Midsummer in Sweden - backblog (from 20 June, 2009)

I am writing this not knowing when I will be able to publish it. We are in a tiny village somewhere in Southern Sweden, my family here has no internet, and despite extensive searching, I have not been able to find one single open wireless network. This in a country that has a 98% internet coverage, mind you. I suppose I’m not suffering terribly though – I have plenty of books to read, and I am enjoying long conversations in Swedish with my family.

Our trip here went very smoothly, although nobody should have to wake their children up at 1:15 am to take them to the airport. Our ride failed to show, but the university quickly arranged a different car to bring us to the airport. There, we managed to check in our bags, and five passport- and luggage checks later, we boarded our first plane to Amsterdam. We got three seats next to one another, and with individual screens and the offering of the movie Coraline, I barely heard from the boys until it was time to land. Abraham slept most of this flight. In Amsterdam we killed about an hour in the children’s play area and nursing room, and on the next flight to Copenhagen, which lasted about an hour, the boys slept – all three of them. As we arrived, William took a look around the airport and concluded “here, August, everybody looks like you.” My Godfather picked us up and we spent the afternoon just hanging out around the house. It didn’t rain, but at least to us it was very cold. In the evening, my mom came back from work – it was a great reunion.

Our second day in Sweden was Midsummer Eve. We went shopping in the morning, and then had a Swedish favorite treat for lunch “Smorgastarta” or sandwich cake, which is pretty much what it sounds like – a giant sandwich that you cut pieces of and eat like a savory cake. After lunch we walked down to the local traditional Midsummer celebrations. First, everyone together covered the Maypole in greenery and flowers, then helped to raise it. The boys were in heaven. After this, there’s usually dancing around the midsummer pole , however we had to make a 15 minute break for hail and rain. Yes, it hailed on midsummer! William was so excited he ran around screaming out his joy, wearing his special Swedish raincoat, while everyone stared at the funny foreigners, smiling (not at us though; with us). As sudden as it had started, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and so did the accordion and the violin. We danced around the midsummer pole, my three boys and I, along with all the other Swedes, enjoying traditional midsummer songs, and when it was all over, all the children got a big bag of candy each. On our way home, the boys beamed with joy, and kept telling me how amazing the whole thing had been, how they wished daddy could have been there, and how they can’t wait to do it again next year.

In the evening we said our “skal’s” over sill (pickled herring), and new potatoes, with fresh strawberries and cream for dessert (along with probably 7,000,000 other Swedes), and when the boys finally went to bed, they fell asleep instantly with a big smile on their faces.

Today, as the Swedish population wakes up with a big hangover, we will take forest walks, enjoy the clean, cold, crisp air, eat more Swedish treats than we should, and hang out with our family. Tomorrow we drive up north with my mom to see more family and to stay with my older brother for a few days.