Lund Explorer: "Flying Tiger Copenhagen", The Botanic Gardens + Fika and Boardgames at the International Desk

I love how brightly coloured Swedish houses are. Also this cheeky snowman that survived melting!

Today:

Mondays are get your life together for the start of the week days! I sleep through one alarm but woke up with a ton of energy because I remembered that if you don't get to the laundry within 15 minutes of your booking (e.g., booked for 07:00 and you reach the door at 07:20) you can't get in! 

Afterwards I did some meal prep for the week - this spiced vegan lentil soup is my lifesaver! Making sure I get a decent amount of veggies + nutrients to keep me alive in the cold. I think I'm getting better at cooking! It looks a lot more appealing than my first try haha.

For some rest and recreation after cooking and cleaning and generally sorting myself out for the rest of the week, I decided to do more Lund Central wandering! One of my favourite things is finding these empty cobblestone streets with quirky-er buildings.

I've been meaning to visit Flying Tiger Copenhagen ever since it was recommended to me by a past exchange student who attended the University of Copenhagen, but yesterday a fellow Lund-exchanger said "you should go!" So, like any person wanting to see if it lived up to its reputation, I hunted it down today! 

Address: Botulfsgatan 5, 223 50 Lund 

Opening Hours: 

• Monday - Friday @ 10:00 - 18:00 
• Saturday @ 10:00 - 16:00 

Keep an eye out for this sign!

The Entrance + main shopping pathway

The store layout is structured similar to IKEA's infamous maze - you have to go through the whole shop and just take a peek at everything before you can leave without stuffing up the "rhythm". But in saying that, it makes a nice slow stroll and browse through their various goods. 

Flying Tiger Copenhagen sells a mix of home wares (lunch boxes, coasters, rugs, cushions, slippers, mixing bowls and measuring spoons, straws, party accessories), stationery and quirky gift-type things - in my opinion the shop is geared towards primary and high-school students looking for fun and trendy, yet unique and individualistic items.  

 Grow a plant out of this can!

 Cake slicer... thing?

In all honesty, I wasn't hugely impressed with Flying Tiger. It's a fun shop that's quirky but after a while I found most of what they were selling to be... well, generic items you'd buy for a younger cousin or distant relative whom you don't know very well at Christmas. Unless you're looking for something really specific within their aesthetic like a colourful small umbrella or some quirky pillows or stationery, it's not really my thing. I took another stroll through Lagerhaus (after coming back the second time the leaf rug and towel were a hard pass) it's mostly just the same stuff, with slight differences. Also very similar to this brand (Typo) back home.

Wall decor

Strolling back home through the Botanical Gardens:

This isn't the Botanic Gardens but a cemetery I bypassed anyway. Graveyards always carry this kind of ambience - I guess I was just wowed by the towering evergreens and that snow path! I'm still being wowed by the change of scenery, and I hope that wow continues :)

 I have to say I prefer the garden when it's not snowing and you can see slivers of green emerging! It's really exciting to just observe the changes to the scenery in the different seasons to come.

 I recognise this frozen lake from the last time I power-walked through the garden in the snow!

 Frozen pond!

Herb Garden + Fragrance Patch

Fika and Board Games at the International Desk 17:00 - 20:00 

There were loads of people at today's game night! Over 80 people attended. I arrived late due to getting lost in the dark (again) but I met up with a mentor of mine and fellow mentees in the same group. The fika was a bit sad, mostly bread with butter (plus a vegan option), water, lingonberry juice, chips and popcorn - or what was left of all of those things by 17:30 AHAHAA

I spent most of the time chatting to my mentor and also playing Coup. I think the games night is the best way to make yourself feel better - be distracted, chat to mentors, feel accomplished because you went outside, feel more awake and refreshed because you went outside, get some exercise walking or biking to the location, and get free food too :)

All in all, a good day!