The Stovebolt Site Forums The Side Lot International Zone Interesting stuff from the Swedes

Some interesting stuff from Bushido, a newbie from Sweden, with a 1957 Chevrolet 6500 fire truck. (Here's his post in the Welcome Centre.

He actually came into the Engine Shop first ... December 15! He's done a good job getting around in a short time. A real contributor. Just today, he posted this in the Big Bolts forum (that's where all the main action is for the fire truck) showing "pictures of Swedish Chevy firetrucks through a Swedish vintage truck forum."

I'm gonna ask him to post in some more here in the International Zone (besides the his flag planted in here in that long thread!) May initiate some discussion in "Europe" about what's out there in your neighborhood.

Just a thought.

Thanks for the assistance Peg! I'm all for a Swedish thread, perhaps there are some Swedish lurkers out there on the forum whom we can lure out this way!

Here are some pics of my Fire Truck, as well as some other examples of Swedish Chevy Fire Trucks. apologies for only providing reposts from my other threads, will be sure to follow up with new stuff once I have something new to show

Cheers!

/Anton from Blekinge, south Sweden.

This is bra Anton!

I believe this is a good spot. It's what the Side Lots are for.

Karl/Anton -- ok, fine. So I looked up Peps Persson ... First thing that popped up was THIS ...

Words utterly fail me. WHAT ... IN .... THE .... (heck) .... WAS .... THAT???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Anton .... Karl has an excuse -- he had poor schooling. You, however .... have MUCH to explain.

My mother threatened me with lutefisk. I think I will threaten my grandchildren with that video.

My great Grandpa Carl from Marstrand.

Well... What to say... Peps is basically a swedish redneck (southerner) hippie musician who helped introduce reggae/RnB to Sweden. I'm from the south of Sweden, so I was introduced to Peps at an early age. He's actually very well known and loved, partly due to his prominent southern swedish accent. And yes, he did a lot of drugs... The song "oh boy" you heard in that clip is pretty much describing how life is wonderful, amazing and all in all enjoyable. if I were to give you a rough translation/description, the first verses go something like this:

"Oh boy!
What a lovely weather. The sun is shining today.

Oh boy!
No protective clothing needed,
that's what I enjoy.

Get up, come on, the sun is out.
No time to lay about.
Leave your hideout and come with me,
winter's gone, summer's here!

Oh boy!
Listen to the birds singing,
they sing a dizzying tune.

Oh boy!
Running through the garden,
is the road to a new adventure!"

Something like that... Hope that's sufficient as far as explanations go.

If you want to scare your children, lutefisk is not the way to go. That stuff is just slimy tasteless dried and rehydrated fish, tastes of nothing (which is why you eat it with mustard gravy, it tastes of nothing by itself). Wanna scar people for life, surströmming is your bet. That **** will send grown men running all kinds of directions while puking violently. No, but seriously. It can be enjoyable eaten the right way (which is not by eating whole pieces at a time, as shown in most "surströmming challenge" videos online). It's basically a spice and should be treated as such. A big piece of surströmming is about as pleasant as a mouthful of salt, because that's pretty much what it is. Chopped up and eaten in small doses together with other ingredients, it's just a condiment, a spice, a taste enhancer, and quite enjoyable. It is however quite pungent and will send people running away from the smell lol

I tried that - my Swedish friends friends got quite a good laugh out of it, when I was puking my heart out.

Frank

Anton -- Your explanation is very good. A red neck hippie ... It may take some time for me to wrap my head around that....

surströmming ... lutefisk ... I'm beginning to grasp why one does not see very many Swedish restaurants in America...


John

Who needs enemies when your friends treat you to surströmming! I can imagine, it is a pretty common reaction for people who have never eaten it before and who try it the wrong way. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised by how good the real actual dish is, flatbread with potatoes, sour cream, onions and just a little bit of surströmming is actually really tasty, although I know it's hard to believe if you've already had such a surströmming experience before...

A friend of mine from Germany wanted to try surströmming when he visited. We suggested eating it properly, but he wanted "see if it's as bad as the internet says". He took a full filet, put iut in his mouth, chewed, swallowed, gave us a surprised "that was it??", and then had another one...

We do enjoy to treat fish weirdly, from pickling, fermenting, drying and so on... Ah well, there's always IKEA meatballs if you're not into strange fish!

Anton .... I am *not* into "strange" fish. I *do* like fish and all sea food, and I attribute that to my Swedish Heritage ... but ... I grew up in Northern New England (my family is in mid-coastal Maine) and have spent a considerable amount of my adult life in the mid and western Pacific (Japan, Philippines, Korea and Hawai'i). I love North Atlantic Cod (baked, no toppings), lobster (of course) and Maryland Blue crabs. I LOVE Pacific Mahi Mahi -- I prefer it fresh caught and RAW. Fresh caught raw yellow tuna is also on my list .... BUT I will only eat THAT if I am in Asia or mid-Pacific Not sure if I want to try Cod Sushi ... don't think I will ...

