Skene, Saturday, September 6
My days in Skene were centered around Ulrika and her family. Time here is very fluid and the most important thing is to relax, because eventually something will happen, people will gather their things, start a project at midnight, or simply sit around a table as the room grows dark and they light candles while we continue to chat.
I've come to find over my years of travel that the people I collect and know are not “typical.” Yesterday started with a typical Swedish breakfast at a point sometime before noon. Typical in the sense that they emptied out the refrigerator onto the table. There were tea choices, juice options, and, of course, 3 or 4 cheeses, meats, and fish tin tins along with spreads and an array of toppings. Then there was the bread–three or four different kinds. There is no stopping the Swedish breakfast train.
After eating we went to the second-hand store. It's not just me, but everyone loves to get a deal. I found more things for my daughter and grandsons.
Then we went to the grocery store, which with this group of fika-loving people is very dangerous. Ulrika and her daughter Irma could curate the entire cookie section (extensive!) in delicious detail. Meanwhile, her son Sixten joined us on his moped . Mom bought him an energy drink as she told me later he lost his wallet; it must be at the last shop he was at, we will see, or fallen out.
At no point did all of this cause commotion. She did not intervene or call the bank or scold him or in any way worry. Is this typical? I freaked out a bit when I heard this news because selfishly I thought we'd have to call off the shopping trip and spend time on this crisis.
No. We continued buying our way through cookies, teas, and various flatbread. In fact, later, everyone still calm at home in the evening I asked if he'd found the wallet–in fact, I assumed they had because we were all busy relaxing with fika. No. Still missing.
As I mentioned, time is merely a suggestion. Irma and I worked on a pie (maybe a tart, I'll see in the States exact name). I sat at a table out in the yard in the sun peeling and cutting apples from the trees only feet from me.
We made the dessert while Ulrika cleaned out the car. It got to be 7, 7:30, 8 pm and I wondered about dinner. Finally, she said we might do things backwards: Start with the pie and then make the other food. At that point her husband and kids were busy with their own plans, it was just her and me and the stray cats she's collected. Ulrika whipped up a vanilla topping and put the pie still warm from the oven on the table. Others joined us. After the pie Stefan fried up pork chops and, I have no idea how/when, creamed potatoes also showed up on the table. With fresh tomatoes and apple cider we had a meal. We sat until 11:30 pm, the candles having been lit when eating.
After eating we went to the second-hand store. It's not just me, but everyone loves to get a deal. I found more things for my daughter and grandsons.
Then we went to the grocery store, which with this group of fika-loving people is very dangerous. Ulrika and her daughter Irma could curate the entire cookie section (extensive!) in delicious detail. Meanwhile, her son Sixten joined us on his moped . Mom bought him an energy drink as she told me later he lost his wallet; it must be at the last shop he was at, we will see, or fallen out.
At no point did all of this cause commotion. She did not intervene or call the bank or scold him or in any way worry. Is this typical? I freaked out a bit when I heard this news because selfishly I thought we'd have to call off the shopping trip and spend time on this crisis.
No. We continued buying our way through cookies, teas, and various flatbread. In fact, later, everyone still calm at home in the evening I asked if he'd found the wallet–in fact, I assumed they had because we were all busy relaxing with fika. No. Still missing.
As I mentioned, time is merely a suggestion. Irma and I worked on a pie (maybe a tart, I'll see in the States exact name). I sat at a table out in the yard in the sun peeling and cutting apples from the trees only feet from me.
We made the dessert while Ulrika cleaned out the car. It got to be 7, 7:30, 8 pm and I wondered about dinner. Finally, she said we might do things backwards: Start with the pie and then make the other food. At that point her husband and kids were busy with their own plans, it was just her and me and the stray cats she's collected. Ulrika whipped up a vanilla topping and put the pie still warm from the oven on the table. Others joined us. After the pie Stefan fried up pork chops and, I have no idea how/when, creamed potatoes also showed up on the table. With fresh tomatoes and apple cider we had a meal. We sat until 11:30 pm, the candles having been lit when eating.
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| I slept here for 2 nights |
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