Malmo, Sweden! Our Next Stop!

Train station in Malmo. Notice
the bikes.

This afternoon we boarded the train after some last minute shopping in Copenhagen and headed for Sweden. Malmo is just a short trip ( about 30 minutes by train) from Copenhagen. In fact, many people can get to work faster coming in from Malmo than other areas of Copenhagen. We will be catching the night train to Stockholm tonight and we are so excited to see what it has in store.  See if you can find Malmo on a map of Sweden. 

Turning Torso Building

While waiting for our connection we set out to find the Solar City-Malmo. It is known around Sweden for their efforts to be Eco friendly and another "green energy" environment. From the moment we turned the corner on the bus, we were both so surprised to see an architectural wonder we had just showed our classes. How many of our students remember the Turning Torso building? It was in the center of modern Malmo. Looking up at it almost made us dizzy.

Streets are pedestrian friendly

 Once we left the bus our first stop was Green Market which focused on ecological products and locally grown produce and other fresh products such as eggs.

Green is the eco-friendly grocery store

Shopping carts made of recycled
materials.

The shopping carts were made of a recycled plastic and you had to pay 10 kroner to use it. As we walked around the store we were reminded a little of Whole Foods back at home but taken up several levels. To get out the door you had to scan your receipt.

Refill station for cleaning supplies

Another unique thing about this grocery store was the details to using recycled packaging.  As you can see from the picture to the right, if you want to purchase cleaning supplies such as washing detergent you can bring your container you already have and get a refill instead of purchasing a new bottle. 

All of the buildings here have
solar panels

One section of Malmo is also known as Solar City and after touring the area it is easy to see why it is called that.  This area is located near the coast in what is considered the modern section of the city.  .  All of the buildings in the area must have their power supplied with solar energy. There are more solar thermal collectors installed in the schools, museums, hospitals and businesses than any other place in Sweden. In fact, the largest PV plant in Scandinavia was installed here in 2007. It is known as the city of sustainability and renewable energy.   Look closely at the picture to the left to see if you can find the solar panels on the buildings. 

Ms. Edge enjoying the summer solstice

Sun worshipers enjoying the
summer solstice

Energy Detectives searching for
solar energy in Malmo

Today is the summer solstice and the sun worshipers were everywhere once we got to the "beach area". I say that loosely because the beach was not on the water but a small sand area across the street. The view across the water was beautiful. After enjoying the view, we headed towards the Eco friendly restaurants for a late lunch-early dinner, we checked out all of the apartment/condo homes in the area. In order to build here you must abide by strict standards and the homes are all powered through solar energy. Wow, we are exploring solar energy on the summer solstice or sun festival day. How ironic is that? The cafes in the area must also use organic, local products and adhere to the stricter green policy. Even their uniforms are Eco friendly. We ended the evening with the locals sitting on the wall overlooking the water.

The Griffin is the symbol of
Malmo

 Before heading into the station, we walked through the older area of Malmo in search of the Griffin, a mythical creature that appears to be a symbol of Malmo. After a lot of searching, we finally found it! Now we wait at the station for our train. Good night Malmo and Happy Summer Solstice from the Land of the Midnight Sun.