America Week

Not far from the summer house is the village where both grandma and grandpa grew up, and where mum spent a lot of time when she was little. We often have reasons to visit. The village is known (among other things) for having organised the very first group of people emigrating to America from Sweden in 1845, and then for opening the first emigration office to help others to follow. One million people in total left poverty and starvation in Sweden for the hope of a better life in America (mum has read all this, of course).

Today was the start of the America week, when all this is remembered, and Americans with Swedish ancestry are welcomed to visit to learn more about where and how their relatives lived. We checked out the open air market before listening to a speech that was rather too long for my liking. Then it was theatre for children. I said Let's go! and mum said But I love Pettson and Findus! What? Compromise: we strolled and she could see bits of it anyway.

To be perfectly honest, places packed with humans, dogs, toddlers, carts and sometimes vehicles, like this one, are not my favourite ones in the entire world. It is hard work for me to navigate them. The upside is, there is often ice cream. And mum and me get to be together.

About the food. Mum got some ground beef and made home made meat balls for me. A pretty nice save.