Since last I wrote, I have done two things that I now think of as being distinctively Swedish. The first is that I visited Stockholm and the second is more obscure, but let me just say that I will never look at a crayfish the same way again.
First, I will describe my little jaunt to Stockholm. From Uppsala, the Swedish capital is only 39 minutes by train. This convenience is, well, convenient, but I would appreciate a few minutes more to really complete my nap cycle. Anyways. Sunday, I met up with a couple girls I met from the day trip plus a couple other friends. Together we were one American (me), an Austrian, two from France and one from Mumbai. Just read that sentence again and think, how can I not appreciate such a multicultural experience? So together, this little global bunch set out into the city. We started by exploring Gamla Stan, or the Old City and drinking the biggest latte I’ve ever had (it came in what appeared to be a soup bowl…). While Gamla Stan is the most tourist island of Stockholm, it is also the most beautiful part (that I saw anyways). With its little cobblestoned and winding streets, the area is charming and quaint despite the hoards of people running around with selfie sticks. In this part of town, you can also find the Nobel Prize Museum, the Royal Palace and the Stockholm cathedral. First record of ‘the town between bridges’ is in 13th century. And I thought Boston was old…
After wandering around the medieval streets of the old city, we wandered over a couple bridges to arrive at our boat tour. Now, I had never really thought of Stockholm as a city on the water, but in fact, it really is. In fact, it’s a series of islands connected by bridges. The word ‘Stockholm’ means log island or fortification island (depending on your faith in wikipedia) and officially became the capital of Sweden in 1634. The boat tour we went on, the archipelago tour, took us out to Waxholms (see map). Stockholm is actually made up of 30,000+ little islands. They are actually not 100% sure how many islands there are (which, I’m a little confused by given today’s technology, but w/e). The boat ride was beautiful, though it did get a little cold because here in Sweden, summer is buh-bye long gone! It was also so windy outside that I missed much of what the guide was telling us about. So below, you can enjoy the view just as I did!
By the time we got back, the sun had gone home for the day and it had started to rain, so we headed back to Uppsala in the early evening. I plan to return this weekend to visit the Vasa Museum . I will surely keep you posted how that journey goes as well.
So, onto the next, very Swedish thing I had the pleasure of participating in last weekend:
Kräftskiva.
Kräftskiva, or ‘crayfish party’ is a traditional Swedish party, usually held towards the end of the summer to bid the season farewell. The event was, to the say the least, an experience! It was silly, communal and full of festive spirit, so I have to say I enjoyed it greatly. The decor for the outdoor celebration is mainly made of paper- comical crayfish-themed party hats, crayfish themed paper tablecloth, some paper lantern/chains and of course, a crayfish paper bib. The atmosphere is raucous with traditional crayfish-themed drinking songs breaking out intermittently, followed by shots of ‘snaps,’ which is code I think for fire-liquor. Aka it was very strong. Paired with relatively very little food (there’s not actually a lot of meat in a little crayfish), part of the goal of the party is to get shit-faced. Our Swedish classmates made sure everyone’s shot glass was full and made sure to sing lots of songs. Here are some links to some classic youtube videos that may help you understand the phenomenon a bit better:
Overall, I have not much more to add to these videos. Thanks to the Swedes for hosting such a cultural event.
P.S. Crayfish are not that delicious.
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