Strängnäs Sörmland - just by Mälaren

I drove over a hundred miles with my mum, first in hailing rain then in blistering sunshine. We stayed at the prettiest hotel just by the water and had a glorious few days here. It's where my mum comes from and where she grew up.

hotel garden

Hotel Laurentius - best breakfast ever

the town of the yellow roses, we didn't see one yellow rose (!!)

Gyllenhjelmsgatan  - said to be the most beautiful street in Sweden

a gazebo on a hill

we grow trees

Gripsholm Castle Mariefred

and their guns

and their fake bricks, which was renovated just like it was when it was built, i.e. fake

we listened to Nina Simone, watched thousands of insects get killed on the car window so we had to stop at every gas-station and wash it of. we met a man who spoke to us about Tintin for two hours. another very old man run out from his car and stopped us when we drove by, wanted us to start up his car battery, so we did and I shook his hand. we put flowers on my grandparents grave. we got locked in the back-seat of the car when we sat there in the rain and had some coffee, i had to climb over to the front-seat and crawl out, not a pretty sight.