Epilogue

I planned my trip to Sweden and Copenhagen with genealogy as my focus. To visit the home of my Swedish ancestors. All of my ancestors emigrated in the late 1800's. All of them emigrated to Chicago, Illinois.

Sweden had a total population of 10.49 million people in the 2022 census. Less then the population of New York or Los Angeles. And only slightly more than the city of Chicago.

Sweden was fundamentally agricultural in the 1800's. Leaving Sweden for the U.S. gave Swedish emigrants economic opportunities not available in Sweden. My gg grandfather Peter August Carlson listed his occupation as a carpenter on a U.S. Census. His son, Johan August Carlson gave his occupation as a tailor. 

I visited the area where Peter, his son Johan and wife Kristina lived before they left for the U.S. It was very rural where people carved out subsistence living through farming. There had been a recent famine in Sweden in 1867 - 1869. As I write this I can almost feel the despair they saw their future. 

My g grandfather Claes Erik Leonard Sjöwall set up a medical practice in Chicago. He was born in Stockholm to a young unwed mother, Hedvig Johanna Fock. Hedvig is the granddaughter of a Swedish folkhero, Metta Charlotta Fock. 

Hulda Cecilia Christina Perrson, my great grandmother, was orphaned by the age of 8. She and her sister were raised by her uncle and his family until she left home at 16. She worked as a maid in Copenhagen for 8 years before boarding an emigrant vessel bound for New York. From there she made her way to Chicago and met Claes. They had two children. Hildur, my grandmother and Arthur her younger brother, both born in Chicago.

Each of my ancestors that emigrated to Chicago had reason to leave Sweden. Each of them were motivated to find a better life. Each of them made an adventurous journey. I understand their plight. I am grateful for their determined spirits. 

I found Sweden to be an amazing country. There are no public displays of drug use. There is low crime. There is very little homeless. People seem prosperous and happy. By all accounts Sweden is modern, progressive and a welcoming country. 

My visit to Sweden was filled with adventures. I rode my favorite transportation, high speed rail, several times. I dined on well prepared meals while leisurely taking in the passing countryside and lakes. Sweden is a beautiful country. Their trains are well maintained, well staffed and run on schedule.

I stayed in Stockholm for 11 days. One of the things that was obvious to me was the cooperation between drivers and pedestrians. People just approaching the crosswalks were given the courtesy of well distanced stopped vehicles. Their courtesy encouraged me to ride the readily available stand-up electric scooters. It felt safe and freeing riding them. I could travel longer distances to Stockholm's attractions.

I gathered not only genealogy information on my ancestors but also a sense of the country itself. I felt comfortable being among the Swedes. Go figure.

I've more genealogy work to do. I have one other Swedish ancestor that emigrated that I know very little about. Johan Carlson was a young boy when his parents and he left Sweden. He met and married Augusta Svensdotter in Chicago who was also born in Sweden and emigrated to Chicago. Sonia and I have work left to do.

Travel day - Returning

Train, train, plane, bus, Uber, home. 18 1/2 hours.

I left my hotel and walked the now familiar 5 minute walk to the Sydhavn subway station. I used the DSB app to purchase a 'check-in' ticket to Copenhagen Central. It is cheaper than a zone ticket. 

I again used the app at Copenhagen Central to find the train and track that would take me to the airport. I boarded the train and found a place to stand with my luggage. I thought I had again bought a 'check-in' ticket but for whatever reason the app would not let me check-in.

If you don't have a valid ticket while riding the trains in Copenhagen, DSB has a regulatory right and duty to charge a control fee. The control fee is 750 DKK, $108.65. A DSB employee entered the car and gave some instructions to people who were blocking the aisle and door with their bicycles just as we were leaving Copenhagen Central. His voice was authoritative. He then left the car without checking anyones tickets.

It is 3 stops from Copenhagen Central to the Copenhagen Airport station. The more I fiddled with the app the more nervous I got. I mentally ran through the excuses I would give the conductor when he checked my ticket and found it not valid. The same DSB employee came into the car just as the train was coming into Copenhagen Airport and stood by the exit. He did not check anyones tickets as I left the train passing through his stern gaze. The cost of the ticket to the airport is about $2.

