April 3rd - Fika

April 3, 2011

I learned the art of Fika today.  It’s like going out for a cup of coffee, but implies more of a lifestyle than a simple cup of coffee. It emcompasses the art of relaxing, sipping your coffee, having a treat and relaxing with friends.   Today we had Fika at a small harbor town outside of Huddinge. We drove to this quaint sea side village to experience Sweden outside of Stockholm and its suburbs.  We were quickly into the rural regions, surrounded by forested regions, still with snowpack, and signs warning of Moose in the area.  Moose are so tall that if you hit them with your car you are likely to break their legs and then their body and large antlers will crash into your windshield, which promises to be very unpleasant. The town that we visited was a small local village that is quiet this time of year, but is busy in the summer for its access to the many small islands that make up the Swedish coast.  Unfortunately it is not quite as pleasant in early April as it is in summer.  The fog was heavy today due to the melting snow so we couldn’t see any of the outlying islands, and the wind off the coast was a bit strong.  We walked the coast briefly to get a feel for the area , but quickly retired to a nice café and a very pleasant Fika.  The coffee and pastries were delightful and the company was even better.   We will be having a very Swedish dinner tonight - fish soup with, with cod and salmon and shrimp, with bread alongside.