Foods of Sweden

Well, we wouldn't say that this is the gourmet capital of the world, but the breakfast buffets were filled with more food than we have ever seen. Here is a typical Smorgasbor, at our last hotel, the Kung Carl. This is actually small by Swedish standards, though it had most of the usual.




Hard boiled and soft boiled eggs.




scrambled eggs, sausages, sometimes, bacon.









Breads and rolls, 6 different kinds of rolls, then Lima bread, dark bread, rye bread,plus two other kinds.
Served with jams, lingonberry jam, orange marmalade, strawberry jam.







this is particularly appetizing, it is Smoked Caviar in a tube. Or you can chose Smoked Caviar with Cream Cheese in a tube. (a debate over what to really call this almost kept them out of the EA, as the French wanted it to be called Roe)









These are deviled eggs.

The herring, this is only a small sample.
There are 3 kinds of herring here, liver paste, pickles, cottage cheese, and cream cheese. This goes together, somehow. Oh, the kinds of herring changes often.


Tomatoes, peppers, cukes, which you can't see. There would also be beets and onions. So you could make a plate of herring, beets, onions, peppers, cukes and salami with some flatbread with "Swedish caviar" on the side.








fruit salad, fruit yogurt, vanilla yogurt, soured milk.












cheeses, edam, swedish medium cheese, swedish mild cheese. (edam, wastgota, and billingeost)






smoked turkey, ham, salami.





the breakfast cereal--musli, cornflakes, bran, dried fruit, nuts, grains, seeds, sometimes coconut flakes.

We Return Home

Oy, a long trip home! Stockholm to Amsterdam, a race to the plane home, to Boston, then to Detroit. No place to get lobster in Boston, boo hoo. Came back to Per awaiting us at the airport, and collapsed into bed, after hugging Gus, who was very well taken care of!
Had Ken and Hillary over for dinner on thursday so they could meet Per and Inger. A very nice gathering, it was really fun, though the 4 of us were still pretty out of it. We all enjoyed it.

Spent friday with Per and Inger. Inger went to Jazzercize with Pat, then out to lunch with "the gals". It was really, really fun to hang out with her, we really enjoy each other and are truly friends. Inger enjoyed the exercise alot! (as well as the lunch)
We took them to the airport at night, stopping on the way at Da Lat Vietnamese restaurant in Ypsilanti. We all enjoyed it alot, we were glad that Per and Inger liked this local spot. We said our sad goodbyes. We felt like we really have made a friendship, lasting, we hope, with this very nice couple.

A few final thoughts on Sweden. This country is a social democracy, and it really works. Their carbon footprint is the lowest in the world, I believe, and it is an incredibly clean country. Prices are very high, and we were told repeatedly this is because they have high taxes to maintain their lifestyle. That is the downside, but the upside is a society that works. Education is free through college, there are no homeless people, little poverty, (we did not see any slums) parents get monthly supplements for each child, each month, to help with daycare costs, good affordable medical care for all, and no one is left penniless. People are proud of this country and how well it works. There are some issues with refugees, but almost every Swede we talked to saw the value of taxes and the duty of society to care for people.

They also like Americans, which was refreshing, as we didn't have to feel as apologetic as we have in other European countries.

july 15th, our last day- Herring and Potatoes

Got up to the usual breakfast Smorgasbord. Pat took pictures for a separate post, though this wasn't as huge as other ones.

Went to the Ostermalm Market, which is a very old indoor market, with stalls and stalls of fish, vegetables, and other foods. yes, mostly fish! And of course, the ubiquitous potato. The market was beautiful, with the names of all the vendors inscribed in wooden beams above their stalls. Large by Stockholm standards. We had a little Fika there, then got ready to walk around. The square outside this market was also lovely. Stockholm is a beautiful, beautiful city! Many parks, and squares, with gardens and flowers and trees. Very, very clean, vibrant, and safe feeling. We really like it.

We had bought subway tickets to cut down on our walking and to help Pat's ankle; it's also a bus pass, but there is a bus strike in Stockholm, so we can't use them. This is a pity because the subway is not an extensive system like it is in other cities, so we are still doing alot of walking. But, whatever, we can rest later.

We took the T over to Gamla Stan, and went to the Changing of the Guard. Very interesting, though it was mobbed, so we left as the band was playing old marches, and did a tour of the
Royal Castle. Interesting because the Royal Family lived there until recently, and still use the Royal Apartments for visiting important people. We are fairly "museumed and toured" out at this point, however, so we didn't take a tour.

We went back to city center, found some more interesting shopping areas and another open market. Then we went to the department store, NK, to buy "take away" coffee and pastry for our own fika. Pat loves this store! It is beautiful, the food stalls are fantastic, the clothing is very fine and expensive, and the store itself is exceptionally elegant. Dan thinks it's just another Macy's! Anyway, we got our take away, and went over to another park. We just sat and enjoyed the beautiful day in this beautiful city.

Decided to take a boat around the archipalego on the Hop On, Hop Off ferry, except we stayed on it. This was delightful, and restful.

on the way back to the hotel, got our free glasses of champagne at Prinzen, a very old, famous restaurant. This was enjoyable, except the waiter was happy to talk to us, for about an hour, about American sports. He was Swedish, but had been adopted from Ethiopia as a young child. We had noticed this all through Sweden, wondered about it, and he confirmed that yes, indeed, there are not many Swedish babies available, and so there are many adoptions to poverty stricken countries.

