And Now For Something Completely Different

Welcome to Lappland.

The last leg of this adventure is about to begin.

And at the Kiruna airport there are no  bicycles. But they do have special parking set aside if you arrive via other means of transportation

We left Copenhagen airport today, on the way to Kiruna in Northern Sweden. 

We arrived at the Kiruna airport in broad daylight, at 9:00pm.

We’re at the Kebne Hotel in Kiruna where we’ll leave our luggage for a week while we hike the northernmost portion of the Kungsleden. We’re 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle here, in Lappland, and the sun won’t set here tonight, nor any night soon. It’s 45 degrees outside, and windy.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we’ll leave here with our packs on a brief train ride to the mountain station at Abisko, thirty miles further north. We’ll have electricity and hot food tomorrow night, and a bed.

On Monday, we head down the Kungsleden, staying overnight in the hiking huts provided along the way. When finish, we catch a bus back here to Kiruna to spend our last night in Lappland back at the Kebne Hotel.

We won’t have internet, electricity, nor running water during the hike, so I’ll catch up with y’all and the blog on the other side.

In the meantime, here’s the itinerary:

Sunday: Train to Abisko Mountain Station

Monday: Hike to Lake Abiskojaure Cabin, 15km, 100m ascent

Tuesday: Hike to to Alesjaure Cabin, 20km, 300m ascent

Wednesday: Hike to Tjaktja Cabin, 13km,  200m ascent

Thursday: Hike to Salka Cabin, 12km, 150/300m  ascent/descent

Friday: Hike to Singi Cabin, 12km, 100m descent

Saturday: Hike to Mountain Station Kebnekaise

Sunday: Hike out and bus to Kiruna   

Lots of pictures to follow...

Copenhagen... A Good Place to Change Planes

We’re becoming familiar with CPH, the Copenhagen Airport. When we made the itinerary for this adventure, it turned out that CPH had better connections to the US and our other destinations than flying into and out of Stockholm, the other logical airport. As a result, we will have gone into and out of CPH about 6 times by the time we leave here for CLT.

So, if you’re planning a trip to the Nordics, consider Copenhagen airport. As for the city itself, well, the airport is convenient. And I’ll admit we found a couple of good restaurants.

Before I go on I want to say that all of the people we met in Copenhagen that weren’t on bicycles were friendly and helpful. Great people. And we were fortunate enough to spend those three days in a home that John Nelson found on AirBnb. Ana’s home is in the suburbs of Copenhagen, convenient to the airport, and to downtown. It’s modern, spacious, well appointed, and private. And an absolute bargain compared to Copenhagen hotels. A great place to stay if you’re going to Copenhagen, or even better, elsewhere in Denmark.

 The Danish Train System (not connected to the Metro) can get you around the country efficiently. Roskilde, 25 minutes outside of Copenhagen, is a must see.

But If you detect I have some cynicism about Copenhagen right now, you’re right. I’ll explain.

John and I went with Diana and Debi yesterday to the airport, by taxi. And we decided to take the Metro back to the B&B. We’d already become pretty familiar with the Metro – you buy a ticket priced based on the number of zones you’re traveling (our B&B is in Zone 3, Center City one 1). Makes sense. We did it several times during our stay. Two zone tickets are about $6.00 – Copenhagen is not a cheap place to visit (or live). And once we bought tickets, we never had to scan them anyplace or verify them in any way. An honor system.

So, when leaving the airport, John and I bought a couple of two zone tickets and got on the Metro. Shortly after boarding a Metro “Steward” came through the car. I knew she was coming because the Copenhagen guy standing next to me turned quickly and walked toward the other cars.  So much for his honor system.

The “Steward” glanced at John’s ticket, walked on, and asked for mine. I showed her mine, she looked at it, and told me she was going to write me a ticket for 750 Krone (about $125), because I didn’t have a three zone ticket (which would have cost about $4 more.)

The reason? All rides from the airport are considered three zone rides, in spite of the Metro map. Go figure.

