Learning about the history of Candy Canes at Gränna
Following a day at Vadstena pretending to be the princess in the tower in the majestic ‘Slott’
Today was all about finding about some of Sweden’s more contemporary history… its always great to see the ‘bricks ‘n’ mortar’ of a country but sometimes the human angle is equally appealing to our young explorers….
And Gränna has that covered, the undisputed home of the red/white spiralled ‘candy cane’.…
Tucked under the eastern shores of Lake Vättern, it has an enviable position… all made even better by the picture perfect ‘coloured houses’ that adorn the main high street…
The story goes that in 1859, a widow began making these wonderful confectionary to support her young daughters…. the tradition stuck and soon became hugely popular not only in Sweden but across the world… with plenty of Christmas trees lined with the wonderfully evocative ‘red/white Polka Pig’ candy spirals that promise sweet tasting delights… if a little pepperminty!!
The whole region is a fantastically beautiful one… with the road running alongside the lake for much of the 20km leading unto the town… with the island of Visingö perched serenely in the middle of the lake….
It also lays claim to some famous hot air ballon exploits….. and as luck would have it, a ballon rose majestically as dusk approached… you couldn’t have planned it!
The balloonist Salomon August Andrée, who died in an attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon, was born in Gränna so perhaps this is why the ballon is launched each weekend…. or maybe it was to view the jaw droppingly beautiful sunsets… the first we’ve seen in Sweden on the night we leave…
The Oresund bridge beckons tomorrow and a chance to explore Copenhagen…. Sweden remains a beautiful place that may well form part of our Year 2 planning…. choices, choices, choices!!!
Granna, sweden
