among “all markets in travel destinations”

On weekends, a flea market is held at Hötorget Square.
As I was looking at old postcards, the owner, an old man who looked like Colin Firth from about 20 years ago, said, "I can cut these postcards, but not these," and showed me his treasured collection, neatly organized in a separate album.
You end up going on an unplanned shopping trip.
I buy a postcard with the handwriting of someone I don't know who or when they lived.
I can't read a single line properly, but if it was written on such a pretty postcard, I'm sure it must be something very affectionate.
The most popular items in the market are Gustav Berri and Arabian bowls.
On weekdays, there are street vendors selling vegetables, fruits, and flowers.
When I went there around the time of the wave, the sound of people shouting “Halba, Halba” and “Sale” was loud everywhere.

--- From "Colin Firth and the Arabian Bazaar"

As I climbed the stairs toward the cylindrical building, light poured down through the narrow, dark entrance.
My body began to tremble quietly.
It felt like standing in the middle of space.
Surrounding me were books containing the wisdom, history, and secrets of humanity, orbiting like mysterious stars.
This is a temple for books and a place that embraces the universe.
I want to look into the unknown world that lies before me.
This beautiful library was designed by Erik Gunnar Asplund and completed in 1928.
He said, 'The library is a place where books and people meet.'
It's simple, but isn't this a phrase that accurately defines the original function that a library should have?
The library is overflowing with such meticulous attention to detail.
A particularly eye-catching place was the storybook reading room in the children's library on the first floor.
Sitting or lying in a circle in a dark, cozy cave-like room decorated with the 'Sleeping Fairy' from Andersen's fairy tale [Ole Lukoie], the children listen to the story and slowly drift into a mysterious world of dreams.

--- From "The Library Embracing the Universe"

It was indeed a wonderful place that made me sigh.
We wandered through a strangely beautiful, fantastical, and mysterious place, like Alice in Wonderland, our hearts pounding and even a little cheering.
Then, in an elegant tea room with soft light, we enjoyed fragrant black tea, sandwiches, and cake.
I bought wallpaper with birds and flowers here.
I don't know which room it will be in, but I think if you sleep in that room, you will definitely have beautiful dreams.
--- From "dreaming humming birds"

I used to imagine opening the window, reaching out into the cool, blue morning fog, picking an apple, and slowly waking up while lying in bed, crunching on it.
Was that a scene from [Little Women]?
Or maybe [Anne of Green Gables].
No, I don't think it's either.
Maybe it was a dream.
I achieved one of my dreams in a rented house.
Through the window next to the bed, I could see an apple tree, and below it, the neighbor's cat sauntered over the fence into the yard where hydrangeas and roses bloomed.
Every time the wind blew, the green leaves of the apple tree rustled against each other, making a crunching sound like waves.
I reached out and took an apple.
It wasn't very sweet, but it tasted fresh.
It's a morning of travel, eating an apple and quietly thinking about where to go today.

--- From "An Apple Tree Outside the Window"

There, the sunlight was particularly strong.
Golden shards of sun floated over the red roofs and blue water, and a warm breeze, returning from caressing the shade of the dense forest, the flowers that bloomed like firecrackers, and the blueberries that sparkled like jewels, brushed the back of my neck.
A girl wearing a floral bikini slowly entered the water.
The smell of summer was everywhere.
Everything there had a vivid and clear summer look.
But strangely, when I think of that place, it feels hazy, like a film photograph with too much light.
Like a beautiful dream you don't want to wake up from.

--- From "The City of Sun and Summer"

There is a market that opens along the beautiful sea.
The breeze and refreshing sunlight blowing from the horizon where different shades of blue meet, the sounds and smells of grilling, frying, and frying, the sounds of bargaining and the bustle.
A neatly arranged stand, clearly decorated with care, and the fruits and vegetables look even prettier because of it.
Although they were a bit expensive, I bought some fur gloves from the lovely old ladies who spoke kindly and beautifully in English, saying that they were pretty and warm because they were hand-knitted, and I wore them all the time.
There are many factors that create the impression of a city, but it is the market that is responsible for its vitality.

--- From "The Market by the Sea"

There were few signs or traces of self-disclosure.
It was hidden cozy, like a den prepared by an animal for hibernation, at the foot of a low hill.
As we pushed through the darkness, a soft light, like the gentle sunlight that pierced through the depths of winter, gently enveloped our heads.
A soft piano sound spread along the light.
I thought I was dreaming.


