Arctic Expedition 5

So, we are spending a few days at our home away from home in Åhus, Sweden.

This is the reason we started this whole trip in the first place. Our family at this home asked us to spend Christmas with them.   In early October 2112 I received a call, My very dear friend, Goran had passed away.

When they invited us, we wanted to drop all other plans and spend Christmas here, since we haven't been with them since they lost him. The rest of the trip was built around this.

So far, we have been to a traditional Christmas dinner (Jul Bord) in the castle Bäckaskogslott.

You choose which beer, then they bring a basket of schnapps and aqvavit to have with dinner.  Julie had the Klackebacken beer because it is so much fun to say.

First course is the herring, salmon, eel and egg

this is the herring course at the smorgasbord

Next is the cold meats.  Boar, Elk and Deer.  Sausages and cold cuts. Our favorite is the smoked Elk heart.

 

 

 After that, are the hot dishes, lots of pickled cabbages with sweet or spicy seasonings, and roasted winter vegetables.  Wild Boar short ribs, potatoes, and of course, meatballs.  All with sauces and jams.

Then the desserts!  Fudges of every kind: saffron with pistachio, coconut, salt licorice!

The traditional Swedish cookies, both saffron and gingerbread

See how fresh we all looked when we sat down?  That's why there are no later pictures of us!

After sleeping in a LOT (schnapps says: "don't get up").  We woke up on Lucia day, December 13.  This is a very big holiday here, so we went the church in Åhus to see the ceremony and concert. No way to describe the majesty of this tradition.

 It's hard to see, because the only lighting is candlelight.  But these are all of the young people in Åhus, wearing white robes.  The girls all have red sashes around their waists, and a candle.  The Lucia girl has a ring of candles on her head.  There is an older Lucia and a tiny Lucia (so cute!). The boys are dressed as "Starboys" with a cone hat covered in stars.  Or, they can be Santa or a gingerbread.  The sound is beautiful in the church. You can hear a little sample here

The next day, we enjoyed a more personal Lucia, put on by more of our Swedish family, in Bjarnum.

 You can hear a little of "This Little Light of Mine", here.  So cute, right?

There are a couple of themes developing as we are cooking, eating and singing together.  The first is that we disagree on a certain Christmas candy, JuleSkum.

It has a strawberry flavor, and has the texture of plaster.  Imagine if the circus peanut were compressed, then left to dry for a few weeks, then somehow softened just a little bit.  And tasted like strawberries.  Seriously.  They love it here.  We use it to seal any cracks in the door.  You can also use pieces as earplugs.  Strawberry flavored earplugs. 
 
We are preparing to say our temporary goodbyes to our Olandersson family. Time to head up north, with a stop in Linkoping, to spend a couple nights with the family Janzon.