"Swedish Fika", food and delicious coffee in Nötabråne
There is something special about swimming in a lake. Perhaps it is the light, the warmth of the water or the feeling of being completely enveloped by nature. Maybe all at once. In the small village of Nötabråne just north of Asarum, you can start with a magical bath in Mieån and continue with a coffee at Mormor's Bakery, where Aneta Zieglerová and her colleagues serve homemade cakes, unbelievably good food and smoky black coffee.
"There is a lot to do today," says Aneta Zieglerová, rushing by with a couple of cake dishes in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
Despite a considerable amount of visitors, Aneta is always happy. Always this fantastic smile that reveals that she thrives. Probably both in Nötabråne and with the guests at Grandma's Bakery. All year round, Wednesday to Sunday, Mormor's Bakery is open from nine in the morning until eight in the evening.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner for a low price. Also, three-, six- and ten-course menus are served on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday evenings between six and eight o'clock. Six dishes at a low cost. Backpacker prices go straight into the Swedish nature soul.
- Our ambition is to offer a genuine Swedish family meal inspired by French Fine dining. A culture with several small dishes according to taste and season, says Danish Søren Ventegodt who together with Paulina Kordova runs Grandma's Bakery in beautiful Nötabråne.
In the vegetarian restaurant L'Artichaut (Artichoke in Swedish) you serve a ten-course menu at particular times to suit the visitor whether you choose a small or large meal. You can select a complete list or individual servings. The introduction starts at six and is followed by new servings every ten minutes. Among other things, asparagus, artichoke, lasagna, tomato soup, cheese and fruit are served before the evening's fantastic dessert: a homemade cake with ice cream.
- We fell completely in love with this house and bought it already in 2014. By then, it had been empty for ten years. The ambition is to offer good food, tasty cakes and delicious coffee under relaxed forms indoors or in our large garden, says Søren Ventegodt.
The possibility of being able to work freely within the EU, young people from all over Europe have applied to Mormor's Bakery. Swedish nature is a big reason why young people leave the continent to try their luck far in the Scandinavia. Although it is often spoken in English at Mormor's Bakery, one can, of course, understand oneself in Swedish. At least as exotic as the mountain world is for young people from Blekinge, just as impressive are the deep forests for young people from Prague and Berlin.
The baked goods at Mormor's Bakery are homemade as far as possible, and the coffee is continuously freshly cooked. In summer, you can also stay overnight in beautiful rooms overlooking the garden and take a walk in the gallery - Nötabråne Art Gallery - in one of the outbuildings. The children enjoy the lush environment of the garden. There is also a trampoline in the backyard.
"This has to be one of the nicest cafes I know," says Hilda (10), who loves the summer picnic time in the garden where scents of forest, nature and warm evenings bombard all the senses of the nose. Back at the car (most natural is to park at the old school and walk across the road) we can't help but take another magical bath in Mieån.
Do not miss the bathing opportunities in Mieån. Furthermore, it is only a couple of kilometres to the swimming resort Långasjönäs.
Once on the land, we meet two Danish hikers, who follow the Blekinge trail in the direction of Karlskrona. - We have heard that there should be a good cafe up here. Do you know where it is, one of the guys asks and looks worriedly at the map? Definitely, you see the house up there, but don't forget to take a bath in Mieån first, I hear myself say before being challenged by the son to swim across the river. Not a chance, they say. Such places cannot be missed.
Facts
Grandma's Bakery in Nötabråne, northeast of Asarum and Karlshamn.
Nötabrånevägen 28, 374 91 Asarum, tfn 0762-477 160 www.mormorsbakeri.se
GPS: N56°13´48” E14°52´04”.