Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). The original Betty MacDonald Fan Club and literary Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society - the official Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website with members in 40 countries.
Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Friday, January 10, 2020
Winter wonderlands: The world's most magical frozen family holidays
"In northern Sweden, winter sparkles"
In northern Sweden, 100 miles beyond the Arctic Circle,
winter arrives with all the drama of a trumpet fanfare. It swaggers in
as early as October and by November the whole place is in lockdown,
buried beneath colossal banks of snow. Winter here is not grey and pallid. Neither is it insipid, drizzly, and merely chilly. In northern Sweden,
winter sparkles. It is sharp, bracing and carries a thrilling hint of
danger. It seizes you by the throat and takes your breath away,
literally, in dramatic steaming plumes. All the country’s fussy details
have vanished – rivers, lakes, forests, low-lying houses, elderly people
lingering too long on street corners – all gone, and in their place
that fathomless whiteness, the world buried beneath wind-sculpted
shapes. It is ravishingly and stunningly beautiful. So at least I was telling my daughter, Sophia. She listened patiently to my rhapsodies, with an expression of polite scepticism. In Britain, winter seems to be a time for hibernation, a withdrawal
into cosy domesticity, the fireside and the warming Aga. But in places
where winter is a serious affair, places such as northern Sweden, it is
all go. I grew up in Canada, where the first snowfall was greeted with
whoops of joy. For a child, winter was a season full of great stuff to do – ice
skating and ice hockey, skiing and toboganning – and unlimited mugs of
steaming hot chocolate.
"For a child, winter is a season full of great stuff to do – and unlimited mugs of steaming hot chocolate"Credit:
ALAMY
We live in Dorset, which is a little short on 10ft snow drifts. And
so I had the idea that it was time for Sophia to experience a real
winter. And all the raving about fun activities had done the trick. She
had come around to the idea, though admitted to being a trifle concerned
about the weather conditions. “Is it going to be very cold, papa?” she asked. Sophia is half
Italian and views cold the way Eskimos in a snug igloo view a sudden
thaw. “A little cold, darling,” I lied. “We will just need to wrap up
warm.” I felt it wasn’t the moment to mention that we were heading 100
miles inside the Arctic Circle, to Kiruna, a place where lakes freeze
like icebergs. Even for Swedes, this is a long way north. Gothenburg is
closer to Venice than it is to Kiruna.
At tiny Kiruna airport, it was so cold they were spraying the
aircraft wings with a special formula so they wouldn’t freeze and fall
off like icicles. As the door of our plane opened, Sophia and I stepped
out into buttock-clenching, eyelid freezing, toe-curling cold. “Papa,” Sophia gasped. “My cheeks are fire.” For a moment I thought
she was going to turn and bolt back inside the aircraft and its 24C
sanctuary. In the rented Volvo – its industrial heating system had soon
turned the car into a sauna – I glanced at Sophia in the rear-view
mirror. She was gazing out at the icebound world with an expression that
was probably best described as catatonic shock. Whirlwinds of snow were
battering the windows. The dashboard reported an outside temperature of
-20C. We were heading east on an icy road that ran between snow drifts as
tall as hedgerows. From time to time the forests broke and houses
appeared, even tiny hamlets. Curiously, we saw few people, as if the
inhabitants had fled or died. After a couple of hours we arrived at Lapland Guesthouse,
where we were greeted by Johan, a cheery bear of a man. An equally
cheery fire was roaring in the grate. Sophia, silent since our arrival
at Kiruna, sat so close to it, I worried her hair was going to catch
fire. Lunch was laid – smoked fish, meatballs with lingonberry sauce,
braised turnip, bread as firm as Johan’s handshake and several
surprisingly yummy things that involved cabbage. Lapland Guesthouse on the banks of the Lainio river is a collection
of traditional claret-coloured wooden houses with rooms as cosy as a hot
rum toddy. There are wooden dressers and wall cupboards, grandfather clocks and
wide wooden floorboards, fat pot-bellied stoves and painted chairs and,
according to Johan, several ghosts who have come along for the ride.
With snow banked up to the windowsills, and frost patterns etched across
the panes, it looked like something out of Doctor Zhivago. Throw in
Julie Christie, and it would be paradise.
