Midsommer continues

We had a slow morning followed by another hike up the mountain. What a beautiful hike and view. Mom went up by chair lift with the two packs containing our lunch and coffee. This may seem easy but she carried those two packs down a hill to our lunch area. Karin, Sarah, Lars and the three of us enjoyed the view and a wonderful lunch followed by coffee and sweet breads.









Solleron is the island you can see in the distance. While we were hiking, Mats called Sara to tell her that some very special wild orchids are blooming in his field. We went to see them after the hike and walked out in the field. It's quite uneven ground so mom got a tractor ride. She's in the drivers seat.


The wild flowers here are like nothing I've seen before. They cover the fields in abundance and variety, in purples, pinks, yellows, white.


Here is a close up of the orchid. I love the detail. I illegally picked a few before I was informed that they are protected. Oops.





We had dinner with Mats and Gunnell, a dinner of moose meat, potatoes, breads and salad followed by raspberries and ice cream. I haven't had moose before but it was very good. we are very well cared for and fed here.

The midsommer festivities continue in the neighboring village of Vinas for their celebration. This one was much smaller and contained similar traditions but was different too. The violins played to indicate the start of the program but this time the maypole was already decorated and there was a second children's pole.


There was a group visiting from Kansas, a group of high school students who have been learning Swedish folk dancing. They commit to four years in the group and they travel to Sweden every fourth year. They will be in Sweden over five weeks. Their dancing was fun to watch. Judy and I commented on the number of young men in the group, outnumbering the girls in fact. They have quite a tradition in this small Kansas town.








Because the pole sits in the middle of an intersection when it is raised, it has to be carried to across the street when they are ready to raise it.











We met some relatives while we were in Vinas. I think we are fifth cousins, near as we can tell.


The children's maypole was raised in an area about one kilometer from the large maypole. The children carried it and raised it while the adults followed along.





And the dancing began. This time it was mostly children and their parents dancing rather than the large community dancing. The kids were adorable.










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Family

Note: this post is from a few days ago, on Thursday, Wednesday's activities. I don't think it got posted so I'll try it again.

Each evening we are given the next day's itinerary and pick up time. Today we were leaving at 10:30 for a picnic. It sounded lovely and we knew there were a number of people invited. We walked about 15 minutes from Karin's home on some roads and paths to a spot with a small pond, a small waterfall and open shed area. A four-wheeler brought up all the supplies (and mom)and we spent the afternoon in comfort as we enjoyed the company, food (of course!) and scenery.









Today's lunch was tuppa- salt herring with boiled potatoes and grilled onions wrapped in a flatbread. It was tasty! The potatoes absorbed some of the saltiness of the herring and it all was delicious.


There were hotdogs for the kids but I wonder if they brought some for us, just in case. We have had some tasty juices, all from hand picked berries and fruits, prepared and preserved for the winter. Of course, coffee and desserts were served followed by an introduction to smores. My mom brought the ingredients and we roasted marshmallows.






The afternoon consisted of sitting and lounging, exploring the creek and watching the children explore and find things like a cup full of tadpoles. Judy has photos of an amusing exchange of water and tadpoles between
the children and grandpa resulting in a water-soaked grandpa.

Swedish law allows anyone to hike and even camp for one night in any forest as long as you clean up and you aren't too close to a home. Spending time with family is also highly valued here.









There is a mountain in the area, a ski area, where we climbed today after the picnic, straight up the mountain and taking a windier path down. What a beautiful view of Solleron! It is also the location of Sara and Lars, and Karin and Per's double wedding 30 years ago this week. We will be climbing it again for a picnic next week.






Solleron is the island behind us.


The mountain from a distance.

We returned back to our home and had dinner. I wandered back to Magnus and Karin's home to spend some time with Elin, Adam and Frida, and to check my email when Karin's parents and aunt arrived. We ended up joining them on the deck for a wonderful dinner party- shrimp, egg, mayo, tomato, cucumber and lettuce sandwiches. The company was delightful, the evening clear and sunny and more wonderful memories were made.

Tomorrow begins the preparations for Midsommer!


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Midsommer

In the book, 1000 Places To See Before You Die, Midsommer in Dalarna is listed. I know why. It was a magical event, made even more special because we helped with the preparations. The day started with a bike race right past our house. Mats was one of the officials.





Karin and the kids stopped to watch with us. Adam took a look at this photo, nodded his head as if to say, "yes, that is a cute photo of me. Use it!"


Elin in her traditional costume for the Solleron area next to our house. It is traditional to decorate the door with birch branches.


The man in blue is a very important man in Solleron who knows all the history. Blue is the traditional color for men's jackets and vests.


We helped Sarah with concessions. It was hysterical to sell without knowing Swedish. People, thankfully, laughed with us. We were later kicked out for lack of a green card and sent to enjoy the ceremony.


The big horn blows and soon the distant sound of violins can be heard as the wreaths and garland, prepared the previous evening and stored in the woods, are carried to maypole.


The girls wait while the garland is wrapped around the pole.





I thought the raising of the pole would be quick but it is a methodical process overseen by experts and executed by amateurs. There was lots of cheering and encouragement from the crowd.





And then the pole is raised, a huge cheer goes up, the ropes are taken down and everyone circles the maypole to start dancing. Young, old, Swedish, not-Swedish; everyone dances and no one cares who knows the steps or the words.


Julie in her traditional dress handmade by Sara and Karin.


Adam, a traditional Swedish boy, who is finally free of his costume.


Karin, Frida and Elin looking so beautiful in their costumes.


After the festivities were done, we headed back to Karin's to make pizza in her bake house. It is an old cattle barn that had been converted into sleeping space, with a full, modern kitchen and a wood oven. This is where the thin bread and lefse is made several times each year. Pizza is not a traditional midsommer food but I promised not to tell. Shhh.


It was fantastic pizza. New to me was adding bananas but was delicious.





This photo doesn't show it but on top of the pizza, I added a very lightly seasoned cabbage salad. It was delicious and I ate every bite. We sat through the evening laughing, drinking wine and making memories.


It was a very memorable day.

Note to those confused by the Karins. Mats, Karin and Sara are siblings. Mat's son, Magnus, is married to a different Karin. They are parents to Elin, Adam and Frida. To make things more interesting, Mats, Karin and Sara have a sister-in-law who is named Ulle-Carin.

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