The clouds cleared, bouncing the winter sun blindingly from the snow and turning shadows blue as they explored old dwellings that had been gathered from all over Sweden to form exhibits. Hannah was particularly struck by a home for two families that, although basic and old-fashioned to her, had still been occupied recently enough for a photograph of the final occupants to stand on the mantel. Josie liked the old school house because its ceiling-scraping Christmas tree was hung with handmade ornaments of coloured paper and oranges studded with cloves. Ladies in traditional dress gave them delicious warm pepparkakor to munch.

They meandered onward to the animal enclosures, gazing down at a lean, thickly pelted wolf pack playing in the snow like puppies. One wolf lifted its long snout and howled, its ruff sticking out like a lion’s mane. ‘Woooooooooo,’ Maria crooned back.

They saw lynx, wolverines – or ‘funny badgers’ as Josie declared them – and a huge, lugubrious elk who lay comfortably chewing, gazing back at them through rustic wooden rails. A couple of his buddies stalked up on their long legs to snuffle through oversized noses, making Josie laugh. ‘It’s awesome here,’ she said. ‘It’s like Narnia. Magically snowy, the little houses are from the olden days and the animals are weird.’

‘They’re not weird,’ Carina reproved her. ‘They’re Swedish.’

Josie’s eyes danced as if she could comment but Nico lifted an eyebrow so she returned her gaze to the elk instead. Hannah wondered if she’d ever have an eyebrow that could discourage a cheeky comment like that.

They paused at the cafeteria to eat then carried on, Nico teasing Josie when she mistook lights in the shape of icicles as the real thing, popping Maria on his shoulders when she tired, catching Carina’s elbow when she slipped on an icy patch. Smiling at Hannah as if checking she was there.

They waited until nearly three to see the sunset, gorgeous over the water, making silhouettes of the buildings and spires of the other shore and turning the snow a breathtaking pastiche of pink and apricot.

Fairy lights shone out as dusk darkened the sky to lavender blue and they made their way to the exit to begin the trek back to the hotel. Maria became whiney and overtired so they stopped for hot chocolate and cookies. ‘Hey, hey,’ Nico said, drawing her onto his knee. ‘Cheer up, kid. These cookies have chocolate chips.’ Maria took the cookie but was almost too worn out to eat.

Josie leaned her head on Carina’s shoulder and yawned. ‘I’m tired too. We walked about a hundred miles.’

‘Or maybe two,’ Hannah joked. ‘It was so beautiful at Skansen. I could go on exploring for ages.’

‘Don’t take me with you,’ groused Josie, munching a cookie with her eyes shut.