Security in Copenhagen airport side lined and inspected my carry-on backpack. The contents were taken out and placed in a separate bin until the Apple laptop power plug was extracted. It seemed to be the culprit. Two inspecting officers flipped the prongs out and back and then decided to send all of the contents back through the X-ray. It passed without further inspection.

The stone fragment from Metta Fock's basement stair would never have made it through security. I am happy that I packed it in my checked luggage. It was at the suggestion of a waiter at the bap restaurant in Stockholm, a half block from my hotel. I had eaten there twice before and sat at the bar both times. The bartender greeted me as I took my seat. 

I had related the story to him while waiting for my pastrami sandwich on my return to Stockholm from Carlstens Fortress. He said that if the rock had pointed edges security would deem it a weapon and confiscate it. I agree. Thank you for your insight.

SAS has a passenger lounge at the Copenhagen Airport. The lounge has a small buffet, coffee and tea, and wi-fi. Getting to the airport 3 hours early may be needed once in a while but mostly it's just idle time. The lounge makes being sequestered less painful. 

Passport control happens after security and before you get to your departure gate. I got my exit stamp and walked the long walk to the gate. The flight left on schedule at 1:30 in the afternoon and was scheduled to arrive in SFO at 3:45 in the afternoon. A little over 11 hours.

When I booked my tickets in March I also booked the seats. The plane was an Airbus 330 with 2 aisles. 2 seats on each side of the plane and 3 seats in the middle. I booked the same seat on the SFO to Copenhagen and the return, 26A. On the flight going to Copenhagen from SFO the plane was fully booked. On the return flight I had the good luck to have an empty seat next to me. Nice.

On arrival in San Francisco I used my Global Entry card to go through Passport control. Basically it allows the holder to skip the passport lines and get to baggage claim faster. It was the first time I used it since I got the card over 5 years ago. I can't say I recommend going through the interview process unless you travel abroad frequently. All the time I saved was lost waiting for my bag to come off the conveyor. 

I got my bag and zipped through customs without so much as a sideways look by a customs agent. 25 minutes later I was on a Marin Airporter Bus to the Hamilton Airporter station in Novato. 

My Uber app was acting flaking and I decided it was because I had not changed my SIM card back to my US carrier. I changed it and the Uber app got me a ride first try. The Uber guy was there in just a few minutes and drove me home. I put the key in the door at 7 pm. An 18 1/2 hour travel day.

First thing I wanted to do was to check and see if the Metta Fock stair remnant made it. Yep!

 Next thing is to get a good nights rest. 

 I'll write an epilogue of this entire trip in a few days after I absorb the last few weeks. Right now it feels like I dreamt it all.

 

Copenhagen - Final day - Rosenborg Castle

This is my last full day in Copenhagen. What to do? I have done everything I have set out to do on this trip and more. I am travel weary. I have not slept in my own bed for 3 weeks. I have been living out of a suitcase and eating all my meals in restaurants. I am tired.

But the thought of spending the entire day in my room encourages me to go out and explore one last time. ChatGPT suggests Rosenborg Castle and the Kings Gardens. So be it.

At 11 I finally got up enough psychic energy to meet the day and set out for the subway. Another 'zone ticket' through the DSB app for 14,35 kr (~$2). The trains come along quickly. If you miss one while walking up the stairs there will be another along in less then 10 minutes, usually 3 or 4 minutes. 

Copenhagen is described as the world's most bicycle friendly capital city. During my short stay I can attest to more bicycle traffic then I have witnessed anywhere. There are paths for bicycles everywhere. There are subway cars devoted to bicycles. There are even separate traffic lights and crosswalks just for bicycles!

I've seen bicycles lined up waiting for stop lights to change, longer lines than cars! I've seen dogs in baskets on the front of bicycles and all manner of bicycle attachments for children. According to this website, half of Copenhageners choose the bicycle for their daily commute. 

I traveled the 4 subway stops from Sydhaven to Norreport. I'm getting comfortable riding the local trains. And I am getting to know the subway stops along the E Kobe route. I can pick out the names as they come over the trains speakers. I made the short 7 minute walk from Norreport station to the Rosenborg Castle. 

