Our last day in Sweden

Gardserum Church

From Vetlanta, we had to make the long drive back to Stockholm's Arlanda airport where we would spend the night before heading home. We added a couple of hours to the trip to see the town where my great-grandfather John Peter Thorngren was born and the church where he recorded his leaving Sweden in the 1830s. John Peter was born in Gamleby. We drove through part of this hilly town, but took no pictures. Today, it is just a modern town with little to set it apart from other Swedish towns of a similar size. At least, that was our impression. We really didn’t search the city for anything beyond what we saw in the few minutes we spent there.

The white addition is the mausoleum

Shortly after leaving Gamleby we stopped to look at some church ruins. After what we learned yesterday about churches being left in disrepair when new ones were built to replace them we weren’t really surprised to see this one across the street from the new, larger church even though the setting for the older one is quite a bit nicer. What was surprising was that the actually blew this one up once the new church was finished. Built at the beginning of the 12th century, it is another example of a medieval church. Västra Ed Church was reduced to rubble about 1870 after the new church was consecrated. The artifacts from the old church either went to museums or the new church, so at least they were saved. The other interesting item about this ruin is that a crypt is attached to the back side away from the road is still in use.

Our final stop before heading to the airport was Gardserum Kyrka. This is where Johannes Peter Törngren registered the fact that he was leaving Sweden for America. We were amazed to find this large beautiful church almost isolated in the country. Only a few houses are even in the neighborhood. The present church was built on the site of a smaller church in the 1850s and consecrated in 1857. It was built to hold the 2500 people then living in the parish. Its 20 small towers make it unique. According to the church’s website they offer tours during the summer. Perhaps not on Sunday’s however as it was closed during the time we visited.

It turns out I was technically wrong to think that would be our last stop before reaching the airport. As we reached southern Stockholm we entered the worst traffic jam we have ever encountered. No exaggeration! It took us over an hour to travel less than two miles. Then, as traffic jams do, it completely opened up and we were again driving the speed limit of 110 km/hr (about 65 mph). Pleased that our hotel was literally next door to the car rental agencies, we dropped off luggage so Linda could check in while I returned the car only to discover that our hotel was actually in the airport. When Linda expressed surprise that there are two Radisson Blus at the airport, the clerk said he had only learned that when he reported for his first day of work. Fortunately, there is a shuttle bus to take us to the airport where we had a pleasant evening and morning waiting for our plane.

Thus ends our trip

This is ALL snoose for sale in the airport.