Sweden's culinary renaissance

CNN Traveller magazine has a fantastic article on the rise of Swedish (and Scandinavian) cuisine. The most interesting part of this resurgence is a focus on chefs using "as many local ingredients in season as they can. The only next trend in gastronomy is whatever is growing next season.”

I've had a few great meals in Stockholm this year; a summer dinner in Söder, and a high-end pizzeria for Camille's birthday. (I can't forget Olle's great fish supper out on Aspö, either!) But our meals usually center around simpler, catch-as-catch can eating on Aspö. There, the menus are more set by logistics and the social calendar.

I am jealous of Annika's and Karin's green thumbs. They manage to grow an array of fruits and vegetables over the summer. When and if I live a whole season out in the islands, I hope to grow at least a portion of our own suppers. Perhaps we can start with herbs, at least.

Changes

Regular readers know that I work for a global airline, and I have worked in many places in the US and Europe. The travel perks of being an airline employee enables us to have a little house outside of Stockholm, yet still visit it easily from wherever we're living at the time.

From today, it's more accurate to say that I did work for a global airline. There's been a reshuffle where I work. After more than 30 years, I'm no longer with my employer. A bit unexpectedly, I find myself starting the new year without a job.

The good news: We get to keep our industry travel privileges as part of my departure, so we'll still be able to fly back and forth. I've always wanted to spend much more than two weeks out at our little stuga, and I may well be able to do that now. A shame my workplace freedom comes in January, though. We really can't head to Aspö next week!

The bad news is that I'm not ready (or financially able) to retire just yet; I need to find another job, which will be an odd thing for me after essentially my whole life with one company. Spending a full summer on Aspö would be a dream, but perhaps not the best thing for a career search.

I've always been darned busy with my work, with lots of travel and 24/7 demands on my time. Now I have to transition to being someone who has all the time in the world. Stay tuned over the next few months, it will be an interesting ride.

Swedish Billionaires

Following on from my recent post about Swedish equality comes an article in Slate, courtesy of Marcia, in the same vein.

It appears that, despite the successful push towards social equality, there are more Swedish billionaires per capita than in the US.

Here's the key quote: "... almost every place on Earth would like to be the kind of place where successful new firms are born and raised. The good news about Sweden is that it’s exactly that kind of place. High taxes go to finance cheap health care and education, an excellent system of public transportation, and relatively generous subsidies to low-income households that keep the poverty rate and inequality low."

I find it heartening to read about a system of government that does what the US aspires to, and does it better.

Kalle Anka önskar dig en God Jul

It's time for all good Swedes to sit down and enjoy the traditional Donald Duck cartoon in celebration of Christmas.

I've blogged about this phenomenon many times in the past. Slate magazine has a good article about Kalle Anka. Strangely enough, Sweden's official website makes no mention of the Disney tradition.

We're not in Sweden this Christmas, sadly, but we are there in spirit. I know Rutger and many millions of his countrymen are safely in front of the television, watching SVT at this moment.

God Jul till alla!

Hockey Night in Texas

We went to the hockey game last night and had a great time. I had seats down by the visitor's goal in the hopes of seeing Eddie play. He didn't start, but came in early in the 3rd period after the Canucks were down 4-1. He played well, making a few good saves. I took these two pictures from our seats.

Eddie is clearly becoming a big part of the team. This article from Vancouver sums him up pretty well.

We weren't able to meet up, but we did exchange texts and we'll try again when the Canucks return in March. Wille was watching on TV, and we were messaging each other furiously during the match. Hockey was my sport growing up in Minnesota. It was nice to be close to the ice again!

Hello to all the nice people from Cabin Porn

I had blogged back in August about a drool-worthy website of cabins around the world, cabinporn.com. I sent in a photo of our little stuga but didn't hear back.

I visited as usual today, and lo and behold, there it is! A lovely Christmas image of our house is now listed with all of the other beautiful cabins on the site. It looks like a number of people have made their way this blog from the Cabin Porn link.

For those interested in learning more, the introductory posts are a good summary of our project.

Happy Lucia!

I'm up to my sixth Lucia celebration on the blog. This year, it happens on a Friday, but I think the good vibes of a Lucia celebration will overwhelm any bad vibes of it being a Friday the 13th.

A listing of my previous posts on the subject is here, and the Sweden.se website has a great recap of the tradition and its celebrations in the country.

Although we haven't found any local Lucia celebrations, Sooz and I did find a band with the same name when we were in Austin earlier this year. We'll see them on their upcoming tour, too!