The scheme was apparent. 1. A confusing ticket scheme, one which visitors likely will get wrong. 2. Ticket “stewards: on the airport cars, ones which visitors will likely be on. 3. Outrageous fines, ones which a lot of visitors will go ahead and pay.

Welcome to Copenhagen, suckers.

The steward and I had a long conversation over the ethics of this, during which I asked for her identification. Turns out, her identification had expired at the end of last year, which of course I pointed out to her. She said that it was a “minor mistake,” and I pointed out to her that what I had done was a minor mistake, that what she was doing was a big problem.

In defense of the other friendly Copenhageners we met, I don’t think Metro Steward 54390 is representative of everyone in the city. I think she’s from Norway.

You can probably guess that I’ve written the letter to the Copenhagen Metro folks already. Postings on all the travel sites I can find will follow.

Wanted to mention this experience, just in case you detect a little negative attitude toward Copenhagen in what I write below. But let me assure you, all that I tell you about this God-forsaken city is both objective and factual.

So… Here’s the BEST OF COPENHAGEN…

There are a lot of bikes in Copenhagen. Lots and lots. Estimates are that in this city of 580,000, there are more bikes than people. This is very intentional. The city has for years actively promoted bike riding with development of bike lanes, bike parking, bike bridges, etc..

For Copenhagen, bike riding is a way of saving energy, being eco friendly, promoting health, and allowing Copenhagen to (rightfully) claim that it is the most bicycle friendly city in the world. 

Copenhagen is also among the most highly taxed cities in the world and a new car is taxed at 180% of its price. Consequently,  bike riding helps to soften the very real fact that many Copenhageners simply cannot afford to own a car. 

  

It turns out there are other ills associated with bike riding, just as with other means of urban transportation. Bike congestion and bike parking are issues the city is wrestling with. The city recovers over 13,000 abandoned bikes every year. Even the least expensive bicycle in Copenhagen will cost you over $500 new, and prices go way up from there.

And there is also something called bike rage. It stems from the congestion, and from the attitude of the bike riders, and occurs between riders and other riders, and riders and pedestrians.

To an outsider, it looks like there are very few laws regarding bike riding, at least laws that are followed. One study indicates that bike riders stop at stoplights 90% of the time. Congratulations. The Copenhagen chief of police has called the city’s bike riders the “cuckoos” of traffic.

This is important for visitors, who are probably pedestrian. The city is designed for bike riders, not pedestrians. It keeps track of bike safety data, but a near as I can find, doesn’t track (or doesn’t disclose) pedestrian safety. 

As a pedestrian, you will not feel safe, nor should you. You should never feel you have the right of way, on a sidewalk or crossing a street. And never, never, should you be in a bike lane. And it’s up to you to determine whether or not you happen to be in one.

But, if you want to take the risk, there are some well-known sightseeing venues in the city.

One of these is “The Little Mermaid”, pretty much a symbol of the city.

I’m probably guilty of not paying attention, but my impression of “The Little Mermaid” was that it was located at the entrance to Copenhagen harbor, and it served somehow to welcome Danish sailors home from the seas.

I got it wrong.

The Mermaid, of course, pays homage to Hans Christian Andersen’s rather deep story, and  Disney’s later, shallow, remake.

Any sailors returning from the sea who wished to see if the mermaid is welcoming them back would have to go a long ways outside of their path to find out. They’d have to head toward shore, look for the crowds of tourists, dodge the tour boats, and find the mermaid in between a couple of cruise ships.

But the Mermaid is the symbol of Copenhagen after all. As such, there is still debate a century after she was created as to whether the sculptor captured the essence of what HC Andersen intended. And she’s suffered multiple beheadings and losses of limbs over the years from protests and vandals, some of whom apparently felt guilty and later returned the limbs. She’s been painted, outfitted, and disfigured. She’s been dynamited off her rock and into the bay, and on one International Women’s day, she was outfitted with a dildo.

