When and why did you move to your city?
I moved to Umeå in 2010 to pursue a post-doctorate at Umeå University.
I am currently working as a scientific consultant and, on the side, as a contemporary visual artist drawing inspiration heavily from nature. This entails travelling, primarily learning new techniques and the rich and diverse Indian folk art forms and I am always on the lookout during my travels for new material to incorporate into my works.
What do you love the most about your city?
From my Instagram posts it is obvious that the beauty and charming natural sights that Umeå offers has affected my spirit deeply. It was particularly catalytic in igniting my passion for painting. I am thus in eternal gratitude to this city.
Apart from that, even though it is one of the largest cities in Norrland I find it has a certain pastoral charm. The city is laidback, the people kind, very helpful and conscientious. I was elated to find several restaurants here that serve not just one but many vegetarian options and the dishes taste good too! In fact there are restaurants that have dedicated vegetarian and vegan menus or that solely use local produce and organic products.
What annoys you the most about your city?
The darkness can be very draining, energetically and mentally. On a slightly frivolous note, it would be nice if one could find decently priced Swiss cheese (raclette) here.
How should I spend a day in your city?
I would highly recommend nature walks in the summer. There are lots of good spots in and around Umeå that can be covered in a day. Pack your own picnic, else there are small cafes that can be found on location. For musem lovers, there is the Västerbotten's museum to learn about the cultural history, especially the Sami culture. Bildmuseet can be an interesting stop too. The elk farm at Bjurholm makes for a nice day trip. Another suggestion is the Guitars museum. It's fantastic!
What's a fun fact not everyone knows about your city?
Umeå is also known as the 'city of birches'. In 1888 fire razed down a large section in the east, rendering several homeless. Following this, a lot of silver birches were planted as part of the restoration process and that is how this tag came about to be.
Follow Geetanjali Saini on Instagram here. Do you want to be The Local's next #MySweden Instagram takeover host? Click HERE to apply.
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