Temppeliaukio Church is a rock church built in 1969 by architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, who carved out the natural bedrock with a spoon to resemble a cave.
The roof of the church extends directly into the hill, blending into the landscape without any sense of incongruity.
The religion that encompasses this place seems to be nature.

--- From "The House of Comfort and Rest"

If you ask me what I like about Finland, I would say the air.
Refreshing.
I felt it the whole time I was in Finland.
The wind, the sky, and the sunlight were all clear and blue.
If you ask me what I liked next, I would say the lake.
As I was walking under the birch trees surrounding the quiet lake, I suddenly looked up and saw that the sky was also calm and quiet.
The ancestors of the shy but deep and sensitive Finns clearly came from the lake.
If you ask me what else is good, there are markets, simple food, stylish shops, and trams running down the street.
And Alvar Aalto, Moomin, and Marimekko.
Ah, just the name makes my heart race.
but.
If you ask me what I liked best about Finland, I would say the forest.

--- From "Slowly Breathing Joy"

The first impression of the achromatic street with a bluish tint was neat.
On the way north, the word Norway conjures up a thrilling but still vague feeling.
Among the tall, unassuming people, we are clearly strangers, newly arrived here. We step into a landscape that is both similar and different from what we had imagined, amidst a flood of indecipherable letters and unfamiliar languages, like mysterious magic spells.
Karl Johansson Street, which stretches from the central station to the royal palace, is a bustling street lined with shops and restaurants.
The streets on weekends were bustling with stalls and street vendors selling items at discounted prices.
I don't know how long a first impression will last, but the city, a somewhat reserved but deep-hearted man, makes me want to look into it and get to know him more.
After a short walk, we arrived at a green park with a fountain pouring down.

--- From "First Impressions of the City"

I walk along the quiet streets, dragging my suitcase, still not fully awake.
Today is the day we leave to see the fjord.


As with most people, the purpose of my trip to Norway was the fjords.
So, the trip to Oslo felt like a prelude or a warm-up before the actual trip, and I felt uneasy while I was there, like a student who had put off his homework.
As I finally boarded the train, I felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, a sense of anxiety washed over me.
I wonder if I left something beautiful behind in the city I am about to leave.
The train leaves the platform and the city quickly recedes behind me.
That's what travel is.
Perhaps life is the same.
As the train runs, the season deepens.
Outside the car window, forests and meadows shrouded in thick fog pass by quickly.
The train runs along the traces of glaciers created long ago, at an unknown time.
You will see the fjords that you had only seen in pictures and drawings during class a long time ago.
It feels strange, like I'm visiting a world that only existed in legends.
The train stops briefly at the tall and quiet Pince Station before departing again.

--- From "Train Journey from Oslo to Myrdal"

The moment I arrived in Bergen, I had a feeling I would miss this city.
The city, dimly visible through the fog and rain, seemed like a beautiful dream I had one night long ago, or a scene from a fairy tale I used to read alone in a dark room as a child.
The fairy tale features a forest of pointed trees, a cabin, a fireplace where rice sprinkled with raspberries is cooked, moose and reindeer with a pack of vicious wolves chasing them, giants and trolls, and a girl who can see the stars even when her eyes are covered with seven layers of cloth.
Once the veil of fog and rain lifted slightly, I felt like I could experience all of these things in this city.

--- From "Bergen"

Every time I travel, I am delighted to discover a bookstore.
Bookstores are sure to exist in old streets, artificial cities, streets frequented by tourists, and neighborhoods frequented by locals.
It's nice to have a bookstore displaying new books that haven't yet found their owners, but there's something comforting about coming across a used bookstore on a street lined with souvenir shops.
I like spaces that are quiet, simple and beautiful, and where things that have been worn but cherished come together in harmony to form a single landscape.

--- From "Still, There Are Precious Things"

The sky, which had been a mysterious blue, suddenly brightened, revealing the outline of the city.
The morning at the travel destination dawns so defenseless.
Open the windows on two sides of the modern, gray-toned room and take in the fresh morning air of the city.
If the scent of winterland had a color, it would definitely be purple.


In the heart of Copenhagen, tucked away in an alleyway that's easily overlooked, lies Hotel SP34, a modern Nordic design that attracts people from all over the world.
As you pass through the greenhouse-style entrance, a fresh breakfast is served that makes you feel healthy just by looking at it.
The warm sunlight that illuminates the table set for a beautiful morning is now there.

Today, too, is the beginning of a journey.

--- From "A Traveler's Morning"