Don’t think too much of yourself, but be sensible as God has given every person a measure of faith.
Romans 12:3 ( Sandy’s summary)
We have been travelling down Sweden since last I wrote. The wind was very strong in parts , so we stopped hoping it would settle. This post highlights two places of interest.
We had stopped to make a lunch of beans, rice, cheese, and salad when opposite were some large carpets drying. Here is the conversation I had with a slim grey- haired Finish lady.
ME :Why are these ?
Finish lady : This is a public carpet wash area. These are too big to come from our homes. They must be from town.
We were in Torino lapland Finland. She continued to say how much she loved her home here on the river and how much she enjoyed skiing. As a child she had lived in many parts of Finland, but from her house here, she could look across the river and remember where she had lived with her father. I knew there was more, but I returned to the carpet washing. People worked together in groups to get their carpets washed, and yes, in spite of the rain, they dried in the gusty wind.
Here is a map showing where we were.
Tornio is in Finland.
Another place that showed community spirit was near Lulea. A church community grew up where it was built in a bay, but with time, ships could no longer use it because it silted up. This old town was renamed Gammelstads Kyrkstad and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Let us go into it.
Church attendees would take a while to get to their church using horses, so they built small houses where they could stay, worship, rest ,and return home when ready. It was a privilege to look through the windows of a few and walk through a home set up as a museum to see how creatively they used space and the remarkable furniture they made.
These are seen in modern homes, too.
The old guest house, the Mayor’s House, and the Captains House have their origins in the 17th century. Here is a flavour of the furnishings of some of these rooms.
One above and below.
An unhealthy solution to overcrowding the guide said.
Let us look more carefully at the church built during the fifteenth century. The stone work is colourful and deserves to be noticed. We did’t go inside as it is closed to tourists but open to worshippers.
It was built during the 15th century and believed to be finished in 1492.
Leaving Lower Lulea we go to the modern town. It is here that the ice breakers seem to spend summer. There was a designated area for campervans opposite these imposing ships. We used both areas for different nights. You go where you get a space, especially if you visit other areas during the day.
I am sure she will go in spite of it.
If you want to know more about Icebreaker ships. Press on Five Icebreaker ships.
We have travelled past so many areas that must look very different in winter. Many are filled with lush plant growth and spring flowers in abundance.
The north of Sweden is gently filled with meadows and forests if a bit windy and rainy. I missed yesterday as I was just too tired and slept a lot.
Take care,
Sandy 🙂
Don’t cry because it is over. Smile because it happened.
Dr Seuss.
So interesting, Sandy–the carpet cleaning, bed spaces. Together, people solve all kinds of problems.
They certainly do. Good to chat to a local.
Loved this post! Those little houses are so cute. In the old, smaller towns in the Karoo you find little nagmaal (communion) houses – built by farmers for when they came to church for nagmaal.
Glad you’re enjoying your trip.
“Don’tcry because it’s over; smile because it happened “🥰
Glad you enjoyed it. So interesting that people in the Karoo did the same thing. Such a devotion to church and love of community. Thank you for this interesting comment.