1 00:00:05,923 --> 00:00:07,257 [intercom chiming] 2 00:00:07,341 --> 00:00:10,427 [Eugene Levy] They say to travel is to live. 3 00:00:10,511 --> 00:00:16,391 Well, maybe, if a day at the airport doesn't suck the life out of you first. 4 00:00:19,311 --> 00:00:23,106 I mean, where else would you be told to arrive two hours early… 5 00:00:23,190 --> 00:00:26,235 - [metal detector beeping] - …only to become dangerously close 6 00:00:26,318 --> 00:00:28,820 to being two hours late? 7 00:00:29,321 --> 00:00:33,367 Still, I think my travels last year were good for me. 8 00:00:33,450 --> 00:00:35,869 They seemed to broaden my outlook. 9 00:00:36,537 --> 00:00:37,996 To a degree. 10 00:00:38,622 --> 00:00:45,337 So now, I'm taking on what is apparently a must-do for any respectable traveler. 11 00:00:45,420 --> 00:00:47,381 [intercom chiming] 12 00:00:47,464 --> 00:00:49,091 I'm doing Europe. 13 00:00:50,801 --> 00:00:52,719 All right. Where are we, exactly? 14 00:00:54,304 --> 00:00:56,557 I'm going all continental… 15 00:00:58,350 --> 00:01:01,478 from the very top to the very bottom. 16 00:01:01,562 --> 00:01:06,775 I'm heading off the beaten track to discover some real hidden gems… 17 00:01:07,401 --> 00:01:08,652 Are you getting this? 18 00:01:08,735 --> 00:01:12,614 …and embrace this budding spirit for adventure. 19 00:01:12,698 --> 00:01:14,116 Look at me. No hands. 20 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:15,784 Oh. 21 00:01:15,868 --> 00:01:17,911 They're right here. What is this, the bow? 22 00:01:19,204 --> 00:01:21,915 I'll be educating my taste buds… 23 00:01:21,999 --> 00:01:24,334 - [laughs] - Wow, that was so good. 24 00:01:24,418 --> 00:01:25,878 [whistles] Grapes are ready. 25 00:01:26,962 --> 00:01:29,798 - …and trying to live like a local. - [dancers singing, cheering] 26 00:01:29,882 --> 00:01:32,259 - Welcome to my village. - [laughs] 27 00:01:32,342 --> 00:01:34,887 - [Levy] This is insane. - [sheep bleating] 28 00:01:34,970 --> 00:01:37,014 I just saved your life. Remember me. 29 00:01:37,097 --> 00:01:40,058 I'm packing any worries in my luggage… 30 00:01:40,142 --> 00:01:41,476 [imitates moose call] 31 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:42,978 Here they come. Here they come. 32 00:01:43,061 --> 00:01:45,856 You never know what the body's gonna do when it's in abject terror. 33 00:01:45,939 --> 00:01:49,401 I don't think I've done anything quite like this since I was a kid. 34 00:01:49,484 --> 00:01:52,404 - [cheering] - …and I'm about to utter three words 35 00:01:52,487 --> 00:01:54,198 I've never said before. 36 00:01:55,073 --> 00:01:56,283 Ready for takeoff. 37 00:02:14,718 --> 00:02:17,721 Every journey has to begin somewhere. 38 00:02:19,723 --> 00:02:21,016 I came up with that. 39 00:02:22,017 --> 00:02:26,271 Mine starts up here, at the northernmost tip of Sweden, 40 00:02:26,772 --> 00:02:31,026 with the whole continent of Europe stretching out before me. 41 00:02:32,027 --> 00:02:36,073 That's a daunting thought for someone who isn't too well traveled. 42 00:02:37,241 --> 00:02:40,744 For the first leg of my epic European adventure, 43 00:02:40,827 --> 00:02:45,415 I've flown 6,000 miles across seven time zones, 44 00:02:45,499 --> 00:02:50,337 from Toronto to a little town called Gammelstad in Sweden, 45 00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:55,133 that's so far north, I'm barely 30 miles from the Arctic Circle. 46 00:02:58,595 --> 00:03:03,475 I've heard when you're this far north, the sun doesn't set. 47 00:03:04,101 --> 00:03:05,769 How can you live without night? 48 00:03:07,229 --> 00:03:11,024 Normally, if you're having a bad day, you know it's gonna end. 49 00:03:11,650 --> 00:03:15,529 I mean, I'm a creature of habit. I like night following day, 50 00:03:15,612 --> 00:03:18,824 but the Swedes may have a different take on it. 51 00:03:27,165 --> 00:03:30,752 Here in Sweden, they celebrate the longest day 52 00:03:30,836 --> 00:03:33,338 with the biggest festival in their calendar. 53 00:03:33,839 --> 00:03:35,048 Midsummer. 54 00:03:35,674 --> 00:03:38,927 But before I can join in the weekend holiday fun, 55 00:03:39,011 --> 00:03:43,974 local guide, Robert, is taking me to my hotel in his taxi. 56 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,101 - Is this how you do it? - Yes. 57 00:03:46,185 --> 00:03:48,604 [Levy] And I'll happily cough up a sizable tip, 58 00:03:48,687 --> 00:03:52,232 if we make it there without taking on water. 59 00:03:52,316 --> 00:03:53,150 Let's go. 60 00:03:58,113 --> 00:04:00,449 Got a lot of river here, Robert. 61 00:04:00,532 --> 00:04:02,534 It's the second-largest river in Sweden. 62 00:04:02,618 --> 00:04:04,286 It's 580 kilometers long. 63 00:04:04,369 --> 00:04:05,579 It's massive. 64 00:04:06,079 --> 00:04:08,916 In the 1500s, when Sweden started to modernize, 65 00:04:08,999 --> 00:04:11,502 we used the rivers for, um, logging. 66 00:04:11,585 --> 00:04:14,963 [Levy] So, the logging industry is a big industry here? 67 00:04:15,047 --> 00:04:16,589 [Robert] Yeah, we have a lot of trees. 68 00:04:17,173 --> 00:04:18,509 [Levy] And he's not kidding. 69 00:04:20,135 --> 00:04:23,347 There are something like 87 billion of them. 70 00:04:24,890 --> 00:04:28,393 That's more than a third of all the trees in the US, 71 00:04:28,894 --> 00:04:32,856 squeezed into a country roughly the size of California. 72 00:04:34,399 --> 00:04:38,278 The trouble is, all that forest also means… 73 00:04:38,362 --> 00:04:39,613 [buzzing] 74 00:04:40,447 --> 00:04:41,823 [Robert] Mosquitoes. 75 00:04:41,907 --> 00:04:42,783 - Mosquitoes? - Yeah. 76 00:04:42,866 --> 00:04:46,662 We-We have more-- more than, uh, 47 different, uh, breeds of mosquitoes. 77 00:04:46,745 --> 00:04:51,667 Forty-seven different kinds of mosquitoes? 