"Sweden's Eden"

A colleague brought me a recent Wall Street Journal article about the tradition of Stockholmer's summer homes. It's a good summary, but doesn't hold a lot new for frequent readers here.

The article is focused on real estate values. It does a good job of highlighting the huge growth in Varmdö kommun. The key quote is that "buying a one-room apartment in Stockholm is incredibly expensive and the average price of a summer house is much less."

Olle and Janne both told me recently that Varmdö is the fastest- growing area of Stockholm, and I can believe it. The new mega-ICA is just one example of growth in the area; the full busses on the Stavsnäs route are another.

The bus journey between Gustavsberg and Slussen, even at rush hour, is not that bad by European standards. (Although the upcoming 7-year reconstruction at Slussen may well gum things up!) Despite all that, I can see how a home in Varmdö would be a good alternative for people working around the city center.

"Goalies are weird"

The Vancouver Canucks (of the NHL) have a number of videos on their YouTube channel. This one's entitled "Goalies Are Weird", about the backup goaltender Eddie Läck.

Around the 3:40 mark of the video, Eddie talks about his father back in Sweden. Sharp-eyed readers might recognize Eddie's dad as none other than our own Wille, who led the team who assembled our house.

As you can imagine, Wille is quite proud of his boy, who has gone on to become a professional goaltender in the USA. I have been following his progress over the years, and I'm a tiny bit proud myself!

The Canucks are coming into town in a few weeks, and I bought tickets down by the visitor's goal. I hope he gets to play that day; we'd love to see him in action! Wille is going to see if we could somehow meet Eddie before/after the game.

For those interested, Eddie's performances are on his NHL webpage.

UPDATE December 10: Eddie started and had his first shutout last night!

The Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory

I was sent a link a while ago from Dawn, one of my more avid readers. She found a webpage about the "Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory" and wondered if it was our little island.

It was a bit alarming to see the page linked to the "final repository for spent nuclear fuel at the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company’s (SKB) underground hard rock laboratory on the island of Äspö."

I am happy to report that no nuclear waste is being stored beneath our little stuga. Firstly, the spelling is different: Äspö vs Aspö. Secondly, the atomic island is down south near Oskarsham, and not up in the Stockholm archipelago.

The website is quite well-written and it tells the story of the company's work to test technologies to safely store spent nuclear fuel in the bedrock and clay nearly 500 meters beneath Äspö. They provide a brochure explaining all of their tests, and I found it fascinating.

Apparently tours of the facility can be arranged. I'll have to add a tour to my Swedish "to-do" list!

Thanksgiving

Time for the yearly Thanksgiving post. We're back in Minneapolis with my mom and extended family. Everyone, that is, except Ollie, who's back in Texas at his favorite kennel. He's still doing fine, 5 years after his surgery, and I'm very thankful for that.

We have an extra special guest in Marcia & Rutger's son, Tim, who is in school in the US. He was able to join us for his first American Thanksgiving, and my mother and sister filled him to the brim with turkey and all the trimmings.

In fact, everyone is doing well, and it's been a great family day.

"What Sweden Can Teach America"

An interesting article and short video on the CNN website pokes holes in the thinking that Sweden is a big-government, socialist paradise. To quote:

"It turns out that socialist Sweden is not as socialist or crazy as the American right would have you believe. Instead, the changes of the last two decades reveal a Swedish government and people who are pragmatic and adaptable."

The idea is that Swedish government is not really 'big', but rather 'smart'. Of course nothing is perfect, and I know Rutger and Janne can point out many flaws about life in Sweden. But it is interesting to see that significant social and political changes can happen. That's perhaps the most important lesson to be learned in the US.

Funky Radiators

The New York Times ran an article recently on the trend of radiators as art objects.

Radiators are not nearly as prevalent in the US as they are in Europe. In the UK and Scandinavia, few homes have (or need) air conditioning. In the US, forced air heating and cooling is much more common to deal with the extremes of temperature. (Here in my Texas home, my thermostat has a setting to run the heater at night and the AC during the day. I thought it was a gimmick, but I have used it more than once!)

Since radiators have such prominence in European homes, it's no surprise that artists and designers are looking to move them from being utilitarian into being more of a statement. The Times has a slideshow of many cool designs.

Some homeowners take a completely different tack and use radiant floor heating. Marcia & Rutger's house has such a system, and their home is perfectly cozy, even on the coldest days, as if by magic.

