DAY 15 - Bohmgarden...400 years of Family History in Sweden

Sept 17 -  3 Nights in a Stable

A year ago I came here with my husband as we couch surfed through Europe.  This time, I came because my 3rd cousin from Iowa wanted me to accompany him and his only brother from Kansas to England.  We were there 10 days together visiting the home of our English ancestors on my grandmother's side.  I decided that since the airfare was so inexpensive to Sweden from London, I would go again to the land of my grandfather's heritage.  After all, I was so close!

What a wonderful thing it was when Paul and Susanne invited me to stay at the old homestead!!  They have lived on it for about 8 years now and are the first ones since about the 1600's who was NOT related to the Olson (Olafsson) family.  BUT...they know so much about the area and the home.

See my blog posts from my last visit to this area:


http://sharichcouillard.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-141-finding-olson-homestead-in.html

http://sharichcouillard.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-143-touring-olson-home-in-gardebyn.html 

 Ingalil drove me there last night and as I got there around 9:30, I went straight to my quarters - the stable....more about that later.

I woke up to the sound of "cock-a-doodle-dooing".  Susanne was enjoying raising chickens and they were having fun roaming around for a feast everywhere they wandered.

The sunshine helps with depression.

 After a lazy morning talking in Susanne's kitchen, we went to the local grocery store and picked up a couple of yummy salads and had a picnic on the boardwalk by Lake Siljan.  Such a beautiful day!











Susanne dropped me off at my couch surfing hosts from last year - Kristopher and Sasa.  They had moved in town and had said I could borrow their bicycle.  Yeah!

Their daughter was there, too, so we all had tea and cake together.

  Then I took off for the day with their bike.  I LOVED exploring.  I went to a 2nd hand store and found some nice treasures.

Some fancy mushrooms at the grocery store.

Then I went shopping for some food and wandered around the downtown of Rattvik.

Crossing by the residential section...lots of falun red colors.

My ancestors most likely went to school here

 I biked up the hill to Gardebyn - about a 30 minute bike ride from Rattvik.  I saw a beautiful sunset.  Then Susanne had a nice dinner for us all.  (I didn't get a photo :(  )   Sorry to say I don't remember what it was, but it was very good!

Time to go to bed little chickies!

She has to make sure they are in their right places and feed them.

 Paul has a tailor shoppe next to their house and here are two items displayed in the foyer.

From our farm - if they could talk!

This is the corridor entryway to the very short door.

And now to my sleeping quarters....
This used to a stable for the farm animals.  It has been remodeled so that it can be used as a guest house. 

Let's go on in!

When the renovation was done a few years back, they used original wood from the farm, original beams, and whatever they could to salvage history.  Check back on my posts last year.  Susanne's violin was even made from the scrap pieces.  Paul also gave me pieces of 100+ year old from what may be apple trees  Someday, I will have something special made from them.

Note the beams from the original house.

Woven rugs are everywhere in the room.  It makes me want to find one to take back to the States even more.  I have my own microwave, fridge, and  hot burner, if I want to use them.












It's Mid-September and Sweden is already cooling down, especially in the evenings.   The stove is not on yet, so I really have to wear my flannels and snuggle in the blankets - VERY comfy bed.

Showing some of my souvenir "loot" & the 2nd hand Swedish box.

Having a cup of hot chocolate and berry yogurt.  What a treat!