"The rooms at Lapland Guesthouse are as cosy as a hot rum toddy"
At meal’s end coffee arrived, served in a kasa, a drinking vessel
resembling a wooden ladle. Then, suddenly, we were heading out. First up
was snowmobiling. But before we could take off across the snowy wastes,
there was the small matter of wrapping up warm. In the Arctic, wrapping up warm is such a complex procedure that it
requires a special room. We scooted along a path between 10ft drifts
into the Great Dressing Room, where we found ranks of boots with felt
liners, reindeer skin waistcoats, woollen balaclavas, fur-lined caps,
several barrels of gloves and, finally, the all-enveloping padded
onesies, with ventilation zips, snow cuffs, inner membranes, outer
membranes, sealed seams, and absolutely no possibility of going to the
loo once you were locked inside. Astronauts have less complicated gear.
Kitted up, we waddled out to the snowmobiles like Neil Armstrong setting
off to the moon.
"With cold tears in our eyes, icicles in our nostrils and 1000cc’s beneath our bottoms, we were turning into Vikings"Credit:
Asmus Koefoed - Fotolia
In a moment we were hurtling across a frozen lake aboard the big
beasts. In the silent magical world that are winter landscapes, with
their wind-smoothed drifts and the virgin expanses of snow, snowmobiles
are a menace. They are loud and intrusive. But for sheer
adrenalin-fuelled fun, they are up there with bungee jumping at Victoria Falls. Sophia and I roared away into a wintry vastness, laughing and
shouting. With cold tears in our eyes, icicles in our nostrils and
1000cc’s beneath our bottoms, we were turning into Vikings. Had there
been a native village among the trees, we would have roared up and
demanded ransom. A couple of cross-country skiers brought us to our senses. Grinning
like the Joker, we stopped to say hello. The skiers – a couple of
wholesome outdoorsy types – looked at us disapprovingly. We turned off
the engines and were enveloped in the towering winter silence they had
been enjoying before we turned up. It was at this moment that a snowy owl appeared. Without speaking,
one of the skiers raised an arm to point it out, ghosting over the flat
expanse ahead of us. Its wing span must have been five feet. Suddenly,
it banked and plunged, feet first, into the snow. An instant later, it
re-emerged, wings flapping, with something in its claws. The skiers
looked meaningfully at us. “They hunt by sound,” they whispered. “In the
silence, they are able to hear mice moving beneath three feet of
snow.” The following day we had an appointment with dogs. At Pinetree Lodge,
a smart rustic resort overlooking a frozen lake, we met another Johan.
Though he runs the lodge, he confessed that the whole thing was really
just an excuse to be with the dogs. He adored them. In this he had much
in common with Sophia. Surrounded by eight eager tail-wagging sled dogs,
she was in heaven.
"Mercifully,
the dogs were doing the driving. Had I known sled dog for 'right' or
'left', we would have ended up in a snow drift"Credit:
Robin Olofsson
Sled dogs are astonishingly keen. Once the team were hitched, and
Sophia was settled on to the sled, wrapped in furs, I released the snow
anchor gingerly. Immediately, dogs, sled, Sophia and I lurched forward
with the kind of g-force that would have impressed Lewis Hamilton. For a
moment I seemed to be horizontal, flapping at the back of the sled like
a tattered banner. Mercifully, the dogs were doing the driving. Had I known sled dog for
“right” or “left”, we would have ended up in a snow drift. My role was
confined to braking. As the dogs settled into a gentle run, we had time to admire the
scenery. A soft mist of falling snow had descended, covering everything
in white icing. Our trail led through woods, then broke free into open
expanses as we crossed frozen lakes before curving again through trees
knee deep in drifts. Sophia pointed to branches that were mantled and
bowed with spectacular burdens of snow. In this white world, all was
stillness, and silence. The only sounds were the soft padding of the
dogs, the murmur of the sled runners. Somewhere, on the edge of a snow-covered lake, we stopped for lunch.
Johan hollowed a shelter in a deep drift, started a small fire, and laid
down furs to sit on. Then we heated a wonderful stew . The dogs lay
down in the snow as if they were in front of a log fire. Sophia’s
cheeks, framed by her fur hood, were flushed pink. “Are you cold, darling?” I asked. She ladled more stew into her wooden bowl before settling back down among the furs. “This is the Arctic, papa,” she said patiently, now suddenly a veteran. “It is just a matter of wrapping up warm.”
Getting there
SAS (flysas.com) flies daily from London to Kiruna via Stockholm from £155 return.
Staying there
A four-night package at the Lapland Guesthouse, including flights,
transfers, full board, and excursions, costs from £2,120 per person. Ask
for the Lapland Guesthouse package with Regent Holidays (01174 534 955;
regent-holidays.co.uk). Pinetree Lodge full board and excursion packages (explorethenorth.se) start from £76 per night. The price of a half day husky tour is £76.50 per person.
