Coming Home

We are writing this “Coming Home” blog some weeks after we actually said, “hej do” (good-bye) to Stockholm.  With unpacking, renewing old friendships, attending church events, doing yard work and generally re-engaging in our suburban life, time simply slipped away and a final blog entry never found life.

Assembling final Nordic thoughts was also challenged by Jay’s return to Scandinavia. Thanksgiving week was spent in Oslo wrapping up sales work he started before we departed. An Oslo customer asked Jay to resume the Transition Director role he had turned over to another manager in June. Jay spent most of December in Oslo (he's home for the holidays now), but will return until February or March.  

Natalia Brzezinski in pink and
 Carmen Eriksson, AWC President

Our departure from Sweden was equally packed with events and good-byes. 

The evening before departing, we attended a reception sponsored by the American Woman’s Club (AWC) at the US Ambassador’s residence. The reception included the ambassador’s wife Natalia Brzezinski participating in the award of an AWC scholarship to a young and aspiring American student.  For the recipient it was the start of new journey. For us it was an opportunity to say good-bye to friends who had become so dear in such a short time.  

Nina Lagergren in red jacket

A few days earlier, we attended our last American Club of Sweden (ACS) cultural forum that commemorated the 100^th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s birth.  Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian known worldwide for his tireless efforts to save Hungarian Jews in the closing years for WW II.  We met Raoul’s sister Nina Lagergren and her extended family who continue to carry on Wallenberg’s unselfish spirit of service.  

L-R: Sam Cooley, ACS President,
Gunnar Rasmussen and Jay

Another good-bye was a luncheon with the current ACS president and good friend Sam Cooley and one of his predecessors from the 1960’s, Gunnar Rasmussen.  As club historian, Jay had read much of Gunnar’s efforts to expand the club’s social and business presence. As club president, Gunnar hosted visits with notables such as US Vice President Lyndon Johnson, Sweden’s Prime Minister Olof Palme and banking tycoon David Rockefeller.  Gunnar, despite his 90 years, recalled these events as though days, not decades, had past.  We should all be so lucky.

Seared filet of turbot

The start of our departure from Sweden was a stay at Stockholm’s famed Grand Hotel. Beginning in the 1920’s and for 40 years, the ACS had permanent quarters at the hotel when men (only) drank whiskey and generally carried on as captains of industry do. The hotel also hosts today’s Nobel Laureates during their visit to Stockholm. Our names, too, are now on the hotel’s registry of guests.  

Salad at the Grand Hotel

Our visit also included an eight-course meal in the very upscale Mathias Dahlgren restaurant. We took time to look back on our lives in Sweden as well as celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary. We are so thankful for the life we share. 

Thank you, Sweden, for all the wonderful friends and adventures you provided. We are sure another adventure awaits us somewhere down the road…

Afternoon of Olive Oil Tasting

There are more things to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon than curl up under a blanket with a good book. Sure, coffee with friends is always welcome, but how about something different for a change?


When Olivers & Co. closed for business for the day at 4:00, nine people from the English Speaking Community Club showed up at their shop in downtown Stockholm. Sophia, the owner, a young woman originally from Italy, invited us to join her on a European tour of oils by sampling various oils pressed from a variety of different olives. As expected, we tasted oils from Italy and France, but there were also oils from Portugal and from Greece, which has recently dramatically improved the quality of their olive oil.

We learned that olive oil can come from one kind of olive or be a combination of oils of  up to six different kinds of olives. From my own experience at an olive pressing facility in Sicily this past summer, I saw posters of 26 different kinds of olive trees hanging on the wall. The owner said that that was how many different kinds of olives were grown in that region, but he had only 11 varieties in his groves. Olives require the same climate, soil and sunlight as grapes, so olive groves are often found in fields adjacent to vineyards.  

There are categories of flavors that include grassy, citrusy and peppery, and we were able to sample each kind. The way to properly taste olive oil is to sip some onto the tongue, then inhale air through the teeth over the tongue. One can taste the dramatic difference among the different flavors by experiencing the oils in this manner. 

Another aspect of olive oil is its viscosity, or density. As you know, some oils feel light on the tongue and others feel heavy. What makes a light, fresh-tasting oil is olives that have been picked and pressed the same day. In some mass-produced olive oil factories, the olives sit and oxidize, and it’s the oxidation that gives them a heavier texture. 

The best way to preserve olive oil at home is to store it in a dark place and keep a tight-fitting lid on it to help keep it from oxidizing. Use it within six months of opening the bottle. The olive oils sold in dark glass bottles are the best for a reason! 

An interesting tidbit I learned was when dressing a salad, pour the vinegar or lemon juice on first, because if you put the olive oil on first, the slickness of the oil will cause the vinegar to just run off the leaves and go to the bottom. 

The shop we visited has over 30 different kinds of oils from around the world and oils that have been flavored with garlic, lemon, chili pepper and mint! I had the opportunity to have a little sample of mint oil with a couple drops of ginger vinegar, and it was to die for! 

