Hej Hej!

Dalarna is the name for the area we live in and is known as ‘Sweden in miniature’. Culturally it is the most Swedish of the provinces so what a perfect place for us to be living! Dalarna translates to ‘the Dales’ or ‘valleys’ which must allude to the beautiful landscapes here. It is so quiet, spacious and naturally beautiful. Picture vast forests, crystal clear lakes and Swedish cottages nestled amongst the trees. It is the perfect location for outdoor adventure activities which I am told makes it a very popular holiday destination. I get the impression Dalarna gets the best of both worlds, amazing summers with long days, midsummer celebrations and lakeside fun followed by freezing winters full of icy adventures and cosy evenings around the fire.

‘The Dala horse’

This little red horse is a national icon which is about as Swedish as you can get. The Dala horse originated in Dalarna and is something I’ve seen a lot since we have been here. It is an 18th century handicraft which started when foresters working away from home would sit by firelight on dark winter nights carving horses for their children.  A genuine Dala horse is made in Dalarna and one of the things on my Swedish bucket list is to visit the Olsson workshop in Nusnäs to see them being made. Apparantly you can even paint one yourself so I’m so I’m going to do one for Hallie as a little reminder of her Swedish adventure. Unfortunatly she is not old enough to be let loose with paint herself yet!!

‘Falu Röd’

One thing I noticed right away was there is a very typical Swedish style of house dotted around the landscape in Dalarna. Swedish cottages are typically made of wood and painted a very particular red colour. I have since learned that this is indeed ‘Falu Röd’ also knicknamed unsurprisingly as Swedish red. This paint was first manufactured in 1764 and was then seen as a symbol of wealth and status. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that it became more popular amongst ordinary Swedes. The colour of the paint was actually a by-product of copper mines in the town of Falun which is Dalarnas biggest town centre. A visit to Falun and the copper mine is also on the bucket list as it’s a world heritage site and one of the best-preserved mining sites in the world. Actually, our house doesn’t follow this tradition as it’s not Falu Red but a dark brown! A bit of an exception as most other lodges here are the traditional red.

The above image is one I took from a lovely little village called Tällborg. It shows a Falu Röd house and Lake Siljan in the background 🙂

This was just a brief intro to Dalarna and Swedish traditions but it’s also well known for ski resorts, midsummer celebrations, national parks, ancient forests, wildlife and ice skating on frozen lakes! I honestly can’t wait to explore more of what Dalarna has to offer….next stop ‘Orsa Rovdjurspark’ or ‘Predators park’. Watch this space!!

xxx

P.s How amazing was the sunset tonight….I promise no filter has been used in this pic!!

When I think about where we live it’s pretty much like a forest fairy tale! I never thought I would end up living in a forest at the edge of  a lake but here we are and it really is beautiful. The lodge faces west so every night we get the most amazing sunset across the lake and I just can’t stop taking pictures as the colours seem to change each day. I love being in the forest, it brings back so many amazing memories of childhood caravan holidays and riding through the woods in my horse riding days, it’s going to be perfect for Hallie.

Below are some examples of the beautiful sunsets.

Leksand Strand (where we live) is a holiday park  that I would describe as a much smaller version of Center Parcs in the UK. There are various types of lodges, some set towards the lake and others nestled further back within the forest, and lots of caravan pitches. When Ben first moved here at the end of July it was the height of the summer season so was really busy with holiday makers, but now the season has ended there are just a handful of people dotted around the various cabins, a lot seem to rent long term and it is just so quiet and cosy. In the summer season there is an outdoor pool and water slide, crazy golf, and a beach onto the lake with diving boards. I imagine it would be make an amazing summer holiday! There is also a theme park a little further along with outdoor pools, pirate ships, river rapids and assault courses through the woods. It looks so much fun! Even though it is all closed down, it’s really nice to be able to walk along the lake or through the trees and not see a single person, or take Hallie to one of the parks and not have to fight for the swings, it’s very tranquil!

Some pics below of Hallie enjoying the parks

We are lucky that our lodge sits right on the lake front so there are only a couple of trees between us and a small pebble beach. There is a large wooden veranda that is completely child friendly so Hallie loves being let loose to crawl around and her favourite thing at the moment is picking up all the leaves. I think we will have to get her a little ride on car to race around on!

