SwedishFreak Spring is finally here in Sweden. How can I tell? Well, in Norrland, the days are getting much longer, and the nights much shorter. The snow is almost completely melted. And the temperature is hovering around 10C (50F). But up in the cottage, what makes spring so obvious is the Swedish wildlife. The cottage is … Read more
This weekend was Easter weekend in Sweden. About this time last year, I was moving here, which means lots of unpacking and getting paper work done. This year I was able to enjoy my first proper Swedish Easter. What does that mean? Well, first off, a four day weekend! Yep, in Sweden, Friday and Monday … Read more
So, Easter is this weekend. All the fun Easter things are for sale everywhere, and Sweden loves these giant paper Easter eggs with nice pictures on them. From what I remember, we don’t have these in the States, nor in the Czech Republic. So they are Swedish! I thought it would be fun to do … Read more
Wednesday was a very eventful day. Johan decided to join me for ice fishing. And either he is a closet expert ice fisher, or had extreme beginners luck. Whatever the case was, Johan enjoyed ice fishing! Walle Mellquist, the journalist from Norran who did the fantastic article about ice fishing, sent me this Swedish fishing … Read more
Maybe it is because I grew up there and don’t know any better, but California seems pretty green to me. When I lived there, they recycled. Now the soccer moms are bringing their own grocery bags to the store. Slowly, it is improving. Sweden is a whole different story though. They really take that extra … Read more
Swedes love their älg kött* (moose meat). At least my Swedish family does, and I’m no complainer. It is low in fat, as a unique taste, and can easily replace beef in any recipe (I make moose tacos, moose hamburgers, moose lasagna, and it all turns out yummy!) My far*-in-law is a weird food expert. … Read more
Spring is here. We easily get some +6C days and the sun is shining. We still have tons and tons of snow and ice up here and Norrland, but quickly the roads are clearing, and slowly the snow is melting. Very slowly. Besides watching the local hockey team play (and Skellefteå’s team SAIK is going … Read more
Really, how can I complain when on a Sunday morning this is what I get to wake up to? I was fascinated! What beautiful creatures! My Swede, on the other hand, couldn’t be bothered to even to get out of bed to look. He said “Now, if they were moose, that would be a different … Read more
With spring right around the corner, I start to realize that I may actually survive my first Swedish winter! I survived Swedish winter sports, got to see the northern lights, and played a bit in the snow. With up to -40C, how did I do it? There are many secrets to surviving a winter in … Read more