- Hi, I'm Erik The Travel Guy.

You know, if I ask you, what is the second largest city in Sweden, and you answered Gothenburg, well you'd be right.

We'll dive into the details next on Beyond Your Backyard.

- [Narrator] Beyond Your Backyard is being brought to you in part by the following.

(dramatic music) (upbeat music) The Perillo Tours Foundation.

For 73 years, we've been bringing travelers to Italy.

It's where our heart is.

Escorted tours and custom vacations.

Italy.

The dream destination.

- My name is Erik Hastings.

Yeah, that's me.

And for as long as I can remember, I've always loved to travel.

And I still do today.

But you know what I've learned?

There's so much more that brings us together than divides us.

Which is why I've made it my mission, to do the very same things you can do, but to take you beyond the experiences, to uncover the soul of every place we visit.

Let me introduce you to the people, the places and the secrets, that remind us how exciting it is to share with one another, to understand one another, and to realize just how connected we really are.

I am Erik The Travel Guy, and this is Beyond Your Backyard.

Thank you for watching, and welcome back.

On this particular episode, we brought you to the heart of Scandinavia, more specifically, Sweden.

On a previous show, we explored the capital, that's of course, Stockholm, but today we hopped on board a train, headed west to the coastal town of Gothenburg.

You know, in my short time here, I've discovered that this is a city of enormous depth, with centuries old history visible around just about every corner.

That's why on today's show we'll learn more about that Nordic culture and history.

We'll also sit down, share a meal, with one of the country's premier culinary masters.

We'll also continue to meet the locals as we get a little buttery, and learn how to make step-by-step those world famous Swedish Cinnamon Buns.

Oh, and we're also gonna take you behind the scenes of our trans-Atlantic flight on the flight deck of a Boeing Dreamliner.

It's gonna be a good one so get comfortable.

We may need these as well.

I say, let's get started.

Our flight took us from New York to Stockholm.

And after a few days of fun, we headed to the second largest city in Sweden.

On the map, it's located here at the outlet of the Gote river.

In Swedish, you'll see the name of the city printed like this.

And the proper Swedish pronunciation is (speaks foreign language).

But since that was a little complicated for English speakers, it became Gothenburg.

Upon our arrival, we settled into the hotel and began our exploration of the very walkable downtown.

After a stroll to get my bearings, my appetite led me to a very popular restaurant to have lunch with the chef.

I have a question for you.

Does Sweden have a culinary identity on the world stage?

Does it fit into some category, or does it sort of fit into a Scandinavian category and then we parcel things out of it?

Just out of curiosity.

- I think, personally, that the Nordic is a kitchen of itself, yeah.

And it doesn't go to anything else in Europe, or the rest of the world.

But- - That being said, what do you mean by Nordic kitchen?

- What we can grow up here, what we can farm up here and what we can catch up here.

That is the base of the gastronomy, I would say.

- Got it.

- But to Nordic persons, they are curious, and we are a traveling person.

So we go on the whole planet and get inspiration.

- Looking for the inspiration.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- [Erik] Yeah.

- And also, we welcome the world to Scandinavian Sweden.

So we have, especially in Sweden, we have all cultures.

- And you do feel that sense of, ha, you're not from here, or happy you are from here.

Let us show you around a little bit and show you what we are proud of.

- Yeah.

And historically also, it's been long known for all times in Sweden.

And that is also something that I'm really proud of and it makes me very happy because it makes your whole is the best thing.

- It's a good thing.

Well, what are we gonna start with today?

- So, we have two species of oyster in Sweden.

And the traditional one is the edulis, it's Latin and means edible, and it's considered to be the best oyster in the world.

They are handpicked by a superhero named lotta.

- Really?

- Yeah.

She dresses in scuba diving suits.

- [Erik] No.

- And she walks on the ocean floor picking them one by one.

- [Erik] No.

- Yeah, and not just any one.

She's very picky which individual she picks.

Because all of her oysters are 100% almost perfect, yeah.

- [Erik] Oh my gosh.

How will you eat this?

- I think that you should have a, this is like the Rolls Royce of oysters.

You should have it.

So now if you chew it a few three times, because it is totally beautiful to eat, yeah.

- All right, I can do this.

You can do that, oh, you are.

- I take a few pieces of onion on mine.

- I love onion.

Oh my gosh.

- So it's just onion and vinegar.

- Oh, chef those.

That is so light.

It's so flavorful.

- It's so creamy.

