Ground to Ground

Coffee with a Northern Attitude

Travelling from the bottom of the planet to the top is an epic task. One must organise passports, tickets, accommodation, handover plans, houseplant duties, travel, phone coverage, currency exchange. Navigating vagrancies of airline luggage handling procedures and airport security control is there too. Less critical yet important details elevate the holiday from a movement of body to an experience of the mind. For a Melbournian, this is coffee.

To save time in repeating – it’s all expensive for a tourist. Everything. The only thing cheaper in Scandinavia was the tinned fish.

For Those Prepared to Drink

Denmark

While in Copenhagen at the Cafe Eurpoa 1989, a delightful Americano arrived with a side of hot water. The cafe was dripping with old world charm, from the décor to the bar and the private nooks to hide and read. A photo wall of notable 20th century Europeans was a fun way to pass the time before heading back out into the bustle of Amager Square. The day was cold but sunny, and full of people out enjoying themselves.

Finland

My first experience of the filtered coffee was at the Helsinki airport. Having landed nice and early and hearing about a blizzard outside, we were in no rush to leave. The Kaffet Bakery was a perfect place to watch life go by. I ordered the Americano (long black back home), along with a salmon sandwich on dark rye. It was only after having finished both that I noticed a couple of coffee urns around the side. The coffee that one orders this way is cheaper than from the espresso machine and tastes very good.

Unfortunately, free refills are available. For coffee lovers, this can lead to moderate caffeine overdose. Even more likely when a fresh copy of the Economist is on the table.

On a train from Copenhagen to Gothenburg

What a treat to indulge in more of the local speciality, filtered coffee on tap for the entire trip to Gothenburg. The train was high speed and crept up to 200 kilometres an hour for a decent amount of the trip, yet was smooth as butter. At some point apples and biscuits appeared. The seats were comfortable, the cabin clean and quiet. Lovely train travel with a hot beverage!

Enjoying Fika time

A delightful cultural practice in Scandinavia resembles afternoon tea but with a more complementary bent. Fika was anytime from 2pm to 5pm, usually involving a combination of cookies, cake, waffles, coffee, fruit, sweets and/or water. Sometimes all. I would often find a bowl of apples or chocolates left on the front reception desk of our hotel during the afternoon.

At the Hotel Gabelshus in Oslo Norway, Fika was supported by a waffle maker with prepared batter, a bowl of fresh cream, jam, and a Frankie coffee machine. The batter was strong with the use of cardamon, as are many of the regions baked goods.

Fika in Helsinki

Which is more or less like they do in Sweden and Denmark, and ends up with something nice to eat and coffee. A delightful filtered coffee with cheesecake was on offer at Kiasma, Finland’s Museum of Contemporary Art. And well earned after a couple of hours of walking through this delightful museum.

Train to Uppsala

A lovely large Americano was calling from one of the few warm spaces in Uppsala that day – the Stationen restaurant and bar. And very close to the train station. The coffee was strong and the atmosphere was a lovely counter to the falling snow outside. The place was full of locals enjoying lunch.

Coffee then Sauna

A clear favourite place of the trip was at Flåm in Norway. A small town along a famous scenic railway line, sitting at the edge of the fjord – Aurlandsfjord. They have a floating sauna on a fjord! I was fortunate to enjoy a coffee on my balcony overlooking the water. The sky was a crisp blue and the moon loomed large and as clear as I’d ever seen it.

Denmark Joe

Copenhagen was our first chance to experience Joe & The Juice, a popular coffee chain across Scandinavia. An Americano seemed right, and of course you’ll notice a theme emerging that it my favourite coffee order. This chain was a common sight in Denmark, Norway and Sweden – good quality coffee and tasty food. And yes the prices were kind of high and so was just about every other café or restaurant.

And Back in Denmark…

A lovely example of the cortado, the closest thing to a magic that I found the whole trip. The drink is roughly one part espresso to an equal measure of milk, though sometimes the ratios were different. Think of a piccolo with a bit more milk. And either are just fine if you feel like a café latte!

Something I did notice on the trip is that the baristas there take their jobs seriously. They treat their machines well, use quality beans ground correctly, and making coffee by hand is special up there. Back home not many people think of filtered coffee as anything special, yet here it is the norm. Order a barista coffee and you will not be disappointed often.

The local liquorice sweets go well with a hot drink. I don’t know why exactly as they are grim on their own! As we say when learning to like something new, they are an acquired taste.

Scandinavians live well. Their cities are aesthetically beautiful. Outside is cold, inside is warm. The coffee is hot. Sometimes they come with chocolate too!

Get up there, and have a sip for me.