Things I learned on day two of my adventures in Sweden. 1. Linnea blossoms don`t truly bloom until July. Boo. I really would love to see some. I was able to see the beginnings of Linnea blossoms along my very long walk with Evelyn this morning. We walked around the entire Hannabad lake, which for anyone in Westerville can understand, was a bit like walking around Hoover resevoir. It was so beautiful. I loved the scenery, everything is bright green in new spring, and I loved the nature and silence--two things rather unaccessible in Chicago. Silence is possible in Chicago but it often feels unnatural there. Here in Hannabad, in this little village in the middle of the south of Sweden, silence is pleasant, enjoyable, and a breath of fresh air (something else of great abudance out here in the country). The walk was wonderful!
Also along the walk I learned to recognize wild lilac, which smells amazing. We stopped and talked with Barbro, a friend of my grandfathers, who still lives in her childhood home that used to have the one room village shop. She showed us around her house and even showed us a couple of products she still has from that store over 50 years ago!
After visting, we walked the rest of the way around the lake, stopped and rested briefly in Evelyn`s home (cousin of my morfar), then went off to visit Ellagården, a farm in the village that has been around for over 100 years. It now keeps a whole bunch of white goats and the biggest gray rabbit I have ever seen! We then sat down with Lillian (the owner of the farm) and proceeded to enjoy another cup of coffee and cake in her living room. Truly, I felt like I should be in another era, enjoying coffee in beautiful handpainted, china cups and saucers and slices of cake on equally fabulous plates.
Now I am back at Evelyns hus, having enjoyed a delicious codfish dinner, and sitting looking out the back window at the most amazing view of the lake and green fields where four especially well-groomed horses graze. This view could be a postcard.
Well, tomorrow I am off to Markaryd to visit the town, the church, and the graves where so many of my family members lay. Enjoy the photos and thanks for putting up with my meandering thoughts...
By the way, I learned today that all of the houses here in Sweden are `falu` red for a couple of related reasons. 1. People started painting their houses with this red dirt mixture when it was discovered it helped protect and prolong the wood. 2. It´s red because of the hematite and oxides in the dirt where the practice was first started in a copper mine in Falun, Dalarna, Sweden. 3. The red looks a little bit like the red of bricks which is what a lot of the nicer, more expensive houses were built of. So by painting the house red it was a bit more like the rich homes. 4. This red mixture, for some reason, became one of the cheapest and most common colors, perpetuating its use. Nicer homes of the rich are actually more often painted other colors (yellow, white). 5. Good news, I have the recipe to make this red paint!
Welcomed with a sign to the Kobenhavn airport
Arrived in Sweden and stopped by the Hannabad sign on our `prominade` today
Morfars stuga
Today I learned why the houses are all falu red!
Evelyn, Birgit, and Anita (l-r)
three sisters preparing our kaffe on the front lawn of morfars stuga
Hannabad lake
stunning.
Barbros hus (Barbro´s house)
The two left windows were the room of the village shop)
Barbro
So sweet to show us around her house
Hannabads skola
where grandpa attended school while he was here.
2nd floor looking out Hannabads skola,
I`ve been told because maintaining a school in every village is too expensive, the particular village school was bought and is currently used by a Danish commune.
The beginnings of Linnea blossoms (centerleft with roundish leaves)