We aren't out at our little stuga that much in the coldest time of the year. We get by just fine with our radiators and Dyson fan. Regular blog readers know, however, that I still pine for a nice little fireplace. Perhaps one day...

A Waxholmsbolaget Strike?!?

I missed this one completely, I'm sorry to say. The Waxholmsbolaget went on strike November 5th, ending a number of ferry services, including the Stavsnäs-Aspö run. That would have been a pain in the neck if we had been out on Aspö.

The strike ended last night; details are on Radio Sweden. I'm upset with myself that I missed such a breaking and pertinent news story!

Gender Neutrality

Boys with toy guns and girls with baby dolls. Not in Sweden, that is.

The Wall Street Journal shares the story of the gender-neutral Swedish Toys R Us catalog. In its pages, boys handle hair dryers and girls hold giant Nerf cannons. It's not just altruism on the part of toy retailers; Swedish authorities watch these kinds of things very carefully!

In fact, cinemas in Sweden are starting to classify films according to the Bechdel test, which is essentially a measure of the presence and importance of a film's female characters. (I'm intrigued to see that three of my favorite movies, all candidates for the best films of all time, each fail the test spectacularly.)

Wood buildings

I've posted previously (here and here) about ever-larger buildings being made of wood. Seeing how our little cabin is literally made of nothing but glue-laminated wood and a bucket of screws, I've become quite interested in wood construction.

It appears the 'big guys' are getting interested, too. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is a world-renowned firm who have built the Sears Tower and the Burj Khalifa, among many, many other projects. (Frank Lloyd Wright called them the "three blind Mies" which is probably the best architecture joke ever.)

SOM have turned their hand to the idea of wood in skyscraper construction, and lo and behold, they see quite a bit of promise in the idea. The New York Times reports that SOM have determined tall wooden buildings to be feasible from an engineering standpoint, and more sustainable than concrete-and-steel, to boot.

I have no plans to build a multistory stuga, even if Värmdö kommun would allow it. But the idea of using wood, especially wood from sustainable forests, to build tall, is fascinating, and likely becoming more common in the future.

Internet redux

There has been a good deal of movement on the quest for better internet service out on Aspö. My connection now is OK, but it is slow and a bit fiddly. I've been yearning to improve my connectivity.

During our last visit, we talked with Tony, who told me that Thomas, a fellow resident, and the man who manages the Aspö website, has been using a 4G wireless setup from Telia which he's been happy with. Tony also told me about a similar system from 3, who I have today as a pay-as-you go provider.

The Telia setup is interesting. It's only 99 kronor a month for existing customers. I'm not an existing customer, but Rutger is. Perhaps I could have him get a unit on my behalf and then I pay him back the 99 monthly? Advantages: I could have a constant connection so I could set up that webcam I've been dreaming about. Disadvantages: I'd have to hassle Rutger and I'm sure there would be some billing or provisioning complication or two.

I emailed the nice people at 3 and they responded quickly and in perfect English. Essentially I can buy their 4G unit for 1500 kronor (about $230), use my current account and get nice fast 4G at a lower price. Advantages: I can use my current account and not involve Rutger and his billing. Disadvantages: not as cheap as the 99:- monthly through Telia. There's a potential curveball, though. The router they use is available on the internet for something less than 3 wants for it. Perhaps I could attach a bootleg router to their network? After all, I'm doing it already with the 3G USB dongle.

One other possibility is xcomglobal. For Americans leaving their shores for points beyond, they'll provide a wireless router for use on their travels for $15 per day. This isn't as cheap as any of the other options above for us as Swedish 'residents', but it would be good for traveling or occasional use.

All this is potentially trumped by the latest news from Stefan on Ladholmen, who has been a champion of the Nämdö fiber project. He emailed me earlier this week: "Hi Don! We have just awarded contractor for fiber in stage 1, the southern Nämdö and surrounding islands. Our three islands and northern Nämdö will probably be included in stage 2, which is currently projected, the probable procurement in the beginning of 2014."

So it looks possible, at least, that we could have that super-fast Swedish connection as soon as next year. I would just love that!

UPDATE November 8: I received an email from Nilla on Nämdö, informing me of a December 8 board meeting. She also told me she expected the submarine cable for stage one should be laid before then. So there is lots of progress, indeed!

A sense of style

I found a fascinating article on the official Visit Sweden website. It was entitled "Why are Swedes so Stylish?" The most interesting part to me is that the article was more about politics and culture than the mechanics or history of good design.

As the article says, the Swedish aesthetic comes from the very Swedish concept of lagom, a word that translates roughly as "just right".  That is a rough translation, too. A lot is packed into that one word.