Came back to our hotel, rested, then went to Sodermalm for dinner, at the Moseback. To get there, we had to take a high, narrow elevator up to a high, open walkway over to the street the rest of this area is on. Pat got up her courage and did it, talking away on the elevator to offset her anxiety about heights! As it turned out, a Swedish woman on the elevator laughed as she has the same fear, and we walked across the walkway together, straight down the middle, giving each other courage! It really wasn't that bad, but it was a help. We then went to the Mooseback restaurant, which was very casual with a limited menu, and very, very local. i think we were the only tourists, much less Americans there, and we enjoyed the ambience alot.

We walked around a little, then walked down the hill, and took the T home. Walked a little more, then went to sleep early. Lovely city.

monday july 14th, The Virgin Taxi Driver

We drove into Stockholm today, saying goodbye to Nykryke, the cats, who were probably relieved, and the lovely little house.

It may be Bastille Day in France, but here it is the Crown Princess's Birthday, so there are Swedish flags everywhere, and a little more pomp in the everyday ceremonies.

Met Hillary and Ken at the Grand Hotel, just like Djurgarden. The Vasa w interested check out this web site, or do aas a battleship that sank on its maiden voyage and lay in the oce in a movie, except we were all there! Took a water taxi to the Vasa Museum on Dean for 333 years. It was resurrected in the early 60's. If you are more web search for Vasa. This is fascinating, and we encourage all our readers to read further. The picture below is not a real person, it is a composite made from one of the skeletons found on the ship, by a scientist who can recreate faces. we were lucky to get the shot, however, as the camera ran out of batteries when were there! By the way, we realized that Per and Inger's house is older than the Vasa! We also learned later, speaking of that, that the house was once an Inn, and that Queen Christiana slept there, in the bed we slept in. (will that mean we will have a sudden urge to become religious zealots?)
http://www.edwebproject.org/scandinavia/vasa.html

We then walked around a bit, but because Pat's ankle is really hurting, decided to go to dinner early. Hillary had done her usual efficient research and found Ulla something, a lovely old restaurant nearby. This island is really nice, parks, flowers, walkways, and lovely buildings. We had a wonderful meal, wonderful service, in a beautiful setting. It did, however, cost a small fortune, but we have realized we can't help that.

It was raining out, so we decided it was best to take a taxi home. The restaurant called one, and shortly before it came, the rain stopped. This is typical of Swedish weather, changes all the time, far more than in Michigan. Anyway, the taxi pulled up, and we asked the young driver how much it would cost to return to city center. He said he really didn't know, because "this is my first time ever !" And he did mean being a taxi driver! He did a very nice job, and it wasn't very expensive, and he was very nice. Anyway, we then walked around with Ken and Hillary, and said our fond goodbyes. We had a great time with them, they are great travelling companions. Went back to our hotel .

We also have posted all of our pictures on our picasa web album. be warned there are over 450 pictures of Sweden. We haven't labeled all of them or thinned them out yet. http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/Sweden2008

We Love Skype on our Last Day in Nykyrke

So this is our last day here, we are sad. We are very comfortable here. Spent the day cleaning house, doing laundry, packing. Took a ride into Motala to the beach, but it was cold! (another perfect Swedish beach day!)

So we went to the harbour where the auto museum is, and there was little flea market there, where Dan bought a little thing for our upnorth house. Came home and showered, and went into Linköping because Dan needed another book and that was the nearest town that likely had books in English, and that was open, on Sunday. How nice things are closed, Dan says, yet we did go to a mall!

Came home on an alternate route that we tried to do without the trusty GPS, got a little lost, then put her on, and she steered us home. It was a beautiful road, so much like the roads upnorth! (can you guess the route, Per?)

We ate at home, just leftovers, and just relaxed. But the other fun part has been calling our family, and Per, on Skype. Today is my brother's birthday, and he was so surprised and pleased that we called! We talked to Adam, Melisa, and Floyd, and will do a video conference with Jason in a few minutes.

So Hi to Floyd and his friends, we hear you are following this! And also to you, Melisa, Marcella, Jane, Paul, Per, and anyone else. There, you are named publicly! We have no idea how many people are reading this, and we are writing it for ourselves, so if it seems to long, wordy or detailed, sorry. Pat

We would like to know if people are following this, so feel free to leave a comment, or to email either of us to let us know you are reading it. danklim1@gmail.com or pathaber@msn.com

We have a few pictures for today, but we will add them later, as I put the camera away.

Final thoughts on Motola. This is a charming area that is still primarily rural. Farms here look much like they do in northern Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The town of Motola is a vibrant working class, small city. Lake Ventern is a very nice large lake, larger than any inland lake in Michigan, but still much smaller than a Great Lake. It is over 300km around. The most striking thing about the area at this time of year is the sun. The long hours of sunshine are very cool. This must be what allows such a long growing sesason for the strawberries. The Göta Canal is also a highlight of the area.

The house we are staying in is also very interesting. It is over 400 years old and still very sturdy and liveable due to the loving care of Per and Inger. It was so nice to share it with them and have a base for our visit. We also enjoyed the cats. I am sorry to say that food in Sweden is very ordinary and expensive in restaurants. We ate most of our meals at home.

We really enjoyed ourselves, and now look forward to two days in Stockholm before we return to Ann Arbor on Wednesday to be met by Per and Inger.
Dan

The Gota Canal

Thought some of you might be interested in the Göta Canal. It is quite an engineering feat. Here is a link to everything you wanted to know.

