Word of the Day - Fika.
In Swedish culture, it is often associated with a coffee break. But it is more than just coffee and cake. In Sweden, it’s almost a phenomenon, a concept, and the Swedes actually make time for Fika intentionally every day in their lives - be it to meet old friends, make new friends, while on a date, network at business, or just indulge in some me-time. Fika is never rushed, it’s a part of the slow life, a pause in the midst of a busy day connecting with yourself and the people around you and just recharging your soul. There is no limit to the number of times you can have a Fika in a day. And interestingly, it’s encouraged by most companies to take a Fika a couple of times or more in a day, when colleagues get together in a room just to socialize or take a break from work. It is a ritual in this Scandinavian country that had banned coffee, not once but five times a few hundred years ago.
And on that note, hello and welcome to the 19th issue of Journeys and Jottings. We need to intentionally observe the spirit of Fika in our lives - to take a pause, connect with ourselves, bond with people, and slow down intentionally in our lives. We also share some fascinating coffee trivia while visiting Sweden virtually to experience the Christmas markets. And finally, there is a little twist in the People Make Places section, where I feature five travel writers and bloggers who have shared their tips on travel writing.
The Ban on the Bean
Fika they say was coined as a secret word to mean “Kaffi.” The syllables were just interchanged. Coffee ironically was banned in Sweden in the 18th-19th centuries, not once but for five times. In the beginning, heavy taxes were levied to prevent coffee consumption and then the bans began which only led to black markets.
However one of the kings, Gustav 111 hated coffee and he believed that it was detrimental to public health and he forced convicts to drink it as a punishment while it was banned in the country. He even wanted to have records of how long it took for coffee to kill the convicts. The famous Gustav Experiment was about two prisoners - twins who were in prison and condemned to die. He made one of them drink coffee and the other tea every day and two doctors were appointed to make notes and report to the king. Unfortunately both the doctors died before the prisoners and the king himself was killed and the results were never known. Some however say that the tea drinker died earlier than the twin who was forced to drink coffee every day.
But it is not just Sweden that had banned coffee. I stumbled upon this interesting article that had so many fascinating stories. Italy ironically banned it too and the Church labelled it as a “Satanic” because of its strong flavour . However, when Pope Clement V111 loved his first cuppa, he even baptized it and the Church eventually accepted coffee. England surprisingly was also one of the countries that banned coffee as coffee houses were seen as sources of dissent by the ruler then, King Charles 11.
While coffee had its origins in the Middle East, Mecca banned it for its intoxicating and narcotic properties. And it was also banned in the Ottoman Empire briefly by King Murad 1V as he believed that his conspirators would be under the influence of coffee and attempt to overthrow him.
So many stories about a little bean ..have you heard of any other story around coffee?
Christmas Markets and Traditions of Sweden
My last international trip was to Gothenburg in Sweden in December 2019 to see the Christmas Markets and with December now around the corner, I am all nostalgic. So I thought that we could go on a short virtual journey to Sweden and lose ourselves in the Christmas traditions in the Scandinavian country.
There are special Christmas traditions in Sweden called “julmys” and they add a dash of warmth to the cold winters and the Christmas buffet called “julbord” which is a special feast. I even tried a vegetarian version of the feast. The Swedes even have their own spirits for the season- the alcoholic “glogg”, which is a version of mulled wine with almonds and raisins but it is the “julmust”, the non-alcoholic beverage which is a secret recipe. It looks like a glass of Coke but tastes completely different.
Santa in Swedish is called Tomte or Jultomten and he is more of an elf who could become grumpy and play tricks on people. He is not always in red but in grey and is often a guardian of a farm, looking after the people and animals. He is moody and if he is not taken well care of, he may even leave the farm. Swedes leave a bowl of rice porridge to please him as he apparently loves the dish.
The Gothenburg Christmas Markets are quintessentially Scandinavian and the largest among them was the Liseberg Christmas Market. We soaked in the Christmas atmosphere at Liseberg, the largest amusement park in Sweden, and at Kronhusjul, the traditional Christmas Market. and at Haga, the oldest suburb in Gothenburg. And there were many Gothenburg Christmas Markets as well in the islands of the archipelago.
The celebrations were charming as St Lucia concerts are held everywhere – from schools to streets, malls to museums, churches to well, even in an aquarium underwater. And a singing Christmas Tree added to the melodious mood of Christmas, as a choir keeps us in great spirits. So let us step on the magic carpet and visit Sweden now.
