“Without bees, the flowers were just flowers, not blueberries, not bread and butter.”― Maja Lunde, The History of Bees Three stories, a central theme, a lesson to be learned : my second dystopian novel of the season, and probably the…
Scandinavian Advent Calendar Day 13 Scandinavian design has captured global imagination over the past few decades. From the functional elegance of IKEA dinnerware to the masterpieces by renowned designers displayed in decorative arts museums worldwide, the message has spread: the…
Drop after drop of fresh crystal clear water. We all know how precious fresh water is on the planet, but do we actually realise the great privilege of turning on the tap or bathing in clean water ? Emmi Itäranta’s…
Christmas is a magical time, the days carry a special kind of stardust on their wings and my imagination goes wild. The woodland creatures seem to tell us stories of great adventures and extraordinary characters. It’s clearly time for storytelling,…
Scandinavian Advent Calendar Day 10 Iceland—what images does that word summon for you? For me, it conjures wild horses moving across volcanic plains, carpets of luminous moss softening ancient lava fields, waterfalls cascading over black basalt cliffs, geothermal springs sending…
Scandinavian Advent Calendar Day 9 Among the many sustainable daily rituals that distinguish Scandinavian life, few have captured my imagination quite like knitting. The Nordic countries have cultivated a particular genius with natural fibers and pattern work—from Iceland’s robust lopi…
There comes a time in the life of a sailor when he no longer belongs ashore. It’s then that he surrenders to the Pacific, where no land blocks the eye, where sky and ocean mirror each other until above and…
Scandinavian Advent Calendar Day 7 Mulled wine appears in many Christmas traditions, but the Scandinavians have truly perfected it—and for good reason. When your part of the world spends half the year longing for warmth, you develop sophisticated strategies for…
Once upon a time, I used to know a man who was obsessed by how thick the orange peel had recently become. He came home one day with a bag of oranges from the market, he weighed one orange, then…
Hello my friends ! And welcome to a little workshop episode in our Advent Calendar. While researching Scandinavian lifestyle and traditions, I couldn’t help but notice the strong ecological emphasis that each and every one of these countries develop and…