I purchased my ticket and needed to wait in line to enter the castle. Visitors are assigned times when they can begin to tour the castle. Mine was 12PM. Right on time the attendant allowed us to enter where another attendant stood scanning tickets with an electronic scanner. As he scanned my ticket he stated I must leave my water bottle outside. I heard him but the request took a short moment to register. The attendant pointed to a table where an umbrella and another water bottle were resting. Ok.

The first part of the castle tour was a bit boring. Just more rooms of paintings of royals which honestly I didn't think were done all that well. Not just the technique used, but the style and how the subjects were depicted. The rooms were dark and the paintings used dark colors. This one moved me to the exit a little faster. I picked up my water bottle and exited.

The next part of the castle tour was entered through a separate entrance where yet another attendant stood scanning tickets with an electronic scanner. This attendant did not ask me to leave my water bottle behind. But this part of the tour proved more interesting. It was what was labeled 'The Treasury.'

There was exhibited an incredible display of gold, silver, ivory and gemmed statues, swords, tiaras, crowns and artistic works. 

I left the Rosenborg Castle and walked back towards the subway station. It was 55, windy and threatening to rain. I decided to take a pass on strolling around the Kings Gardens.

I walked around the area close to the subway station. There were lots of shops, restaurants, and outdoor food carts. I bought a cup of coffee to get some extra pep. It felt warm and comforting. I am missing home. It is less than 24 hours before my flight leaves from Copenhagen airport tomorrow. I have already checked-in.

Copenhagen - First Day

I am staying at the Scandic Hotel in Sydhaven, Copenhagen. This is the largest most modern hotel I have stayed in on this trip. It has the largest room I have stayed in and is also the most expensive hotel I have stayed in. 

On check-in I was told breakfast would be served from 6:30 to 10:00 am. I've been waking without an alarm between 4:30 and 5:30 most of the recent days. I meditate every morning using the Transcendental Meditation technique I learned while attending the University of Illinois in 1972. It has proved of great value over the years.

I made my way to the hotel's dining room for breakfast at around 6:45. I was surprised to see the room almost filled with close to 250 hungry hotel guests already eating. There were some empty tables but not many. 

The buffet was a cornucopia of breakfast choices. Of the breakfast buffets I have eaten from on this trip this buffet surpassed them all. I stopped going back for a second helping after about the first 3 days of breakfast on this trip. Even with all the walking I was doing I felt like I was eating too much food. The hotel's breakfast buffet was well prepared and high quality. It was delicious. 

I went back to my room to prepare for the days adventures. However the weather forecast was rain until lessening to showers around 11am. Hmmmm....  I wanted to shop at a grocery store to pick up some large bottles of water and some snacks to have on hand in the room.  I could see the small grocery store from my hotels room window and decided to brave the walk in the rain knowing I would be able to dry off after I returned. 

The hotel is two stops by subway from Copenhagen Central train station which is a good thing. However I am a bit travel weary today even though I slept well last night. I suspect my travel enthusiasm is waning a bit. Learning a new city, a new subway system, a new bus system, downloading the necessary apps and sensing cardinal directions is weighing on me. 

Perhaps it's my mood. But I am not getting a warm connection with Copenhagen. I am seeing more graffiti than I did in Stockholm. People look more tentative while crossing the street. The approaching cars come closer to the pedestrians in the crosswalks than in Sweden. I've been hearing more car horns, sirens and seeing more police presence. 

I may be over sensitive presently but people don't seem to be as polite or cheerful as they were in Stockholm. The graffiti is political and damning of the status quo. You see it on the passing trains, inside the trains, on the walls in the train stations. There is unrest in Copenhagen.  

I set off from the hotel with one item on my agenda; to find the port where the emigrant ships departed Copenhagen for America during the late 1800's. When Hulda emigrated in 1880, the most likely port she would have departed from would have been Larsens Plads. 

I walked the waterfront to Amerikakaj another possible port Hulda may have left from. Presently used by DFDS as a cruise ship port. 

I walked to the nearest subway station and rode it four stops to Copenhagen Central. I got a bite to eat at the food court across the street from the train station. I liked the open faced salmon salad sandwich and decided to order a pork sandwich to go for dinner in my room. I just didn't feel the energy to extend my day out and about.

While walking up the stairs to the subway I noticed the convenient bike rail along the stairs. This bit of engineering makes it easier to carry your bike up to the subway platform. Nice.

