Denmark, Sweden, Norway: Day 5 - Skanor-Fasterbo, Sweden

 After a magical gathering of old American friends and new Swedish friends, we woke up to a new day in Skanor-Fasterbo.  As Kathi relaxed, I grabbed a bike and headed to the grocery store down the street to pick up some creme for the morning's coffee.  (She didn't know it, but I also picked up a midsummer crown for her)

As I rode past Axelssons Torg (square), I passed the historic Linné pole, waiting to be decorated for the year's midsummer celebrations.

Returning to our little cottage, Kathi laid out a spread with the pastries she had stocked up on the day before in Malmo.  Still yummy!

After breakfast, we swung by the Studentgården i Skanör event venue to see if we could help with any last bit of clean up.

I don't think we did much but chat while the small maypole was lovingly dismantled, with elements preserved for deployment on the true midsummer's eve in a week or so.  

Our friend Lars hopped in our car to show us some of his special places.  He took us down the Hamnvägen causeway, lined with ditches, marshes and grazing cattle.

He showed us where his parents and brothers had lived in Fasterbo and the Falsterbo kyrka, a medieval Lutheran church that dates back to the second half of the 14th century.  

Lars mentioned that it had been nearly buried by shifting sand and was later excavated and restored.

We dropped Lars off at his rented house, picked up the Corkys, and joined the rest of the crew for a drive to Klagstorp to visit Lars' brother's historic farm.

The house and converted barns make for a lovely little compound.

Lars and his brother Per were very proud of keeping the thatched roof on the main house (recently replaced) in the original style.  It was a chore to source the material since it's not widely used anymore.   

Barns and farm building were converted into living spaces for Per's son.

For this "farm boy", having grown up in a 17th century home, the historic buildings and gardens just exuded charm.

Below is a view from the backyard...

A greenhouse has been converted into a sitting space...

I love a fence/barrier made of branches or twigs...

Another outdoor refuge near the gardens...

Lars and Per catching up (Lars could be making excuses for his crazy American friends, who knows?).

After our lovely visit to Per's farm, Lars guided us to the southern-most spot in Sweden, in the village of Smygehamn in the province of Skåne.

Next to the marker was a little restaurant, Cafe Smyge, where we decided to get lunch.  

Lars was very happy to share this place with us.

Of course we got traditional Smørrebrød - open face sandwiches - Yum!

We did a little shopping at a local crafts market nearby, the
Kopmansmagasinet.  Wool products, ceramics, and artwork were all represented. 

On the way back, we stopped at the Fasterbo Golf Club so Corky could have a look-see and he ended up buying a fancy, mango-colored club shirt.  We also made a last-minute stop at a clog shop in Fasterbo to look at the local wares.

That evening, we had a lovely time with Nancy and Lars, their kids and significant others.  We ate leftovers of mashed potatoes and meatballs, had nice conversation and enjoyed each other's company until it was time to let the family be.

Kathi and I returned to our little cottage, washed clothes, pre-packed, learned how to plug in and recharge the electric Volvo, and then went to sleep.  

Tomorrow, Stockholm!