Memories of Stenungsund, Sverige 🇸🇪

Once upon a time I was a lucky duck. After college, I received a once-in-lifetime dream job that only Julie Andrews would appreciate. I was whisked off to Sweden to teach for 3 years.

Stenungsund is on the west coast of Sweden. An hour north of Gothenburg, It’s on the road to Oslo. I loved to travel by train north to Oslo, east to Stockholm, south to Copenhagen and on to Europe.

Below is the view from our Stenungsund driveway overlooking the rocky seaside. My poor old Brownie camera did its best.

The view from our driveway over the sound. We bicycled to the fishing village, school, rocky beach, small village shops, and over the bridge to the Swedish countryside. Cows. Kiosks. Smiling Swedes met us everywhere we traveled.

Ye olde Stenungsund windmill (or kvarn) was a favorite walk uphill from our house. It overlooked the sound, the houses and our skating pond. We lived on Kvarnbergsvagen (street of the windmill). I have many happy thoughts just writing it.

I was sitting on a rock with mother ( now deceased) when I took this photo of my aunt (in blue), my 4 cousins, my uncle, and our neighbors. We had a hot spiced drink in a thermos. See the recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/180453/old-fashioned-swedish-glogg/

The Swedish people I knew were just loveable, friendly, helpful, sociable, and delightful to be around. They were smart, savvy in dress and well-informed. They preferred to speak English, that is British English. I taught 4 American children and English to Swedish adults one night a week. The latter was a hit, but I learned little Swedish except the basics as a result. I let that class out after the first year because they were already masters of English. Americans should be as good practicing a foreign language. It’s a sign of love to the country you’re visiting.