The Seagull in the Window

In many of the houses we saw on our trip to Sweden, there was a ship model, a seagull figure, or both in the windows. We really liked that. But what’s the story behind it – is it a current trend or a national tradition? That’s what we wondered when we wanted to buy such a seagull figure as a souvenir ourselves.

We found what we were looking for in Fjällbacka. The small gift shop Kustnära Kuriosa/Coastal Vintage, where the owner Annika Torevi served me, is located in the centre of the popular holiday resort. That’s where we saw and bought the wooden model shown above. As Annika told us when we asked, ship models or seagull figures in the window are an unmistakable sign of a holiday home or apartment (“99% of the time”). Many locals don’t like seagulls; they steal fish from the fishermen and leave their droppings everywhere. For guests, however, seagulls are firmly associated with the idea of the coast and the sea. This also applies to our memories of travels along many coasts around the world.