But perhaps the worst humiliation was when the Mermaid was banned from Facebook. You see, the statue is actually of  a Mermaid, and real Mermaids wear very little clothing, thus running afoul of Facebook’s view of the world. But, after an apparently throroughreview, Mark Zuckerburg relented and allowed that it was perfectly okey dokey for mermaids to have breasts.

Seeing the Mermaid is a can’t miss experience.

The number one tourist destination in Copenhagen is Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is the world’s second oldest amusement park, built in the 1850’s. Tivoli missed being the oldest amusement park by only 300 years, to Bakken, built some distance outside of Copenhagen in the 1500’s, presumably to avoid bicycle congestion.

John and Debi spent the day one afternoon seeing Tivoli Gardens, while Marty, Diana and I got out of Copenhagen to visit Roskilde and the Viking Ship Museum (more on that in a different post).

John’s take was that Tivoli Gardens was a nice old amusement park. As for me, if I want to see an old amusement park, I’ll just go to Carowinds.

Nyhaven is a part of downtown Copenhagen that you’ve undoubtedly seen in pictures. It’s a canal that comes in from the bay and in the pictures you’ve seen is lined with colored buildings, cafes with picturesque umbrellas, and has small sailboats lining the waterfront. 

Very picturesque. 

John, Marty, and I went there yesterday. So did every other visitor to Copenhagen. We almost lost Marty in one of the many T-shirt shops. 

When we found Marty, we grabbed a table at one of the cafes under one of the picturesque umbrellas and treated ourselves to  $24.00 hamburgers, cheese and drink extra. But, hey, it came with a few fries. But it was still a bit short of a Happy Meal.

Which brings me to…. Prices.

Denmark, and Copenhagen in particular, have the highest taxes in the world, with total tax burdens between 58 and 72 percent. That includes income tax, “church” tax, property tax, Value Added Tax, and more.  For that, they get a lot of government services (I won’t start the discussion of the value they get those services, nor why the Danes are happy about it, but I’d sure like to.)

And, congratulations! You, as a visitor, get to help pay for those services too!

Copenhagen is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Goods in shops are 42 percent more than the European average. Meals in restaurants are up to 150 more than the European average. But the prices are in Danish Krone, of course, so as a visitor you mostly just enjoy your $24 burger and try not to translate krone to dollars much. You won’t feel the pain until you see your Visa bill.  

Freetown Christiania is the 4^th most popular tourist attraction in Copenhagen.

Christiania is a self described  “autonomous anarchist” district founded within Copenhagen in 1971, when the initial community members took over some unused army barracks in the city. Since then, it’s developed its own set of rules and acted pretty much as an independent entity where the  “hippie” ideals of the 60’s have lived on. They made their own rules, which included open use and trade of marijuana. Freetown and the city of Copenhagen have had managed to coexist for over 40 years, although not without occasional conflict.  

There is a good amount of long, gray hair in Christiania. There’s a strong feel of the 60’s, the counterculture, independent living, and freedom to be who you like. You can still feel that hippie vibe, but it’s now in the shadows. 

There have been some changes. The main “street” is festooned with colorful banners and shops. It’s known as “Pusher Street.” With ample reason. You can tell the pushers. They’re the young men with small stands displaying their goods. And, so you don’t miss them, they’ll tell you as you pass that they have anything you want, weed, hash, and “whatever.”  

Since Christiania is now a tourist attraction, it looks like there are more tourists on Pusher Street than there are serious Christianiaites. In fact, Christiania draws over 500,000 tourists a year.

That number of tourists has to change a place that started as a home for counterculture. That’s why the tourist books advise you to be careful taking pictures on Pusher Street, because the street’s entrepreneurs don’t like their picture taken and “can be aggressive.”

It’s pretty depressing.

Well, that’s pretty much my Best of Copenhagen. If you’re planning on going, I hope I’ve helped.

I also hope you’ve enjoyed reading this as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. But I doubt that you have.