 

http://www.vastsverige.com/templates/portal____5173.aspx
--
Dan Klimaszewski

New pictures posted

New pictures are posted at

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/Sweden2008

--
Dan Klimaszewski

where we live and who else resides there

There is also Figaro, who has come in the house once, but not often. we will try and add him later.

Where is Little Bo Peep?

After taking Hillary and Ken to the train in Linköping, we decided it was nice enough to take that bike ride we've been trying to take on the Gota Canal. Besides, Pat sprained her ankle last night, which is still hurting alot, and walking seems out of the picture. We found a place in Borensberg to rent bikes for a few hours, as we didn't want to go very far. It was really lovely, and a highlight for me. The biking helped both of us stretch out our muscles from all that walking, and it helped my ankle. We biked along the canal, as many people do, and saw many boats, some locks, and several drawbridges that are lifted as the boats go through. This is a really nice spot, and the weather was warm and sunny. We saw many others on bikes, and everyone says "hej". We also saw many sheep along the way, and as the picture indicates, actually ON the path! They were having their "siesta", as this woman said to me when we walked our bikes through them, since they were not going to move! We didn't go far, but had a very nice ride. We hadn't had a chance to do this earlier, either because of weather or agenda, so it was nice we got the chance, too bad Hillary and Ken didn't, but they are off to Stockholm to see yet another castle and yet another museum.

So then we shopped around Motala. Realized the shops close early, especially the liquor store, which is too bad for Per because we were trying to buy an extra bottle of Aquavit for him. We'll just have to drink one in Ann Arbor when we return.

Took a few pictures, and we thought Paul would like this one.

Bought the jordgabbars on the way home from the next door neighbor, got her to take a picture.

Here are some words we've almost mastered in Swedish:

far far -- (grandfather, or more accurately, father's father)

mar mar-- (grandmother, or mother's mother)

far mar --(father's mother, or, paternal grandmother)

mar far---you can figure it out. I love these, by the way.

hej-- hi (usually it's hej, hej)

tak--thanks

Nykyrke--our village, spelled phonetically in another post

Linköping ---pronounced Leen-sure-ping

jordgabbar--strawberries

ja--yes

sheet---you can guess.

keep checking on this

note--to those of you who read this, keep checking back because we keep adding pictures and doing some edits.
The other thing is, Dan is not writing all of these, Pat is writing alot of them. You can probably tell from the style.

We Find the French Laundry in Motala

Pat and Lisa

We all slept very well, something about Copenhagen is exhausting! we left early, felt we had seen alot. Again, the meals are expensive, less so than Stockholm, but you can't even get tap water, you have to buy bottled water, and they don't even serve bread with a salad.
Anyway, we drove back and stopped at Granna, thanks Lars, if you are reading this. Bought some candy, of course, and changed drivers. (that is a total non-sequitor, i know)

Got to Motala for gas, then looked for a restaurant, as we had no food in the house. We realized it was friday, and had been told that every friday night the town does a reenactment of the building of the Gota Canal. However, we decided to forego this in lieu of food, as we were hungry! We found Bella Nota, and it was wonderful! The chef's name was Tobias, the server was Mirelle, they were so nice. It was the best meal we've had in Scandanavia, and they were so pleased when we told them that. Tobias told us he had "observed" at The French Laundry for a while, then worked at a restaurant in Stockholm but wanted to move out to Motala to raise his family. (a wise choice, we all agreed)Anyway, we had a very nice meal, they gave us our dessert "on the house", and were not only happy to take our picture, but were pleased when we took theirs. One odd thing happened in the restaurant; Hillary had her jacket on the back of her chair, and the waitperson asked her to remove it, said that isn't done here. We could not figure out why, any guesses out there?

We were happy to get home, it feels cozy and nice to be back here. The kitties all welcomed us, even Figaro a little bit, though he didn't come in. It's still light out. Of course!

p.s. we will add more pictures later, we don't have them all now so keep checking.

Per, thank you for answering the question. i agree!

our aching feet but too afraid to bike

Today, again, we walked and walked and walked! we are really enjoying Copenhagen. it is very different from Stockholm, which is more sedate. Copenhagen is grittier, with more people, more youth, and many, many bicycles! you have to stay out of the way of the bikes, there are 1000's, really! and they are very serious!

We all went to the National Museum to see the exhibit on the Vikings. it was fair, we did't really see a lot. Then Dan and I took off, got on a bus, yes, to save our feet a bit, and went to see The Little mermaid. She is very little, but ya have to see her. And the wharf is very pretty. Went there and then went through the Citadel, very colorful, to see the Resistence Museum. This was fascinating, as we learned about how the Danes effectively resisted the Nazi occupation, during WWII. They also managed to save their entire Jewish population except for 150 people by getting them out of the country to boats over to Sweden. They saved many others too. This was a very interesting museum. A highlight.

We then tried to go to the "cast" museum, but it was closed. so we walked over to Nyghen to have lunch. Dan had a street hotdog, which i thought tasted awful and he liked! so i was hungry. We sat in a cafe on the charming street by the canal you always see, with the different colored houses. Very charming. Then walked down Stroget street, the shopping street. nothing very unique, but interesting people, including a gypsy who we foiled, and street artists.

came back, napped, now we meet Hil and Ken for the buffet here. may try to here some jazz tonight somewhere, though our feet all ache! We like Copenhagen alot, it is unique.

