My host family and I went to see Nöttknäpparen (the Nutcracker) at the Kungliga Operan (Opera House) in Stockholm right before Christmas. Nothing puts you in the Christmas spirit like the Nutcracker. The Swedish version of the Nutcracker had a slightly different twist (the story of the three women), but it was more or less exactly the same. Ella and Gabriel, though tired, enjoyed it as well.
The inside of the opera house. To the left is where the King and Queen sit when they attend a show.
Before Christmas my host family took me to a traditional julbord. Which is a Christmas smorgasbord, or buffet, with everything that Swedish families eat on Christmas. The word "traditional" when said in Sweden, to me is starting to mean a lot of herring and a lot of schnapps. But that was not the only thing that was in store for me.
We boarded a boat downtown Stockholm which took us out into the archipelago and to the restaurant.
Fjäderholmarnas Krog- the restaurant where we are brunch.
The waiter came by and asked if we wanted anything to drink. Being polite, I said water was fine. But what a big mistake that was. A few bites in to the first course, herring, and I was basically waving my arms to try to get the waiters attention in an attempt to order something a little stronger to wash the herring down with. No wonder they drink schnapps with herring.
But herring was only the first course. The next course was cold cuts. There was pork, lamb, duck, reindeer, pigs feet, bear, and moose. I tried everything but the pigs foot, and most of it wasn't too bad. Reindeer and moose were surprisingly good, but bear was horrible, right on the same level as herring.
The kids and I after brunch.
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