Let us finish off 2009 with some great websites for anyone with a heart that pounds a little bit extra for Sweden.

The local
A great news site about Sweden, the Swedes and anything Swedish – all written in English. Excellent articles, fun facts and packed with information about everything from Stockholm’s exclusive nightlife to job classifieds and discussion forums for hot – yet Swedish – topics.

Very Swedish
If you never have tried a traditional Swedish Fat Tuesday Bun, this is definitely the click for you. This bun – traditionally eaten in February, is a must and this recipe will give you 16 heavenly buns. But you had better start practicing straight away…

Steig Larsson
Swedish author Stieg Larsson died tragically before his nail-biting triology about the journalist Mikael Blomqvist and the troubled hacker Lisbeth Sallander was published. Today, his books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and he was the second best selling author of 2008. If you by any chance haven’t read “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl Who Played With Fire” or “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest” – start today! You’re in for a real treat and three pieces of Swedish modern classics. Of course, there’s movies as well, great ones. But we all know who wins book vs. film almost everytime, don’t we?

Let the right one in
I might have to take back what I wrote above straight away. “Let the Right One In” is an amazing Swedish vampire-horror-love story (sounds strange, I know) based on a best selling novel by the author Johan Ajvide Lindqvist. And this time the movie might be the winner. Vampires are trendier than ever, and the trendiest of the bunch is Eli, a 200 year old vampire, trapped in the body of an 12 year old girl and stuck in the suburbs of Stockholm. “Let the Right One In” has been a huge success all over the world and it very much represents the Swedish movie scene of today: amazing photography, realistic scenery and brilliant acting. And of course, a hype that no-one ever could predict (Swedes are, as you know, very modest and humble).There is definitely a life after Ingmar Bergman, be sure about that.

Fika
When I wrote my post about Swedish words that I miss in English, I completely forgot the best one of them all. Fika. Fika is a word that Swedes use all the time and fika simply describes what you do when you have a coffee and perhaps a bun togehter with your mates in a coffeeshop. You fikar. London-based Fika is a café/restaurant/bar that serves great traditional Swedish food – breakfast, lunch, lightbites, dinner – or just simply coffee and buns. Just make sure to bring your mates. Even if you are nowhere near London, Fika is fun website for food inspiration. And – a very useful Swedish word to know!

The Swedish World Heritage
Interesting reading and great pictures of the amazing Swedish places that are inscribed on UNESCO world heritage list. You’ll find a radiostation (!), a cemetery and a whole town. Amongst many others.