People Make Places - Travel Writers Share their Tips
I didn’t want to be a travel writer,” says Bill Bryson. “I mean that wasn’t my ambition. I just stumbled into that genre.” While some of us may have like the prolific author found our calling through serendipity, we need to constantly hone our skills out there. As a writer, I have always believed that there are just two ingredients that help you become a better travel writer – Reading and Writing.
Pic Courtesy - Flickr
But in the People Make Places section today, we have five inspiring and successful travel writers and bloggers who have shared their pro tips on travel writing
Divyakshi Gupta, one of the most prolific travel writers and blogs as Quirky Wanderer shares a very valuable tip on the simplicity of style.
One of the best tips I can give for travel writing is to write in a simple language. This makes the writing relatable and more readers can identify with your write-up. It is often a misconception that using flowery language or difficult words gives a travel write-up depth. What is the point of the write-up if the reader has to sit with a dictionary to understand each line? After a point, the reader loses interest and the entire point of travel writing is to keep the reader hooked till the end! Lucid writing is one of the best ways to keep the audience involved.
Mridula Dwivedi, who blogs at Travel Tales from India and abroad and has been blogging for over 15 years shares one of the travel writing tips which gives an insight into who we write for
We often wonder who is our audience while writing. Is it my sponsor? It is the people who read my blog? I started blogging in 2005 when it hardly had any audience. I wrote for myself. And then it became a habit. I still write for myself.
Indrani Ghose who blogs at I Share These has also been blogging for over a decade and her tip gives more insight on writing narratives
For travel writing best would be to adopt a narrative form. We divide our content into headings and subheadings. Try and run a thread through the different sections of this format so that there is a sense of continuity. Let them be not independent paragraphs. Lead your readers’ attention from the start till the end of the narration of your travel story. While the introduction, body, and conclusion parts of the writing are important, a smooth transition from one part of the writing to the next makes it very enjoyable.
Anita Rao Kashi, another prolific travel writer who pens several travel articles both for Indian and international publications speaks about the nuances of travel writing
Travel writing to me is about connection. Connection to people, places, culture, environment. Ultimately, it is this connection that moves, enriches, and expands me and I seek to convey this sense of connection to the reader. I hope, in turn, to pass this along and enthuse others to step out, travel, and experience the sense of wonder and fulfillment that I experience. For this, it is essential to be open-minded and open to cues, nuances and develop an acute sense of observation. Watch for anything and everything that is different from one’s own experience and look for tools that will help in conveying as much as the senses take in.
Jeroo and Gustasp Irani, one of the earliest travel writers and who has inspired almost every travel writer and blogger speaks of the importance of storytelling and the role of locals, and personally, for me, this is one of the most valuable of all travel writing tips.
We like to talk to colourful characters, locals, tourists, shopkeepers, restaurateurs… in order to get revealing insights into a place. If you have the time, sit at a cafe and people watch. However, most often, time is limited on a fam trip which is generally hosted by a national tourism organization. Create the time to talk to people, explore the place on your own, duck into an alley not marked on a map or a hole-in-the-wall tea shop whose owner may have secret family recipes for milky tea or pyaaz (onion) kachori, going back several decades. This will help you to get under the skin of a place. When you talk to locals you will connect with them and the destination in a way that mere online research cannot. Unearth marvelous stories about their personal lives, their passions, the highs, and lows… perhaps gain insight into local cuisine, a dying craft…”
So which of these tips did you resonate with? Go ahead and write your next travel story.
Travel News and Updates
UK recognises Covaxin as valid Covid -19 Vaccine for Travel.
Fully vaccinated visa holders allowed into Australia from December 1
Vizag-Araku tourist train with new Vista Dome coach has its inaugural run.
IRCTC to run special ‘Shirdi Yatra’ tourist train
Feedback Please
I do hope that you enjoyed reading this issue. Looking forward to your feedback as always. We are going to keep the flow of conversations going and I would really appreciate it if you will share my newsletter with your friends and family.
A gentle request - Most newsletters land up in the Promotions tab of your inbox and hence you may tend to miss it. So please click on the same and move it to your Primary tab so that it is in your inbox every fortnight.
See you soon! You can also read my travel stories on my blog and follow me on my social media
Blog - www.lakshmisharath.com
Twitter - www.twitter.com/lakshmisharath
Facebook - www.facebook.com/travelwithlakshmi
Instagram - www.instagram.com/lakshmisharath