Växjö, Sweden

After two weeks of traveling around Europe, you'd think we would need a few weeks rest. Wrong. A week and a half after our return from our Grand Tour of Europe, we were invited to visit family friends in Växjö, Sweden. Naturally, we could not let this opportunity slip by. Azra and I flew out of Paris into Copenhagen, Denmark (which had one of the most scenic landings, as we flew over water). From there we took a train into Sweden. The train actually when underwater for a while and came up to stunning views of the sea.

In Växjö, we were greeted by teta Snjezana and cika Dragan, who had brought bouquets of roses for us! We had the Barbir family when they visited the United States and we had promised since then to come visit them. Unfortunately, Ivana could not be there as she had finals at her university in Stockholm.

Although our visit was short, we managed to see a lot. Visiting family and friends allows you to discover little treasures, like Växjö, that you may not have considered otherwise. Växjö is a small, charming city. My impression of Sweden is that it is clean, beautiful, and unique. We visited the town center where we saw the famous altar made of glass, which was created by the aritist Bertil Vallien. The Swedes combine their religion with elements of nature, and that was evident in this church. Azra and I were treated to lunch at the Villa Vik Matsalar, which is a restaurant housed in the home of a famous opera singer. In Växjö, we also visited a small castle, Teleborgs-Slott, whose story is both romantic and sad. That night, Alen took us to a local billiard hall where we played pool with one of his friends.

The following day we ventured out of Växjö. First we visted Kosta Boda, where beautiful glass objects are created. We watched the workers of the glass blowing factory demonstrating their trade. We were surprised how systematically and efficiently they worked. We also visited the store, which houses glass creations by various designers. Teta Snjezana bought us two small dishes from the artist Bertil Vallien, whom I mentioned earlier. The next stop on our trip was the beautiful sea town, Kalmar. There we visited the old castle and its ramparts. Swedish students were sunbathing and playing sports on the lawn. There we also had dinner in the city center.

Our trip in Sweden proved to be very enlightening. We learned about the culture, the art, and the people. The best part however, was the time we spent with the Barbir family. We had many great converstaions. Azra and I are already making plans to return sometime in the future.

Mentos, the Fresh Maker

Wind Turbines in the Sea

Teta Snjezana

Cika Dragan

Where We Stayed

Villa Vik Matsalar - Restaurant 

Restaurant's Salad Bar

The Opera Singer

Lake Behind the Restaurant

Glass Altar by Bertil Vallien

Växjö is full of symbolism

Teleborgs - Slott

Lake near the Barbirs' home

Glass Blowing Factory in Kosta Boda

Kalmar

Looking out into the Baltic Sea