Living in London
by Ramona Lennerhed
25 August 2020
It has been said that London is Sweden’s third largest city and so it has always intrigued me why so many Swedes choose to leave their beautiful country, with the cleanest ever cities and cutest little towns and villages, stunning archipelago and lakes and of course beautiful nature, to come and live in London.
Who better to fulfil my curiosity than Swedish-born Ramona from Stockholm who has now been living in one of West London’s suburbs for over 6 years with her partner, Örjan and their beautiful little boy Emmet? Ramona is a busy working mum but managed to squeeze a few minutes out of her busy day to have a Q&A session with me.
Q: With such a great big world out there, why did you decide to move to London?
A: I came here on a 9-month contract for work and fell in love with the city. Also helped that my partner always dreamed of living here.
Q: I’ve visited Sweden many times, in particular Stockholm. As a capital city, I find Stockholm to be like no other capital city in that it has, apart from being quite beautiful, a calmness about it and everything just seems to flow in harmony; the transportation system is quite efficient and people seem to respect each other’s space. How does that contrast to living in London?
A: Swedes are very practical while the Brits tend to go with whatever solution first comes to mind. I think that’s why it’s easy to find your way around Stockholm (but also what makes the city a bit boring). In London you never know what’s around the corner…
Q: What are your absolute top three favourite things to do in your free time in London or in the UK in general?
A: 1. Spending a Saturday in Soho or Shoreditch. Shopping, nice lunch, couple of drinks…maybe it turns in to a late one. 2. Going to our local pub in Brook Green 3. Being close to open water…The River Thames or the canals if we’re in London. Kent or Sussex coast to really recharge.Q: Sweden is known for great food and for being a nation of healthy eaters. How do you maintain this healthy eating standard in London? And also, what are some of your favourite restaurants in London?
A: We went veggie a couple of years ago. Now we eat meat occasionally when we go out. Hard to pick a favourite place to eat…I love Patty & Bun, Dishoom and BAO. Laylow in Notting Hill is fantastic for a special occasion.
Q: What do you miss most about Sweden/Stockholm?
A: Besides friends and family I really miss being close to nature. Going for a swim in the middle of the city, forests only a tube/bus ride away, visiting the islands in the archipelago.
And, for someone who loves fashion…Scandinavians are more stylish than the Brits.
Q: Can you sum up in three adjectives, your experience of living in London?
A: Enlightening, inspiring, exhausting
Thanks Ramona! So there you have it, London still has pulling power and is considered a great city to be in. Someone once said, ‘When you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life!’. I think this is so true about my beautiful adopted city of London!
You can follow Ramona on LinkedIn or Instagram as she posts some amazing pictures of London.