This Post Dedicated to Metro Steward Number 54390

End of The Osterlen Way

The last day of the Osterlan Way walk was another long day, starting in Simrishaman and ending in Kivik. We pretty much met our normal 9:00 start time, after a good breakfast at the Maritim Hotel.

We stayed together as a group for a ways, then split up as we pretty much have throughout the walk. John, Marty, and Debi prefer a faster pace. Diana and I ultimately let them go ahead while we enjoy the scenery.

And this was another day with great scenery through rolling countryside; wheat farms interspersed with the apple orchards this area is known for.

There was some excitement in the middle of the afternoon when I heard a blood curdling 

scream a couple of steps behind me. I turned

to find that Diana had rousted a"huge black snake sunning on the shoulder of the road. I'm sure both were equally surprised, but that Diana was the only one that screamed. 

In the middle of the afternoon we reached Kivik, and after one last uphill stretch, got to the Agda Lund, our B&B.

We all met up later, and walked (!) back into the village for dinner at what was probably the only place open – a great Swedish pizza joint.

Our walk of the Osterlen Way is over. Everyone did great. Everyone is tired and sore, but ready to spend a few off days in Copenhagen.

"Idyllic" Must Be a Swedish Word...

…Because it describes this part of Sweden perfectly.  We just finished the third day of the walk, and it’s been through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable.

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This walk, “The Osterlen Way,” is taking us mostly along the coastal part of Skana County, the southernmost county in Sweden. We’ve seen a lot of the Baltic Sea,  and have never been far from it. But rather than seeming like “The Grand Strand” of South Carolina, this is a largely rural area peppered with picturesque  small villages. Our B&B’s the first two nights were just outside a couple of these villages in the middle of farmland.

The first two days of the walk were the hardest. Each day was between 15-17 miles, depending on which Fitbit you check.

Everyone's Fitbits were also registering over 30,000 steps a day for their owners, and , consequently, handing out kudos and smiley faces to all nearby. The days ended with everyone pretty spent.

The first day, from Ystad to Kaseberge tooks us quickly to the outskirts of Ystad, past the ferry to Poland, and down to the beach at the Baltic.

 For several miles we followed the beach, on a path at the back of the beach, or through wood areas outside of the line of dunes. We went through Nature Preserves, past a couple of spa hotels, past some beach homes, and past several colonies of beach huts. These clusters of small buildings appear to be owned/rented by individual families and are just large enough for beach and picnic gear, and maybe a couple of bunks and cots. They’re all well kept, and individually decorated. A great way for everyone to have a “place at the beach.”

For much of the way, the path through the dunes runs through and around  patches of wild roses. They’re blooming and they’re fragrant. Lupine, astible, wild iris, and salvia added to the color. It was an awesome walk, on a sunny, 70 degree day.

Eventually our path ran up to an area the Swedish Army uses for live fire testing, and our map and route notes took us away from the shoreline and on a long detour around the site. It was marked all the way with signs that, even though they were in Swedish, obviously said to keep out. We learned later that the site is generally only used in the winter, and if there weren’t red flags up, it was ok to stay on the coast and walk through the area. My practice in these situations has always been that, if you can make out the words “live fire” and "keep out” on a sign in any language, I’m pretty much accepting that and acting accordingly.

The detour did take us through some more gorgeous countryside, then back to some high, rolling bluffs with the blues of the Baltic down on the right, and the farmland of Skana falling away to the left.

Finallly, at the end of a long day, and shortly before Kaseberga, we came down a ravine to a road that took us off the trail to a shortcut to our B&B for the night.  

Ejagarden B&B is a converted barn on a hobby farm run by Tommy and Maria. It has three rooms, just enough for us. The stop, the shower, and a chance to put our feet up were all just in time. 

It was a great place to stay – with just one rub. The B&B is about a mile outside of the village of Kaseberga where the only place too get dinner was located. It was hard, but we all managed to put the boots back on, walk into the village – scenic, with a nice little harbor – and had some of the coldest beer and best fish and chips I can remember.  Was it worth it? Oh, yes. But it still hurt.