Brrrr!

As our time in Stockholm winds down, we are working through a mini punch list of things to do before returning to the States in early October.  One item on the list was to go to the coolest bar in Stockholm.  By cool we really mean cold . . . 20 degrees Fahrenheit cold.

Now with only forsaken hopes of spending a wintry evening at the Ice Hotel in northern Sweden, we substituted a quick trip to Stockholm’s Ice Bar. Just outside the main train station, a visit to Stockholm’s Ice Bar does not have the same allure of an evening stay in a hotel built of ice tucked 200 kilometers (125 miles) above the Arctic Circle.   Yet, when time is short, “any ice bar” will do.

At the appointed hour of our reservation, we were assisted by a staff member in donning heavy thermal, hooded ponchos with gloves attached with cords.   Our admission fee of 190 crowns ($28) per person included a bar drink.  We were informed as we suited up that we would be served a drink in a “glass” made of frozen ice.  We soon found the gloves were a necessary addition to our polar outfit. 

We had little preconception of what to expect.  The Ice Bar was rather smallish; accommodating maybe 35 people comfortably.  With only one other couple ambling about the ice columns and tables, we had the place almost to ourselves.  The bar drink menu was a weird limited combination of hard liquor combined with fruit juices or other mixers. The presentation in a “glass of ice” was pretty cool (pun intended).

With our gloved hands, we sipped our drinks, had our typical “how was your day conversation” and then bid adieu to the Ice Bar.

It was a fun experience, but one that does not merit repeating.   Been there, done that, got the frost bite.

9/11 Memorial Service in Stockholm

We commemorated another anniversary of the tragic events of 9-11 at a memorial service sponsored by the American Club of Sweden at the English Church.  

Sam Cooley

9-11 2011 Memorial Observance

The somberness of last year’s 10^th anniversary commemoration outside the US Ambassador’s residency was replaced this year with a more celebratory tone.  Following thoughtful remarks by club president Sam Cooley, a four piece band, choral singers and uplifting gospel song filled the stone-walled church with swaying and clapping.  It felt like a page had been turned.

Of course, news would soon come that Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans had become the newest causalities in another iteration of an endless loop of mindless anger.  Our hearts are with their families of those killed in Libya.  Our hearts are also with the families who hold the fear that such fateful news of their loved ones who face the confusing world created by 9-11 every day in Afghanistan may one day reach them.   

We ask so much from so few. 

Shakespeare in the Park

When Will Shakespeare was combining his considerable imagination with quill pen in the late 1600’s writing Much Ado About Nothing, we doubt that he mused, “I wonder how this will play in Sweden?”   From our viewing of the play last week, the bard can be assured that both time and geography have not muted the joy of watching the merry war of love betwixt Benedict and Beatrice and the many misadventures of the play’s mingled stories.

No less imaginative was the troop of English speaking actors who performed the play typically requiring 19 characters with only six cast members.  A few cut scenes, actors disguised with hats and false moustaches or a metal bucket placed atop their heads and unspoken license from the audience as actors slipped between roles, carried the evening.

Palace and Gardens 

Palace Theater on Right

We also experienced a few per-performance misadventures of our own.  After a minor adventure of subway and bus travel beyond our previous limits, we arrived at the grounds of Drottningholm Palace only to find shuttered doors on the large palace theater.  Although Drottningholm Palace is the sprawling primary residence of the Swedish royals, the place appeared closed.  Questions about the whereabouts of the performance posed to a lone, young handsomely dressed palace guard left us no better informed.  However, witnessing our wanderings, the young guard made inquiries via phone and eventually pointed us deeper into the formal palace gardens.  

Open Theater in the Gardens

Our search for the “theater” ended with the discovery of people on benches in a cozy hedge park.  Okay; it was to be an evening of Shakespeare under the stars.  Although the evening was overcast and a bit chilly and breezy, Jay’s overcoat served as warm comforter.  We stayed glued to our front row seats.

As our time slowly comes to a close here in Sweden, we are struck by the easy flow of our lives in Stockholm.  We know an easy flow of living awaits us when we return to Atlanta in October.  Shakespeare will then be savored from a dinner table at the Shakespeare Tavern on Peachtree Street.  It will be a familiar and comforting environment, but the absence of a smartly dressed palace guard will be sorely missed.

Iceland

View of Reykjavik from church tower

Multi-faceted and colored glass of Harpa 

 “Þetta reddast,” the Icelandic philosophy that roughly translates to “things will work out,” entered our Icelandic experience a bit too late to fully adjust the lens through which we viewed Iceland. Pronounced “thetta reddast” this insight on the Icelandic psyche came to us via a comedic performance we attended at Reykjavik's Harpa Concert Hall called “Learn to Be Icelandic in 60 Minutes.”  Also shared were thinking big, being preoccupied with the weather, being rude and other miscellaneous nonsense we have already forgotten from the not so memorable show.  But Þetta reddast has lingered.

