Delhi Or Sweden - Who's Got More Chill?

A Dilli-wala experiences her first Swedish winter, and lives to tell the tale.

- Nidhi Dhingra

Moving to Sweden two years ago, to live with my partner, I learnt that summer is to Sweden what winter is to Delhi—short, long-awaited and much missed. After spending 30 years in Delhi, I have fond memories of the city’s winters. During my first winter in Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, I couldn’t help but compare the two. In fact, I realised that the land of cold and dark winters, as it is known in common parlance, had a lot to teach me about the season.

In Delhi, come winter, the air would turn crisp and chilly, and the sunshine warm and soft. All the stocked-away winter clothes were brought out. It was finally time to enjoy the outdoors. At home, weekends meant that meals were moved out to the verandah to soak up the winter sun. When in the mood to splurge, weekend brunches with friends were planned at one of the many alfresco cafés near Hauz Khas. During office breaks, a cup of chai and steaming hot Maggi from roadside tea stalls was always a winner. The occasional family gathering at Lodhi Gardens or the India Gate lawns had us all sprawled on the grass until the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

Winter was the perfect time to indulge in piping hot samosas, jalebis, kachoris and pakoras from street stalls across the city, and mouth-watering kebabs, parathas and daulat-ki-chaat, best had in Old Delhi. The weather was just right to revel in the city’s heritage— walk the narrow gallis of Chandni Chowk, explore Mehrauli’s monuments, listen to qawwalis at Nizammudin Dargah, or just enjoy the calm at Humayun’s Tomb.