Ah, Midsummer Dagen. The excitement of Midsummer Eve is past and today (Saturday) is a day to take it easy, kind of like the day after Christmas. People are clearly still visiting and spending time with family and friends, but it’s a quieter sort of event. We decided to move slowly through our day as well and headed north up the eastern shoreline of Lake Siljian. As you drive through the pine and birch trees, the elevation increases. Looking at cuts in the forest above you, you suddenly realize that you are looking at ski runs now lush and green, not covered with snow.
Our destination was Nusnus, home of Sweden’s most popular toy and tourist item: the shiny orange wood horse with it’s distinctive Dala-style paint called the Dala Hast (Dalarna Horse). These little horses have been children’s play toys since the 1700’s, but it took 2 industrious Swedish brothers to begin a commercial market that employs enough local folks for worldwide distribution.
Arriving in town, I ask Diane if she wants me to help her up onto the 10 horse outside the shop. She says, “Sure!” So I give her a leg up. Guess she wasn’t planning on me being so strong. Up she went. And over. It was good that I still had a hold of her foot as I immediately saw her grasping desperately at the horses shiny, smooth neck so that she wouldn’t splatter to the ground on the other side of the horse. 10 feet down onto asphalt is a long way – I don’t think her laughter would have lasted long once she hit the ground. Photo time!
I dare anyone to go into the Nils’ Olson Dalahast shop and come out empty handed. First, the guys who carve the horses are great. They can slice a horse and carve it in under 5 minutes. There was a display of horses, from a foot high to pinhead size, “That one is the smallest one ever carved”, he said. “If you have good eyesight, you can see it’s a horse. But if you have really good eyesight, you can see it’s a stallion.”
He is considering submitting it to Guinness for the world record. We came home with a few things, but the best ones are the horses they carved and gave to us when we were talking with them.
Grabbed some lunch amongst the horsies, then decided to head back home to Leksand with a stop off in Rattivk. Enjoyed spending time in the Hemsloyd (home store) looking antique folk costumes from that province of Sweden. Diane’s Swedish costume that she wears for House of Sweden and other Swedish events is from that area. Now back at the 1906 resort, we’re heading out for dinner in the dining room – elegant and cozy at the same time. Heaven!
Now it’s Sunday morning, and the car is packed from our three nights in Leksand. Heading out into the last two days of our time in Sweden. Enjoyed another leisurely drive, this time to Sundborn, the home of Swedish artist Carl Larsson and his wife & family. This guy loved to paint, draw, and sketch. His famous pictures are of his family during daily activities whether the kids are playing dress up, his wife is rocking a child, or they are celebrating Jul (Christmas). Plus, he used his home as his canvas. Painted the walls, furniture, front/back of doors, mantels, bowls, archways … Carl painted it all! Fun to walk through their home from the early 1900’s and literally see his paintings come to life as you walked into each room.
Now we have arrived in the university city of Uppsala, about an hour north of Stockholm. We’ll do no more tonight other than take advantage of the free washer/dryer downstairs. One more day in Sweden…it’s drawing to a close very quickly. Feeling a bit sad.
No comments:
Post a Comment