I got back to the train station near my hotel around 2:30. I got a cup of coffee at a local cafe and walked the few minutes back to the hotel. The rest of the day I'll spend in my room reading my novel and making a few changes to my blog entries.

Travel Day - Copenhagen

Today is Metta Fock's birthday, my gggg grandmother. She was born June 10th, 1765 in Kettlestorp near Yllestad in central Sweden. Today she is celebrated by many including Ann Rosman the author of the book Mercurium that details the innocence of Metta Fock. 

I traveled to Copenhagen on the last high speed train ride of this trip. After yet another hearty breakfast, I settled up with my hotel and walked the short distance to the Kalmar Central train station. 

I am traveling to Copenhagen as this is where Hulda Cecilia Kristina Persson, my g grandmother, emigrated from. She also lived in Copenhagen for 8 years before leaving for Chicago. There she met and married my great grandfather Claes Erik Leonard Sjowall, the great grandson of Metta Fock.

One item on my agenda is to see the docks where the emigrant ships departed Copenhagen. And to get an idea of what Copenhagen was like during Hulda's stay. 

My train was scheduled to leave at 11:00 for the 3 hr 28 minute ride to Copenhagen Airport where I would then connect to local transportation to my hotel. However during the ride I learned that the train would continue on to Copenhagen Central. I had booked the ticket from Kalmar to Copenhagen Airport but decided that since the train was going into Copenhagen Central I would simply stay on for another couple stops hoping no one would check my ticket.

I enjoyed the ride taking in the scenic Swedish countryside, dozing off and reading my latest novel. The train was traveling the same route I had taken with my rental car to Växjö. What Google Maps showed as an 1 hour 20 minute drive, the train made the trip in 1 hour 8 minutes. No wonder people ride the trains.

I stayed on the train all the way to Copenhagen Central and asked a friendly Dane where I could get information on taking a subway. He directed me to go up one level and look for anyone who had 'DSB' printed on their shirt. Sure enough a DSB person helped me buy a ticket and showed me the way to the number 12 platform. She even suggested I take a photo of the directions she brought up on her phone.

The train would be leaving in 4 minutes which turned out to be plenty of time. I hopped on the subway and rode for two stops.

A short 5 minute walk to the hotel and I'm now sitting in my room writing this blog after a nice big burger in the hotel restaurant. The rest of the evening I'll be reading my latest novel and researching for what tomorrow may bring.

 

 

Kalmar - Last day

This would be my last full day in Kalmar and Sweden. I have done everything I have set out to do while in Sweden. The plan today is to return the rental car, walk back to the hotel to get one of the bicycles and then set off to visit a few of the remaining sites to see in Kalmar.

Except while I was checking the sites in Kalmar I searched for 'runestones near Kalmar' and the search returned the Karlevi Runestone! Oh oh. It is one of the most notable and prominent runestones and constitutes the oldest record of a stanza of skaldic verse. Thought to be dated to the late 10th century. 

Google maps had it 27 minutes away by car on the island of Öland. It was 9:30 and I had to return the car by 12:00 at the Kalmar Central train station. And I needed to fill the tank with gas before I returned it. Hmmmmm.... One last adventure while I have the car? Sure, why not?

The Karlevi Runestone proved easy to find following the Google Maps directions. The rental car interfaced automatically with my iPhone and the directions were relayed through the car's speakers. The last 'turn right' had me driving down a dirt road through a farmer's field. I parked in a designated area and walked a narrow path along the field to where I saw the runestone standing. There was a friendly Swede visiting the remote site who snapped a photo.

Now this runestone is easily 500 kg and out in the middle of a farmer's field. Seriously. That's the runestone, the rock shown in the very center of the photo.

The gentleman that was visiting the runestone was a bit of a rune geek. He stated that he had researched this particular runestone and translated it himself. He stated he disagreed with the translation shown by Wikipedia and offered several snippets of his own. His English was a bit choppy and I didn't quite get the drift of what he was saying. But he was very enthusiastic while pointing out particular references.

I left the Karlevi Runestone and headed back to Kalmar to fill the rental car up with gas and return it to the Kalmar Central. 

