Around Eskilstuna, Sweden

The gang's all here!  Christian, Jeff, Linnea, Kirsti, Nils and Anders

Family vacations are one thing, but when you take the family half-way around the world... well, that's a whole different thing all together.

Yup, my family was all over in Sweden this summer, and I was... here.  In California.  

I'm trying not to be pouty about it.  Actually, what I love about my brother is that he shares with me all the fun things that they are doing, and he has sent all these lovely photos, too, so it makes it much easier to deal with me not actually being there with them!

Brothers Nils and Anders

Family vacations can be wonderful and rewarding experiences.  I'm so happy that my niece and nephews have been able to experience traveling in Scandinavia.  Since we are mostly Norwegian, and my sister-in-law is mostly Swedish, you can perhaps see why this is important to our family.

Amend that to brothers Christian, Nils and Anders

They had run out of blond genes by the time Christian was born.

I'm glad at least one kid looks like me!

They still all look Scandinavian.  It's in the genes.

Eskilstuna, Sweden, is a beautiful place.

Grandparents Britt and Merwyn
aka Mormor and Morfar

Or, as the kids call them: the Morfs.

Nils looking studly

A typical Swedish church

Linnea and Jeff

This was Jeff's first visit to the land of his wife's heritage.  I'm glad he had this experience.  It will help him better understand and appreciate all the Swedish (and Norwegian) stuff he has in his home.  Like Trolls and Dala horses.

And having to celebrate Christmas Scandinavian style with pickled herring and saffron rolls.

Just saying...

Linnea and Jeff had just landed from a very long airplane ride in these photos, so the family was trying to keep them awake.  You don't really reset your internal time-clock if you don't stay up and then go to bed when the natives do.  So, that explains why they look tired.  Not saying they're not a handsome couple.  They're just usually a bit perkier.

Eskilstuna grew around a monastery (long since gone) and was named after a Christian Priest named Eskil. He must not have been very popular with the natives. Some pagan Viking types from a nearby town stoned him to death.  Poor fellow. After all that, I'm glad they at least named the town after him.

                

I love this picture (above).  It makes me want to jump in.  Or go walking under those trees.  Or take pictures, or something.

Obviously a water nymph doing her thing

Another water nymph?
Kirsti posing by the water

Anders and Christian among the ruins

Oops!  6 p.m.  Time to go!