- And just, yeah, it just, people say, oh, does it really melt in your mouth?

It really does.

- There is nothing, no such thing as perfection in universe.

- But that's pretty close.

- If anything is ever perfect, it will be bloody boring, yeah.

But these ones are quite close to it.

- Oh man.

- We go with the next course, yeah?

- Yes, absolutely.

(chef speaks foreign language) Oh my gosh.

Then this happened while we were visiting.

- I am not bragging, but the Nordic lobster is really something else, yeah.

- [Erik] Why?

- Because it's another species that, for example, the American one or the ones from the warm water.

So this is the blue lobster.

I don't know the Latin name for it.

But it is sweeter, it's more tender.

It's better in any way, yeah.

So the Nordic lobster, I'm sorry to say it, but it is- - Superior.

- Yeah, it is superior.

So eat it this with a small piece of the bacon, but this sauce is most important.

It's made with an aged hard cheese from here Sweden (indistinct) so you get as much saltiness and a mommy from that farm.

- That's what's shaved on the top here?

- Yeah, it's actually won a world championship of cheese.

- [Erik] Of cheese?

- The sauce is made with the same cheese.

And in the head, you have got a very, very nice tasty lobster butter to make it with the cheese and the lobster butter.

- Oh my gosh.

- And a tiny small piece of garlic, yeah.

- That has to be the best lobster I've ever had, ever.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Easily, you can taste the individual flavor palettes.

- [Gustav] Yeah.

- [Erik] That's unbelievable.

- My favorite flavor is, dill, many people makes fun about that.

If you want any food and make it taste Swedish, just add some dill.

- Just add some dill.

- To me Sweden tastes like dill.

I am totally very picky.

(Erik laughs) So, I want to know which boat that brought here, which fisher.

Because, the guys on the boat, they know where to fish the fishes, and when during the year to do it.

Yeah.

- [Erik] It's this.

Now this looks amazing.

- [Chef] Yeah, this is herring.

- [Erik] This is herring?

- Yeah, but it's not any herring.

It's called strumming.

To translate it to English it might be called anchovies, but it's another species.

- [Erik] So different.

- It's the same species as herring, let's say leave on the East coast of Sweden.

They are small, yeah.

And creamy and fat.

There is a smaller place Southeast of Sweden.

When they swing pass it, then we call it having a step.

And it's marinated with something very strange.

Fermented caviar.

- Really?

- Yeah.

And fermented fish.

Then you cram it and you fry it.

And then, we have the source of the same fermented caviar, and they have the lingonberries too.

- [Erik] And onion rings.

- [Chef] Yeah, this might be my favorite dish.

- [Erik] This is incredible.

- Yeah.

- The creaminess here, the texture is perfect.

The outside is crispy.

Inside is just melting your mouth.

And you're right, those potatoes, I think there's some butter in those potatoes.

- I would say the opposite.

I think there is some potato in the butter.

- I think you might be right.

(Erik laughs) - Just let me say, I'm not gonna buy a ticket and fly all the way from America to here, to have this.

But I would say, if they did, they would write you a letter and say, "I'm so glad I did."

I would come here specifically for this meal.

- Yeah.

Thank you so much.

That is what I do.

I try to spread joy with my cooking, yeah.

And it makes me very happy to give this joy to many persons.

I'm in love with every single thing we serve at this restaurant.

Because it's like my babies, all of them.

- [Erik] Yeah.

- I bloody love eating.

- Yes.

You're the best.

It's good to meet you man.

This meal by far was my favorite on this trip and perhaps all of Europe.

Talking with Gustav, it was very clear the residents of Gothenburg care deeply about their own culture, as well as their impact on the world.

And you really can't come to Sweden and not learn about the Viking history.

What years are we working with here?

- [Mari] Approximately 800 AD.

- How long was this period of time about?

- About 1066 when there was a huge battle between Northern parts of France, Normandy, and England, and they won.

- [Erik] I'm always fascinated by things like this.

First of all, what are we looking at here?

What is this?

- We're looking at top of a ship, a Viking ship, or Knarr as we call it, the trading vessel.

And it used to have a lot of cargo on board and they would have livestock.

- [Erik] Got it.

- And that would be mostly sheep, but also horses.

But the sites have been done much higher so that animals can't see over the edge.

- [Erik] Got it.

- [Mari] They don't get seasick.

- 'Cause they will get sea sick.

Oh, wow.

Do we consider this a Swedish Viking ship?

- Oh yeah.

The west coast of Sweden.

