Aebleskiver? And you eat them??

Yep, and with powdered sugar and jam!  So I learned on my first trip to Solvang.  So close to Los Angeles, but continents away in terms of charm. 

The Santa Ines Mission was founded on September 17, 1804 and was named in honor of Saint Agnes, an early Christian martyr of the fourth century. The Spanish for Agnes is Inés, hence the name of the church; the American Yankees anglicized the spelling of the Spanish pronunciation and named the town Santa Ynez.  The Mission, which commands a superb view of the Santa Ynez River Valley and the Santa Ynez and San Rafael mountain ranges in the distance.

The community of Solvang was founded in 1911 and began as a dream of three Danish immigrants: Reverend Benedict Nordentoft, Reverend J. M. Gregersen, and Professor P. P. Hornsyld. In January, 1911 the Danish-American Colony corporation bought almost 10,000 acres of prime land in the Santa Ynez Valley, California. The new colony was named “Solvang” (meaning sunny field).   Early buyers, almost all Danish, came from California, the Midwest, and Denmark. 

In 1936, the 25th anniversary of Solvang’s founding, the people in Solvang decided to throw a party. The three-day celebration (June 5-7) included a torch-light procession, plays, pageants, a parade, folk dancing and singing, a concert, barbecue, and a street dance — and was a huge success. In 1937 Solvang put on another celebration and the tradition of Danish Days was born.  In January 1947, the Saturday Evening Post magazine published a feature article about the “spotless Danish village that blooms like a rose in California’s charming Santa Ynez Valley.”

Oh, the smell of fresh baked pastries… That’s one of the main attractions when walking the town square.  And Aebleskivers?  Well, they are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover.  Oh, delicious!!

Check out my complete collection of Solvang-area photos (including some great wine country) at http://costamesaphotography.com/

And as always, if you have comments or suggestions, drop me a line....

(photo metadata:  1/500 sec @ f/4.0, ISO 100, focal length 45mm)