Thank you for your continued readership! Here is this week’s theme update.
Norwegians are very fanatic about going to cabins in the mountains during wintertime. Many indeed have their own family cabins, some which are luxurious enough to be called a second home. The traditional way to spend a holiday at the cabin is still to live primitively, without cable TV, internet and sometimes even water pipes. During the winter, Norwegians flock to these cabins to go skiing and relax – away from the many distractions of the normal life. And of course, the best part of it all is to light the fireplace and enjoy a warm drink after a whole day of skiing across the snowy hills!
All across Scandinavia, it is very common to light the home with candles. The most common type is the small candles seen above, which are about 3 cm in diameter. As the daylight hours become shorter and shorter, these candles help light up the house and give a warm atmosphere. It is also a tradition to light candles in expectation of Christmas. Starting four weeks before Christmas Eve, every Sunday one more candle will be lit up. Many Scandinavian homes have special candle racks for this traditional use, which will be taken out for the first time this winter on Sunday.
Last week, our staff was in Stockholm during the StockholmDays. It was quite chilly, with around 5 degrees in the air and stiff winds. It was therefore a blessing to find the charming café called Under Kastanjen, hidden in the Old Town. The daily soup above was with lentils, and was seasoned lightly with curry and herbs. The bread on the site is baked in a tiny bakery adjoined to the café, and tasted absolutely amazing! The meal was finished with a tasty Swedish beer, and the body was again warm enough to go out again into the bitter cold.
Photo courtesy of: Tromsø Villmarksenter
The photo above is the outdoor jacuzzi at one of our suppliers in Tromsø. Few experiences are as luxurious as watching the northern lights from the comfort of a hot tub!
That is it for this time. Next week’s theme will be a Christmas special!
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