We received that in 1658.

We're in the Western region of the Gutes.

- [Erik] Got it.

- [Narrator] That's where we are.

- [Erik] What else we're looking at?

- We do connect the Vikings with fighting and with men, don't we?

- [Erik] We do.

- So these are three parts of the swords that we have here.

This is actually a steel sword.

- [Erik] Really?

Okay.

- And the weight of the blade with the weight of the handle has to be even.

So they have this palmer in the middle to keep the weight perfect.

- [Erik] To keep it perfect.

- And we have from our islands, golden bracelets, big, huge spears, perfect for hunting wild bores, moose.

We have parts of shields, but these are also buttons, clothing buttons there.

Some of them are in bronze, some of them are silver, some of them are gilded.

So, in other words, you always have money on.

You can always pay and buy stuff.

- [Erik] And buy things 'cause you're wearing it.

- [Mari] 'Cause you're always wearing your money, right.

- [Erik] Old school.

- And you can see, this is a men's necklace, and it's been chopped off, became a bracelet.

So he's been paying for something, and it's just a half a necklace left.

- [Erik] And now it's half necklace, and now it's a bracelet.

- But this is soapstone.

Have you heard about soapstone?

- No.

- Soapstone is something soft.

It's so soft you can carve in it.

We have it here on the west coast of Sweden, today Sweden, then Denmark, yeah.

And, it's in Norway and exists on the Shetland islands and that's it.

- [Erik] And that's it.

- [Mari] Yeah.

Do you play chess?

- [Erik] I do.

- This is Hnefatafl.

This is the old type of chess.

With over 30 pieces being played.

And in the whole supporter pack.

And then you put that one on top.

So you keep rowing around at sea, and they'll still stay in place.

So they took everything from the animals.

They used to everything they made.

Chess pieces, you name it.

- [Erik] I wonder what life really was like back then.

How difficult it must've been.

- I think in some ways they had a really good life.

They were ordinary farmers, people living here along the coast lines or up the rivers.

They have the fishing.

We probably think they had it cold, they had it bad, but no.

They knew how to protect themselves and take care of themselves, yeah.

- [Erik] All right.

Where are we headed to next?

- Should we go on trying to see the beginning of Gothenburg, of the region when we got the little plot of land?

- I love that idea.

- [Erik] Mari took the time to explain the history of Gothenburg.

Due to the persistent invasions, they began fortifications of the town in 1621 using the skills they learned from the Dutch.

They were able to grow and prosper in safety.

Why did you bring us here?

I mean- - [Mari] We're still in Gothenburg, at the oldest building that we have is from 1640s.

It actually was established a law.

We need a good fortification and we have our walls, we have protection around the city, but we need a military compound.

- Got it.

Because Gothenburg was never taken.

Once it was- - No not once not this city.

- One this city was moved, and put here, we said, that's it.

We're never going to leave ourselves open- - Exactly.

- To capture.

- Yeah.

We've done the malts everywhere.

We have really put the landscape in work and we've used knowledge from the Dutch and from the Germans.

You could still see the lines, the straight lines, that the Dutch put up, the square blocks, the streets coming down and 90 angles.

Nothing's really changed.

So here you can still see the old bricks.

I love it.

1642, it arrived and we started building.

So if you would come further up, there is no lines in between up there.

And those bricks are way, bit bigger.

We were a typical Dutch obsessive with water.

- Our walking tour continued as she showed us the historic significance of the Harbor and the walls in the protection of the country.

Farmers were required to actually provide a giant stone each year and add it to the wall every year as a tax payment, and roll it to the Fort.

Imagine that, we complain about our 1099's and gathering of receipts.

They had to haul a huge stone to protect the city each year.

The highly strategic long Harbor was also essential to the safety of the ships, because this was the entrance to Sweden, it had to be protected.

And that's why Sweden's West Coast exists today.

I wonder how many even residents walk past here- - Every day.

- Every day.

And they don't take a moment to go, you realize what that is, right?

We wouldn't be here, maybe.

- No, no.

- Without that.

It's so true.

We would not be here.

- [Erik] It's good to meet you.

Thank you for this very much.

- [Mari] Thank you.

- [Erik] I really appreciate it.

Gothenburg is a city constantly in change, always building, expanding, innovating.

It's been a building site since day one and has never stopped.

There are a few ways to experience a new city, and I prefer to get a local's perspective.

When you come to Gothenburg, you too can experience the local culture in a very personalized way.

With a friendly face.

