On Friday Dad and I ventured out- perhaps the farthest I've ever been in Sweden. We were heading to his cottage (newly acquired last fall: he and Märit have a fun summer ahead of them), which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Knivsta. It was an uneventful drive, there wasn't much to look at beyond farmland and the now-familiar red houses with white trim.
To get there involved quite a drive over an old dirt road. There was only so far we could go before we had to get out and walk the rest of the way to the cottage. On a lake with evergreens all around, the isolated place put me in mind of Northern Ontario. The difference is, of course, in Sweden it's not too long before you're back among people, whereas in Northern Ontario if you get lost there is a real chance you could be killed by wild animals, or simply freeze to death (and then those same wild animals will feast upon your remains).
But back to the Swedish cottage. It was a good reminder to me of how much I enjoy getting back to nature- we were able to take the canoe out for a spin, I lit the fire and even the outhouse didn't bother me much. (It's a far cry from the putrid stalls you find in public parks, though.) It was colder than I like for camping, even though we were inside, and sleeping in the loft made the outhouse less quaint and more of an annoyance, but all in all it was a good trip. It was also good to see a place with so few people. Sometimes I get this image of Europe in general as this overpopulated madhouse of cutting-edge fashion, ancient architecture and a snooty attitude towards 'the colonies'. I'm happy to say that in Sweden I haven't encountered this last one at all, and as far as fashion goes, well, I don't think I'm one to judge.
So. After one night at the cottage, it was time to head back to civilization and modern amenities. We returned to Knivsta and prepared to attend a concert- an Iranian singer, known as 'the nightingale of Iran'. The adventures of Emily of Sweden continue...
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