We live on the water here in Maryland. And the Chesapeake Bay/tidal Potomac River has much to offer, but I am spoiled and only enjoy the Blue Crab and Striped Bass I can catch myself. The bluefish I have caught taste to me like a boot heel. I have not (yet ...) tangled with a Spanish Mackerel -- but I hear they are more fun to catch than they are to eat....

Interesting story ... (possibly only to me ) My mom and her cousin (both granddaughters of Carl) were talking about a trip to Marstrand. My "aunt" (she and my mother were as close as sisters) who lived in Wassnar, Netherlands, told my mom ... "You live in Maine! What do you want to spend the money on a trip to Marstrand for? The only difference between Marstrand and Damariscotta (where my mom lived until she passed away) is that you can read the street signs in Damariscotta! You know what Marstrand looks like. Stay home. Save your money."

Here's a picture (taken by Stovebolter Mike Roache) of me Striper fishing. My GreatGrandpa Carl would probably slap me for my lack of fishing prowess ...

I went to a fish fry in Alaska and guess what I ate Chicken. I am not a big fan of seafood except lobster, shrimp crab. I was born 50 miles from the Chesapeake bay and my father's base in Baltimore. So fresh crab on the weekend was, was $5.00 a bushel.

John, if you don't like Peps Persson you can always torture your wife with more Abba.

And for some perspective for the few and the proud who are following this, here are aerial views of Damariscotta and Marstrand:

https://images.vastsverige.com/publishedmedia/3uuc7ik16pqfpd31mold/Marstrand_DL-835_low.jpg
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H2O-XKMPR1Y/maxresdefault.jpg

Just a *few* people (or boats) in Marstrand.

I like a lot of music. I just need to figure out how to access my music from John's computer, since he has his connected to a real (yet very old) receiver and the nice (but also old) Bose speakers. My music is on my computer and we are networked. Well, I'm networked to his. I guess he's not interested in what goes on over here.

Beautiful images. Thanks for posting them.

Pickled fish isn't as bad as you'd think, you can pickle in almost whatever you like and so the flavor variations are simply endless and can be made to preference. Fermented, as surströmming is, is probably more of an acquired taste... But you gotta hand it to the swedes of yesteryear, it is actually a very good method of preservation that takes very little resources and time. No need to wait for the fish to dry, no need to use excessive amounts of expensive salt, just lightly salt it, pop it in a can and leave it for later times. One can see why they did it, and it's not mainly for the flavor...

At least we're not quite as mad as the Icelanders. They take a poisonous shark, bury it in the ground until it ferments which neutralizes the posion, dig it up, dry it and serve it with strong liquor. The shark, at this stage, smells strongly of ammonia and has been described as smelling like the mens room while tasting like a urine soaked mattress... Suddenly, a slightly funky and very salty fermented herring (surströmming) doesn't sound so bad huh?

Hey Karl, I found this presumably Swedish Bolter on Youtube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g1JKUCuS1M

Yours?

Anton,

Wonder what happened to you. Nice holiday break?

Hey Peg!

Yeah, busy as always around this time of year. But we've been making merry and having a nice and relaxed christmas, so it's all good! Hope you had a very merry christmas, and happy new year one and all! Hope 2023 has something good in store for us!

Karl -- Cool pics -- Thanks! It does sort of prove the point, doesn't it?? Damariscotta is humble next to Marstrand ... I can see mom's place in one picture and my great grand parents house in the other ... Cool!! Well ... not really ...

I bet its easier to get a table at a restaurant in Damariscotta ...

Ron ... If you ever go to Maine, don't ask for Swedish food. And never EVER ask *anyone* "Which way to Millinocket?" Just don't.

Ok, now you have my curiosity... What's in Millinocket and why shouldn't you ever ask for directions there??

Anton ... It's kinda a Maine joke ... But essentially, asking directions to Millinocket is a waste of time.... because ...

well, This should explain it...


BTW, a "flivver" is a Ford Model T ...

And the real question isn't *how* to get to Millinocket ... but *why* would you want to go there in the first place??

Doh, waste of time indeed...

Hej allihop!
I am just returned from the frozen mountains of the far north of Sweden. Internet is a bit dodgy up there. John, it could be that the Stovebolt Swede from youtube is from those northern parts, there are a lot of gearheads up there. Myself, I appreciate the bolts in more original shape, being used as they were intended. Time marches on, and it surely has left me behind.
My wife and I just bought a fine 2-acre farm at the end of the road along the arctic circle. Sooner or later the 53' is going to join us up there. First I need to prepare a suitable garage, well, and get the newly restored motor reinstalled.
Marstrand is a fine place to visit, particularly in the summer, popular with the sailing crowd. I recommend it to all you adventurous types! They even have a thriving interest in historical organs! I don't know much about Millinocket. I am sure it has its hidden charm.

Karl, If Millinocket has a hidden charm then they have hidden it really well ...

I very much look forward to seeing pictures of this new farm of yours. Forget Marstrand, I'll come visit you in the arctic! Tell us more?

Plus, I would very much enjoying hearing Karin play.

Hey there guys. What's amazing about getting a farm. A little cold for me, tho.

Is Karen still playing. We still listen to the CD you sent.

My Dad is a full blooded Swede, thus I bear a very Swedish last name.