Meet The Locals is a community initiative that gathers locals advice and helps you make new friends, eager to share their best experiences with you.

So I headed out of town for a special treat.

This is literally your kitchen.

- Yes this is Swedish kitchen.

- But what are we gonna do today?

Cause I smell something amazing in this kitchen going on.

What are we doing?

- We're gonna make the famous Swedish cinnamon buns.

So we're gonna start with putting flour.

- [Erik] That's yeast?

That's fresh yeast?

- That's fresh yeast.

So you have to crumble it in here.

This butter needs to be melted.

- [Erik] All right.

- And then we're gonna put the milk in it.

And it has to be 37 degrees.

- 37.

Okay.

- You know that your temperature body is 37.

- Yeah.

- So if you close your eyes and you dip your finger in and you're not supposed to feel any difference.

- What?

(Anna laughs) That's crazy.

People all over the United States burning their hands.

- Yeah, you're all getting (indistinct) - [Erik] You guys, come on.

- So then we start pouring just a little bit and then you stir it.

And then we have to post a bit of flour.

- All right.

Now, I tend to like to have my buns a little sweeter.

So they're just a little, just a little more.

- [Anna] A little more, yeah okay.

Then you stir it out a little bit.

And when you (indistinct).

(mixer growling) - [Erik] This is right now, what we call, riveting television.

(Anna laughs) - This is what I call, living in the moment.

- Exactly.

- Yes, and- - I just liked the notion of somebody on their couch right now being like, oh, are they just gonna wait, I'm going to sit here and watch it?

And the answer is yes, you are.

(mixer growling) - [Anna] Okay, I think that's good.

- [Erik] I think it's perfect.

- [Anna] Good work, yes.

So now this has to rise for a half an hour.

- [Erik] All right.

- [Anna] So here is how it looks like.

- [Erik] Look at that.

- [Anna] Tears a little bit, then it goes up, it doesn't stay too long, then it's like- - [Erik] Perfect.

- Yes.

- This looks amazing.

Oh my gosh.

All right, now what?

- Put some flour around, and then you need this.

- Is there a right way or wrong way to do this?

- No, normally, because you want to get some air going, so you want to do that.

- [Erik] Oh, wow.

- So now, you gonna roll it out.

Now we're gonna put the best part, that's the filling.

- Yes, the filling is just gonna be magical.

- [Anna] And the two cinnamon spoons.

- [Erik] Oh, wow.

- [Anna] Then mix it all up.

And I think it's the best way to use your fingers.

So now we have to roll it.

So we have to try to cut it till we can think of more than weight.

- [Erik] Yeah.

- Here, you will do a little bit bigger, when you come here you do thinner.

- Okay.

(upbeat music) Oh my gosh, look at these, perfect.

Oh my goodness.

Wow, yeah.

- [Anna] They're perfect.

- [Erik] We did it.

- [Anna] Yes, we did it.

- [Erik] It's amazing.

(Anna laughs) - Now we're gonna have a Fika.

- All right, now explain what is Fika.

- [Anna] So Fika is always something to drink.

- [Erik] Okay, got it.

- Yes.

And also with a cake or bun.

But the most important is to do it with people that you like.

- [Erik] How long should the Fika go on?

- You know, you go to Italy, you have a (indistinct).

- Yeah.

- That's not a Fika.

- That's not a Fika.

- Now, you have to sit down and have a good conversation you have to get something out of it, yeah.

- All right, so we're having Fika.

We've made our cinnamon buns and we've actually met a local.

I love it.

You're the best.

I had so much fun with Anna.

Meet The Locals is an excellent program and you too can take advantage of it while you're in Sweden.

On your trip, you'll find that Gothenburg is packed with history, bustling energy, and inviting locals.

There's a reason it's lovingly referred to as Sweden's second city.

Have you ever been scrolling through the inner web box and ask yourself, oh my gosh, where did they take those pictures from that last vacation?

That is amazing.

Well, the question I have for you is, what are you waiting for?

Because this is one of those places in just about every direction you look absolutely stunning.

The only thing left to do is get out there and actually do it.

And that's exactly what I did when I decided to visit Sweden.

Oh wait a second, you know, it's your travel guide on this trip, I just realized that I omitted an important part of my experience.

I forgot to tell you about a very special flight I enjoyed, on my way across the pond.

Back at JFK, I boarded the brand new Norwegian Dreamliner.

It was luxurious.

The ride was smooth, the seating spacious, and I got to meet the captain.

