Different Ways of Living

I’ve spent the last few days at Pia‘s house doing a variety of things. One day I weeded the roses and the front walk then harvested beets from the garden and collected nettles for dinner. Pia made fish and a nettle potage to go with it- it was surprisingly good! Another day, I harvested berries to make more jam and jelly and did some cleaning. I got to have a traditional Swedish meatball dinner with lingonberries, it was a fantastic combination. I also tried boiled peeled shrimp on white bread with mayonnaise, a combination I did not think I would like, but was actually pretty good. Many of their condiments are in tubes instead of jars and bottles. I tried kaviar, which they use as a sandwich spread. Too salty for my taste, but better tasting than I expected.

I did get out for a drive one afternoon, going past some beautiful houses, one in particular had a large pond in the front and was a gorgeous setting. I also passed a house where there was a cart set up outside that held vases of wildflowers for sale. I went for a short hike on a local trail where there was a lovely little seating area with a fire pit.

I also explored a treehouse hotel (Tradhushotell) that’s only 15 minutes away. The owner was very sweet letting me have a look around as none of the guests had checked in yet. They have a large property and the traditional Swedish-style wooden treehouses are all pretty private. Apparently it was a family farm until the early 1980s. There are only three tree houses, but they are incredible! They are built high up in beautiful oak trees, all very cozy inside. They have decks around them so you can sit outside and feel like you’re in the tree branches. Even the outhouses were adorable! The names are captivating as well – ‘Andrum’ (Breathing Room), ‘Sjunde himlen’ (Seventh Heaven), and ‘Himlajord’ (Heavenly Earth). I would love to spend a night or two in one of them, Himlajord was my favorite as it had a gorgeous view out over Lake Hornborgasjön. Unfortunately, they run about $400 US a night, which includes a breakfast basket with home-baked bread that is winched up to the balcony. Maybe on my next trip!

One evening when Giorgia and I were in the front yard, we looked out to the farm across the street and saw a double rainbow! It was like a fairytale picture with the green field, red houses and the rainbow coming down to earth. We’ve had some beautiful sunrises and sunsets, it’s been intermittently raining with a few thunderstorms. It’s nice to have some slightly cooler weather.

I only have one full day left here at Pia‘s, then my friend Stacy arrives and we are off to explore different parts of Sweden. I will miss this beautiful place and getting to be part of a household. But, I am looking forward to the next phase of my trip!