Day 18-19 Monsteras, Smaland
One last awesome frukost at our hotel in Stockholm, and it’s on the road in Sweden. Very easy to drive here once you get out of Stockholm. In Stockholm, it’s a whole different story … over water, under water (where the GPS doesn’t work) … a bit confusing to say the least! But at least the steering wheel is on the left side of the car again.
A beautiful 6 hour drive down the eastern coast of Sweden, through Ostergotland (land of my grandfather) and into Smaland – land of my grandmother. Arrived tired, but was welcomed by Anna Lena, her brother Per Arne, and his 4 children: Lydia, Carl Johan, Nanny, and Per Martin. Their beautiful farm home is in Monsteras. Most older homes in Sweden (as in over 100 years old) have a name, and theirs is Boo Gard. Beautiful pastures filled with horses and cows surround them on all sides. Took a tour of their farm on foot, then got to enjoy the family trying to round up the recently born colt who loves to jump fences and lope all over the farm. Once all the horses were corralled within an electric fence field, we were off to the Monsteras church to pay respects to our relatives who had passed on since I was last in Sweden. Back home to enjoy a late ‘fika’ (coffee and food), then to bed at midnight. It was just slightly dark outside; there is little to no ‘night’ anymore in Sweden. The sun sets at about 10pm and rises again about 4 hours later!
Up at 6am, and out the door by 6:45am. Both Lydia and Nanny were performing for their respective school graduation ceremonies. Lydia was graduating from middle school, so she and her classmates followed a long-standing tradition. All the kids from each graduating class pile into large birch tree-bedecked tractor-trailers where they sing and yell as they are pulled around the town to the cheers and waves of parents, friends, and neighbors. Lots of fun – by noon their summer vacation had begun.
Now I don’t know about you, but these 4 kids were real troopers. On their first day of summer vacation, they accompanied Anna Lena, Per Arne, Diane and I to another church/graveyard in Fagerhult where Diane saw the gravesite of her maternal great-great-great grandparents. Just preceding this, we enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant after being in a brief hailstorm! Then off to Lilla Klo, birthplace of Diane’s great grandmother. Not the typical ‘first day of summer’ experience, but we really enjoyed being with the kids. While at Lilla Klo, we had a tailgate fika, then back into town to listen to Carl Johan’s band perform. They are called The Seagulls, and Carl Johan is their lead vocalist. Diane was impressed. Seriously.CLICK HERE TO VIEW "THE SEAGULL'S" PLAYING!!!
Back home, pulled out some old photographs and talk genealogy with Anna Lena, and had dinner at 11:30pm. What a full day!
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