78 00:04:51,750 --> 00:04:53,836 - [Robert] Yes. Yeah. [chuckles] - Wow. 79 00:04:53,919 --> 00:04:57,089 What do people do, mostly, up here? 80 00:04:57,172 --> 00:04:59,174 [Robert] The outdoor life is really big up here. 81 00:04:59,258 --> 00:05:04,012 In the summer, we go out on the rivers, we go kayaking, boating, fishing. 82 00:05:04,096 --> 00:05:06,223 In the winters, we go ice fishing, 83 00:05:06,306 --> 00:05:08,600 we go in the forest, snowmobiling and so on. 84 00:05:08,684 --> 00:05:10,269 The life here is very extreme. 85 00:05:11,562 --> 00:05:16,608 [Levy] Like a lot of city folk, my idea of extreme is having no Wi-Fi. 86 00:05:17,234 --> 00:05:22,239 So, arriving in a place where the main road is a river is unnerving, 87 00:05:22,322 --> 00:05:23,323 to say the least. 88 00:05:23,407 --> 00:05:25,534 For now, we're getting close to your hotel. 89 00:05:25,617 --> 00:05:26,869 To the Arctic Bath. 90 00:05:29,746 --> 00:05:32,457 [Levy] I'm guessing with a name like the Arctic Bath, 91 00:05:32,541 --> 00:05:35,711 this isn't a hotel for the faint-hearted. 92 00:05:36,420 --> 00:05:40,465 Designed to resemble a logjam, the hotel caters to people 93 00:05:40,549 --> 00:05:43,886 who want to experience the finer side of the wilderness 94 00:05:43,969 --> 00:05:47,264 for just under $1,000 a night. 95 00:05:47,347 --> 00:05:49,683 Showing me around is Jessica, 96 00:05:49,766 --> 00:05:52,728 whose family have lived in this unique part of the world 97 00:05:52,811 --> 00:05:53,854 for generations. 98 00:05:53,937 --> 00:05:55,230 So, this is it. 99 00:05:55,314 --> 00:05:56,398 [Levy] I have to say, 100 00:05:56,481 --> 00:06:02,404 this is one of the strangest-looking structures that I've ever seen. 101 00:06:03,155 --> 00:06:05,699 A floating ring containing a restaurant, 102 00:06:05,782 --> 00:06:07,743 Jacuzzis and a sauna. 103 00:06:07,826 --> 00:06:12,456 And at its center, a plunge pool into the river Lule itself. 104 00:06:12,539 --> 00:06:14,499 You see the net that comes around here? 105 00:06:14,583 --> 00:06:18,420 It's to keep the pikes from coming in, biting your toes when swimming. 106 00:06:19,087 --> 00:06:21,215 - Oh, really? - Yeah. 107 00:06:21,298 --> 00:06:22,591 [chuckles] 108 00:06:27,095 --> 00:06:30,015 [Jessica] So, this is where you will stay. Come in. 109 00:06:30,098 --> 00:06:31,975 - Ah. - This is your room. 110 00:06:32,059 --> 00:06:33,435 Big window. Um… 111 00:06:33,519 --> 00:06:36,104 [Jessica] So you can get all of that sun, all night. 112 00:06:36,188 --> 00:06:39,233 And what do we have covering the windows? 113 00:06:39,316 --> 00:06:40,150 I mean, is it… 114 00:06:40,234 --> 00:06:42,027 - Well, you have the blinds here… - [Levy] Yeah. 115 00:06:42,110 --> 00:06:43,862 … but, uh, why would you wanna use them? 116 00:06:43,946 --> 00:06:47,157 - Well, I mean, for-- let's say, sleeping. - [chuckles] 117 00:06:47,241 --> 00:06:51,662 Well, if you're here, experiencing the northern Swedish way to live, 118 00:06:51,745 --> 00:06:53,664 you should leave the blinds open. 119 00:06:53,747 --> 00:06:54,998 - Leave the blinds open? - Yeah. 120 00:06:55,082 --> 00:06:56,792 I might need it just a little darker, 121 00:06:56,875 --> 00:06:57,793 - But… - [Jessica] Yeah. 122 00:06:57,876 --> 00:07:03,507 My mom and I are doing some, uh, baking, this traditional bread that we make. 123 00:07:03,590 --> 00:07:06,260 So, if you want, you should stop by to pick up some bread 124 00:07:06,343 --> 00:07:08,220 to bring for the celebrations. 125 00:07:08,303 --> 00:07:10,597 - You can meet my mom. Say hi. - All right. 126 00:07:10,681 --> 00:07:13,725 - Okay. Thank you, Jessica. Thank you. - Thank you. 127 00:07:15,769 --> 00:07:20,023 [Levy] Baking bread is just one part of the Midsummer preparations. 128 00:07:21,066 --> 00:07:24,570 Every year, this tiny town transforms itself 129 00:07:24,653 --> 00:07:26,738 to welcome thousands of revelers. 130 00:07:27,406 --> 00:07:30,534 And Jessica has told me to go and meet one, 131 00:07:30,617 --> 00:07:32,703 Eva, in the town square. 132 00:07:33,704 --> 00:07:37,082 Ever get the feeling you've come a little underdressed? 133 00:07:39,877 --> 00:07:43,839 - Hi, Eugene. Hello. I'm Eva. - Hi. Eva. 134 00:07:43,922 --> 00:07:45,132 - Yes. - This is my husband. 135 00:07:45,215 --> 00:07:46,592 His name is Göran. 136 00:07:46,675 --> 00:07:48,343 - Göran? Nice to meet you. - Yeah. 137 00:07:48,427 --> 00:07:50,762 - Yeah. Come and join us. - Okay. 138 00:07:50,846 --> 00:07:53,473 We are going to prepare for Midsummer. 139 00:07:54,016 --> 00:07:58,854 Okay. So, what we were seeing here is just… [stammers] …what, a rehearsal? 140 00:07:58,937 --> 00:08:01,023 Exactly. That is what we are doing. 141 00:08:01,106 --> 00:08:04,318 Midsummer is almost like our national day. 142 00:08:04,401 --> 00:08:06,778 It's the day that everybody celebrates. 143 00:08:06,862 --> 00:08:09,323 We are going to dance around the maypole. 144 00:08:09,823 --> 00:08:13,702 What does the maypole have to do with Midsummer? 145 00:08:13,785 --> 00:08:18,373 Because life starts in summer, and some people say 146 00:08:18,457 --> 00:08:21,293 that it's a phallic symbol and you raise it up. 147 00:08:21,376 --> 00:08:25,464 [Levy] Where I'm from, you usually have a drink or two 148 00:08:25,547 --> 00:08:27,716 before getting down to this kind of talk. 149 00:08:27,799 --> 00:08:29,510 - Okay. - Yeah. [chuckles] 150 00:08:29,593 --> 00:08:34,306 So, it's, uh-- it's a pretty thing and it's also a phallic symbol. 151 00:08:34,389 --> 00:08:35,640 Exactly. 152 00:08:36,225 --> 00:08:38,101 I see. And then you just raise it up. 153 00:08:38,184 --> 00:08:41,230 And you h-- As you see, it's a pole and the bar. 154 00:08:41,313 --> 00:08:45,234 And at the end of the bar, you will also hang two circles. 