Örebro, Sweden

Our Swedish "family" lives in the countryside of Sweden, down a meandering gravel road through a small forest that opens into a clearing for their home and outbuildings. Evelina, 18, just graduated from high school in the closest city of Örebro. There are a few villages a little closer, but as a bigger city, Örebro was our first destination during our stay.

Örebro is a town that has been active since the 13th century, receiving its city privildges around 1404. The cultural depth of the city is present as you wander the cobblestone streets and marvel at the magnificent buildings - awed by several breathtaking churches that rival some cathedrals I have seen as well as the centrally located charming yet functional castle. It is a little surreal for me to actually be at a castle, these type of buildings or living history simply don't exist in the United States. I continually keep reminding myself these aren't replicas or something new that is made to look old. The Örebro Castle is the same castle that King Gustav Vasa expanded in 1560, the walls are the exact stones and bricks that millions of people before me have seen throughout the last five hundred years! Mindboggling is putting it mildly. I know Paul shares similar sentiments, probably even more so because of his love of history and the medieval era. He probably even puts the locations, names, buildings, artifacts into a better context than I because of his extensive knowledge of European history. I appreciate the profound perspective he sometimes shares as we absorb each location, capturing these moments- desperately trying to store the immenseness and aura of each location in our memories. Ready at my side is my Cannon Rebel, freezing moments in time and digitally documenting each location. Hopefully through these avenues, Örebro will be saved in our hearts and minds, a little piece of Sweden we can hold and carry with us forever.

There are so many quaint and charming details of this city it is difficult to portray our experiences in written word. While walking through town, a burbling river flows allowing rowboats to float past and little blonde children to fish. Waterfront homes are colorful and picturesque. Can places like this exist outside of our imagination? Are these postcard images actual homes? As if turning the pages of a beautifully illustrated picture book, we walked through the images and enjoyed not only the beauty and imagry, but the feelings they evoke within ourselves. We realize that there are castles that have hundreds of lillypads with dainty yellow flowers in the water surrounding it. Gravel pathways actually encourage a stroll through a centrally located park, adjacent to the castle, abundant with flora and fauna in bloom and whispering their secrets on the breezes that lead wanderers to the next delightful location. Making our way through the imagery of the park, we happen upon statues surrounded by carefully tended flowers, fountains spurting cool, clear streams, and reflections of native plantlife in rivers and ponds that are as beautiful as nature itself. In the midst of the green lushness, a small pathway opens into a private area- a secret garden of sorts- exploding with a bounty of roses in every shade and type imaginable. Blankets with couples enjoying tea or coffee amidst the roses or families sharing a picnic lunch under the shade of groupings of trees dot the landscapes as we pass. Our storybook setting gives way to the pages of a history book, bringing us to the old town in Örebro filled with red houses and shops. Warm rich red wood, painted from the abundance of the color from a byproduct of mining, welcomes visitors through small doorways to step into the past. Charming woodshops with skilled tradesmen, lovely pottery and ceramics, and enticing cafes encourage patronage.







Noon was announced with tolls of a tower clock, reminiscent of a coo-coo clock with a window at the top of the tower opening to display a spinning menagerie of Swedish characters with each toll. Lunch was taken in one of the hundreds of years old house (including low ceilings and original fireplaces), beside an open window housing a pot of geraniums, overlooking the town square. Pickled herring, salad with fresh vegetables, a variety of breads, roast beef with new potatoes, and seafood casserole with potatoes and dill comprised our traditional Swedish options. Of course, the meal was completed with pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries (very similar to our breakfast pancakes but with less flour and more egg, making them thinner and not so fluffy but just as sweet) and coffee or hot tea.
Quaint and charming keep coming to mind to describe Örebro, a mix of old buildings and history with current trends, technology, and fashion.