Lagom
Medvik – 24th May
We have arrived in Medvik, what do we know about it? not much, even Wikipedia doesn’t know about the small settlement outside of Stromstad. For us it is a stopping point to break up the drive between Gothenburg, Sweden and Oslo, Norway. Today’s blog is all about useful Swedish facts experienced on our drive.
Fact #1 – Fika Culture: we drove north and stopped at the small town of Ljungskile for Fika. Fika culture is simply to take a break, sit down, relax, chat and enjoy a coffee and cinnamon bun with a friend. The tradition is very important to the Swedish; many years ago coffee was banned and then reintroduced with an attached tax. NZ$15 gets you an average coffee, a cinnamon bun and a filled roll.
Fact #2 – English: 90% of Swedish people speak English due to their education where they have to complete four years of English studies. The lady in the café had enough English to help us, but unfortunately didn’t come with us to the town library to do a geocache, the cache was hidden in the children’s geography section. We already drew enough attention to ourselves parking in town with German number plates; two English speaking adults searching the shelves in the children’s section of the library just heighten their suspicions. Rather than get out the translator at the supermarket we just asked the English speaking locals, the teenagers were well chuffed to practice their English, the man thought I should have trim milk and not full fat.
Fact #3 – Forests and road rules: We left the Ljungskile’s to their beautiful town and went north through forest country. Forestry or Sawn Wood is one of Sweden’s top exports, in 2020 it was their second highest export earner at US$3.4 billion. Even though 63% of the country is covered in forests, some of it is protected; they obviously can’t get enough so they invest in NZ forests. No photo of forests, only a nice A-Traktor that pulled over for us to pass. It’s Friday night so all the boys are hitting town in their souped up tractors, we can pass them but they aren’t allowed to pass us. We drove down a country road today with no centre line and just enough width for cars on either side of the road to pass. Every 200 metres there was a passing bay sign posted with a ‘M’, this is for cars to pull into when they see a truck, bus or large vehicle coming the other way, no consideration is given to Kiwis with German number plates.
Fact #4 – Famous people: Sweden has produced a number of famous people, just to name a few; writer Astrid Lindgren (Pippi Longstockings), writer Steig Larsson (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), of course ABBA, Pop group Roxette, Tennis players Stefan Edberg and Bjorn Borg, Film producer Ingar Bergman and actresses Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman. We went to the coastal town of Fjallbacka otherwise known as Ingrid Bergman Town, she was born in Stockholm, lived and worked overseas but whenever she came to Sweden for her holidays she stayed on an island in the Fjallbacka archipelago. When she died her ashes were scattered in Fjallbacka, a memorial was erected in her honour and many things named after her.
Fact #5 – Granite: Sweden has a lot of granite, so much that it is everywhere in all forms. Apparently the Swedish hate the Danish, the Swedish believe they are intelligent thinkers and innovators who live off granite and the Danish live off chalk and water shat by the Swedish. We completed two geocaches in Fjallbacka, one at the church where there were large granite benches for sitting on; they wouldn’t last long in NZ before they became somebody’s kitchen bench. The second cache was up on top of a very big rock, with 360% views of the archipelagos. That is rock, as in hill, lots of wooden steep stairs, no match for a kiwi in jandals.
Fact #6 – Indoor shoes: Swedes claimed to have initiated taking your shoes off inside and putting on indoor footwear. The State controlled Swedish lives in the 1930s and decided that wearing shoes inside their small houses was unhealthy because you spread germs, when in fact they were trying to save the state funded health system. Power demand also went down because people had warmer feet. At the place we are currently staying they provided us with crocs, not sure how clean they are. I’m more worried about the increase in mosquito bites as the bedroom and bathroom are in separate little buildings from the lounge/kitchen. Dashes to the bathroom will be carefully planned.
Fact #7 – Lagom: Sweden is the 4th happiest country in the world, they believe in Lagom: ideal balance, not too much or too little. Today’s ABBA tribute is from ‘Dancing Queen’ (1976) for our hostess who has some friends around for her birthday, they are celebrating with dance music, outside games and an imbalance of alcohol.
Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for a place to go
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
Night is young and the music’s high
With a bit of rock music
Everything is fine