Another moose!

Kevin "spark"-ed into Alfta to pick up some last minute gifts to bring back home. Maggan went back home to Stockholm just after lunch and took our large suitcases with her so we wouldn't have to try to manage getting them all on the train.

Just after lunch, Susanne picked us up and drove us to her home in Voxnabruk, a little bit SW of Edsbyn. As we went through Edsbyn, we stopped off at her brother Tomas' sporting goods store to see him briefly again. We also drove by her childhood home, but her parents were both out and about so we didn't stop there. We then continued on to Susanne's house and farm, driving through some beautiful countryside along the way! Although Voxna really isn't so far from Edsbyn, it's down country lanes which are slow going, especially with so much snow.

Once we arrived at Susanne's house, we put Annali down for a much-needed nap and the rest of us had a tour of the house (including the 3 bear rugs upstairs that Patrik had shot on their farm), ate a little fika, and had a really nice visit.

Linnea, Kevin, Susanne, Klara, Kajsa, and Patrik - sitting having fika

Annali didn't know what to think of all the bear rugs Patrik has made....

After fika Kevin stayed behind with a sleeping Annali, and the rest of us went on a walk (in the dark, of course) back up the road two houses to Patrik's parents' house and farm where Kajsa and Klara keep their pony Nisse. We went in the barn to meet him, then the big girls went to get his bridle and saddle so Linnea could go on a pony ride! I couldn't believe that I forgot to bring the camera! After the ride, we walked back to Susanne and Patrik's house for a wonderful moose roast with mushrooms and gravy! Yum!

Susanne, Patrik, Kajsa, Linnea, Klara, Kevin, and Annali - we're really enjoying our moose roast!

 We visited a while longer, then Susanne drove us back to Alfta. When we drove through Edsbyn, we stopped back off at Tomas's shop to see Christina and meet her family quickly. It was so good to see her again! Back in Alfta, we put the girls to bed and then Kevin, Ebba, and I had a Skip-Bo tournament until 1am!

Skip-bo! The game is on!



20-point moose

Today we walked and "spark"-ed into downtown Alfta to do just a little more shopping. Linnea LOVES riding on and pushing the spark, and Kevin's quite good at it too!

The Smith family goes "spark"-ing!

 When we got back, we started packing up for the final time. In the evening we went to Sorljusne (about an hour from Alfta) to have dinner at Monica and Veijo's house. It was so nice to see their beautiful home and finally meet Veijo. For dinner they served us an incredible roast from a 20-point moose that Veijo had shot!

Monica & Veijo & his 20-point moose

Dinner at Monica and Veijo's - a fabulous dinner with wonderful friends!
Kevin, Linnea, Ebba, Monica, Veijo, Maggan, Annali

And for dessert, we had vanilla ice cream topped with our choice of homemade hot fudge or hjorton sylt (cloudberry jam) or both! Monica and Maggan dished up 3 bowls of ice cream with hot fudge for each of the girls - they were both in 7th heaven.

"What.....can't I have a 4th bowl of ice cream?"

After dinner, the girls played with Ebba and her old toys while the rest of the adults sat and visited. Just before it was time to go, we got to meet their 2 wonderful dogs, too. Linnea and Annali were both timid at first, but they really enjoyed looking at and getting kisses from the pups.

Annali loves being held by Monica, but she's not quite sure what to think about such a big dog....

Linnea getting extra kisses

Just like riding a pony!

We had such a fantastic time with them followed by a very sad goodbye since we won't see them again before we leave.



Tomorrow we will meet up with Susanne and her family. Then we're off to Stockholm Friday before flying home Saturday morning! Keep you're fingers crossed for us that the trains are in better form than they were on our last trip to Stockholm!

Lastly, an update on the weather. It has been downright balmy lately with temperatures in the -2 to -8 C range (28 to 18 F)! Linnea told me today as she was out playing with Anna-Greta, "It's not that cold outside today, Mama!" (I looked at the thermometer, which read -6 C or 21 F!) Before this trip, I never thought any of us would think that the low 20's was "not that cold"! When we were at the amaryllis festival yesterday it was in an unheated greenhouse. It was a really strange experience to be able to see my breath but be swealtering because I have gotten used to much colder temperatures. I was so warm I even removed my coat and remained quite warm! Really, we've just learned how to dress appopriately for cold weather.

Bollnäs: Buspalatsen, Lille k, and Mats

Today we went to Bollnäs (a larger town just 15 minutes from Alfta). We dropped the girls off with Ebba and her friend Bea at an indoor play park called Buspalatsen. They had loads of huge foam-covered structures they could climb on and in, a trampoline way up high, several ball pits, and loads of slides.



It's a bird!.....It's a plane!.....No, it's Linnea in a bounce house! (Kevin had to test out the equipment, too!)

Annali gets to play with Ebba AND with balls! What more do you need in life?

Wheeee!

