Bengtsfors
by Ashley Weeks Cart
My final post about Sweden (for now at least!).
The day after Maja’s wedding, we retreated to her parents’ home nearby in the Swedish countryside with her nuclear family. I had stayed at this home my freshmen year of college when I flew to Sweden to visit Maja during my spring break. I will admit that the beautiful summer weather made this trip even better than my visit in March of 2002. Maja’s mother is an avid gardener so I was completely drooling over her amazing gardens and fruit bushes. Her kitchen is filled with jams and pickled produce and everything fresh and homemade pulled directly from the backyard. Incredible!
^^Lingonberries abound! In every possible color, in pure abundance!^^
^^Find Kimmy’s body prostrate in the lawn, still recovering from our 7am “bed” time.^^
^^We consumed leftover hotdogs from the bar the night before as our afternoon pick-me-up.^^
^^Maja’s sister’s flatcoat Sigue joined the fun! Oh my favorite dogs in the world – he was so happy at the lake.^^
^^We all went swimming in the lake in her parents’ backyard. The whole scene felt like a Wes Anderson film.^^
^^The only photo of me and Maja “solo” is this ridiculous image. My rear end and Maja’s face after submerging in the chilly water. Pretty priceless actually.^^
^^Maja and Lars opened wedding gifts while we sipped champagne. They were deliriously happy it would seem.^^
That evening, we enjoyed another outrageous culinary experience prepared by Maja’s mom and brother. Traditional Swedish crayfish covered in buttery, garlicky goodness, fresh vegetables, deer, moose, and more cake and wine than we could possibly handle. We all visited and enjoyed our final hours all together, basking in all the fun and happiness of the past 48 hours. The next day we bid our farewells and boarded a train back to Stockholm.
Oh what a trip! I feel so lucky to have had such a grand adventure with my baby sister and to have such an incredible friendship to inspire such a journey. Until next time!