Nostalgic trip to my Swedish Christmas o ¿Cómo ir a Suecia sin salir de tu ciudad?

To round up my Christmas series, here comes the story of my “nostalgic” trips back to Sweden.  No, I don’t take the plane each week in order to see my beloved Djursholm or to enjoy the view of the Stockholm archipelago. Though I’d wish to do it very, very much…Instead, I organize a special family escapade that turned already into a tradition. Because, like the true love, our “Swedishness” hasn’t faded but increased in time.

Our Christmas visit this year wasn’t that different. Sticking to the well-established pattern, we got into our SAAB, listening and singing ABBA and headed to the nearest IKEA. Ardent clients like us are always welcome. Probably, you know that all IKEA stores around the world are absolutely identical. So, being in Madrid or Malmö, once we go to IKEA we are in Sweden. 

Normally, we walk faithfully around the shop, buy something that we need or we don’t, and end up at the restaurant eating typical Swedish meat-balls or salmon with potatoes. By the way, the Swedish meat-balls or köttbullar have Turkish origin, but that’s another story.

The Christmas nostalgic trip has its extra. A special “pilgrimage” to the IKEA food store. We pile up the trolley with basics like herring (at least in three types of sauce), Swedish bread, Swedish cinnamon biscuits, Swedish jul glögg, Swedish sausages “princess korv” etc. etc.

Once we go back home, where we have our Swedish advent lights, Dalarna horses and candles, traditional red textiles and our Mora clock, I prepare a sort of “expat julbord-to-be” and see…we have our Swedish Christmas, without leaving Madrid. God Jul!