Monday 17 September 2012

On the road again- farewell to my new home of Skellefteå

Hey firstly I want to say thanks for reading I've reached nearly 2,000 hits so its cool to know this blog thing works for communicating!

I haven't updated in absolutely ages so I'm sorry!!

I'm currently in Stockholm but I need to update on my last days at home in Skellefteå and of course, being back in Denmark after a 13 year absence.

Well Lillasyster and I finally made it to Bonnstan which is the oldest area in Skellefteå.


Bonnstan is the local name for the Church Town of Skellefteå, which dates back to the 17th century. Bonnstan comes from the swedish (and local) word for farmer, so Bonnstan would transcribe into The city of farmers in English.

Historical context 

400 years ago the church village was the centre of the region surrounding Skellefteå. The church-goers from the countryside got together here during church holidays and conducted trade, drank, fought, proposed, asked for God’s forgiveness and listened to priest’s sermons.

But it was also here that the first lines in Skellefteå city’s history were written. Today, the area is a cultural haven in historical surroundings that do not leave anyone untouched.

All in wood 

Church towns is a northern phenomenon and maybe the church town of Skellefteå is the most genuine church town in Sweden since it has kept its rustic surface and traditions.

Several of the timber houses are well over 150 years old and in the old days the Church Town got erected due to the obligatory church visits for the farmers and here families. Today there are 116 houses with a total of 392 chambers. These were used as overnight stop for parishioners who lived too far away to make the journey to the church and back in one day.









 There were some school kids out doing orienteering and we were sooooo tempted to move their flag somewhere else but we remained mature and left it as it was.

The church for which the town was built







The faithful Ka which has transported us around Norrland.

The clock in the centre of the church tower has a face on each side, north, east , south and west and unusually is run off one timing system - not usual for this period.

 There was one final thing to do before I jetted off to Copenhagen and that was to try the traditional Swedish food of Surströmming (pronounced [sʉ̌ːʂtrœmːɪŋ]Swedish "soured (Baltic) herring") is a northern Swedish dish consisting of fermented Baltic herring.Surströmming is sold in cans, which may bulge after prolonged storage, due to the continued fermentation. When opened, the contents release a strong and sometimes overwhelming odour; the dish is often eaten outdoors. Click here to read more.

Happy that the tin is closed.

Traditional fare

First you butter the hard bread, then you cut up the bits of fish and place it on- you add more the more used to it you are, as a novice I started off slow.

Add mashed potato, tomato, herbs and sour cream and voila!

First taste I had been told it was the worst thing ever.....

But I rather liked it (down to my sour cream mo)


And I finished it all


My darling Swedish parents
So it was my final meal in my latest home of Skellefteå. I will be forever grateful to Ida and her parents, who housed me and fed me for two months, to Emil and Maria who showed me Ralund, Dick who showed me the mines and to all I have met. I have felt truly welcomed and in a warm loving home and it has been an honour and a pleasure to experience life as a Northern Swede.

Although of course, as though nature was telling me I shouldn't leave I got a wasp sting. The last time I had a wasp sting was at my Nana Wilson's house in Mt Wellington, I had been playing out by the taro patch (Samoan styles) and got a sting, went running into my mother crying my eyes out but was fine a minute later.

Not these damn vicious wasps here in Europe. This is what happened.



And my hand swelled up so much I couldn't wear my watch, I had to strap it and take it with me to Denmark  I was soooo worried I was going to have my hand explode mid-air. I mean, sort of worried , sort of interested to see how it would all work.

And now we head to Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen!

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