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Doing these walks with long days, you recognize how your body recovers. You can feel it after a few hours, and, thankfully, really see it after a restful evening and overnight. Sure, there’s some stiffness and some muscles still weary, but the feeling that you’re ok to go on and have another long day is back.

And it was a good thing, because the second day of the walk turned out to be even harder physically. It was another 21km day, largely along and on the beach, ending in the village of Skillinge. Beaches are beautiful, but as places to walk, they’re slow and they're also energy sinks.

We left Ejagarden B&B right around our normal 9:00 time. The route took us back up to the bluffs and then down toward Kasaberga from the “top.” This route took us directly past the Ale Stones, “Sweden’s Stonehenge.” The Ale Stone’s, 59 of them, sit atop a bluff overlooking the Baltic, and are placed in the outline of a large ship. And, like Stonehenge, the stones and ship are positioned to capture the changes of seasons by their shadows. Scientists date the Ale Stone’s to the Iron Age, 1400 years ago.

From the stones, we dropped down into Kaseberga again, then onto the beach for a couple of miles. This stretch of beach is rocky, and although a rocky “path” existed in some places, it was slow going.

Then followed a stretch through some cottage areas and a coastal forest, until back to the beach and the Baltic Sea. This leg was a 6 mile stretch of sand, and although packed in some places, it was overall slow going.

John, Debi and Marty were anxious to get the day over with and boogied on ahead. Diana and I took a more relaxed view and stopped on the beach while I addressed a blister issue. Then we took some time to take our boots off and wade in the Baltic for the first time – it wasn’t as cold as we thought, and felt heavenly.

The break was good, but the walk was only half over. The second half was more beach, some back roads and forest roads, until we finally got into Skillinge.

When you’re walking, the last thing you want to do is take a wrong turn. If you miss a turn when you’re driving, it’s probably easy to correct the mistake. If you make a wrong turn when you’ve walked 13 miles you resent every extra step you’ve caused.

As we got into Skillinge I made a left turn that I wasn’t sure of, so I stopped and asked a gentleman outside an office building. A good thing. Ihad turned too early. He told me what to look for.  As it turns out he was a neighbor of Sjobacka Gard, the B&B we were headed to.

He said when he finished up where he was he’d look for us on the way to his house.

And he did. He gave us a ride the last half mile. Another of my beliefs – after walking 13 tough miles on a day, anyone who turns down a ride deserves their blisters.

A point here about the Swedish people we’ve met. Whatever I say, it won’t be enough. We’ve met people in restaurants and shops, at the B&B’s and hotels, running the B&B’s, passing us on the trails, and stopping to help us make the right turn.

To a person, everyone has been friendly, smiling and happy, helpful, and genuinely interested in us and what we’re doing. The Swedish people are all great representatives of the Swedish people.

Sjobacka Gard, our B&B was a welcome stay at the end of the second long day. “Eclectic” might be an overused term, but it fits. And it’s an apt description of Ami, the owner. She met us (and everyone else, it appears)  with open arms and big hugs. And a selection of cold beers.

This B&B is also a ways outside of town, in the middle of farmland. But unlike the night before, we didn’t have to walk back to town for dinner.

We had dinner at Sjobacka Gard. We had a choice for dinner. That choice was whether we wanted three courses, or four. Because tonight, it was Ami’s Asparagus Menu. Most of us had all four courses, and they were:

1. Asparagus soup, 2. Aspargus and Proscuitto Salad, 3.  Asparagus and Smoked Salmon, and 4. Asparagus Aspic (aka Asparagus Ice Cream) with fresh Strawberries. Not your everyday fare, but all delicious. (Some thought the Asparagus Aspic (aka Asparagus Ice Cream) is an acquired taste.)

