Cozy Christmas in Västervik

Our Christmas holiday started last Friday with a bus trip to Västervik on Senior Svenssons' double-decker bus on one of the year's busiest days of travel in the midst of a snowstorm. Miraculously, we made it in just over 4 hours, only 15 minutes late. 

From Friday night through to our return to Stockholm on Wednesday evening, we gathered around the table - many tables actually - of family and ate and drank to our hearts content - and then some. We enjoyed the gorgeous winter scenes in the few hours of sunlight which reached our northern latitudes, and lit candles and fires in the cozy evenings. 

Friday was in fact the shortest day of the year with sunrise at 8:44 and sunset at 2:48 - 6 precious hours, all of which were cloud-covered. No matter, the snowy wonderland brought the perfect white Christmas. And the next day, a slushy soup ensued overnight from the cold rain. Now the streets and sidewalks are a dirty, icy mess - so much for my cross country ski training, for now at least.

Bastu bliss

The perfect way

to end a weekend 

in need of a detox

A visit to the sauna of course.

Bask in sauna at 80º C (176º F)

Plunge into 2ºC water

Repeat

Julbord in the Sky

Or at least as high as possible in Stockholm. On Saturday night, we ventured across the city to Fåfängen Restaurant for the infamous Swedish Julbord, or Christmas table. 

our julbord - the after shot (sorry, was too busy eating for any others)

The Julbord is (naturally) a smörgåsbord - with pretty much the same foods every time - consisting of a wide variety of pickled herring (sill), meatballs, beet salad, johnsson's temptation potatoes, prince sausage, cabbage - the list goes on. Ours also had bear meatballs and some sashimi to shake things up a bit. Oh, and most important - the snaps.

Fåfängen means the vanity, and so this highly perched restaurant was named for its location at the top of a mountain, overlooking the entire city of Stockholm, and where people in the old days came to see and be seen. 

I don't think we were seen by many, as a snowy dark winter night is not the best time to parade atop a mountain. But is indeed the perfect time to gorge oneself on portion after portion of hearty holiday fare. And so we did. We ate; we drank; we sang; we were merry. And a serious food coma set in shortly thereafter. Fortunately, I was able to overcome this temporary incapacitation in time for continuing on to the city for a few late-night drinks.

Post-Julbord, I sweat out my copious over-eating in the steamy sauna, broken up by plunges in some very, very cold water. Guarding the long staircase leading down to the little hut of heat, I found this gorgeous Christmas tree. We also have one in front of our apartment building, the side of which looks like a bite has been taken out of it. No matter - it's a welcome light in the darkness.

our Luciatåg - Lucia train - today

And while I'm on the subject of Christmas (I can't seem to avoid it - not that I mind), today is Lucia in Sweden! On December 13, Sweden celebrates St. Lucia, a saint rumored both to have been Adam's first wife and to have consorted with the Devil. 

Today, people - mostly children - dress up in long white robes as star boys or tärnor (the name for the girls - any good translations out there?), and one lucky girl gets chosen to be Lucia herself. The entourages travel through the city singing traditional Swedish carols and bringing light to one of the darkest days of the year. 

Happy First Advent

Sunday was the first Advent and here in Stockholm,
that means you can put up your Christmas decorations!


our first Christmas wreath

It doesn't sound like a big deal, but really it is. Waiting through weeks of increasing darkness for the moment to hang our shining star (jultjärna) brightly in the window can seem like forever. And this occasion must not be a day before the First Advent. But as of Sunday, our apartment is full of holiday cheer with Christmas candles (adventljusstaker) and star in the window flanked by red curtains, berries in a vase, and a wreath on the door.

I am also happy to report that my patience for snow has paid off as well - since last Thursday, Stockholm has been cloaked in a beautiful winter wonderland. The temperatures have also dropped to -15C, but I can't say I mind - my super-duper down jacket keeps me warm (most of the time), and when everything is so bright and gorgeous, I can't complain. I just hope this snow keeps up all winter! Now to find my sled...

And a couple pictures from the Gamla Stan Christmas market on Saturday - 

November in a Flash

November has flown by, and with it, the darkness has arrived here in Stockholm. Our trip to the States last week broke up the onset of winter drear, but the return was all too fast of a transition to what seem like sunless days.

There is a rawness to the air that could be described as exhilarating on a good day. The cold wetness is marked by running noses and rosy cheeks, and thanks to my new gum boots, I'm not afraid of trekking through muddy splotches before the ground compacts to its annual frozen state. 

Truly, I love winter - but mostly because of the snow. And since it hasn't come yet, I'm doing my best to persevere, waking up each morning in hopes that the thermometer has sunk to negative temps. No such luck lately.

In the meantime, we've been enjoying Thanksgiving dinners, from cold cut turkey sandwiches to the whole shebang; the start of glögg season (the incredibly delicious Swedish version of mulled wine, served only in the Christmas season); lussekatt (a Swedish saffran bun, also served only during Christmas); and catching up on sleep from jet-lag, which seems to get worse with each trip we take. 

Opening Night at Friends Arena

Svenska Ögonblick - The Swedish Blink of an Eye

Stockholm's new Friends Arena opened last Saturday night with a show of probably more artists than I've seen in the last 5 years combined, all Swedish. Icona Pop, The Hives, First Aid Kit, Eagle Eye Cherry and Tomas Levin, to name a few. And a finale by the infamous Roxette. 

The arena, by far the largest in the country, seats up to 65,000 people. We sat in a corner, pretty high up. In these massive stadiums, I always feel like with one wrong step, I'll topple head-over-heels through the rows of seats to the bottom, which would have been a pretty long fall on this occasion. Fortunately, there were no casualties that I know of. 

The invigning [inaguration] was a mix of pop hits of today, classics from years past, and a few traditional Swedish songs from musicals and the like. Overall, the show had a low tempo, broken by a few performers, but I think the idea was to appeal to all ages. And there certainly was something for everyone. Although I'm not sure there needed to be 3 songs in a row from the Swedish musical Duvemåla. Perhaps you need to be Swedish to appreciate it. 

At one point, the beloved crown princess Victoria appeared to welcome everyone to the spectacular show, and stood on a small stage right below us. All around, it was a pretty cool performance, and a glimpse into Swedish culture through the decades.

Big Ol' Pile of Leaves

As I was biking home from work today, I came across this gigantic pile of leaves in Rålambshovsparken along the way. A child's autumn haven. I almost jumped in myself. And was surprised that no one else was already buried in the red-yellow-orange cloud of winter's coming. But the day was cold - probably the coldest since summer considering as I write this, it's started to snow! - and people hurried to get home in the fast-fading daylight.

Last weekend, I entertained my 2-year-old, soon-to-be niece for at least an hour by gathering a few leaves and tossing them in the air while exclaiming Weeeeeeeeee! Again. And again. And again. She loved it, and upon throwing the leaves upward, would mimic my Weeee! with a more Swedish version, Veeeee!, head tilted skywards and eyes scrunched closed. Sometimes it takes a 2-year-old to see the beauty - or at least the fun - in a few wet leaves on the ground. I can imagine this pile would be at least a week's worth of entertainment.