What Caiti Did : Weekend away - Part 2: Falun Festivities

Early Friday morning we got up and went to meet Ebba and Mette at the train station (past the strawberry stands - they smelt so delicious!) so that we could go collect the car and drive to Falun, where we would be staying with Sara (another of the girls from the Georgia trip) and celebrating with a whole bunch of her international friends. We arrived at about 11.30am, and were thrown into meeting new people and helping out with the setting up/decorating etc.

Midsummer is a big celebration in Sweden. It is celebrated on the Friday and Saturday between 19-26 of June every year. This year it was Friday the 24th, which was also Malin's birthday (Grattis Malin!). The celebrations began with lunch, where I tried pickled herrings in both a brine and a mustard sauce for the first time.

Pickled herrings are a traditional Swedish food, but a lot of people don't like them, or only eat them at Midsommer because they feel they have to. So they were very surprised when we Kiwis said that we wanted more!

We had Swedish meatballs, another novel culinary experience, which I also enjoyed.

EE1005_Swedish-Meatballs-1_lg.jpg (616×462)

They are served with a lingonberry sauce and are delicious!

Then it was time for the girls to make their flower crowns. It was so much fun!

This is Chloe. She is from Wales. I want to steal her jumpsuit.

The finished products!

Then we all climbed into the cars and drove to a little village for the traditional celebration. Kim's poor wee car struggled up the hill and couldn't keep up with the boys in the lead car so we got lost! Lucky Sara came to rescue us, and we followed them on their detour to pick up another friend.

Sara is on the right in her traditional dress. The instructions on the car read "Midsummer in Dalarna" and "Park Behind Me". We had forgotten to take them off the car when we left, so when we stopped for petrol we quickly took them down.

Finally we all arrived.

Followed by the parade carrying the decorations for the maypole.

Wrapping the maypole.

Dancing round the maypole.

Some of the dances had some unusual moves. Kim turned to me at one point and said "You must think we Swedes are crazy!"

I thought it was great fun. I love events like this where you grab the hand of the person next to you, and it doesn't matter that you don't know each other or even speak the same language, you're all just there to have a good time.

Then we went back to Sara's and had dinner.

We ate so much food! It was so delicious. The Swedes also have a drinking game tradition called "Snapsvisor" where everyone stands up, sings a song, then has a shot of schnapps. It was very amusing and quickly got us into a festive mood!

Sara and Simon taught us the "Beaver Dance".

Some of us took it more seriously than others ...

Then the Danish boys treated us to a Backstreet Boys number.

We had a huge dessert ... including "kladdkaka" (a sticky mudcake which is my new favourite dessert - Gemma you would approve!!) and then walked through the village finding all the questions for the "Who knows the hostess best" game.

We ended up down at the lake about 12.30-1am. Perfect time for a dip.

Well the boys thought so at least.

Then we were divided into teams to compete in some traditional games - relays that involved running round a stick, running with a potato on a spoon, and getting four people across the field with only two towels. Much hilarity ensued.

Then it was back to the house for more party time and a game of Kubbs.