The next day was a short day, hiking-wise. Eight miles. It started as another cool, breezy morning walking through waving in the breeze. Shortly we were walking along the coast, through several small fishing villages and hamlets.

We took a packs down break at a place along the coast where a herd of cows were enjoying the sun and the view out over the Baltic.

While there, one of the cows started a beeline (or as much of a beeline as cows do) toward John's pack.

John got there just before the cow did and saved his pack from whatever fate the cow intended. The cow and her partner then came over to Diana and hey had a little bonding period.

In Brantevik, one of those small fishing villages, we stopped at small family fruit stand in town. We got a pint of strawberries that were picked just a little while earlier and snacked on those along the way.

At the fruit stand we ran across an indication of American culture making its way to the Nordics.

An elderly gentleman, probably the patriarch of the family was proudly wearing a red baseball cap that said in large characters: “Make Brantevik Great Again” and in smaller letters, “in a nice small way.”  

Brantevik, by the way, is another of those picturesque fishing villages we’ve passed along the way. Seems to me it’s achieved greatness already.

The short day was welcome, and we got to the Maritim Hotel in Simrishamn in the middle of the afternoon. In time for a shower and some rest.

It seems I’ve mispronounced every Swedish place name we’ve been to since Stockholm. Oddly, I’ve been pronouncing Simrishamn (Simris Harbor) correctly. It’s pronounced exactly as it’s spelled.

We ran across a great place for dinner on Storgatan (aka Main Street) in Simrishamn. We were attracted to Mans Byckare by their menu out front that included a “Mafia Burger.” We’ve had a lot of fish (albeit great fish) lately, so the notion of a slab of ground beef on a bun topped with cheese, ham, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos, pickles, and mayo was appealing.

Another case of American ways being adopted by the Swedish. And it was good to the last, fat dripping, bite.

The walk is almost over. Another long day to finish it out, from Simrishaman to Kivik. Everyone is doing great – tired and hurting at the end of the long days, but recovered the next morning.

Hej y'all! It's Ystad!

Packed up the Skoda, drove to the airport. Took two planes and two trains and got to Ystad in the middle of the afternoon.

Ystad is on the southern coast of Sweden, on the Baltic Sea. The town dates back to the 1200’s, and has lots of restored buildings – and charm. Lots of charm. In our travels, Diana and I have a criteria by which we judge places we visit – would I spend thirty days here?. Ystad is a place I could spend thirty days.

Our hotel, The Sekelsgarden, is in a building that dates from the 1700’s, and whose rooms surround a courtyard. We’re here for two days, before the walk begins.

Other folks have recognized Ystad’s charm. Among those are Henning Mankell, a popular Swedish author. He’s written a series of novels set in Ystad, with Inspector Kurt Wallander as the main character. The novels have been turned into movies and TV series in Sweden and England. The “Wallander” series (and Ystad) can be seen on your local BBC cable.

Ystad has what has to be the best candy store in the world. You begin with a paper bag (or a large tub, if you dare), and you make your way past the bins, filling your container with everything from gummy frogs to Snickers. If you like, after the candy you can move on to popcorn and other great stuff. Finally, you get to the back of the store, and you understand. The back of the store is movie rentals. The place is a one stop shop for a perfect evening at home:  Gummy frogs, popcorn, and a Wallander movie. 

There’s been a change in the weather. In Osterlund and Vemdalen in central Sweden. We’re now in the south, with days that are sunny and highs in the low 70’s, and a forecast for that to continue for the next week. Pretty good news for our walk.

One of the first Swedish words you pick up on while here is “Hej”. It’s pronounced “hey” and it’s use will make any of you from the American South (i.e. Charlotte) feel right at home. It’s like  “Hi”, or as some of us prefer, “Hey”, it makes me feel right at home. BTW – the proper response is “Hej, Hej,” but I’m trying to get the folks here in southern Sweden to learn “Hej, yal!

Osterlund/Vemdalen: Old Family and New Friends

Tuesday morning we left the Hobo hotel early, headed to the airport in a van driven by an elderly gentleman we’ll remember as Igor, for his large bald head and slouch over the steering wheel.  