We were really too tired to go out after our free dinner buffet, which consisted of rolled up meat something or other, cheeses, potatoes, salad, coffee, potatoes. Tried walking around the area near our hotel, the Testebro area, which isn't that nice, but it was a pleasant night. Tried to get a beer, but there was noone there, and very smokey, so we called it an early night. We watched a little t.v., bad American shows, old movies, and a Danish show that seemed to be about the Sami's, or perhaps the Inuits welcoming home some of their family members. Dan called it "The Little House on the Tundra."

our senior brains have a QUESTION

I am writing this on the blog, hoping Per and others, who may know the answer, are reading this. Hillary and i were talking several days ago about when Europe expanded their land by grabbing countries in Africa and in other parts of the world. It was in the early 20th century. So we are going nuts trying to remember the term used for this. it isn't "manifest destiny", that was our own USA's western expansion after the Louisiana purchase. But how is it referred to? Is it just "imperialism" or "colonization"? we think there is a two word expression used to embody the sense of arrogance about it.
Do not ask me how it came up, we can't remember that either and were trying to!
It's just a car discussion. i may have been mentioning Denmark and Greenland, as depicted in Smila's Sense of Snow.
o.K., Per, what is the answer????

hippy days and old fairy tales

Can you guess where we are by the title? If you guessed Copenhagen, you are right!

We had an easy drive here, about 4 hours, took the bridge over south of Malmo. Found our hotel easily, and it is a very nice hotel, the Clarion Mayfair. After lunch, we went our separate ways as couples. Dan wanted to see Christiana, the strange, hippie city within the city. We walked there, stopped at the way at a Marimekko store, and a few other places. Walked a very long way! found Christiana, it is hard to explain! Definately different. alternative. couldn't take pictures down "pushers alley", and this is very accurate, EVERYONE was walking around high! young kids, mostly, we felt very old. Graffiti art all over the old, wooden buildings, dirt roads, music and dancing, tents, dirty people, young people, etc.

We left there and walked back to the hotel, and stopped at the Dansk design center. Jay and Linsdey, i hope you are reading this because you two would appreciate this. It was sparce, not much in it, but it was mainly Danish furniture and other Danish designs--lamps, bowls, play art, etc. my favorite piece was a kitchen island. the drawers all opened automatically if you pushed them gently at the top, and closed by gently pushing them in. Each drawer had a specific function. Very interesting and very Danish.

Later, had a snack at the hotel that served as dinner--meatballs, potatoes, potatoes, salad, herring, potatoes, cheeses.

Afterwards. went to Tivoli. We all really enjoyed it! i have wanted to go to the Tivoli Gardens since the 60's, when it was so hip to come to Copenhagen! So i was at last there. Amusement rides for the kids, gardens everywhere, many restaurants, and music everywhere. lights galore, all kinds of different lights. it was crowded with all age groups, and very enjoyable.

we went to bed very tired!

Friends

Our friend Kathleen is now gone to Stockholm, to continue the rest of her journey through Scandanavia and Russia. She has had quite a long trip beginning in France. It was nice to see her and her travelling companion, even though it was only for 12 hours. She is celebrating her 60th birthday with this trip. We are really enjoying Sweden and this home exchange experience. It allows us to experience real life in Sweden. The hospitality and generousness of our hosts is greatly appreciated.


--
Dan Klimaszewski

Jordgabbar Fields Forever

This is the title because we haven't mentioned that we get a free pint of luscious strawberries everyday, and "jordgubbar" is the Swedish word for strawberries. They are very, very good, and we are pleased that the growing season is so long. We have tried to pay for them, after all, it is our hosts who helped them, not us, but they insist. They are as friendly and giving as we have found all the Swedes.

Dan took Kathleen and Linda to Linkoping early in the morning, they had just stopped overnight. We then drove to Orebro today, with a stop along the way to Medevi. We continually notice the beautiful green color of the fields, a green i cannot quite describe. This country is so clean! Everything is clean and neat, and makes you feel comfortable.

Medevi is an old town that used to have a spa, and it was the oldest mineral spa in the Nordic countries. We stopped at a few of the stores first. Hillary bought a necklace in one store, and the friendly owner told us he has an Icelandic horse, which is a very popular breed here, known for it's gentleness and friendliness. They are small, and although we'd like to ride them, Dan is actually too big for them! We will try and take a picture of them, as they are really cute. We also bought a salt shaker in a pottery shop, and the owner, the potter, was quite interested in our home trade, wanting the web site. We generally find the shop owners eager to talk to us, we think to practice their English, but also because they are all so nice and polite. They generally ask us if we have family here, if that is why we are here, out in the country, and are surprised that we don't, but are interested that we do a house trade.

When we were walking around Medivi, we came to the old spa and a woman who works there insisted that we have some of the water, from the old well from the 1600's. The waters have curative powers allegedly. It tasted quite good. We all noticed that we all got quite sleepy after tasting the water and leaving the town! But we plowed on anyway.

We moved on to Orbero, which is also a lovely town. There is a University there, and it was lively and thriving. There is a castle there, which was right in the middle of the town, but we didn't take a tour. We walked around it, and saw all kinds of creative artwork, like many shirts in a row hanging from a window of the castle into the water. Also a sculpture in the water that looked like fried eggs. We thought perhaps there was an art school at the University.

We shopped a little, and Hillary found her Ekelund towels, which i also bought. We then had a "take-out" fika, and then drove home.

