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.