While the girls played, Margareta and Monica took Kevin and me shopping at a really neat shop full of local crafts and products. We came back to pick up the girls then went and had lunch at "Lille k", which is a very nice restaurant where Ebba worked before she came to Portland.

Lunch at Lille k

Saying goodbye to Bea was very sad.

After lunch, we went next door to the garden center where they were having an amaryllis festival. In addition to the beautiful flowers, there were 4 intricate exhibits created by local artists and designers based on fairy tales. Linnea's favorite was the Princess and the Pea.

Looking at the fish in the garden center with Maggan

After a full day, we went to visit and have dinner with Mats, Ebba's dad. We had a really nice time and more great food! I would have thought the only good tacos would be in the Americas, but it turns out that Mats makes excellent tacos, too! What a treat! 

Eating fantastic tacos at Mats' house
Mats, Helena, Helena's son, Ebba, Maggan, and Kevin

Mats, Helena's son, Helena, Annali, Christine, Linnea, Ebba, and Kevin

Back to Alfta

We finally got safely back to Alfta this afternoon and went straight to Stig and Gun's house for dinner, where we were also able to see Åsa. We had a wonderful time seeing her again and meeting her husband, son Gabriel, and daughter Almina. It was so great to visit with them all!   


Gun, Åsa, and Stig (the other Larssons!)



Back row: Martin, Gun, Stig, Åsa, and Kevin
Front row: Gabriel, Almina, and Linnea



Ebba, Maggan, and Anna-Greta

Eskil, Gun, Martin, Monica, and Kevin

After yet another fabulous meal (called Flying Jacob, of all things), Gun outdid herself with a beautiful and delicious dessert. It was rulltårta slices placed in a halfdome form, filled with cream, and inverted onto a plate. I could have eaten one entire plate myself, but I thought I should share with everyone else! 

Gun's specialty - a rulltårta with a cream center. YUM!

When dinner and dessert were over, Kevin and Martin (Åsa's husband) took the Linnea and Almina out sledding. Since the sledding hill was right next to a playground, they also ended up playing on tire swings in 2 feet of snow! Linnea had the best time!

Almina is 5 years old and she and Linnea became thick as thieves even though they really couldn't talk to each other much. 





Grisslehamn, Days 4-6

Yesterday (Christmas Day), Margareta took Kevin and me on a drive around the island and nearby mainland. We saw such beautiful countryside and can't wait to return so we can see it during warmer weather, too.

Driving through Grisslehamn, looking toward the inside passage.

A rare picture of the two of us! We're standing on the bridge between the island and the mainland. What a view! The entire passage was frozen and covered in snow.

The view from the bridge.

Looking the other direction.

 On our way back from our tour of the island and nearby mainland, we stopped at the grocery store. Kevin and I marvelled at the differences between American and Swedish selection.

Just a tiny fraction of their cheese selection. This looks like it could belong inside Costco

And why would you want to have even one variety of Surströmming?

Look at all the varieties of knäckebröd!

When we got home, we had a nice fika, then we played a few rounds of Skip-Bo before dinner.

Annali has a very nice conversation with Eskil and Nils while Linnea and Adrian share secrets.

With Ebba, Nils, and Felix playing, the competition is stiff!

Linnea, Ebba, Nils, Annali, Kevin, Adrian, and Felix enjoy a rousing game!

In the evening we had another fabulous meal. The menu? Cheese wrapped inside meat patties, marinated in an incredible sauce and served over noodles. Amazing!

One end of the table....

....and the other

After dinner, we played some more Skip-Bo and ate Christmas cookies and candies....

Christine, Ebba, Adrian, Nils, and Olivia

Off to bed, but first a bedtime story!

Followed by....you guessed it! More Skip-Bo!

We were supposed to return to Alfta earlier today, but there is a Class 2 winter storm (blizzard) advisory in effect for all of Hälsingland (the province which includes Alfta), so we will stay in Grisslehamn one more night. We enjoyed playing in a LOT of new snow today. Linnea got some more sledding in, and both girls enjoyed playing with their new toys and with Ebba and her cousins, especially Adrian. 

Annali barely consents to sledding with Papa.

Linnea waits patiently in her snow recliner until it's her turn to sled.

The pepparkakor after sledding is the best part, especially if you can find a little nook in which to hide!

We were even able to take pictures of individual snowflakes today! They really DO look like the paper ones we cut out!!!

They have an incredible view of the Baltic Sea and a pretty little island just off the shore. Near their house there is a small inlet which was mostly frozen over. The sea at times had snow floating on top as far as the eye could see, and then the wind would come and clear it all away. I've never before seen ice in the ocean or snow floating in the ocean. The whole view was breathtaking!

The view from the house, looking out east at the Baltic, taken on Christmas Day.

The very same view taken on the 26th, during the big storm.

The back of the house - so pretty!

They tell us there is a deck here somewhere....

The guest house, in progress.

The view from the front porch.