It was wonderful to arrive in Linköping station having been there before, both with Kaitlin & Alec in 2010 & to change trains on our way to Jördö before Christmas @ the farm...I knew just where to go, headed off the platform...and nearly missed connecting with my cousin Lars, who had seen me as I stepped off the train! Moments like this - realizing I've been at a train station in Sweden more than once within two years is such a tangible point for me to feel so fortunate.
We'd planned only a week together, though my cousins had offered as much time as I needed in Sweden; after a day of seeing the sun rise and set across the same fields my grandmother's grandmother had left to move to America I hoped the week would go by very slowly. (Sweden is just north enough for the winter days to be quite a bit shorter than in Minnesota. The sun also rises & sets over the horizon extremely quickly, creating a 360º bowl of rainbow colors which surround the hundred year old family farm house I was staying in with the younger of the Landelius family.
Wind turbines stand tall in the flat, fertile fields...there were three installed when we visited in 2010 - there are now at least seven within eye-sight from the farm. The farmer's get part of the electricity from each turbine & then sell the rest to the city. Lars said that Linkoping, the closest large city, about 20 km away from the farm, creates all of its energy from alternative sources, including burning garbage, allowing the city to be "off the grid" more days out of the year than they are on.
My second night with family was spent visiting the elder generation of Landelius cousins, who align with my generation of the family tree, Sune & Solvig.
Axel lights Christmas tree decorations which are like sparklers! SO cool...wish we had them in the US.
Emma on her phone...Facebook calling. (She is sitting with her head on the embroidered table cloth I gave to Solvig for Christmas...I hoped it would fit their massive table for family dinners. It was so sweet on the day I left she made sure I walked into the other room to see it spread out, all pressed, in their home. Quite the set of connections...a US relative giving Indian gifts which look Scandinavian!
My immediate cousins - Solvig & Sune Landelius
The "four" generations of ladies - even though we represent three generations there are still nearly 20+ years between each of us.
The Landelius younger generation - Axel, Lars, me, Emma & Sofie.
Dinner - like all Swedish meals - was prepared perfectly, presented beautifully & filled with yummy, healthy food!
Riced potatoes in the center, salmon with asparagus & lemon in front, with dill butter sauce in boat to the side, homemade rolls & salad completed the main course. (There were two kinds of cake & ice cream for dessert, too!)
We had read through the artifacts the family holds from Emma Landelius, my direct relative, when we visited but I'd not taken any photos of the actual documents, nor spent time reading them...we had so much less time. So it was particularly special to sit for a longer time and read through the letters, cards & family tree materials Solvig & Sofie had gathered over years of research.
Post card sent home from Liverpool, England, Emma's last port of call before leaving Europe.
A God Jul - Merry Christmas - card Emma sent to her father from Minneapolis. Sofie translated it for me - she asked about neighbors who are still living in the area and shared that she was busy getting settled on Lowry Avenue!