Oh, our dinner was interesting. We went to the nearby store of our village, Nykyrka, and met the owner, who of course knows Per and Inger well. She helped us buy a veal roast, and then took the time to give us the recipe to cook it . she had to run around the store to show us all the ingredients, so nice of her. It was very good, and we felt proud that we cooked it from her recipe.
By the way, it is very hard for us to understand Swedish. I don't know how they all manage English so well, except they learn it early and watch English t.v. But we think we are getting the pronunciation of the village, Nykyrka. It is sort of like "kneejerker" only it's "knee-scher-ka."

bye for now, Copenhagen tomorrow.

Does Anybody Know What Time it Really is, or Does anybody Know What Country we are in?

As we travel around the country, even driving back from the airport, we continually notice how comfortable we feel in this country, how familiar it feels to us. But we continue to do this as the topography changes! Yesterday, we decided part of it looked like "Colorado with the Lakes of Minnesota and the backwoods of Wisconsin." We often think it looks like the U.P., most often think it looks like that and upper michigan. This prompted Ken to note that we could have taken a driving trip across the U.P, then driven to Plymouth to the Ikea for dinner, and saved ourselves the cost of the airfare! (joking, of course, we're loving our adventures)

Today we slept in late, then Dan and Pat went into Motala to the Tourist Bureau to find out about bus and train info. We managed to get all the info we needed, then drove back home, got ready to go, and the four of us went into Linkoping to pick up our friends, Kathleen and Linda, who were visiting us on their way to Stockholm.

We walked around a bit, and bought a birthday cake at a bakery for Kathleen, who's "big" birthday is in a few days. (It was a lovely little cake, by the way) We then headed over to the train station.

O.k., disclaimer here for people who are tired of reading about Pat's bathroom adventures, don't read this paragraph. i had to go, and this was a pay toilet, which annoys me alot. Anyway, the coin didn't open the door, it was broken, i guess, and a nice Swedish woman tried to help. When she realized it didn't work, she said, in what was Swedish, "sheet"! i then turned to her, nodded, and said, in English, "Yes, oh shit"! We both burst out laughing loudly. toilet annoyance being a universal language!

We picked up our new guests, but because our car is small, Hillary and I took the bus back from Linkoping to Motala, where Dan and Ken would pick us up. We had a great time on the bus, it was relaxing and a pretty ride. Got to see the drawbridge up on the Gota Canal and a sailboat pass through. Nice to just relax together.

The guys picked us up and we bought groceries. Hillary and Ken cooked a great stirfry for us all, and we sang Happy Birthday to Kathleen. Later, Linda regaled us with her funny stories, like about how she has a pet rat that visits the balcony of her condo, how cute she thinks he is!
Linda, by the way, has walked all the San Francisco stairways that has been Pat's other quest, for those of you who followed that blog in february. They were tired, we were all tired, went to bed early. They were o.k. with the barn and the chamber pot.

Weather was very bad today, by the way, cold and rainy. Pat

7-7-08 In the Real Dark Night of Sweden it is always Five O:Clock in the Afternoon or, we appreciate Hillary

Woke up and decided our day.
Went to see the Cathedrale, and found a beautiful young woman practising singing modern day Catholic hymns for the upcoming Mass. Her name was Sara Nyquist, and she had the sweetest, most beautiful voice. We just sat and were entranced. It felt so spiritual, and was interesting because at dinner the night before, we had a lively discussion on our differeing levels of spiritualism and religious beliefs.

Since the castle didn't open til 11, Hillary had found a local museum called the Kalmar Läns Musem. (I am so happy I finally get to use those extra letters on the keyboard)
This was a fascinating museum, hard to believe it's a local place. Interactive, video explanations, recreated tableaus and scenes. Amazing. it was mostly about the sinking of the ship Kronan", one of the largest ships to ever sink. It sank in 1676, during a war with Denmark. Eventually, they will bring up the entire hull, and it will need an entire museum to house this. The king of Sweden is involved in this fascinating project. The other part of the museum was a display of Jenny Nyström, a Swedish well known artist and illustrationist. She originated the elves that we see on Christmas cards today, and all over, really. This also was a charming exhibit, and we really liked her art work.

We ended this was a Fika at the cafe, again, charming! We had coffee and sweets. The Swedes actually say a coffee and a Danish, but we won't do that. The sweets were very good, the best baked goods we've had. Loved this museum, it was a highlight and we thank Hillary for her eagerness to read up and find things!

We then went to the castle, and took a tour. This too was fascinating, as it's a medieval castle still in operating shape. There are marriages performed in the chapel, the second most popular place to get married. (the first is Arlanda Airport!) We saw the mens and womens dungeons, gruesome! Saw where the royalty would have feasts, and sat at the table they had laid out with the foods of the time.

We then decided to drive over to Öland, but had to limit our time there. We weren't overly impressed with this, but it was cold and rainy, and we didn't see the beach. We looked for runes, or gravesites of the Vikings and people in the Bronze Age, did find some, pretty much in several places. This was interesting, and again, were glad Hillary pushed us to do this!
Ken drove the first part of the long way back, on a slippery wet road. It was 5:00 when we left Öland, and it seemed to be 5:00 the entire way back, because of how long it stays light! We had to stop for dinner at a buffet place outside AStrid Lingsten's amusement park, believe it or not, and it wasn't very good, but our only choice. We didn't care, we just needed to eat before the rest of the drive. The place had many children, many crying babies, we were the only people over 40 in the place, and they had Bob Dylan music playing the background.

