Friksvårdsdag

Frishk-vords-dag

This is ‘wellness day’, when everyone in the department goes on a fun trip together for team building and general mental health/well-being/wellness.  One of the great things about working in Sweden is that this is not considered unusual or terribly progressive or at all frivolous; it is absolutely seen as a beneficial and worthwhile management tool.  As a bonus, they reserved a spot on the bus for Graham because they knew he was not currently working and would like to see more of Sweden.

For this Fall’s friskvÃ¥rdsdag, a bus came and picked us up at the office and whisked us away to the pastoral town of Ockelbo.  First we visited a place called Vildmarksgalleriet which is an old time hunting lodge with lots of stuffed animals (taxidermy, not teddy bear), old guns and traps, and lots of ren (reindeer) furs and touristy things to buy.   The first order of business upon arrival of course was Fika which included coffee and horse-meat smörgÃ¥s. We also got to try axe throwing outside.  You’d think with all Graham’s axe experience he’d be good at this, but he overshot the target wall several times, leading to fake cries of pain form the audience (i.e. you got someone, he was just peeing being the target!)

Stuffed Lynx
Stuffed Lynx
Various stuffed rodents and such
Various stuffed rodents and such
Per throwing the axe.  As you can see most people miss low.
Per throwing the axe. As you can see most people miss low.

They also had a few other outdoor games including ring toss on the moose antlers and bowling.

Ring toss
Ring toss
Catherine "bowling"
Catherine "bowling"
If you look closely you can see a little brown frog.
If you look closely you can see a little brown frog.

Next it was off to the gardens of Wij Trädgårdar.  The gardens are situated on land used as a 17th century steel-works and many of the original wooden buildings still stand.  Now the land is used as a training ground for aspiring gardeners through a partnership with HiG.  We first toured the site on our own before having a very nice lunch at the on-site restaurant.  Lunch included homemade bread, salmon cake, and salad/vegetables from their gardens.  For desert we had rödbeta (red beet) cake which was similar to a carrot cake and included pink icing dyed with the beet juice.   After lunch we had a guided tour of the facility, but we had to rely on the kindness of others to get the Coles Notes English version.

Small pond and one of the outbuildings.
Small pond and one of the outbuildings.
The pond drains into this little creek that at one point was used for a mill of some sort.
The pond drains into this little creek that at one point was used for a mill of some sort.

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In front of a sunflower patch planted by a bunch of pre-schoolers.
In front of a sunflower patch planted by a bunch of pre-schoolers.
Most of the sunflowers had one or two slow, happy bees crawling around on them completely covered in pollen.
Most of the sunflowers had one or two slow, happy bees crawling around on them completely covered in pollen.
This picture is for Tom and Bernie.  Apparently a rock pile can be part of a prize winning artistic garden.  Notice also the use of painted rebar!
This picture is for Tom and Bernie. Apparently a rock pile can be part of a prize winning artistic garden. Notice also the use of painted rebar!

Since it was approaching 14:30 another Fika was in order so off on the bus we went up the “mountain” to a little outlook called RönnÃ¥sstugan where we had coffee and kanelbulle while admiring the view of the valley below.

Us blocking the view
Us blocking the view
And the unobstructed view
And the unobstructed view

After admiring the view we went on a little hike down the backside and checked out the “ski hill” and the wide variety of mushrooms that seem to grow in every bit of forested area before heading home on the bus.

The Ice Age did a real number of Sweden
The Ice Age did a real number on Sweden
Probably a good thing we decided not to eat this one.
Probably a good thing we decided not to eat this one.

3 Comments

  1. Sounds like a great day outdoors.

    “Fliegenpils” in German which I would translate into “fly mushroom” although my online dictionary calls it “fly agaris”. The only mushroom I remember recognizing as being inedible when collecting mushrooms in the fall as a kid. Which also makes it a toadstool I learned today. But they sure look pretty and are easy to find.

  2. i love the pict of you two in front of the sun flowers. really great. catherine you look fabulous! i think sweeden looks good on you. i love the cute action bowling shot and the ring toss and all the stuffed… stuff. I also really like the pond drained into a a creek may have been used for milling.. it is one of my fav photos to date. great picts!
    and cute post. love you cuties! xo

  3. Thanks again for the fabulous pictures! think the sunflower shot with both of you is a fantastic picture – you both look great :)! I really appreciate and completely agree with the wellness day concept. I will do my best to try to suggest it – maybe if it’s only a team level event it will fly…

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