After leaving Stockholm and making a brief stop in Karlstad for the
E18 Loppet, we continued to Forshaga.
This was a special part of the trip because Forshaga was the area where my
grandmother, Margit Vanja Bengtsson, came from.
Our rental house in Forshaga, where we stayed June 9–13.
Four days in Forshaga
A slower pace in the Swedish countryside
Our days here were intentionally less structured. We shopped for groceries,
cooked meals, wandered through the countryside, took fika, spent time with
cousins Peter and Ann Calen, drove around Forshaga and Karlstad, visited
Stormon, and simply enjoyed being together.
The rental property had plenty of land and backed up to the woods. A barn on
the property included a chicken coop, and each day the kids helped feed and
tend the chickens. We were rewarded with fresh eggs in the morning.
A paved path ran near the house and through Forshaga, giving us an easy place
to walk and roller-blade while exploring the area.
Around the rental
Country living
The house, woods, chickens, and daily routine made Forshaga feel more like home than a sightseeing stop.
The rental property had plenty of land and backed up to the woods.
Neva and David tending the chickens on June 11. Fresh eggs were part of the morning routine.
Family in Sweden
Time with Peter & Ann Calen
Peter and Ann were wonderfully kind to us and helped make our stay in Forshaga especially memorable.
Ann, Sheri “Booi,” Peggy, and Peter during a midsummer meal prepared by Peter and Ann.
Cora and Neva enjoying strawberry pie—with two very interested dogs nearby.
Peter and Ann visiting us at the rental house in Forshaga.
A Swedish tradition
Fika in Forshaga
Coffee, something sweet, and time together became part of the rhythm of our stay.
Fika in Forshaga with coffee and pastries.Cora enjoying something sweet during fika.
Along the path
Forshaga in bloom
Wildflowers grew along the walking and biking paths throughout the area.
These lupines were one of the small details that made our daily walks around
Forshaga memorable.
Wildflowers beside one of the paved paths through Forshaga.
The most personal stop
From Forshaga to Stormon
While staying in Forshaga, we visited Stormon—the house where my grandmother
Margit Vanja Bengtsson was born. That visit became one of the most meaningful
moments of the entire 2017 trip.
