Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Järnpojke (Iron Boy), is Stockholm's smallest statue at 15 centimeters high. Tucked away behind the Finnish Church on Gamla Stan, the belief is the boy has magical powers prompting visitors to leave coins or candy at his feet and stroke the top of his head.

Sometimes in winter he even sports a knit cap

Other superstitions according to Wikipedia:

Who runs 3 times around the sculpture counterclockwise comes certainly will be back to Stockholm.
Who strokes head of the sculpture 3-times and makes a wish, the wish will come true in a year.
Who leaves the sculpture a treat (money or candy), in the same year will have an addition to the family.

I really wish I had known that last one... I guess we'll be getting a new four-legged member!

Monday, June 23, 2014

I've become comfortable driving in Stockholm, watching out for bus lanes and pedestrian crossings. With Mom and Dad visiting I learned how to navigate the parking too! Suddenly I was aware of parking lots and decks. Even native Stockholmers find the parking confusing. Gordon's co-workers told him the first rule of parking is to wonder why no one else has parked in an open spot.

Parking monitors are vigilant in the city... they travel in packs of 2 or 3 in their yellow vests handing out 1000kr ($150) tickets, they work on commission and are very good at their job.

This sign means you can park, 24/7 to the left of the arrow, but you still have to pay. Boende means resident parking.

Once you are parked, find the closest parking machine, insert credit card, add money (usually 1, 5 or 10kr increments). The machine will give you the time you are paid up to (end time). Push the ticket button, place ticket on dashboard.

This sign means no parking from midnight to 7am on Mondays (street cleaning).

This sign means 'loading zone' do not park from 6am-5pm, Monday - Friday or from midnight to 3pm on Mondays (I think).

This has nothing to do with parking but I like the sticker someone added to the road work sign.

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Happy Midsummer!

Glad Midsommar!

Midsummer celebrates the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. In a place like Sweden where seasons, weather, and light go to extremes the Midsummer holiday is fully embraced!

The holiday is celebrated in neighborhood parks, Skansen (Stockholm's outdoor museum) and on many archipelago islands by decorating, raising and dancing around the May pole and playing games. The Swedes, being very practical, moved the May pole from May Day to Midsummer because there was not enough greenery and flowers to decorate it for May 1. Love also plays a role in the Midsummer tradition - place 7 different flowers under you pillow on Midsummer to dream about your future spouse.

We were invited to celebrate Midsummer with our friends Emma and James Methven (and their sons Josh and Ben) at their home in Saltsjö-Boo, Sweden, about 30 minutes east of Stockholm. They live within walking distance of several lakes and the Baltic for canoeing, kayaking and swimming, forests for exploring and boulders for rock climbing. It's a gorgeous area also called Vikinghill (an appropriately Swedish name).

We all arrived with bags and boxes of traditional - pickled herring (sill), new potatoes with dill, strawberries and cream and non-traditional food. James did a fantastic job manning the grill while Emma and her mom, Sue, manned (womaned?!) the kitchen. No one went hungry or thirsty (champagne, cava, rose, aquavit, schapps, followed by lots of coffee).

The kids ran around the yard playing games until 11pm then settled in for a movie. The adults finally called it quits around 12:30am. Saturday is the day for napping and finishing off leftovers!

long, long lines for ferries to the archipelago and buses out of the city

loaded up for the trip to Saltsjö-Boo... this photo is deceiving

waiting to be lifted

decorated with greenery and flowers the day before

track rides for the neighborhood kids, decorated with greenery

Josh and Martin - kids sack each other until one falls off... usually only takes one hit

Nicolette, Emma, Linda and me

coveting a party-goer's strawberry cake!

time to lift the May pole... the man in the straw hat is the Evelyn Edmeades (or unofficial mayor) of the Vikinghill neighborhood park, he made the announcements and led the singing and dancing

upp...

upp! Securing the pole

dancing and singing begin...

a Midsommar dance

Midsommar frog dance

Nicolette and Linda

this song and dance was something about washing and hanging clothes up to dry...

a dance just for the children

easy to identify the locals...

....from the non-locals!

the walk back to Emma's

truly international... the guys outside 'supporting' the grillmaster

all the kids playing games

hors d' oeuvres - cheese, crackers, variety of pickled herring

Martha Stewart could not have done it better!

potatoes with dill, meatballs, salads...

post dinner pre-wash

sign of a party in Sweden

Emma's pavlova - meringue, strawberries and cream

rhubarb crisps, strawberries, brownies...

sparklers

Manouk and Sofia - about 10:30pm - chilly enough to see your breath!

drinking aquavit and schnapps and singing 'Helan går'

Lyrics to this traditional Swedish drinking song (click the link to sing along!)

Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lallan lej
Helan går
Sjung hopp faderallan lej
Och den som inte helan tar
Han heller inte halvan får
Helan går
(Drink)
Sjung hopp faderallan lej

Literal translation:

The whole one goes down
Sing "hup fol-de-rol la la la la"
The whole one goes down
Sing "hup fol-de-rol la la"
And he who doesn't take the whole
Doesn't get the half one either
The whole one goes down
[drink]
Sing "hup fol-de-rol la la"

If you don't know Swedish here is the phonetic translation (picked up online!):

Hell and gore
Chung Hop father Allan Ley
Hell and gore
Chung Hop father Allan Ley
Oh handsome in the hell and tar
and hell are in a half and four
Hell and goooooore ...........
Chung Hop father Allan Ley