155 00:08:45,317 --> 00:08:47,528 And you can guess what they could symbolize. [laughs] 156 00:08:47,611 --> 00:08:50,030 And when-- Well, we could-- we have an imagination. 157 00:08:50,113 --> 00:08:51,657 [laughs] 158 00:08:51,740 --> 00:08:54,826 I think you could help us decorate the maypole. 159 00:08:54,910 --> 00:08:57,913 - Uh, I-- I certainly will. - Yeah. 160 00:08:57,996 --> 00:09:01,542 Well, this is-- this is awfully pretty. What, do you just step over here? 161 00:09:01,625 --> 00:09:03,502 - Should I just step over the thing? - [laughs] 162 00:09:03,585 --> 00:09:05,838 I'll be with you in about five, ten minutes. 163 00:09:05,921 --> 00:09:07,881 - [laughing] Shall I take your hand? - Here. [strains] 164 00:09:07,965 --> 00:09:09,925 - Great. Whoa. - Thank you. 165 00:09:10,008 --> 00:09:11,343 - At the bottom. - [Levy] On the bottom? 166 00:09:11,426 --> 00:09:12,719 - Put them on the bottom. - Yes. 167 00:09:12,803 --> 00:09:14,096 - [Eva] You can hold it. - [Levy] Yeah. 168 00:09:14,179 --> 00:09:15,848 - [Eva] I've got a string here. - [Levy] That's it. 169 00:09:15,931 --> 00:09:18,642 - But will you make sure that-- - [townsperson] Your hands okay? 170 00:09:18,725 --> 00:09:19,768 [Levy] My-- So far. 171 00:09:19,852 --> 00:09:21,019 [Eva, townsperson chuckles] 172 00:09:21,103 --> 00:09:22,604 - [Levy] Look at this. See? - Yeah. 173 00:09:22,688 --> 00:09:25,440 [Eva] The flowers come out around Midsummer. 174 00:09:25,524 --> 00:09:29,903 The sun brings life to flowers and to people. 175 00:09:29,987 --> 00:09:32,656 So, there's a lot of action Midsummer. 176 00:09:32,739 --> 00:09:33,740 Definitely is. 177 00:09:33,824 --> 00:09:38,912 Around 22nd of March was the most common date of birth in Sweden. 178 00:09:38,996 --> 00:09:40,539 - Really? - Really. 179 00:09:41,123 --> 00:09:43,917 - Midsummer and nine months after. - [stammers] 180 00:09:45,335 --> 00:09:48,547 I think I know why they now get so excited about it. 181 00:09:48,630 --> 00:09:50,507 It's all becoming crystal clear. 182 00:09:50,591 --> 00:09:54,303 The flowers on the pole, I think, are just, you know, dressing on the-- 183 00:09:54,803 --> 00:09:56,555 on the salad, so to speak. 184 00:09:56,638 --> 00:09:59,766 But the salad itself is, "Come on, baby. Let's go." 185 00:10:00,934 --> 00:10:05,647 Well, this is one of the best-looking phallic symbols I think I've ever seen. 186 00:10:05,731 --> 00:10:07,107 [Eva, townsperson chuckling] 187 00:10:08,442 --> 00:10:12,362 [Levy] All this discussion of salads and dressing is making me hungry. 188 00:10:12,446 --> 00:10:17,201 So I'm heading to the bakehouse to meet Jessica, and her mom, Jane. 189 00:10:17,868 --> 00:10:21,079 I hear I can't turn up to the festival empty-handed, 190 00:10:21,163 --> 00:10:23,290 so we're gonna bake bread. 191 00:10:23,373 --> 00:10:27,586 Okay. Welcome to the baking of the mjukkaka. 192 00:10:27,669 --> 00:10:30,422 - Okay. This is, what, "haka"? - Mjukkaka. 193 00:10:30,506 --> 00:10:32,216 - Oh. M-- Mjukkaka. - Yeah. 194 00:10:32,299 --> 00:10:34,426 It basically translates into soft bread. 195 00:10:34,510 --> 00:10:36,261 So, Jane, you've been doing this-- 196 00:10:36,345 --> 00:10:38,222 - Oh, yes. I've been-- - …for quite a while. 197 00:10:38,305 --> 00:10:43,477 - This isn't your first loaf of bread. - I used to bake 180… 198 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:45,020 - [Jessica] A day. - …a day. 199 00:10:45,103 --> 00:10:46,855 That's a big dinner. 200 00:10:46,939 --> 00:10:48,774 - [Jane chuckles] - This is kind of our signature bread 201 00:10:48,857 --> 00:10:52,319 and she's very particular about how it's supposed to be made. 202 00:10:52,819 --> 00:10:53,779 - [Jane] Yeah. - Okay. 203 00:10:53,862 --> 00:10:57,199 - Yeah. - You can take some flour and put here. 204 00:10:57,282 --> 00:10:59,034 - [Levy] Okay. - [Jane] Just a little. 205 00:10:59,701 --> 00:11:01,870 - Gonna give you this one-- - [Levy] Yeah. 206 00:11:01,954 --> 00:11:03,580 [Jane] …and take this roll pin. 207 00:11:03,664 --> 00:11:06,124 - Uh-huh. - You have to be soft on your hands. 208 00:11:06,667 --> 00:11:07,668 - [Jessica] Gentle hands. - Yes. 209 00:11:07,751 --> 00:11:09,002 Gentle hands. Yeah. 210 00:11:09,086 --> 00:11:10,546 [Levy] Well, if anybody has gentle hands… 211 00:11:10,629 --> 00:11:11,630 - [Jane chuckles] - [Levy] See? 212 00:11:11,713 --> 00:11:14,508 Jane, does your husband help you when you're baking bread? 213 00:11:14,591 --> 00:11:17,845 He's not allowed to do this because he can't. 214 00:11:17,928 --> 00:11:22,683 They look like this, and then w-we can't sell them. 215 00:11:23,350 --> 00:11:25,727 My fiancé is-- No, he can't come here. 216 00:11:25,811 --> 00:11:28,146 He uses way too much flour. No. 217 00:11:28,230 --> 00:11:32,818 Uh, they are good at cooking… [stammers] …food but not baking. 218 00:11:32,901 --> 00:11:34,820 - [Jessica] Yeah. - [Levy] Why do I have the feeling 219 00:11:34,903 --> 00:11:37,990 I might be the next man banned from this kitchen? 220 00:11:38,073 --> 00:11:39,616 [Jessica] How long have you been married for? 221 00:11:39,700 --> 00:11:44,288 Is-- Is that a-- I've been married for 46 years. 222 00:11:44,371 --> 00:11:45,205 - Wow. - Yeah. 223 00:11:45,289 --> 00:11:46,206 - That's-- - Not bad. 224 00:11:46,290 --> 00:11:47,666 - No, no, no. - Okay. 225 00:11:47,749 --> 00:11:48,625 That's not bad. 226 00:11:48,709 --> 00:11:50,627 - You have any tips? - [Levy] Well-- 227 00:11:50,711 --> 00:11:53,255 - Up here, not there. Only up here. - Up-- 228 00:11:53,338 --> 00:11:54,464 That would be one. 229 00:11:54,548 --> 00:11:55,966 [chuckles] 230 00:11:56,049 --> 00:11:57,259 Listen, I would say. 231 00:11:57,342 --> 00:11:59,136 - Listening would be good. - Yeah. Listen-- Listening. 