Swedes have an almost comical obsession with the sea. Turn on the television and you’ll find celebrity chefs on a dock frying up large slabs of salmon. Interior design shows often give makeovers to every Swede’s dream home: A 19th century wooden house with a large glass veranda facing the ocean. One of the most popular songs since the 1970s is titled “Take Me To The Sea” and is a radio staple in the summer. And if you take a stroll along the coast of Karlshamn, where we now live, you’ll always find people lounging on one of the large, smooth rocks reading a book or simply enjoying the view of, yes, the ocean.

The coastline of southern Sweden is a departure from the majestic coast of California. But it offers beauty on a smaller scale, and still gives me that joyful feeling of freedom and endless possibilities. I hope you enjoy this tour of one of my favorite new spots!

Photography by Ulrica Wihlborg ©2012

[Shot with a Contax 645, 80 mm lens, Fuji 800Z film and Ilford 400XP2]