The check-in process was simple and the SAS flight short. So, before noon we had landed  at the Are/Ostersund airport in central Sweden. 

Our AirBnB (a house, really) in Ore was 20 minutes away, on the other side of Ostersund, so we’d rented a Hertz Volvo wagon (or equivalent). The equivalent turned out to be a Skoda wagon.  

Leaving Stockholm, it had taken effort to get all of us and our bags into Igor’s taxi/van. It took a lot more effort and creativity to get all of us and all the baggage (five people, four duffles, one suitcase, five backpacks) into the Skoda. But with the back full to the ceiling and bags in people’s laps, we set off for the house.

Everybody agreed that this part of Sweden reminds them of Canada, or Minnesota, depending on their experience. It also feels like it. The weather has been partly cloudy, breezy, and cold. Really cold. We saw snow flurries.

We all like Ostersund. It’s a small town a short way from several ski areas, but it doesn’t feel touristy. It’s on a large lake in an area with a lot of lakes. It’s a place I’d come back to. We had a good Italian meal at a fun restaurant, picked up some groceries, and headed back to the condo.

This trip is John Nelson’s “legacy” trip, and the next day was the day to meet his family. For John, it a chance to meet relatives he’d never met, and visit Vemdalen, the town his grandfather grew up .

For the rest of us, it was great to be able to share the experience with John. And it was an opportunity to meet some terrific people, not to mention great hosts.

We arrived at Sonia’s house in Vemdalen in time for fika. “Fika” is the Swedish word, and tradition, for a coffee break, taken up a level. The improvement over an American coffee break is the pastries and the camaraderie that go with the coffee. In this case, no less than ten of John’s relatives had come to fika (it’s a noun and a verb), and the pastries involved were a pair of outrageous strawberry topped cakes. Fika, and the sharing that goes with it, lasted more than an hour.

After fika, our hosts took all of us on some important places in Vemdalen and in the history of John’s family.

The first stop was the Vemdalen Hembygdsgard, The Hembygdsgard is a kind of Swedish tradition that maintains old historic structures of Swedish villages, saves historic documents and objects of the village, and uses the historic location for community events. The Vemdalen Hembygdsgard has structures and memorabilia dating back to the 17th century. What an opportunity to see this part of Swedish history so close.

Next stop was the village cemetery, and a visit to the graves of some of John’s relatives.

On the graves, and in John’s family tree it was fascinating to see the Swedish convention for determining surnames.  The convention is that the son’s surname is the combination of the father’s first name, followed by “son” and that a daughter’s surname is father’s first name followed by “dotter.” Following the John “Nelson’s” family tree back, there is Nils Larsson who’s father is Lars Nilsson whose father is Nils Larsson. Other branches include surnames such as  Andersson, Andersdotter, Jonsson, Jonsdotter, Ol(of)son, and Olofsdotter.

After the cemetery we visited the village church; the church that members of John’s family have attended for centuries. The church building dates to the 17^th century, and is beautiful. It’s a wooden structure, beautifully painted and adorned inside and out.  The church building would be a major attraction anywhere in the world.

The day ended with more food. First, back to Sonia’s for meatballs, potatoes, three kinds of herring, cheese, lingonberry jam, and bread. As appetizers. 

Then followed by pork barbecue, grilled vegetables, and more. Then we had to go outside and walk. We walked to Ingbritt’s for dessert a vanilla ice cream cake/pie with cloudberry jam.  As a final, cruel gesture, we had to  walk again, back to Sonia’s to our car to take our leave.

This was an exceptional day for all of us. And a chance to meet some really exceptional people.

All of John’s families were great hosts, great tour guides, and great  fun to share the day with.

So, thanks to all of them (I hope I get this right): Sonia, Ingbritt, Therese, Christer, Tindra, Fredrik, and Olof. It would be great to see any of you again.