Dan drove the rest of the way home, and, fortified by food, we got really silly. Were trying to come up with names of this blog, for each day. Some have no relevance to anyone but us, but since this is mainly our journal, i will mention some.
We Gota Canal and then we Kinda Gota Canal.
Nada Moose in sight.
Not from Rhode Island Dressing.
Why Can't I Get a Potato in Sweden?
We also noted that in the restaurant guides, the cuisine can be listed as something like "asian-swedish cajun fusion with a hint of provence". And "Rhode Island Dressing" is our Thousand Island Dressing, and no one from Rhode Island has heard of it.

7-6-2008 A Swedish Beach Day or "There are No People in this Country!"

We drove to Glass Country today, for an overnight stay ultimately in Kalmar. Took us about 3 hours, but we drove through beautiful country. There were heavy forests, many streams and small lakes, narrow roads. Just beautiful, tranquil.
Our first factory was Mats Jonasson Målerås, where we took a tour. His work is magnificent, and this was really more of a museum. Some of the exhibit pieces were art work, with themes of war, world problems, love and hate, etc. and the conflicts would be reflected in the glass in incredible ways.
We then went to Orrefors, which also had some Kosta Boda pieces, and this was a factory outlet. We took our time looking, then had lunch there as they all have cafes with buffets and "ficas". then, Pat and Danbought some gifts and some pieces for themselves. Decided to have it shipped, which was costly, but they took off more money so it ended up reasonable.
We then drove around to several others, trying to find something for Hillary to buy, and just to see as many as we could in the short time we had left before they closed. Went to what we thought was Kosta, which turned out to be a huge, awful outlet mall with little glassware! Then quickly drove to Sea, Åfors, and Transjö Hytta. Didn't find anything to buy, but the studio and the setting at Transjö was idlyllic--set in the woods with glass sculptures hanging over the little stream, placed wherever in the garden with the flower pots, just here and there, reflecting the sunlight. (except there was little sunlight!) Red buildings around, with the typical white trim, neat, and charming. The crystal was beautiful, we took pictures of just the crystal inside.
One thing we have noticed on the roads, and Per told us this, as this every so often, the road had very wide shoulders on either side, and is absolutely straight for several miles. Per told us these are all around the country, and are built to be also used as landing strips for aircraft should they be under attack. Sensible and interesting, as everything in Swedish design seems to be.
As we were driving around the countryside, as well as the the drive to the area, Ken exclaimed "There are no people in Sweden!". Indeed, we'd hardly seen anyone, even in the factories. One of the sales people told us this was because "everyone was on holiday and it was warm so they were all at the beach, it was a good beach day."
Well, we were quite struck by this, as it was raining! And when not actually raining, overcast and cloudy!
We then drove on to Kalmar, a charming old town on the east coast. Some of the streets are cobblestone, and this is a walled, medieval city. Our hotel is the Stadshotellet, a 200 year old hotel ? or so. Very old, very old fashioned with an old fashioned elevator, and a beautiful marble staircase. Rooms were small, plain and clean, fine with us. We really liked this town. Walked around looking for a nice dinner place, and enjoyed the town. There were actually crowds out, as there had been a local soccer match, which ended in a tie, so everyone was celebrating. We ate at a Bistro, pretty good but not noteworthy. Walked around a little more, then went back to the hotel where the 3 of them had an expensive drink at the hotel. Food IS incredibly expensive, as is alcohol. And not really that good.

Today's trip

Located on the Baltic coast in Southeastern Sweden, Kalmar is a small city with a rich history. Kalmar is the home of the "Key to the Kingdom", the name given to the magnificent Vasa fortress, Sweden's best - preserved Renaissance castle. When the old town from the Middle Ages could no longer be defended against the arch-enemy Denmark, a new Kalmar was built on Kvarnholmen. This part of the town, with its Baroque cathedral, its fortified walls and bastions, cobbled streets and stone-built houses from the 17th century, is a wonderful reminder of Sweden's time as a great power.

Today, Kalmar is located in one of Sweden's biggest tourist counties. Connected to Sweden's island paradise of Oland by one of Europe's longest bridges; lovely beaches, vacation houses, castle ruins, and a restored Viking village, are just a short drive away. The Kalmar Lans Museum, with its permanent exhibition of relics from the Royal warship Kronan, and display of work by Jenny Nystrom, creator of the Swedish Christmas elf, draws visitors from all parts of the world. The glassworks of Orrefors and Kosta Boda in Sweden's kingdom of Crystal are nearby; as is the emigrant region of Smaland.

Resulting from a historical link - the arrival of the first Europeans aboard the ship Kalmar Nyckel in 1638 to the area which is now the City of Wilmington - the relationship has flourished since 1963. Frequent exchanges occur between the two cities; in the areas of music, art, sports, history, education, business, and politics. In the spirit of sharing, adults and young people have established long-lasting friendships, and have developed an increased understanding of neighbors abroad.
--
Dan Klimaszewski

the rain came just as we found the beach

We got up, and took care of house stuff--the wash, the kitty cats, the dishes, etc. We then drove to Vadstena, a lovely town nearby. It is where Saint Birgetta is honored. We had seen this town with Per and Inger, but wanted to show it to Ken and Hillary. We shopped around, some cute little shops, but the prices are high. Hillary and I are looking for Ekelund linen towels, which Sassa had told us about. We didn't find them, but saw some other lovely ones. We walked around, saw the Cathedral, which was in the Gothic style. Nowhere near as ornate as the Italian churches, but still, impressive.