232 00:11:59,219 --> 00:12:01,221 - Yeah. - Yeah? That's good? 233 00:12:01,305 --> 00:12:05,017 - [chuckles] You have to listen to me. - That's what she got out of it. 234 00:12:05,100 --> 00:12:06,351 Okay. Yeah? 235 00:12:07,978 --> 00:12:10,981 - [Levy] How's that? - The shape is supposed to be round. 236 00:12:11,064 --> 00:12:12,065 - [chuckles] - [Levy] Jessica. 237 00:12:12,149 --> 00:12:13,859 - Uh, Eugene. - [chuckles] 238 00:12:13,942 --> 00:12:15,694 - More here, and less there. - [Levy] All right. 239 00:12:15,777 --> 00:12:17,362 - Uh-huh. - [sighs] 240 00:12:17,446 --> 00:12:20,741 I don't know whether it's a Swedish thing or, you know, whatever, 241 00:12:20,824 --> 00:12:26,163 but, uh, no, these-- these women are very strong women, you know? 242 00:12:26,246 --> 00:12:27,414 They don't take a lot of guff. 243 00:12:27,497 --> 00:12:29,917 They just like to do things their way and make sure it's right. 244 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,002 And if you're not doing it right, get out of the way. 245 00:12:35,047 --> 00:12:39,051 Forty-seven varieties of mosquitoes here in Sweden. 246 00:12:40,052 --> 00:12:41,345 [Jessica] In the oven it goes. 247 00:12:41,428 --> 00:12:42,930 - [Levy] In the oven it goes. - [Jessica] Yes. 248 00:12:43,013 --> 00:12:46,850 - One, two, three. - Oh, no. [chuckles] 249 00:12:46,934 --> 00:12:48,393 - This is not a good thing. - [Jane] Hold it. 250 00:12:48,477 --> 00:12:51,438 [Jessica] No. Uh, this will be ugly, but put it in anyway. 251 00:12:52,147 --> 00:12:54,983 [Levy] Jessica's nothing, if not encouraging. 252 00:12:55,984 --> 00:12:59,071 Okay, it's not gonna win any prizes for how it looks, 253 00:12:59,655 --> 00:13:01,907 but the secret's in the tasting. 254 00:13:02,449 --> 00:13:04,117 - It's good, right? - Wow. 255 00:13:04,201 --> 00:13:07,371 There is actually a folklore tale about bread, 256 00:13:07,454 --> 00:13:10,374 that women back in, like, the 18th century 257 00:13:10,457 --> 00:13:13,293 used to sleep with a loaf of bread under their arms 258 00:13:13,377 --> 00:13:16,296 to sort of boost it with pheromones. 259 00:13:16,380 --> 00:13:20,342 [chuckles] And then they were to give it to the person they were going to marry. 260 00:13:20,425 --> 00:13:23,303 And if they ate it, they knew, like, "Okay, this is the one." 261 00:13:24,012 --> 00:13:25,013 [chuckles] 262 00:13:25,097 --> 00:13:28,308 - That's a horrible tale. - [Jane, Jessica laugh] 263 00:13:28,392 --> 00:13:31,895 - If you don't see it, it's very nice. - [Jane, Jessica chuckle] 264 00:13:31,979 --> 00:13:33,897 See? You can't judge a book by its cover. 265 00:13:33,981 --> 00:13:34,982 [chuckles] 266 00:13:37,025 --> 00:13:40,571 And I'll tell you what else is difficult to judge this far north. 267 00:13:41,321 --> 00:13:42,155 Bedtime. 268 00:13:43,073 --> 00:13:46,660 This, to me, is actually the definition of sadism. 269 00:13:46,743 --> 00:13:50,998 You know, how do we torture a guest who really wants a good night's sleep? 270 00:13:51,081 --> 00:13:53,375 We'll put in a set of blinds like these, 271 00:13:54,084 --> 00:13:56,879 that don't really close and don't really block out the light. 272 00:13:56,962 --> 00:13:59,256 And you think if anyone could design a system 273 00:13:59,756 --> 00:14:02,968 that blocks out the light and does it quickly, 274 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:06,346 it would be the Swedes. 275 00:14:10,601 --> 00:14:15,189 Now, this is where you might expect to see some beautiful shots 276 00:14:15,272 --> 00:14:20,736 of the sun setting, but it won't do that for another six weeks. 277 00:14:23,488 --> 00:14:28,076 Even at midnight, it's like Mother Nature can't find the off switch. 278 00:14:29,786 --> 00:14:33,916 I guess when you live somewhere that's so dark for so much of the year, 279 00:14:33,999 --> 00:14:36,668 you need to make the most of the sunlight. 280 00:14:39,338 --> 00:14:43,217 Well, you might be surprised to learn that despite having no night, 281 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:46,887 I've emerged rested and invigorated. 282 00:14:47,387 --> 00:14:49,765 I discovered the eye mask. 283 00:14:50,933 --> 00:14:52,059 They had them laid out. 284 00:14:52,142 --> 00:14:54,728 I've never used one before, never needed one. 285 00:14:54,811 --> 00:14:58,106 Put it on, slept like a baby. 286 00:14:58,815 --> 00:15:04,530 [chuckles] Yeah. So it's all good. Um, it's actually, uh, quite a vista here. 287 00:15:07,115 --> 00:15:09,493 During the Midsummer holiday weekend, 288 00:15:09,576 --> 00:15:11,995 Swedes flock to the great outdoors. 289 00:15:12,663 --> 00:15:16,041 So, today, I'm heading out into the wilderness 290 00:15:16,124 --> 00:15:17,918 to really live like a local. 291 00:15:18,794 --> 00:15:23,298 [Levy] Turns out the way you do that here isn't quite what I expected. 292 00:15:24,341 --> 00:15:27,219 I'm going to, uh, meet a moose caller. 293 00:15:27,302 --> 00:15:30,681 Jessica was kind enough to set that up for me. 294 00:15:31,473 --> 00:15:33,475 I'm really up for doing everything, 295 00:15:33,559 --> 00:15:37,729 um, that I can under the umbrella of discovery. 296 00:15:38,355 --> 00:15:40,357 Here we go. Here we go. 297 00:15:43,110 --> 00:15:45,946 Now, I've never seen a moose back home in Canada, 298 00:15:46,029 --> 00:15:47,531 which is a surprise, 299 00:15:47,614 --> 00:15:51,618 considering an adult male can reach 7 feet tall 300 00:15:51,702 --> 00:15:54,037 and weigh a thousand pounds. 301 00:15:55,414 --> 00:15:58,750 But, like me, they're shy. 302 00:15:58,834 --> 00:16:01,628 So it takes someone special to lure them out. 303 00:16:02,337 --> 00:16:04,923 Like a man who can talk to a moose. 