I take a flight to Malmö. I usually would go by train, my preferred way of transport, but this time I travel with a friend and we both take a plane.

If there is a defining quality of Malmö's outskirts landscape is the yellowness of its rapeseed flowers. Nature is everywhere in Sweden. So, when moving from the countryside to a big city the contrast is not so acute as in other places. Swedish Lapland natives will find this assertion blasphemous used as they are to the most isolated silent and beautiful locations in the country. But compare Madrid or Barcelona with Stockholm or Malmö and silence and greenery dominate the Swedish cities in ways you can't find in their Spanish counterparts. 

Malmö

Today, my friend shows me many interesting places in Malmö. It is not my typical touristic visit but a more local experience.

Our first day, I get a tour around some of the working-class neighbourhoods in Malmö. We visit Hyllie, Annelund and Rosengård. And, I have the opportunity to hear about my friend's childhood and how the neighbourhoods have changed since he was a kid. As a reference, the Øresund Bridge that transformed the city by joining Sweden and Demark was finished just 20 years ago in 1999 when we were in our twenties. 

After wandering around all morning, I have the opportunity to taste some delicious food at Bosniska Köket. And repeat lunch at a Falafel N.1. It is a sunny day in the south of Sweden so it is sensible to take the opportunity to eat outdoors meanwhile the good weather lasts. 

We end the day walking around one of the many parks in Malmö. This day has been quite different from my usual travel days. Instead of museums, monuments and other historical places I have had the opportunity to see and experience more of what one may call the "real Malmö".

København

Once in Malmö is just a matter of half-an-hour to get to København (Copenhagen). And that is my goal early in the morning. After trying three different ticket machines until one decides to take my credit card - problems of a cashless society - I get into the train to Denmark.

I visit the Nationalmuseet, a great place to see all kinds of ancient and historical artifacts.

I visited the National Museum of Denmark several years ago in a previous visit to Copenhagen. But, I had less than an hour to go around before it closed. So, I wrote in my to-do list to come back with enough time to enjoy it.

I visit exhibits about Vikings and Denmark history. But, the museum also offers many interesting historical artifacts from all around the world. The museum is fantastic and I spend two hours enjoying the place.

Finally, I walk the distance between the museum and the very famous Little Mermaid statue. Dozens of tourists approach the place to take a picture with the mermaid. There is a big contrast between the noise and traffic of people here and the silence and slow pace of the working-class neighbourhoods that I visited yesterday. 

As the day comes to an end I take the train back to Malmö. In my first trip to the city, I visited the Malmöhus Slott (Malmö Castle), the iconic Turning Torso building and the Ribersborg Beach. This time I prefer to just to roam around the city centre. Malmö is a beautiful place. 

It is just a weekend, but the trip feels longer as I have had the opportunity to do and see many things.