The captain on our flight to Stockholm, was Norwegian's director of flight operations, Joham Gauermamm.

An experienced aviator, with 30 plus years on the flight deck.

Is it still as exciting as it was 30 years ago?

- It is actually.

I think it's actually the cost of modern nature is just changing all the time and you have to do challenges with the weather and the environment and new technologies and so on.

It is really, I still, it's like a child almost.

- [Erik] Norwegian is considered a low cost carrier in the industry.

No frills, if you will.

The number one expense of a flight to any airline is fuel.

And the Dreamliner is considered one of the most fuel efficient aircraft in the sky, and one of the most technologically advanced in the industry.

As takeoff drew closer, the captain invited us to the flight deck.

- The modern aircraft, the latest ones, have the head up display.

- [Erik] Wow.

- But you need to be right here to see the display here.

And that is pretty much the same as we have here, but it's in green.

- [Erik] But it's in green.

Can I look in there?

- Yeah, sure.

- What I see?

- It's almost like a fighter pilot.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh my gosh.

For our evening flight, we flew at 38,000 feet at 84% the speed of sound, with a good tailwind I might add.

Because this is considered a shorter, long haul flight, the captain and first officer handle the flying duties.

For longer long haul flights, additional flight crew members are on board to operate the aircraft on a rotating schedule.

And this secret compartment, is for the off duty flight crew so that they can rest and relax out of public view.

On the Dreamliner, flight attendants also have a secret compartment at the back of the aircraft.

- Strong winds.

The advantage is that they have a shorter flight time, but a disadvantage there might be some chops.

But when I looked at the chart today, it is quite smooth, actually.

- Nice and still.

- But still, there might be some small chops.

- [Erik] As passengers began to board, the captain invited us to get comfortable for takeoff, right from the flight deck.

Are you really gonna let us sit in here for the takeoff?

- Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, you can be here.

- That's amazing.

After our private safety demonstration from our first officer, final preparations for takeoff were made.

Is there an aircraft directly ahead of us or no?

- Yeah, there's one in here.

- [Erik] Got it.

- The (indistinct) it gets a smoother ride because the weather is always below us.

So the computer actually takes into account the winds, the temperature, the weight of the aircraft and everything, then makes a calculation the optimal level.

Knot level is 400 but on this direction we fly at the 390 level.

- So the computer is doing the flying even up here now?

- Right now the auto pilot is flying the aircraft, and the computer is driving the autopilot.

- [Erik] Does the computer know what runway we're landing on?

- Yes, because that's all programmed in the system, - [Erik] Got it.

- It knows the runway, it knows the minimums to announce the speeds.

- I've been planning this trip for months.

And my heart began to beat just a little faster as we talked with the tower, taxi, and then took to the skies at 160 knots in the calm of a clear September night.

While some pilots, flight attendants and other aviation experts may not think twice about a seemingly ordinary takeoff, for me, it was a moment in time from the city in the sky I'll never forget.

You know, it's almost hard to believe that they actually moved this city for strategic reasons to this very location.

But because they did, perhaps you'll be moved for different reasons when you visit.

In Gothenburg, Sweden, I'm Erik The Travel Guy.

Thank you for exploring Beyond Your Backyard.

(upbeat music) Okay, we brought this.

(both laugh) (upbeat music) (dog barks) You thought I was kidding, we're really in someone else's home.

(dog barks) I brought my attorney for us to sit down with.

(all laugh) (indistinct background chatter) We should put the wine bottle at the ninth strong, perhaps.

(Anna laughs) - Okay, so then you need this.

- I do need this.

(all laugh) (upbeat music) - I normally workout.

- Its like you're doing a workout.

Like a cinnamon boss.

Who I have like a light beer or something to lock that down.

(Anna laughs) For more information on this episode, visit erikthetravelguy.com.

And while you're there, you'll discover other fascinating destinations just Beyond Your Backyard, and links to follow me on social media.

That's erikthetravelguy.com.

(dramatic music) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] The Perillo Tours Foundation.

For 73 years, we've been bringing travelers to Italy.

It's where our heart is.

Escorted tours and custom vacations.

Italy, the dream destination.

- Hi, I'm Erik The Travel Guy.

You know, I've been exploring the world professionally for more than a decade.

And you know what I've learned?

Is that fantastic experiences await you in every corner of the globe, but you don't always have to travel that far to uncover them.

So join me each week as we go on and off the beaten path, learn something new and sample delicious culinary.

We're exploring Beyond Your Backyard.

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