We then ate lunch at an outdoor cafe called MiCasa. The price was good, Per, you are right, going out for lunch is far more sensible! We had the plate of the day, beef, roasted potatoes. Ken had fish, and Pat had a chicken salad. The weather was wonderful, and we all felt so relaxed.

We then walked over to the castle of Gustav Vasa, whose summer home this was. He also allegedly came here because his son, Magnum, was mentally ill and was in a mental hospital. He was buried in the church, by the way. There was a moat around the castle, which was very impressive also.

We then drove back to Motala, and showed our guests the locks of the Gota Canal. This is very interesting, as there as 5 locks, and many boats pass through this. It is operated privately, but very busy, in the summer, at least.

After this, we wanted to find the beach and relax. We didn't find it at first, until Pat asked a Swedish man for directions, who nicely gave them. As we finally found the beach, we ended up in a downpour! But, we waited it out, and went down to the lake. It is quite beautiful, with sand and clear water.

We then grocery shopped and came back to our comfy home to relax. Met the neighbor, Frederick, who invited us over for pizza and wine when we return from our trip tomorrow to Kalmar and "Glass Country." (get your orders in if you read this in time!)

We really like it here. We feel it's sort of an alternative universe, as it's very similar to Michigan, especially the Upper Penisula. It's so clean, so relaxed. Swedes are generally so friendly, and so laid back, just calm and comforting. We have seen no slums, no poverty. Per has told us that mostly everyone is the same, and those that are not, are well taken care of by the government. It is interesting for us to see a form of socialism work so well. We are very impressed.

Our friends arrive

We woke had breakfast at the Hotel, which consisted of a Swedish smorgasbord. Cereals, eggs, sausages, meatballs, four different herrings, cold cuts, salmon, fruits vegatables, breads, but not many sweets, like we do for breakfast buffets.
We then checked out of the hotel, went to the airport, and picked up Ken and Hillary, all very routine. The Swedish roads and airports are very organized and similar to the U.S. After returning to the house, we let Ken and Hillary get some rest and shower, while we went to the grocery store. We watched prices carefully, as some of the things are extremely expensive by our standards. We spent about $70 and got enough food for a couple of dinners, breakfasts and assorted snacks, cheeses etc. Not too bad. We then grilled chicken and had our usual strawberry dessert. Of course, before this, we had our aquavit and skolled to our adventure!
The neightbors give us the strawberries for free as Inger and Per have helped them with their business. Inger helped with planting and Per helped them with some computer set up and other business issues. We also received a call from Jason on Skype, so through the magic of computers, we were able to have a video phone call from Sweden to San Francisco. Quite cool.
We are happy Ken and Hillary are here again to join us on this adventure.

Stockholm Day 1

Pa

We woke up at 5:45 am to take Inger and Per to the Stockholm airport for their trip to Michigan. It made for a long day, but not as long as theirs. It is 10 pm Stockholm (still daylight by the way), and we are at our hotel, ready for sleep, and Per and Inger are still in the air. Also Ken and Hillary are on their way to Stockholm, and will cross paths with the Walldeck's at some point between Detroit and Stockholm. Today we walked from our hotel, the hotel Birger Jarl to the Old Town of Stockholm and back. A lot of walking, looking in shops, and very little eating, so when we got back to the hotel we were famished. Pat takes responsibility for our bad lunch, as she had read that Marcus Samuelson owned this restaurant. He is a well known chef , who owns the famous "Aquavit" in New York City and Stockholm. Plus, he was at the Epicurian Festival in Traverse City. So I figured the food would be good. Wrong! We ate a bad sausage and taco at the Central Station for lunch, then came back to the hotel and rested, showered and looked for dinner.

All restaurants were full, but we finally found a nice place called the Zink Grill. We had a nice meal, fairly reasonable for Stockholm standards 1040 Kroner, which is about $170. Included a bottle of wine, and some appetizers as we were very hungry. Of course it was overpriced, as all things are in Stockholm. I acdtually paid $9 for a bottle of Belgium beer at the Central Station. Very stupid of me, I just didn't think about it, but overall we have bewen able to keep costs down due to the house exchange and the ability to cook at the house in Motola.

Tomorrow we pick up Ken and Hillary and return to Motola. We will post more pictures later.

Dan

cow bingo and lunch at Ikea

Per made me laugh this morning, no small feat considering my normal morning grogginess, by telling me about a game they play here called "cow bingo"´ You let several cows out of the pen , mark off the field in squares, and bet on where they you know what! Oh dear, we teased him, is this excitement in Sweden?

this part of our house exchange is a little different than others, as we are really staying with our hosts for a few days before they leave, and learning to live as they do. it is really a new way for us to do this, and vey enjoyable. we will have time to see the sites we want to see, but to get to know their way of living is in itself a great experience.

more later. yes,we had lunch at Ikea at Linkoping, then came back home. Per and i took a Vespå ride to get fresh strawberries from the neighbors for our dessert tonight, and now Dan and i will bike to Overlid for a Fica! Pat

Relaxing day in Nykyrka and Motala

Very low key day. I woke up early, then took a morning nap. We then looked around Motala with Per, bought groceries, found some sights in Motala and basically got our bearings. Pat made spaghetti for dinner, and also a cake for today's strawberries. As I probably mentioned before the next door neighbor is the largest supplier of strawberries in the area. They are equal to Michigan strawberries, and the growing season is longer because of the long long days of sunshine. This is a very weird experience. It is now 9pm and complete daylight. The sun is high in the sky, and a around 11pm it will begin to get dark, but more like dusk. I woke up at 3am and it was completely light. A soft light, but still light. It is very hard to get accustomed to. Right now there is no moon, so it will be interesting to see what happens if/when there is a full moon. Wednesday we wil be headed for Stockholm to spend the night and take Per and Inger to the airport for their trip to Ann Arbor. Ken and Hillary will be coming in Thursday.

