Hospitality, Swedish style

I've had the opportunity to blog about the flight from America, but not one of the most important part of our travels. After picking up our luggage, (thank you Paul for choosing the line that we later find out offered the service of the customs officer in training to stamp our passports, it only took like 20 extra minutes, lol) we exited the passenger only section of the plane and found the open arms of Evelina waiting for us! Even though a year has passed since she returned to her native country (I chose the term native country very carefully here...origionally I typed "home" but I hope that she considers being with us in America a little like being at home too), it felt like nothing as we reunited with each other in English amongst a variety of Swedish conversations swirlling around us as others were reunited with family, friends, and loved ones.

Happy to be together again! =)

After a couple of hours in Benga's car- a trip I barely remember and think I was either comatosed or zombified for because of the change in time and lack of sleep for the past few days (yes, Jetlag is a very real concept)- we passed the cities of Örebro, Frövi, and finally reach our destination of Stråghagen. View of Örebro from the "mushroom" watertower

Evelina's family's home is at the end of a charming gravel lane, between a plentiful supply of birch trees and a variety of pines. Their house is best described as charming, gray with wonderful details painted in fresh white paint, reminisant of the old farm house it used to be and the new they've modernized. Ewy is an amazinger gardener and her flowers seem to thrive along their newly designed sidewalk and flowerbeds. One of the most impressive sections, however, is the abundance of storage and garage space that wrap around the driveway, enclosing a common area infront of the house. They not only have the guest house that we are stayin in, there are multiple garages to house their 11 American classic show cars, a garage for fixing the cars, an indoor bay for washing them, and a variety of space including horse stalls that are merely used for storage.

Inside our guest house is furnished in a modern retro style hotel room including a wall mural of Route 66, a conversation area with four comfy chairs and table, and a bed which Paul remarked after laying on it "is going home with us." It's a private, comfortable space that we've enjoyed not spending much time in. =) At least we have a great place to sleep!

Breakfast seems to be my favorite meal here, even though I never eat it in America. I'm not sure if that's because of the time difference and my body is hungry at that point or if I just really enjoy the options that we don't typically have at home. Every morning the table is full of a variety of breads and hard breads (which we would consider like big crackers), butter, spreads including liver paste and caviar, yogurt in a couple of flavors, several kinds of cheese that you slice off of the block yourself, fresh vegetables including cucumbers, tomatoes, and red bell peppers, juices, water, and coffee. And that's just the options that I enjoy. There are also a couple of kinds of sliced meat that Paul and Evelina add to their toast. It's fun to figure out what the Swedish words are for items that we are familiar with, even if I don't really pronounce them very well or remember them for much more than a few minutes. =) We decided this morning that we need a round table with a lazy susan on it where we can just continue spinning it for everyone. The family most recently has included Evelina, her parents Benga and Ewy, her sister's boyfriend David, and of course Paul and myself. I'm pretty sure there are many options that Paul and I will add to our normal breakfast routine!

So far, our hosts haven't let Paul or I lift a finger or pay for anything when we've been out, reguardless of our attempts to do so. Their generosity and hospitality is wonderful and welcoming. The vast majority of family and friends that we've met so far have been extremely friendly and willing to speak in English to include us in conversations. Occassionally, when someone does speak Swedish, one of the others will turn to us to translate and relay the story or conversation. Children are a sometimes a little more nervous to speak in English but understand what we're saying which is extremely nice and something their school systems should be proud of. The Swedish people we have interacted with have a very good grasp of my native language and are willing to use it to make my trip more enjoyable. I appreciate their effort and accomodation!

Our vacation has veen overwhelming pleasant and enjoyable. The Swedish people, landcapes, and culture have made it so. I don't honestly know if all Swedish families are like this, but ours is. =) I only look forward to the days to come!