The size of Kentucky, Iceland and its population of 320,000 are tucked just beneath the Arctic Circle. With more than half of them living in the capital Reykjavik, you can get a sense of the emptiness of the island landscape covered by glaciers, jagged volcanic rock or black lava covered by a thin layer of green moss.  This is a tough place to live. Trusting that things will work out is actually a pretty clever strategy.

Gullfoss flows into a deep crevasse

We took several tours to explore Iceland's natural wonders. We peered from the rim of an inactive volcano into a languid pool of water that now fills the once belching behemoth.   Elsewhere we stood with other tourists and watched the active geology of Iceland produce a geyser that blasted heated water high into the cool air. We wandered in awe in the mist of Gullfoss or “golden waterfall.”  It was a sight of wonder lending justification to it being one of Iceland’s biggest attractions.

An afternoon on a whale watching boat was interesting.  No gargantuan beasts leapt before us as the advertising would suggest, but small minke whales rose with some frequency for a momentary gulp of air before disappearing into the chilly waters.  Frolicking dolphins, however, filled the entertainment gap.

Yes, we did soak in the mineral-rich, geothermal heated waters at the Blue Lagoon.  When in Iceland...

A guided tour in the National Museum of Iceland gave us insights into early Icelanders, actually Norsemen from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who stopped off in Ireland to pick up women slaves on their way to Iceland beginning in about 874 AD. It’s not surprising to see redheads about on the island; 70% of the immigrants were women from Ireland. The stationing of British and US soldiers during WW II brought Western culture and propelled the island rapidly into the 20^th century.  

A better appreciation of Þetta reddast would have helped ease some of our frustration with the process to be picked up for our last tour. Experiences from two earlier tour pickup debacles lead us to call and confirm precisely where and when we should be for our final Blue Lagoon tour.  Of course the information confirmed was wrong.  But Þetta reddast…things worked out. 

Viking Ship Sculpture in Harbor

We'll Always Have Gotland: The Movie

Here's a 3.5 minute video of our time in Gotland. We hope you enjoy it as time goes by, and we did ask Sam to play it again.

We'll Always Have Gotland

Following our five day visit to the Swedish island of Gotland, we can now co-opt Bogart’s great line in the closing scene of Casablanca; “We’ll always have Gotland.” Gotland, which lies about 50 miles off the east coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea, was for us a magical place, beginning with a 50 minute bus ride and a three hour cruise to get there. It invited us to be absorbed by its beauty, charm and history, reaching as far back as the Stone Age. Here, the Vikings are the new kids on the block.

Kerstin, Helen & Lars

The trip to Gotland came about from Helen’s friendship with Kerstin, whom she met in the gym facilities near our apartment. Kerstin (pronounced SHEARS tin), who was born and raised on Gotland, is a marvelous person in all ways imaginable. She has been married to Lars, who is also a marvelous individual in every way, for nearly 40 years. Together they made possible our Gotland odyssey as well as opening a window for us to better understand Swedish life.

For dessert one night we enjoyed a cake in honor of Lars’s name day. Who knew? Another day we were positively delighted with Kerstin’s and Lars’s rendition of Helan Gå, a traditional Swedish drinking song as we hoisted our glasses of Schnapps in a ritual toast customary when eating herring. As Lars noted, his father faithfully combined the consumption of Schnapps with herring. Some customs are just worth preserving. Another dinner conversation had us mimicking the opening tune to Bonanza, only to have Kerstin and Lars join in.  

Sitting Area in our Cottage

We slept in a small summer cottage adjacent to the larger cottage that Kerstin’s parents had left her.  The cottages are a one minute walk through wind-blown pine trees and sea grass to where the waters of the Baltic Sea lap against the shore.

With Lars at the wheel of their car, we toured the northern bays and inlets of Gotland.  We climbed among the limestone pillars left behind where water once covered what is now dry land.  

We toured only a handful of the 92 churches on the island and marveled at the endeavors of the island inhabitants in the 13^th century of raising structures to worship Jesus. Along the way we also admired some of the local handiwork of Kristen’s father, an international stone cutter.

We spent some time in Visby, a walled medieval city and UNESCO World Heritage site.  The old part of Visby, inside the original city walls, is a charming city of narrow streets and historic buildings.  Our visit had the added pleasure of coinciding with a weeklong medieval festival.  In the US we have enjoyed visiting a Renaissance Festival with its various reminders of far-off places in a distant time. 

In Visby the event may have replicated a distant time, but once upon a time, street jesters, selling woolen items and the roasting of whole lambs on open fires were local events.  Our American sensibilities just have a hard time associating the ground on which we walked with the footsteps of people who walked the same streets in the 1200’s. 

We enjoyed a Sunday service in Visby’s domkirka (cathedral) St. Maria, built in 1225.  The service was mostly in Swedish with a bit of Latin mixed in to commemorate the medieval festival in Visby.  Regardless of language, we considered the experience a gift of spiritual renewal. Amen and amen!