We always made Pototiskorv, Rye Bread, Frukt Suppa and a few other old country items for Christmas growing up.

Still try to have at least one Swedish meal over the holidays. Meatballs have replaced the Korv in recent years as they are much easier to make and the kids eat them better.

The rye bread recipe is a family one from my Dad’s mother’s side and is dynamite.

JW You can't find a more Swedish food than meatballs, on the other hand plenty of Swedes won't touch surströmming which Bushido has mentioned.
Peggy, indeed, what could be remarkable about a 2-acre farm? But being located on the arctic circle is both unusual for a farm and wonderfully impractical. The fishing is good and the reindeer roam free. Not a lot of crops grow. I don't want John dropping by if you don't follow along to keep him in line, so I hope you two can get on the same train. Here are some exotic pictures, sorry, no truck up north yet.

But don't miss Marstrand.

What beautiful pictures. But, it just looks far too cold for me. John can go visit you all.

So what would you "farm" on 2 acres in the arctic circle?


(I noticed you did a great job putting the tag line on your pictures. Trying to get more people to do that! )

Lingonberries!

(I actually have no idea at what latitude lingonberries grow)

Not too far off, JW. We can find cloudberries not too far away. The farm once included a few more acres, and some forest, the tillable land was used to grow fodder for the few cows they kept. The whole area is no longer classified for agricultural use. That is why we have the ideal farm, we are not encouraged to "work" it. And I too am not classified for agricultural use. I am about to pull the brake on "work" in any form...

Peggy, I don't know how I managed a tag line. It just appeared! The spelling of our names is not correct, specifically my wife's name, which is properly spelled Karin. She is certainly still playing the organ as well as teaching ditto. She has to support her trophy husband!
By the way, Karin is convinced that the cold degrees in the north feel warm.

Karl,

Sorry about the error in Karin's name. And that occurred because I spelled her name wrong when I posted the prior image. For some reason (and we are trying to get this fixed), the UBB program sometimes carries over the previous tag.

That's great that she's taking good care of you that way. Maybe that "north" cold is dry? (Hmm ... isn't all cold air dry?)

Never too late to reopen an old thread. I've been working too hard, but I just returned from a visit to Marstrand! If Millinocket is a charming as Marstrand you all ought to book it for a Stovebolt reunion. Marstand is a popular tourist attraction and a true hangout for the well-heeled sailing crowd. It might be a little unpractical for a stovebolt reunion, since the island itself is mostly free of cars. We had to take a little ferry over and then ambulate using our actual feet.

John, the Unrepentant, I would guess that a lot has happened to Marstrand since your mom left.

Karl

Karl,

Good to hear from you. Sound like you are suffering so. (NOT!)

It is NEVER too late to open an old thread. It's a living document until someone kills it. (Works good as bait. )


We have had several recent folks register from your next of the woods. How does this sound?

Nisser
Yelles AB (Broadband)
Borlänge, W SE
Sweden, Europe


That was a few days ago (8/16). Watch for him in Welcome Centre, maybe?

Peggy

Karl ... I think you need to consult a map. Granted, you do suffer from a lackluster HS education, still .... Why on God's Green Earth would we want to do a Stovebolt event in Millinocket??? I think the Marstrand tourism bureau should have you publicly slapped silly for comparing that beautiful town to ... um ... well, Millinocket. We Mainers make fun of Millinocket. It's a place to get gas on your way to other such hotspots as Ft Kent or Carribou. And why you'd want to go to either of those places either is beyond my capacity for logical reasoning (which is immense, I assure you, because I ... you know why).

Millinocket ... Shoot, how 'bout we do it in Westbrook?? Right in the papermill parking lot?? Will you come? Before you do, though, you need to find a better crack dealer.

Millinocket. Dude ... you're not right.

Anyway, Marstrand doesn't appear to have changed one speck since my great grandparents left. In fact, I can see their house in that picture.

Glad you got a chance to visit my family's home turf (or rocks, as it were). Got any more pics??

I did tell you about what my mom's cousin (who lived in Wassenaar) told my mom when Mom mentioned about wanting to visit Marstrand? Well, I'll tell you again....

"You live in Damariscotta, Maine. You already know what Marstrand is like -- it's just like Maine only you can read the street signs."

Peggy, I've been an infrequent visitor to the Stovebolt page for a while. All work and no play, call me Jack. I'll have to look into the new litter of Swedish bolters. It is a big country, but we passed through Borlänge this summer.
Part of the nature of my profession is that I have a lot of pictures of churches and the interiors of churches. So, here comes a picture of the church in Marstrand. If there is enough interest I can even post a picture of the organ.

Med vänliga hälsningar, Karl

Well, *I* want to see the organ. If *I* count.

Here you go, John. And a little Renaissance organ literature in Swedish.

New old organ for Marstrand

I forget about "big country" stuff. I forget even about big state (examples: Texas, California).


It's great you are able to see so much of the big country (and the big world) as part of your job. That organ image you sent ... that's truly incredible and beautiful.

Med vänliga hälsningar,

Peg

HEY! What about Alaska??

Oppps .........

I was mostly thinking of the biggies in the Side Lot.