Motala is a pleasant town, small, but prosperous looking. Everything in Sweden is neat and clean, and we have noticed no poverty yet.

Oh, at night we watched t.v., watched "Foleys War". i mention this because several people i know who may read this blog love this show, and now we see why. Yes, it was in English, we were watching the BBC channel. it is interesting to enter the lives of this lovely couple, we feel like we are residents here. a different experience.

It is always interesting going to grocery stores in other countries. We are feeling very comfortable here. Inger and i took our nightly walk. We are sleeping well.

Oh, i have discovered the chamber pot! This lowers my anxiety ten-fold!

First Pictures

http://picasaweb.google.com/danklim1/Sweden2008

here is the link to our first pictures from Sweden. More to come.

day 2---Catching on to the vagaries of the swedish keyboard

We slept long and hard, til 8:30! Per and Inger had a Swedish breakfast awaiting us, we had their great coffee, and cereal with their yogurt, toast with a wonderful jam--blackberry and current, and an excellent cheese. They don't eat this every morning, but it was a special breakfast for us.
We then drove to Vadstena, the home of Saint Birgetta, one of the oldest towns in Sweden. We had a wonderful lunch at the Barn 206, with huge open faced sandwiches. Delicious! We then drove around that charming town as well as another nearby one, named Skänninge. These charming towns all abut Lake Vattern, and are very picturesque. We saw part of the Gota Canal at a place where there were 5 locks, operating for the boats that were there.
Later, we napped, as we are terribly jetlagged. Then, Inger and Pat took a walk and Per and Dan had a whisky.
We are really enjoying ourselves and feel so comfortable with this very generous, friendly couple. i wonder if people on our webiste, Homelink.org, all tend to be adventuous and so open minded.
Some observations about Sweden---mostly all the houses are red, with some others being yellow. You can't tell the old ones from the new ones--the one Per and Inger own is 400 years old'---because they are made of wood and continually renovated. This is a peaceful, tranquil countryside, as i noticed on my walks.
Had another great dinner, fresh salad, potato salad, and grilled pork. with aquavit, and much wine. Much fun. Oh yes, fresh strawberries!
i have to add my liking for the Swedish computer, it has keys we donät have that i keep hitting by mistake. Here they are: ö,ä and Ö,Ä.

Entering the Land of the Midnight Sun

Our trip to Sweden was reall quite pleasant and routine. Per was waiting for us at the airport, and it was nice not to have to worry about driving or getting a train. The three hour ride to his house was also uneventful. Sweden reminds us of Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, or Ontario. Very unpopulated, lots of open space. Deer, Moose and Elk are all in the area. When we arrived at the house Inger was waiting, and we unpacked and had coffee. Dinner was Salmon, potatoes and peas, with Strawberry cake for desert. Very nice. We are also meeting the cats, Lisa, Mya, but Figaro is very sceptical!
Our accommodations at this point are in a 400 year old barn. The guest room, is quite nice, Per built it himself. When they leave for the U.S. we get to move into the house. Our hosts have been very accommodating and we have hit it off right away. The house is over 400 years old and the oldest house in the town of Nykyrka (New Church), which is a little settlement of about 500 people about 12 k from Motola. W took a walk after dinner to visit the village and the surroundings.

We have to add a note about the guestroom, which we find very cozy, and are liking. To get to it, we have to walk up a steep flight of narrow stairs, accessed most easily by walking sideways. Also, there is no bathroom, so if we need to use the facilities during the night, and anyone who knows either of us know that we do (!), we have to climb down the stairs to use the toilet. Pat was nervous about the stairs at first, but quickly adapted, and we also don't mind the mid-night walks!

We also must note the experience of the sunlight. At midnight, when we made our midnight potty run, it was the darkest part of the night, and still, quite light out. Fascinating to us.

We are enjoying our hosts very much.

Retirement

Well retirement time is here. Friday we will be leaving for Sweden and will be posting on this spot. It should be fun. Keep up to date with our trip.

Retirement has come. It seems quite weird to not have an office. I have spent all day organizing my home office, and I think I have a handle on things. I am mostly packed for Sweden, and have to go in two days this week to finish things up and meet with my successor. I must say I have been overwhelmed with well wishes from people. Cards seem endless and very generous gifts. I feel like my work has been appreciated.

Now off to Sweden, where our new friend Per will be waiting for us at the airport. We will have computer access most of the time, and also have our cell phones.

Here is a good link for Swedish news http://www.thelocal.se/
and another link to keep track of time http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=239

Retirement approaching

Retirement is quickly approaching. One more month of students, then a couple of weeks later, I'm done. The hardest part right now, is setting things up for next year, when I won't be here to facilitate them. Every one wants me to be at their particular meeting. Two weeks after the start of school next year, I will be an after thought and things will be running.
Personally, I still fear being able to manage financially, but that will work itself out. We are very busy over the next few months, trips, wedding, trips, etc. Up North seems to be an afterthought, though we are still planning on going the next couple of weekends.
We finally got to Utah and saw Isaac, Matt and Rachel. That went well. He's growing and quite cute. The picture is his first baseball game. It was cold but fun. The Utah Bees were playing Fresno. The Bees won. That made their record 20-1.