Lagom has a strong social connotation. It means having just enough as compared to your neighbors, the idea that "I'm not OK unless everyone else is, too". It means avoiding ostentation or displays of consumerism. The celebrity culture, the consumer culture, that is so evident in the US is not nearly as strong in Sweden.

Another way to look at is the Power Distance Index, a measure of the "distance" between the powerful and less-powerful members of a society. Where I live in Texas, there are many gated communities; you need to be pretty wealthy to get in. I think there are very few such communities in Sweden.

The idea of having very little distance between someone powerful or famous and the average person on the street strikes me as a very desirable concept. The Swedish idea of "everyone being in it together" is one of the things I love so much about my adopted country!

IKEA

It's been an interesting week. We are completing a few renovations on our Texas house and have so made a few trips to our favorite local Swedish furniture store.

I'm having quite a sense of deja vu, because I've spent today with my toolkit, assembling various pieces of furniture and crossing off household projects from my to-do list. It's very much like being out on Aspö.

I also read an interesting article on how IKEA accomplishes all those aspirational photos in their yearly catalog. They have an enormous studio filled with experts to recreate the stylish Swedish lifestyle.

Increasingly, however, those images aren't photographs, but computer simulations. Instead of an army of tradesmen, youngsters at their computers take the contents of the IKEA catalog and recreate the perfect kitchen digitally.

I'm not sure what to make of that; after all, many of the movies and TV shows we watch nowadays are created digitally. But an IKEA kitchen is much more a real thing than the forest moon of Endor, and I would expect that it would exist somewhere, even if it is just in a studio for a photographer's lens. But maybe that's just me being an old fogey!

Lots of content on its way

... just not yet. Between the jet lag, lots going on at work, and our own home project in Texas, I've been short on free time. However, I have been keeping a list of future topics and I've jotted 8 subjects so far, so stay tuned!

On our way home :(

Writing this from lovely Heathrow. We had a jam-packed last few days in Aspö, a fika with Tony and Ann-Catrin, a small kitchen remodel, a visit with Eva-Lis, a botched photo shoot, and a good-bye dinner with Margaret and Janne. Plus a surprise visit from a couple of teenagers! More detail soon, have to run for now, but lots of new photos are up.

A busy few days

Let's see if I can provide a recap on this drizzly Wednesday morning....

Sunday we arrived to the house in fine shape. I had less to carry, as the ceiling fan I had checked went missing somewhere at SAS. They were still tracing it 48 hours later, and I was losing hope of ever seeing it again.

However, my spirits were raised by meeting up with our neighbors Johan and Sofia at their newly-restored barn, just behind Olle and Annika's house. Sofia had planned to have an Oktoberfest beer tasting in the barn so I brought along a few cans of Shiner Oktoberfest as a unique treat.

Afterwards, we hurried up to Margaret and Janne's for a belated birthday dinner which was super, and we survived the dark walk home. We only heard a moose, but didn't see one.

On Monday, I installed the new outdoor lights, which look fantastic, if I say so myself. Marg and Janne came to us for an early dinner, after which I ran down to the dock to pick up my ceiling fan, which was amazingly found and delivered by SAS!

Tuesday was puttering around, I fixed the wheelbarrow among other small tasks. We also met with Lars Dahlin, a local handyman from Runmarö, to take a look at a few leaks, and to get some advice on painting the house and sealing the deck.

Today, we're going to install the fan while it's a bit damp outside, I'll put up a few photos after that's done. It's been relaxing and great fun so far!

UPDATE: All done and working perfectly! (With a bit of help from Rutger giving electrical advice over the phone, that is...) 

A Starry Evening

Just a quick post with last night's photographic product. Lots going on but too busy to add more to the blog right now.

Stay tuned for more news and photos from beautiful Aspö!

Aboard the m/s Roslagen!

We're here and all is well; we will be on Aspö in 20 minutes. We saw Tony and Ann-Catrin on the dock in Stavsnäs and they'll be back tomorrow, so that will be a treat to see them while we're here.

Dinner tonight with Margaret and Janne. More info and photos up later!

Leaving today!

Well, I am, at least. Sooz is already on her way, having spent the past few days in the UK. I'll be in cool Stockholm from sunny Texas soon enough, and we'll head out to Aspö on Sunday.

I should also point out that today is the birthday of both my lovely wife and the gorgeous Margaret. In just a few more days it'll be Grattis på födelsedagen to the beautiful Camille. 

Happy Birthday, girls!