304 00:16:06,633 --> 00:16:10,012 I hear he has his own cabin in the woods. 305 00:16:10,512 --> 00:16:13,724 I think of him as kind of a Grizzly Adams kind of guy. 306 00:16:14,892 --> 00:16:19,188 I don't think this gentleman would be coming out to greet me in a sports jacket. 307 00:16:21,398 --> 00:16:23,317 - [moose caller] Hello. - Hello, hello. 308 00:16:23,942 --> 00:16:25,611 - My name is Mikael. - Mikael. 309 00:16:25,694 --> 00:16:26,778 - Yeah. - Eugene. 310 00:16:26,862 --> 00:16:28,739 - Nice to meet you. - And nice to meet you. 311 00:16:28,822 --> 00:16:32,784 I think you should borrow this one because we have a lot of mosquitoes. 312 00:16:32,868 --> 00:16:35,829 - [Levy] Uh, I've heard. - And you don't want them to eat you up. 313 00:16:35,913 --> 00:16:37,164 [Levy chuckles] 314 00:16:37,247 --> 00:16:41,251 Okay, this look is not gonna get me the cover of GQ, 315 00:16:41,335 --> 00:16:44,671 but if it keeps the mosquitoes away, I'll risk it. 316 00:16:44,755 --> 00:16:46,340 So, I think we should take a walk in the wood. 317 00:16:46,423 --> 00:16:47,466 What do you think about that? 318 00:16:47,549 --> 00:16:48,967 - Then we-- - Take a nice quick walk. 319 00:16:49,051 --> 00:16:51,762 - How about that? - Yeah. And I can show you my living room. 320 00:16:51,845 --> 00:16:52,679 [chuckles] 321 00:16:53,263 --> 00:16:57,184 You are doing the moose-calling activities under the mating season. 322 00:16:57,768 --> 00:17:01,813 So, the bull moose is coming in and think, "Oh, I have a nice girlfriend here." 323 00:17:02,731 --> 00:17:06,609 And he get really disappointed when he see the little fat guy from north. 324 00:17:07,194 --> 00:17:09,363 [Levy] Little fat guy from the north? 325 00:17:09,445 --> 00:17:11,490 I hope he doesn't mean me. 326 00:17:12,115 --> 00:17:15,993 I've heard a moose can run 35 miles an hour. 327 00:17:16,078 --> 00:17:19,830 So, disappointing one seems like a bad idea. 328 00:17:19,915 --> 00:17:22,376 If the moose come, don't move at all. 329 00:17:25,796 --> 00:17:30,050 Maybe I should stand behind you. Like-- Would that be a good thing? 330 00:17:30,133 --> 00:17:32,219 Yeah, you do whatever you want. 331 00:17:32,302 --> 00:17:33,470 [both chuckling] 332 00:17:33,554 --> 00:17:34,763 Do you feel happy now? 333 00:17:37,057 --> 00:17:39,101 So then we start to call in the moose. 334 00:17:39,977 --> 00:17:42,813 [imitates moose call] 335 00:17:52,781 --> 00:17:55,409 - [continues imitating moose call] - [Levy chuckling] 336 00:17:57,828 --> 00:17:59,079 It sounds like you're ill. 337 00:17:59,162 --> 00:18:00,330 Don't laugh at me. 338 00:18:00,414 --> 00:18:03,375 - I-- I'm really serious here. [chuckles] - No, no, no, no, no. 339 00:18:03,458 --> 00:18:05,586 It takes some getting used to because when you hear it, 340 00:18:05,669 --> 00:18:07,504 - you think, you know… - Yeah. 341 00:18:07,588 --> 00:18:09,798 …you should get to a drugstore or something. But it's… 342 00:18:10,507 --> 00:18:12,593 Do you like to-- to try it? 343 00:18:13,093 --> 00:18:16,180 Don't-- Don't try this in Toronto. 344 00:18:16,263 --> 00:18:17,764 [laughs] 345 00:18:17,848 --> 00:18:19,141 [Levy] In Toronto? 346 00:18:19,224 --> 00:18:21,685 It seems crazy trying it in Sweden. 347 00:18:22,519 --> 00:18:24,980 [imitating moose call] 348 00:18:33,197 --> 00:18:35,490 - That one works. - Is that good? 349 00:18:35,574 --> 00:18:36,575 [Mikael] That's good. 350 00:18:40,078 --> 00:18:41,371 [Levy] I don't see anything. 351 00:18:41,872 --> 00:18:45,000 Normally, it would take how long before-- 352 00:18:45,083 --> 00:18:47,252 - Maybe three, four hours… - Okay. 353 00:18:47,336 --> 00:18:49,630 …because it takes long time for them to walk. 354 00:18:49,713 --> 00:18:50,714 Okay. 355 00:18:56,220 --> 00:18:58,013 What if you have dinner reservations? 356 00:18:58,096 --> 00:18:59,264 - Or, let's say-- - Yeah. 357 00:18:59,348 --> 00:19:01,475 - Forget the dinner. - For-- Forget the dinner? 358 00:19:01,558 --> 00:19:02,392 Yeah. 359 00:19:02,476 --> 00:19:04,144 [Levy] Do you see anything yet? 360 00:19:04,228 --> 00:19:06,688 - Anywhere? - [Mikael] Uh, nothing. 361 00:19:09,066 --> 00:19:11,610 [Levy] Well, we've been stood up by a moose. 362 00:19:11,693 --> 00:19:18,283 It's a low point, but Mikael's still keen to show me why Swedes love nature so much. 363 00:19:18,367 --> 00:19:22,246 [Mikael] In Sweden, for some people, when you run around all the time… 364 00:19:22,329 --> 00:19:25,249 - [Levy] Yeah. - …sometimes you run a little too fast… 365 00:19:25,332 --> 00:19:27,501 - [Levy] Uh-huh. - …so you leave your spirit. 366 00:19:28,252 --> 00:19:31,505 So, sometimes, you must stop a little while. 367 00:19:32,130 --> 00:19:34,216 Wait for your spirit to come back. 368 00:19:34,883 --> 00:19:36,969 - Right. Yeah. - Yeah. And some people said, 369 00:19:37,052 --> 00:19:42,182 "Oh. It can be ångestdämpande to be out in the forest, relaxed and"-- 370 00:19:42,266 --> 00:19:46,353 Ång-- Ångestdämpande is, uh, being out in the forest, 371 00:19:46,436 --> 00:19:47,855 - being more relaxed? - Yeah. 372 00:19:47,938 --> 00:19:52,734 I have to be honest, this is a very, very heavy mosquito thing out here right now. 373 00:19:52,818 --> 00:19:54,653 - [chuckles] Yeah. - So I'm not-- 374 00:19:54,736 --> 00:19:59,324 I'm not really, you know, as relaxed as, let's say, you are. 375 00:19:59,408 --> 00:20:00,284 [chuckles] 376 00:20:00,367 --> 00:20:03,245 Well, Mikael, thank you for taking me out. 377 00:20:03,328 --> 00:20:05,038 It was really nice to have you here. 378 00:20:05,664 --> 00:20:09,376 [Levy] What's your percentage of actually getting a moose to respond? 