THE ANDERSONS IN SWEDEN: NEW YEARS EVE!

It's snowing as we get up for our New Years Eve in Sweden. We did not sleep very well and there is no good reason for it. We are in a wonderful room with great beds and flat screen TV on the wall, what more could you ask for? Karli is sleeping in the living room on a sectional couch. The apartment is totally decorated in black and white. It is a one bedroom, one bath apartment but is very spacious.

Arvid woke up at 3 AM and went into the kitchen to read. After he reads for a while, he comes back to bed. He has gotten more reading done on this trip than he does in an entire year at home. At home he reads in bed and falls asleep quickly. Here, he wakes up at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 and with no lodge business to accomplish, he reads.

We wake him up after we have finished getting ready. Hope he got enough sleep since tonight we will definitely be awake until after midnight! We eat breakfast and go to town to try to find the book that Karli needs. She stays back at the apartment to get some work done.

The book store we go to does not have the book. I hear a cell phone ringing. I do not recognize the ring so, oh well, must be someone else. Wait, there is no one else but us in the store. Uh, my pocket is ringing! I forgot that I took Karli's cell so Sten could get in touch with us. (I turned off all incoming calls while we are in Sweden on my cell) I try to answer it but there is something in Swedish on the screen. I show it to the store clerk and he is just about to tell me what it says and Sten walks up. It was him calling. ha ha. I didn't answer but he recognized the ring, so he followed the sound of the ring and found us in the store. He knew the ring because Karli's phone was his phone first. He gave her his old cell phone while she is in Sweden. Long story, but it was so funny when it all happened...

We go out to the walking street and make our way to the other bookstore. Berit and Lina are shopping here too for Hanna's birthday. (tomorrow is her birthday) The stores are all closing around us. Most never opened since they consider New Years Eve a holiday. But the ones that were open are now closing. Sten and us go on to the bookstore across from McDonalds. Bokia. We have stopped in every Bokia since we left Solveigs. Hooray! Success! Karli will be happy.

We then walk to a cafe for fika. I have a smörgås torta. It is beautiful. It is a slice like a very tall piece of cake. It has 4 layers of thinly sliced breads with different cream (savory) fillings, with lax, shrimp, dill and cucumber with egg and tomato on top for garnish. It was amazing. Sten tells me they are known for their special smörgås torta. We all have coffee and they have sweet pastries.

The coffee bar is amazing. It has a tiled wall with 2 spigots in it, one for coffee and one for tea water. They have several types of cream and milk in pitchers, sugar cubes, etc. on the bar. There is a tall wood pillar that looks like it could be a fancy espresso machine or something. It has cold water in it. You feel like you are really getting something special when it is presented this way. I must say, Swedes are big on presentation.

We find our car and drive to the apartment. Karli is so happy to get the book. We have a couple of hours to "hang out" until we go to their house for dinner. It is fun to explore TV stations. We read and discuss Karli's paper a bit.

We find the Jennervalls both in the kitchen cooking together. The table is set for 5 people. We talk and watch TV. Sten and Karli pay her internet bill. She is not able to pay it online, they don't accept her card. Sten comes through once again! We have appetizers that are little round cream/tomato/basil sauce with shrimp on top. Very tasty! Then we have this pork dish with tomato sauce, but not like any kind of tomato based sauce we have tasted. The potatoes are thinly sliced with light cream sauce and garlic. They drink wine, Arvid has a beer and Karli has wine. We save some for Lina who has to work and is coming later.

Bren texts me so after dinner we call him. I deposit $$ in his account. We decide to look at the email to see if there is anything pressing. We answer some, find out that it snowed at the beach and see photos of it and play the "throw shoes at Bush" game. Later we have coffee and tea and fruit. She has fixed a lovely fruit tray with pineapple, mango, grapes, star fruit and chryssalis with ice cream. Berit made gingerbread cookies too. It is about 11:30 so we watch TV again. New Years there is a special program at Skansen in Stockholm .

People are singing and they must be famous in Sweden. I think some are from ABBA? A man comes on and speaks about in with the new year and out with the old year. I can't understand of course. Then comes the countdown! There are fireworks on TV and all over the neighborhood. It is fun to see them all over. It is like 4th of July at home. The fireworks have been going off since it has been dark! We drink and take photos. It is so fun. Tajson even gets into it playing with his toys.