This weekend I was invited to come and stay with the au pair that lived last year with the family I am living with now, Alexandra from Poland. She is living in Malmö now with her fiancé. The last time I was in Malmö was when I had to go down to the migration office to get my Swedish work visa done. I had not seen much of the city then and I wasn't there for that long so being able to come again and spend a few days was awesome!
I left Helsingborg by train a little before lunch, and 40 minutes later I was in Malmö! (Not too far!) I lucked out with a beautiful sunny (but brisk) day and after I met up with Alexandra and dropped my things off at her apartment, we took the bikes and started off on a tour of the city!
Malmö is the third largest city in Sweden, and since it is so far South, there has been a lot of international influence on the city. Besides being constantly changed from Danish to Swedish, since it is so relatively close to the other countries of Europe, it has been exposed to different styles.. etc.
On our tour around Malmö, Alexandra showed me all sorts of things. First we went to the shopping streets which were bustling in preparation for Christmas and then we biked around different squares and through cute alleys. We passed by a castle and the Maritime Museum, and we stopped by a quaint fresh fish market! (Pictured above) Then we went out to the waterfront to look at the long bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark. I love looking over the water to Denmark, Even when I'm in Helsingborg and it's a clear day it really makes me smile to know that I am in a foreign country, so close to another! 
Saturday night we were invited to an International foods Girl's night. When Alexandra and I were in the shopping area, we went to the Polish shop so she could make a Polish cheesecake, and then we went to the American Store where I bought white bread, peanut butter, and jelly (for sandwiches of course). We met up with some friends and we all took a yellow bus just outside the city to where this night would take place. In total there were four ethnic groups represented. There were girls from Kenya, Poland, Iraq, and then there was me representing America. We all cooked together and listened to fun music, and interesting conversations, and even did a little dancing! It was so much fun, I loved every bit of it!
After a fantastic evening with wonderful company, Alexandra and I headed back to her apartment and went to bed. The next day Alex had to work, but I was able to sleep in a little. I took the bike out again and tried to tour some more of the city on my own but I was afraid of getting lost so I didn't venture too far. Then I went to the gym where Alex works, at a gym/water park! It was really fun! After she got off work we both biked home again and we made homemade sushi for dinner. All and all this weekend was a ton of fun! And very international as well.
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