379 00:20:09,459 --> 00:20:12,379 [Mikael] Uh, under the mating season, it's really good. 380 00:20:12,462 --> 00:20:14,214 [laughs] 381 00:20:14,298 --> 00:20:17,134 [Levy] I guess some guys have all the luck. 382 00:20:18,302 --> 00:20:21,597 Oh, well. Maybe I'll see one back in Canada. 383 00:20:32,691 --> 00:20:38,071 [Levy] Finding my ångestdämpande proved to be as elusive as seeing a moose. 384 00:20:39,239 --> 00:20:43,118 But my day immersed in nature isn't over yet, 385 00:20:43,202 --> 00:20:46,705 and maybe I can discover it with the help of Robert… 386 00:20:46,788 --> 00:20:47,664 [Robert] Hello. 387 00:20:47,748 --> 00:20:50,918 [Levy] …who's promised to take me on a nice river cruise 388 00:20:51,001 --> 00:20:53,420 to a Midsummer's eve barbecue. 389 00:20:54,546 --> 00:20:56,882 - Well, kayaks. - Yeah. 390 00:20:56,965 --> 00:21:01,094 I thought there might be a motorboat, like the one we had the other day. 391 00:21:01,178 --> 00:21:02,387 But that's, uh-- 392 00:21:02,471 --> 00:21:05,724 Ah, that's also-- Sometimes we will do motorboating, other times we do kayaking. 393 00:21:05,807 --> 00:21:07,351 Well, my lucky day. 394 00:21:07,851 --> 00:21:09,269 - Yeah. - Life jacket? There you go. 395 00:21:09,353 --> 00:21:12,648 I wanna make sure when I get to the other side, I'm still breathing. 396 00:21:12,731 --> 00:21:14,525 - Yeah. [chuckles] It's a good idea. - Yeah. Yeah. 397 00:21:14,608 --> 00:21:15,609 - Yeah. - Yeah. 398 00:21:15,692 --> 00:21:17,194 Whatever happens, you never panic. 399 00:21:17,277 --> 00:21:19,404 - Uh-huh. Never panic. - Never panic. 400 00:21:19,488 --> 00:21:22,366 You never know what the body's gonna do when it's in abject terror. 401 00:21:22,449 --> 00:21:24,618 - Don't panic. No. - No. Don't panic. 402 00:21:25,118 --> 00:21:27,412 - Whatever happens. - Two of my favorite words. 403 00:21:27,496 --> 00:21:28,914 Take the paddle and push out. 404 00:21:28,997 --> 00:21:30,541 Oh, perfect. Very good. 405 00:21:30,624 --> 00:21:33,961 [Levy] Now, I've been up a few creeks in my time, 406 00:21:34,044 --> 00:21:36,672 but at least today, I've got a paddle. 407 00:21:36,755 --> 00:21:41,677 You know, one of the things that I love about getting out on the water like this-- 408 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:43,637 - Uh-huh. - No mosquitoes. 409 00:21:44,221 --> 00:21:45,347 [Levy] No mosquitoes? 410 00:21:46,014 --> 00:21:47,057 I love that. 411 00:21:48,433 --> 00:21:51,979 - [Robert] How does it feel? - It feels pretty good. Silky smooth. 412 00:21:52,062 --> 00:21:54,356 Yeah? That's nice. 413 00:21:55,983 --> 00:21:58,360 I think this is something I was born to do. 414 00:22:09,413 --> 00:22:11,623 This is actually quite pleasant. 415 00:22:11,707 --> 00:22:16,128 It's probably the, uh, most relaxing I've been since I've been here. 416 00:22:16,211 --> 00:22:18,255 There's a word for that too, isn't there? 417 00:22:18,338 --> 00:22:20,591 "Å-Ångestastrapende." 418 00:22:20,674 --> 00:22:22,467 [Robert stammers] Yeah, how do you spell it? 419 00:22:22,551 --> 00:22:24,386 We don't have that kind of time. 420 00:22:24,469 --> 00:22:25,470 [Robert chuckles] 421 00:22:25,554 --> 00:22:27,681 Angu-- Ångestdämpande. 422 00:22:27,764 --> 00:22:30,392 [Robert] Yes. Ångestdämpande. 423 00:22:30,475 --> 00:22:35,147 Which is getting a, uh, total hit of peace and relaxation, 424 00:22:35,230 --> 00:22:39,401 and generally being anxiety and stress-free? 425 00:22:39,484 --> 00:22:40,485 [Robert] Oh, yeah. 426 00:22:40,569 --> 00:22:42,696 Just go with the flow, and that-- that's something we do also 427 00:22:42,779 --> 00:22:44,531 when we are out kayaking like this. 428 00:22:44,615 --> 00:22:46,116 Go with the flow. 429 00:22:51,038 --> 00:22:53,874 [Levy] Going with the flow is food for thought, 430 00:22:54,374 --> 00:22:58,253 but right now, my thoughts are on actual food. 431 00:22:58,337 --> 00:23:04,134 And in Sweden, they say when the snow melts, the grills come out. 432 00:23:04,218 --> 00:23:08,180 They say it in Swedish, though. Thought I'd point that out. 433 00:23:08,263 --> 00:23:10,641 - Hey, everybody. - [all] Hi. 434 00:23:11,808 --> 00:23:14,603 - The pilgrims have landed. - [all chuckling] 435 00:23:14,686 --> 00:23:15,604 Mikael. 436 00:23:15,687 --> 00:23:18,649 - Hello, Eugene. How are you? - [Levy] Mikael's already here, 437 00:23:18,732 --> 00:23:21,735 which makes me think either he can run faster than 438 00:23:21,818 --> 00:23:25,822 a 35-mile-an-hour moose, or he drove. 439 00:23:25,906 --> 00:23:27,574 - Hi. - This is my son, Emil, here. 440 00:23:27,658 --> 00:23:29,284 Emil? Nice to meet you. 441 00:23:29,368 --> 00:23:30,536 - And that's my wife, Anna. - Hello. 442 00:23:30,619 --> 00:23:32,913 - Anna. Really nice to meet you. - Anna? Nice to meet you. 443 00:23:32,996 --> 00:23:34,915 What's it like living with this guy? 444 00:23:34,998 --> 00:23:40,170 I mean, is it just-- is-- does he just-- does he just drag you out there? 445 00:23:40,254 --> 00:23:42,089 If you're not coming, we're-- we're-- You know? 446 00:23:42,673 --> 00:23:47,177 We're hi-- We're hiking into the woods today, whether you like it or not. 447 00:23:47,261 --> 00:23:51,056 "Stampenande"-- "Ångestampenande"-- What? 448 00:23:51,139 --> 00:23:52,474 - [chuckles] Ångestdämpande. - [Anna laughs] 449 00:23:52,558 --> 00:23:54,017 - Ångestdämpande. - Yeah. 450 00:23:54,101 --> 00:23:56,395 [Levy] He tried to explain it to me in the woods, 451 00:23:56,478 --> 00:24:02,776 but we were so busy fighting mosquitoes, I wasn't quite getting it, you know? 452 00:24:02,860 --> 00:24:04,278 [Levy narrating] Ångestdämpande. 453 00:24:04,361 --> 00:24:11,243 The idea that you can, uh, use something to relieve stress and anxiety. 454 00:24:11,910 --> 00:24:14,246 The fact that here in Sweden, it is nature, 455 00:24:15,205 --> 00:24:19,835 I kind of twigged to that when I was on the river in-- in the kayak. 