Thursday, May 31, 2018

Last Time

All good things come to an end and it was time to pack up the tent for the last time. We have thoroughly enjoyed our northern trip and are full of new experiences and fun memories.

Carl Larson and Anders Zorn

Carl Larson and Anders Zorn are some of Sweden's most well-known artists. We visited the homes of both of these men.  The Zorns home featured all the modern amenities like hot water, stove, elevator, intercom etc - no expense was spared in the establishing of the home. The Zorns were equally generous with the community and left a legacy behind for the future.

The Larson home is quaint and homey. We explored the surroundings and the gardens and recognized several places that show up in his painting.





Falu Gruva

We spent a morning exploring the 800-year-old copper mine in Falun. It was interesting to learn about the history of the mine, the people who worked it, and see the actual remnants of it. No wonder 'all' the houses in Sweden are red.










Music

Bob carried his clarinet with him on the trip. I caught him practice one night.

Heading Inland

We steered the car towards Dalarna. On our way, we enjoyed a camping night by a small lake. We explored more churches and of enjoyed a tasty picnic by Lake Siljan. The boys finally had a chance to swim in the little lake before we had dinner at our campsite. We are getting really good at picnic and salad bar meals.
















Tuesday, May 29, 2018

More Churches and Nature

There are so many old and beautiful churches in Sweden. We became quite discerning, not wanting to stop at anyone that was built after 1700- too new in our opinion.
We thoroughly enjoyed the extra amenities that Swedish campsites offer - an indoor kitchen and even a table for eating and amusement for Noah.











Unusual Experience

On our way, we saw a sign for a military installation museum and off the road we went. The signs took us through the woods and led us to a ferry that took us over to the island where the installation is located. We walked around, explored the remnants of cold war preparations and enjoyed the site. The underground part of the installation was not open but we enjoyed the exploration. As we headed back to the car, we met the owner of the museum and he offered to take us on a private tour of the underground facility. Two hours later we headed back on the ferry and continued south. What an experience to see this remnant of cold war build up. We learned so much Swedish and military history.