By Sophie Butler Tempted to treat your family, and yourself to a taste of deep
midwinter? Here are half a dozen ideas that suit children as well as
adults. Prices are for this winter, but are subject to change. February
half-term departures are generally available unless stated otherwise.
1. Winter landscapes in Iceland
Give the children an unforgettable geography lesson in frozen lakes,
glaciers, hot springs and lava fields on a new, four-night family
itinerary, “Northern Lights, Glaciers and Waterfalls”. The Husafell
Hotel in Borgafjordur (90 minutes’ drive north-east of capital
Reykjavik), with swimming pool and children’s menu, makes a good vantage
point for viewing the Northern Lights and visiting Europe’s
second-largest glacier for a 300m walk though Langjokull ice cave. A
night in the Frost & Fire hotel in Hveragerdi is well located for
the Gullfoss waterfall and geysers of Geysir and Strokkur. From £527 per
person, based on two adults and two children (under 11), including five
days’ car rental.
Climb up a steep track through snow-laden trees to reach Chalet Twenty26,
a tranquil and romantic wooden chalet set atop a hill near Morzine, in
Haute-Savoie, France. With four luxurious bedrooms, this fully catered
lodge comes with a team of staff and basement spa with hydrotherapy
shower, steam room and treatment room with freestanding bath and
separate relaxation zone with nail bar, all serviced by Bamford
therapists. The outside spa area on the same level boasts a swimming
pool with training jet, hot tub and barrel-shaped cedar wood sauna. It’s
best for families with children aged from around three to 13 years
(older teenagers may find the location too remote) for snowshoeing,
tobogganing and outdoor fun. A seven-night snowshoe and spa break costs
from £968 per person, including drinks, afternoon teas, dinner and
chauffeur. Flights and transfers not included.
Combine a city break in Tromso with excursions into remote Norwegian
regions, miles from city lights on a three-night “Family Winter
Adventure” itinerary geared to families. Included in the tour is an
evening excursion to catch sight of the lights in a husky camp,
alongside a reindeer sledding experience with a Sami guide and a
northern lights cruise on an electric catamaran with an experienced
guide. Families can also opt to add on an extra night in Tromso and a
tour of the city, as well as a snowshoeing excursion. From £730 per
person excluding flights.
Head to a remote base in a spectacularly wintry setting at the edge
of Oulanka National Park in Finnish Lapland for an eight-day “Finnish
Winter Adventure”. Stay in a cluster of wooden buildings. Family rooms
have a mezzanine floor sleeping up to two children, while larger
families are allocated two rooms. Activities include dogsledding,
snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, an optional snowmobile safari and
visit to a reindeer farm and sleigh ride. Throughout the week there’s a
chance to take part in snow-based games, whether sledging, making
snowmen or building snow forts. The menu includes elk and vendace (a
freshwater fish), plus freshly picked lingonberries or cloud berries.
From £1,899 (adult), £1,424 (child aged five to 14 years), including
flights.
Discover the vast, snowy wilderness and native wildlife of Quebec on
an nine-day “Eastern Cities and Winter Activities” tour. From Montreal,
this winter itinerary takes in Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, home to red deer,
wolf, bison and raccoons, for a three-night stay in remote chalets.
Activities include snowshoeing, dog-sledding, ice skating and
snow-sliding on inflatable rubber tubes. Join a cross-country dog
sledding expedition to explore hushed, snow-blanketed forests. Ice
fishing on the silent lakes before heading back to a remote cabin to
warm up is an itinerary highlight. The tour finishes with a tour of old
Quebec. From £3,225 (adult), child rates calculated on a case-by-case
basis, including flights.
Sweden’s coolest accommodation, the Icehotel Jukkasjarvi
Book a seven-night break to remember at Sweden’s coolest
accommodation, the Icehotel Jukkasjarvi, built from ice from the River
Thorne. Newly built every year, it melts in the spring sunshine and is
redesigned the following year. Although primarily geared to older
guests, families with young children can book the warm accommodation
alongside and visit the icy structure during the day. On-site
activities, including husky sledding, reindeer or moose safaris and
snowmobiling, are suitable for children aged eight years and over.
Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and ice driving also available. From
£1,300 per person, including flights and transfers. Scott Dunn (020 3733 1664; scottdunn.com).
We have a very special Betty MacDonald fan club surprise for you.
Tell
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please and you'll get several fascinating Betty MacDonald fan club items
for free. Wolfgang Hampel's very successful book is available in many countries around the world. ( see links below )
Don't miss this unique Betty MacDonald fan club offer, please.
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Satire ist mein Lieblingstier
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Satire ist mein Lieblingstier
- Satirische Gedichte. Mit Informationen über die Kultveranstaltung
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Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
