Jeanne's Next Chapter: Pure Summer in Falsterbo, Sweden

In 1904, a sixteen year old girl traveled from Sweden to the United States so she could begin a new life. She settled in Ohio and her grandson David is my husband. We have been fortunate to have been able to meet many of his Swedish relatives over the past 30 years. We have visited Sweden twice, taken some joint vacations and and have hosted many of the relatives at our home in Cleveland. We treasure our relationships with this branch of the family, so one of the perks of Dave accepting an European assignment was living close enough to make a weekend visit. We found a direct flight on EasyJet from Milan to Copenhagen (Denmark).

Summer in Sweden is fleeting and the weather can be unpredictable. But in July, when it seems the whole country is on vacation, the sky is a deep blue, the temperature warms and the seashore beckons. David's cousin Peter, who helped us plan our first overseas trip 28 years ago, was our host and he outfitted us with bicycles and led the way on a sandy trail through the forest to the beach. Nestled in the sand dunes and among the trees are little painted beach huts colored like a child's crayons. There are clusters of parked bikes and carts wherever the openings lead to the sea.

The beach is filled with families and groups of friends who meet in this corner of Sweden every summer. The Falsterbo peninsula with the villages of Falsterbo and Skanör is lined with beaches along both the Baltic Sea and the Oresund Sound. In the distance you can see the high bridge that now connects southern Sweden to Denmark. With two links golf courses and a large nature preserve, much of the land is still open and wild. The pace is relaxed and the focus is on the children. For us, this weekend was different from the other recent trips we have taken as tourists; this was just a very pleasurable moment in the sun, spending time with family.