Meeting Old Neighbors 9/18/12

I should be heading for bed, but there is one more thing that we did this week that I need to relate. When the children visited Sweden this summer, Mom took them to visit the apartment building where she lived as a child. As she was telling about it, a couple went up to the door to go inside. Kari went up to them and explained that she had lived there as a child and asked if she could show us inside. The couple said sure and let us in. Below is the apartment building. We went up to the third floor to her former apartment. As we looked around, Kari remarked that her former neighbors still lived across the hall. We knocked but no one was home. We left but decided to call and visit them later - such as at the end of summer perhaps when they would return from their summer cabin.

Kari called them after the first of September and reached the Slagbrands who said that they would be delighted to see her again. Last Tuesday, September 18th, we went up to Stockholm, quickly visited Haga park where the Lindbäck family played and picnicked (we will return and spend more time another day), then we went over and visited Anders and Britta Slagbrand.

 

 

 Anders is 83 and Britta is 85. They are in extremely great shape and doing very well. Britta was born in that apartment on the third floor and has lived there all her life. (Apartments are very difficult to get. There are waiting lists of about seven years to get one.) Of course Kari and they talked over old times while eating goodies and drinking a black currant drink that Britta had made from currants grown at their cabin. When we were leaving, Kari just had to take the 2-3 person elevator (more if you are kids or maybe pack in super tight). I should have gotten a picture from further back that showed their apartment door also. Anyway you can see that mom was super pleased.

The Slagbrands (and Britta's mother who also lived in the apartment) had been very good neighbors that had taken an interest in the Lindbäck family and the two little girls. Years later you could still feel the love that existed between them.

The goodbyes with good hugs and hand holding were very tender!