Everything is an adventure in a foreign country, even filling the rental car with gas. Yet again a friendly Swede walked me through the process and I left with a full tank and a receipt for 629,19 kr. That's about $60 in gas for both the country drives and the one this morning. Not bad. 

I dropped off the rental car at the Kalmar Central station and walked the short 5 minutes back to my hotel to check out one of the bicycles. There were two sites I wanted to visit; the Kalmar Cathedral and the Kalmar County Museum.

Kalmar Cathedral was finished being built in 1703 and is considered one of the foremost examples of classical baroque architecture.  There was a Church of Sweden Sunday service being held as I walked inside the church. I sat in one of the pews and listened to the service in Swedish. When the offering came around I dropped a $5 bill into the container. I chuckled to myself as I thought of the person who would be counting the day's offering. 

I did not take any photos inside the church in respect of the service. However, it was awe inspiring to sit and take in the many ornate displays. There are lots of interior photos on the Kalmar Cathedral wiki site. I did get this one photo while outside the church.

My energy was waning a bit and as has been my usual on this trip is to energize myself with a cup of coffee and this time a traditional Swedish cinnamon bun. 

Next up was the Kalmar County Museum. This museum hosts artifacts from the royal ship Kronan which served as the flagship of the Swedish Navy in the Baltic Sea in the 1670s. Unfortunately the Kronan sank during a battle with the Danish Navy off the coast of Öland after just 4 years of service. 

There is an ongoing effort to retrieve all of the Kronan. However 30,000 artifacts have been recovered to date with a generous amount on exhibit at the Kalmar County Museum. 

I rode back to my hotel, returned the locking key for the bicycle to the receptionist and made my way to my room to freshen up and read my latest novel. 

The idea is to not venture out anymore today and eat dinner at the hotel's restaurant. 

Växjǒ - Hulda Persson

Hulda Cecilia Kristina Persson was born August 10th, 1856 in Växjö and died October 8th, 1909 in Chicago, Ill. Hulda's father, Lars Peter Persson, was born March 6th, 1826 in Ystad and died July 29th, 1865 in Växjö. Hulda's mother, Ingrid Lena Liljekvist, was born March 3rd, 1825 in Madesjö and died November 29th, 1858 in Växjö. They were married on October 24th, 1858 in Växjö.

From the dates above you can calculate that Hulda was born out of wedlock and orphaned by the age of 8. Hulda had a sister, Hildur Maria, born November 17th, 1857 also out of wedlock. 

Notice also that Lars and Ingrid were married just over 1 month when Igrid died of TBC (tuberculosis). In the church records both Hulda and Hildur are shown as Lar's daughters. 

Hulda and her sister were cared for by Lar's family. However Hulda left for Copenhagen when she was just 16. While in Copenhagen she worked as a maid for 8 years until she earned enough to emigrate to Chicago in 1880 at the age of 24. There she met and married my g grandfather Claus Erik Leonard Sjowall on May 31st, 1885 and had two children. Hulda was a strong and determined person by anyone's measure. 

Today my agenda was to visit the towns of Växjö and Madesjö using my rental car. Google Maps had Kalmar to Växjö as 1 hr 20 minutes and 109 km.

Växjö has a population as of a 2020 census as just over 71,000. I decided to visit the Småland's museum in Växjö which had exhibits on how life was lived in and around Växjö starting from around 1792. 

The Småland's museum had a Växjö population time line that showed the population when Hulda was born of around 2700. I spent about 1 1/2 hours enjoying the exhibits and thinking about how Hulda and her family lived. I left the museum and took a short walk around Växjö close to the museum.

Växjö is a beautiful town with ornate buildings, parks and sculptures.  

I Google mapped my return to Kalmar with a stop in Madesjö where Ingrid, Hulda's mother, was born. The Madesjö church has a long history in Madesjö and I stopped to visit it. 

I snapped a few photos of grave stones in the church's graveyard. There were a host of Swedish names, a few may be distant relatives.

Back in Kalmar at 4:30 to freshen up in my room and record the days events in my blog.

As a side note: There are about 400,000 moose in Sweden and the hunting season culls about 90,000. In the Spring 100,000 moose are born renewing the population. As a comparison, there are 300,000 moose in all of the US. I have never seen a moose in the wild. and didn't see a single moose on my travels in Sweden. One day.