The inside of the lodge is so cosy and has some things we wouldn’t have back at home but I am told it’s the Scandi way of life! The big one is that there is a sauna in the bathroom….Ben reckons you are supposed to have a sauna then jump in the snow outside, then back in the sauna and so on….not too sure about this I think the people around us may think we are mad… but watch this space!! There is also a log burner which we haven’t had to use yet but will definitely be on in the winter, this is the ultimate ‘Hygge’ along with all the Ikea candles and fleecy throws for wrapping up warm on a snowy night!! It has everything we need though including a dishwasher which I’m very pleased about…home from home. We even have some English TV which is great, although I seem to be watching constant Peppa Pig or Ben and Holly at the moment thanks to Hallie, I quite often catch myself watching it when she’s napping without realising it!

Just a 30 second walk takes us down to the lakes edge and there is a path that follows the lake right into Leksand town itself, and it takes only 20 minutes to walk. It’s really scenic and takes you through a small nature reserve called ‘Lugnet’ with smaller paths through the forest so it’s great for getting out walking and perfect for running as it’s flat (ideal for me anyway)!! I’ve been trying to run each day depending on Bens schedule but I do struggle to motivate myself when it comes to running so I’m hoping the scenery will help me over here.

The pics below are taken from the pebble beach…

We visited ‘Salins Struts’ today which is an ostrich farm in Borlange. We had a very yummy ostrich burger but I have to say they really aren’t the cutest things but Hallie was fascinated with them. Ben was scared to death and wouldn’t go anywhere near them, as is usual for him when it comes to any animal which isn’t a dog!!! Haha. I really hope Hallie takes after me when it comes to animals!

So I’ll be honest nearly two weeks in it still feels like we are on holiday, which I think is partly down to the fact we are living on a holiday park! The weather seems to be changing a little quicker than at home, its about 7-9 degrees in the daytime but still bright and sunny most days. I am really looking forward to all the things we can get up to when the snow comes!

xxx

I bloody love Ikea. At home a trip to Ikea is a real treat and like most people I go in for a look round and come out with a car full of stuff! Recently quite a few people have joked about whether the meatballs in the restaurant would taste the same as at home or whether it would be dirt cheap compared to the UK so naturally I had to take a trip to find out. The day after we arrived we took a trip to Borlänge which is home to the closest Ikea and shopping centre (yay) about 45 minutes away. The priority was to get a few bits for our house to make it feel like home but it would have been rude not to stop for lunch wouldn’t it?!

So the verdict?? It’s pretty much identical to back home in the UK. Same products, same layout, in fact walking round the showrooms I could have been back in Sheffield. Even the same meatballs!! Prices were very similar too in fact the only thing I found different was the fact it was so quiet. Perhaps it was because it was a Monday morning, or maybe just because it’s not as much of a big thing for the guys living over here! Oh and of course Hallie had a ball!! We stocked up on toys for her too as we had to leave most of hers at home.

Our house is now full of Ikea candles, cushions, throws, plants and wooden toys, just like Home. Oh and a draw full of meatballs in the freezer for a rainy day of course!!

xxx

My family and I have recently moved to start a whole new adventure in Sweden and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to start a blog and share all our new experiences with family and friends. Now, I’ve never blogged before, so bear with me….

I guess I should initially explain a little bit of background as to why we have moved to Sweden. My husband is a professional ice hockey player and I have been lucky enough that for the past 4 years he’s played in our hometown of Sheffield. We have lived at home with our dog Moose, got married in May 2016 and had our daughter Hallie 10 months ago, but I always knew that we couldn’t stay home forever and that things would inevitably change. What I should also explain about me is that I’m the biggest Home bird you could imagine, so moving away, let alone to another country frightened the life out of me at first! My friends and family are everything to me, and I have an awesome career as a physiotherapist but the offer to play in Sweden was such an amazing opportunity for Ben that it was impossible to say no. So life as I know it is on hold for a little while and here we are in Leksand, Sweden, and on first impressions I think we are going to love it. I want to make the most of this fantastic opportunity and cram as much in as we possibly can over the next year. I’m going to make myself a Swedish bucket list!

The aim of this blog is to keep people updated on everything we get up to and to help me document this amazing journey. Moving away is something I would’ve never done on my own, needless to say I’m feeling both excited and nervous….so thanks for checking out my blog and off we go!