456 00:24:21,128 --> 00:24:22,212 Kids are awfully cute. 457 00:24:22,296 --> 00:24:24,298 - Thank you. - Let me see-- Let me see how big you are. 458 00:24:24,381 --> 00:24:25,757 Let me see how big you are. 459 00:24:25,841 --> 00:24:28,427 - Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. - Ah, he's smiling. [chuckles] 460 00:24:28,510 --> 00:24:30,596 Yeah, I think he's ready to go out on the river. 461 00:24:30,679 --> 00:24:32,764 I can take him out and give him-- give him some tips. 462 00:24:32,848 --> 00:24:34,558 [chuckles] 463 00:24:34,641 --> 00:24:38,478 [Levy] Having started to find my ångestdämpande, 464 00:24:38,562 --> 00:24:41,982 I'm now in the right frame of mind for tomorrow's big event. 465 00:24:42,065 --> 00:24:43,901 The Midsummer festival. 466 00:24:50,949 --> 00:24:54,703 It's time for a Swedish celebration of the sun 467 00:24:54,786 --> 00:24:58,707 and everyone's ready except the sun, 468 00:24:59,416 --> 00:25:02,920 which looks like it might not turn up to its own party. 469 00:25:03,754 --> 00:25:08,425 This downpour brings a whole new meaning to going with the flow. 470 00:25:08,926 --> 00:25:11,595 I mean, the idea that you're celebrating the sun 471 00:25:11,678 --> 00:25:14,431 and you can't see it is something that, 472 00:25:14,515 --> 00:25:17,267 um, you know, books can be written about, I guess. 473 00:25:17,351 --> 00:25:21,396 But they're totally excited about it and I think it'll be fun. 474 00:25:24,566 --> 00:25:26,026 - Hi. - Jessica. 475 00:25:26,109 --> 00:25:27,694 Welcome to Midsummer. 476 00:25:27,778 --> 00:25:29,279 Well, thank you so much. 477 00:25:30,113 --> 00:25:31,990 I thought you might need an umbrella. 478 00:25:32,074 --> 00:25:33,242 - Yes, it appears… - [chuckles] 479 00:25:33,325 --> 00:25:35,911 …that, uh, the sun might not be coming out today. 480 00:25:35,994 --> 00:25:38,497 No. This is typical Midsummer. 481 00:25:38,580 --> 00:25:40,582 - Uh-huh. - It's supposed to be a little bit rainy, 482 00:25:40,666 --> 00:25:42,376 otherwise it's not really Midsummer. 483 00:25:42,459 --> 00:25:44,086 And I guess you want the real experience. 484 00:25:44,169 --> 00:25:46,797 I want as true an experience as we can get here… 485 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,006 - Yes. - …for Midsummer. 486 00:25:49,174 --> 00:25:52,761 The highlight of the festival is the raising of the maypole, 487 00:25:52,845 --> 00:25:55,556 followed by dancing, drinking 488 00:25:55,639 --> 00:26:00,477 and, well, whatever dancing and drinking leads to afterwards. 489 00:26:02,312 --> 00:26:05,023 But first, Jessica wants me to embrace 490 00:26:05,107 --> 00:26:07,693 a rather different Swedish tradition. 491 00:26:07,776 --> 00:26:11,238 I thought we could start off with some Swedish fika, if you would like to? 492 00:26:11,321 --> 00:26:12,573 - Swedish fika. - Yeah. 493 00:26:12,656 --> 00:26:15,200 It normally involves, like, a pastry and coffee, 494 00:26:15,701 --> 00:26:21,248 but it's really just a moment to relax, sit down, have a chat with a friend. 495 00:26:21,331 --> 00:26:24,418 - [Levy] This, I like. - [Jessica] Fika is the best. 496 00:26:25,460 --> 00:26:27,963 [Levy] Some of the things on offer at the festival 497 00:26:28,046 --> 00:26:30,090 are a real treat for the taste buds. 498 00:26:30,591 --> 00:26:32,259 - [Jessica] You like it? - I love it. 499 00:26:32,342 --> 00:26:34,428 And then, there's this. 500 00:26:34,511 --> 00:26:36,805 The Swedes love pickled herring, 501 00:26:36,889 --> 00:26:39,725 a pungent, fermented fish, 502 00:26:39,808 --> 00:26:43,437 usually served as part of a buffet or smorgasbord… 503 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,064 [Jessica] Hi. Could I have a taste of the herring? 504 00:26:46,607 --> 00:26:50,485 [Levy] …and Jessica is really keen for me to try it. 505 00:26:50,569 --> 00:26:51,695 You peel the fish? 506 00:26:51,778 --> 00:26:52,613 - Yes. - [vendor] Yes. 507 00:26:52,696 --> 00:26:54,364 Boy, this is-- Can't wait. 508 00:26:54,448 --> 00:26:57,951 You can-- You can eat with the bones, but it's not-- 509 00:26:58,744 --> 00:27:00,454 No, no, no. You don't want the bones. 510 00:27:10,881 --> 00:27:12,090 [Jessica] What do you think? 511 00:27:13,425 --> 00:27:15,260 - It's really good. - Hmm. 512 00:27:15,344 --> 00:27:16,470 - [Jessica] Are you sure? - Yeah. 513 00:27:16,553 --> 00:27:18,055 - [vendor] You're not joking? - No, no, no. 514 00:27:18,138 --> 00:27:19,056 - [stammers] - Not joking? 515 00:27:20,682 --> 00:27:22,184 [Levy] And post herring, 516 00:27:22,267 --> 00:27:25,270 Jessica has something to wash away the taste. 517 00:27:26,021 --> 00:27:27,689 - [Jessica] Here we are. - [sings indistinctly] 518 00:27:27,773 --> 00:27:31,235 [Levy] We're joining Eva and Göran for a traditional toast 519 00:27:31,318 --> 00:27:33,320 before the raising of the maypole. 520 00:27:33,403 --> 00:27:39,117 So, my mjukkaka, I think I did a pretty damn good job. 521 00:27:39,201 --> 00:27:41,703 - It's delicious. Really. Very good. - [Levy] Is it not good? 522 00:27:41,787 --> 00:27:43,247 - Mmm. I like it very much. - [Jessica] Good. 523 00:27:43,330 --> 00:27:44,581 Well, see, it's not that difficult… 524 00:27:44,665 --> 00:27:46,583 - No. You were really good at it. - …baking bread. 525 00:27:46,667 --> 00:27:47,501 - Right? - Yeah. 526 00:27:47,584 --> 00:27:49,378 So, there is a schnapps, 527 00:27:49,461 --> 00:27:52,047 but we need to sing before we are allowed to drink it. 528 00:27:52,673 --> 00:27:53,966 - I hope you practiced. - Göran? 