On my recent trip, I spent two days with Michael in the Swedish Countryside.
The weather was about 10 degrees warmer than average and was GORGEOUS.
The first day was spent at Jordberga Gods (FYI, ‘Gods’ is Swedish for ‘Estate’), a gorgeous property just outside of Malmo. It was founded in 1355 and the current guardians keep a great emphasis on agriculture, while using the estate’s grounds, halls and living quarters to host everything from groups of hunters to large wedding parties.
When we arrived, the fog was on the verge of lifting, and I was happy to get this shot…..
This tree had so much character!!
I loved the collection of hats and other “hunting apparel” in one of the offices…..
The buildings on the property are amazing, from the main house…..
….to a “cottage” just down the road…..
We were joined in our excursion by Stefan and Sophia and their cohorts, Paris and Lilly…..
We were on the lookout for birds in the area and were greeted by this massive flock of Eurasian Cranes…..
Oh the racket when they took off!!!
We also came upon a covey of Hungarian Partridge…..
….when Paris spotted them, it was time for them to fly for the hills!!
We started walking along the plowed fields of the property, enjoying the gentle curves in the land……
….and, every once in a while, noticing a red barn in the distance…..
There were also random copses of trees that provided some shelter …..
As always, while Michael is looking for wildlife, I am looking for plants and other beauties!!
I kept seeing bushes with lovely flowers and red berries…..
After translating the Swedish term “nypon”, I learned that these were Rose Hip bushes….a new plant to add to my list!!!
I was truly enamored with the berries….
As we walked, I was often lagging at the back as I stopped to take photos of…..
Dried Thistle…..
…..tiny Daisies……
….. the ubiquitous Dandelion…..
…..and a bit of Queen Anne’s Lace….
When I saw this flower, I was instantly reminded of my round robin quilt…..
….and the Queen Anne’s Lace that Ruhanna added to the garden……
At lunchtime we drove about 10 minutes to the coast….
….where we stopped for a “typical” Swedish treat….. “Räksmörgås” which is a Swedish Prawn Sandwich……..
It was very tasty but I was surprised to find that there was a boiled egg underneath the prawns!!
So….this was day one in the countryside. Stay tuned for day two (it has trumpeting Red Stag)!!!!
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