It's our last day in Oskarshamn! What a great time we've had here.
We are having a great time with Rolf and Inger Lennartsson and now their son John who just arrived. Their farm is amazing! We have been treated to all kinds of new foods including "kroppkakor," a potato-type dish filled with pork and onions served with cream, melted butter, and lingonberries. It is a traditional food for Småland and Öland.
Although it does have a name--Applerums kvarn, I have nicknamed it Eden-Sweden! There is a stream running through it, cats everywhere, bicycles to use, ripe strawberries to pick, and woods to wander.
Back to our day . . . how wonderful it was to sleep in. When the kids went to bed, I told them they could sleep as late as they wanted, and they held me to that. They slept in until almost noon. This visit was perfectly timed to recharge our batteries and start the next stage of our trip.
After showers and gathering our things in backpacks for the day, we were off to the sea. Rolf and Inger have a speed boat, and we started off with a tour of the skärgård, or the little islands off the coast.
We brought fishing poles and Robby and Rolf tried to fish in a number of spots, but not even a bite came of it. Regardless, it was wonderful to be out on the water in the sun and just enjoy the view. 
Carina and I lulled off to sleep a number of times--even in mid-sentence.
When we got back to Eden-Sweden, Rolf decided to take each of us individually for a spin in his awesome forest green 1997 BMW, a gift he gave himself a number of years ago. What a car, and does it go fast!
He took me for a tour of their village Oskarshamn which included a look at Oskargymnasiet, the equivalent of an American high school.
We also viewed some cool scuptures,
and when we came back the kids were lined up to take their turn.
The afternoon consisted of a great late lunch, lots of strawberries, sharing pictures from home and comparing everything from prices to insurance to raising kids to immigration to favorite music to inventions. What fascinating people they are! Rolf took out his guitar and we sang all kinds of common songs we knew--Bob Dylan, the Mama's and the Papa's, Simon & Garfunkel. We are definitely of the same vintage. I showed them my sister Christine's WDRV.com website, and he plans on listening to her online sometime.
We were treated to dinner in the cellar of the water mill which is appropriately named Mill-Cellar. It is like a pub. They have a little stage, darts, a bar, lots of tables, candles everywhere. As their kids were growing up, it was the hot spot of the teenagers for gatherings and parties, etc.
We definitely could stay here a few more days, especially, according to Robby, since John arrived this evening.
He just graduated from the gymnasiet and shares Robby's interest in electronics and video games. Robby and John were up until three in the morning last night playing games on his Wi video system. John is so enthusiatic and friendly. I told him he would make a perfect counselor at Sjölunden next summer. I would love if the whole Lennartsson family would come to visit us in Minnesota. What a fabulous few days we have had with them.
Tomorrow we get to meet up with my niece Katie!
Heja Oskarshamn! Tack, familjen Lennartsson för allt!
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