529 00:27:54,049 --> 00:27:56,885 [Eva, Göran, Jessica singing in Swedish] 530 00:28:09,022 --> 00:28:10,023 [Jessica speaks Swedish] 531 00:28:13,944 --> 00:28:16,572 [all singing in Swedish] 532 00:28:17,906 --> 00:28:18,740 [Eva] Ah. 533 00:28:19,533 --> 00:28:20,909 - Lovely. - [Jessica] Lovely. 534 00:28:20,993 --> 00:28:22,578 - Good schnapps. - [Jessica] Yeah, good schnapps. 535 00:28:22,661 --> 00:28:24,746 Well, it's Midsummer. You have to. 536 00:28:24,830 --> 00:28:26,498 The sense of fun, right? 537 00:28:26,582 --> 00:28:30,961 If you have a tradition that has been going on for several hundred years, 538 00:28:31,044 --> 00:28:33,255 it-it's a part of being who you are. 539 00:28:33,338 --> 00:28:37,634 I am Swedish and, uh… [stammers] …my parents did this, 540 00:28:37,718 --> 00:28:41,054 my grandparents did this, their parents did it 541 00:28:41,138 --> 00:28:43,056 and their grandparents did it. 542 00:28:43,140 --> 00:28:49,438 And it's a happy time of year… [stammers] …and somehow takes hold of you. 543 00:28:50,314 --> 00:28:53,775 [Levy] There's an irony to celebrating the sun 544 00:28:53,859 --> 00:28:55,527 when you're soaked to the skin. 545 00:28:55,611 --> 00:28:58,655 Singin' in the Rain has nothing on the Swedes. 546 00:28:58,739 --> 00:29:02,951 In most parts of Sweden, there is, uh, men lifting the maypole up. 547 00:29:03,035 --> 00:29:05,120 But in the north of Sweden, 548 00:29:05,204 --> 00:29:08,248 we have really strong independent women who can do it themselves. 549 00:29:08,332 --> 00:29:09,541 Like your mom. 550 00:29:09,625 --> 00:29:12,252 Yes, my mom is a very strong independent woman. 551 00:29:12,336 --> 00:29:13,879 [both chuckle] 552 00:29:13,962 --> 00:29:15,005 And there it is. 553 00:29:15,088 --> 00:29:16,798 - [all cheer, applaud] - [Levy] Yeah! 554 00:29:20,010 --> 00:29:22,846 Should we climb up on this so we can get a spot maybe? 555 00:29:22,930 --> 00:29:24,264 They're dancing around. 556 00:29:24,348 --> 00:29:28,060 - [festival goers singing] - [Levy] Oh, my God. [chuckles] 557 00:29:28,143 --> 00:29:29,520 [Jessica] This is the frog dance. 558 00:29:29,603 --> 00:29:31,647 [Levy] Ah, okay. 559 00:29:31,730 --> 00:29:34,608 [singing Swedish] 560 00:29:34,691 --> 00:29:37,027 This is how the noise they made-- they make. 561 00:29:37,694 --> 00:29:41,114 [singing in Swedish] 562 00:29:41,198 --> 00:29:45,202 [Levy] Of course, nothing says Swedish Midsummer more 563 00:29:45,285 --> 00:29:46,995 than dancing like a frog. 564 00:29:48,163 --> 00:29:50,165 This was a French marching tune, 565 00:29:50,958 --> 00:29:54,711 but the Swedes turned it into a much-loved folk song. 566 00:29:55,671 --> 00:29:59,383 I love the fact that they're doing it with such glee… 567 00:29:59,466 --> 00:30:01,593 - [Jessica] Yeah. - …in this weather. 568 00:30:01,677 --> 00:30:04,596 I don't know whether I've seen anything quite like this before. 569 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:06,014 Only in Sweden. 570 00:30:06,098 --> 00:30:09,768 The weather doesn't matter to us. It could be raining, it could be sunny. 571 00:30:09,852 --> 00:30:11,436 We will still be here celebrating. 572 00:30:12,437 --> 00:30:14,773 [Levy] I gotta be honest. I'm actually having a ball out here. 573 00:30:14,857 --> 00:30:17,359 - Yeah? Really? I knew you would. - Yeah, I don't think I've done anything 574 00:30:17,442 --> 00:30:20,112 - quite like this since I was a kid. - No. No. 575 00:30:23,115 --> 00:30:29,621 If my little grandson James, you know, and my daughter, you know, 576 00:30:29,705 --> 00:30:31,290 and my son were here, and my wife, 577 00:30:31,373 --> 00:30:34,918 I-- I would have been dancing around the pole today. 578 00:30:36,712 --> 00:30:39,798 Seeing this, in this weather, 579 00:30:41,341 --> 00:30:45,137 just makes me love these people. 580 00:30:50,392 --> 00:30:55,939 It's a pretty funny concept of the maypole being a phallic symbol. 581 00:30:56,023 --> 00:31:01,778 It's tough, equating that with a family celebration, but it goes beyond that. 582 00:31:01,862 --> 00:31:05,616 It's the fertility that goes, actually into the soil, 583 00:31:05,699 --> 00:31:09,286 fertility of the soil brings out the flowers 584 00:31:09,369 --> 00:31:11,079 that go on the maypole, 585 00:31:11,163 --> 00:31:13,415 brings out the food that you eat. 586 00:31:13,498 --> 00:31:15,709 This is what this-- this holiday is about. 587 00:31:16,460 --> 00:31:19,796 I think that's what the go with the flow thing is here in Sweden, 588 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:23,926 that you just have to appreciate when stuff is working for you. 589 00:31:24,009 --> 00:31:27,346 Get through the winter 'cause you know the sun's gonna be coming out one day, 590 00:31:27,429 --> 00:31:32,893 and it gives you a glimpse into the soul of the Swedish people, I think. 591 00:31:32,976 --> 00:31:35,145 It is that major a thing. 592 00:31:36,063 --> 00:31:38,565 Learning to just go with the flow 593 00:31:38,649 --> 00:31:42,778 might be the most important thing I'll take away from my time in Sweden. 594 00:31:43,278 --> 00:31:49,117 I hope it serves me well, as I continue on my European odyssey. 595 00:31:49,952 --> 00:31:50,869 Next time. 596 00:31:50,953 --> 00:31:52,371 - [speaks Scottish Gaelic] - [laughs] 597 00:31:52,955 --> 00:31:57,584 [Levy] Scotland is my mother's country and she lived here until she was 13. 598 00:31:58,126 --> 00:31:59,878 That's a workout. 599 00:32:00,921 --> 00:32:03,382 Your family would've come here to celebrate with others. 600 00:32:03,465 --> 00:32:06,510 It's a feeling that I've never felt before. 601 00:32:06,593 --> 00:32:07,678 Here they are. 602 00:32:07,761 --> 00:32:11,181 Well, it's as close as you can to touching your own family tree. 603 00:32:11,265 --> 00:32:12,808 Good health. [speaks Scottish Gaelic] 604 00:32:12,891 --> 00:32:15,102 [coughs] Mama.