Hey! So this weekend I planned a last minute trip to Malmo by myself, thinking I'd be spending these two days wandering the streets and taking pictures of buildings and being a tourist. Well, plans changed when I went to the Emigration House on Friday in Vaxjo and learned that I have cousins (distant of course) that are living in a city outside of Malmo, called Staffanstorp. IT goes like this... my great grandmother Ellen was sisters with Jenny Jonsson. Jenny's grand daughter, Marianne, is living in Staffanstorp. I was able to find her phone number and called her Friday night. I told her who I was in the most simple terms possible and told her I'd love to meet the family and visit with them for a FEW HOURS! Well, she was so welcoming and agreed to pick me up at the train station in Lund, the stop before Malmo. It was very nice of her, she came with her daughter Camilla, who is 23 years old. They brought me back to their house in Staffanstorp and fed me breakfast! It was bread, meat, cheese, and vegetables, I had some chocolate milk too! Delicious! Then I showed them all my information I had of the family, Marianne was so surprised she had such a large family. As I said before, I had only planned on visiting with Marianne and Camilla for a few hours but she then invited me to Crystal's (Her son, Niklas' girlfriends daughter) birthday party that was in the evening. She then asked where I was staying and when I said a hostel, she was like (in a question form) "you will stay with us here?" I was kind of confused, but I accepted the invitation! So I had room and board for the weekend! wow! It's great meeting family for the first time! haha.

After we ate our breakfast and chatted for a while, Camille drove us around the area to the place where Marriane and Roy (her brother) grew up and even where her grandmother (Jenny) lived! It was so great seeing these places. Then they showed me their old house as of 1980 and where she went to school in the town of Lehman. Kind of like a drive through history! haha. When they asked me what I had planned on doing when I came to Malmo, I said just touristy things and walk around for the two days. And they laughed at me! Because I guess there isn't so much to do in Malmo as my book said! A lot of it is most fun in the summer time when it is sunny and warmer outside! So I said I for sure want to see the Turning Torso, and the Oresund Bridge to Copenhagen and the city. Good thing they haven't seen the Turning Torso up-close, because that is just what we did! It is a huge tower (I think about 180 m) that twists. It was built just about 2005 and is an apartment complex. Looking up at it was straining my neck! I couldn't even get a picture with the whole thing... oh well, atleast I saw it!

After this we went back "home" and had some "fika." Kind of like a midday snack. Marianne had bought some vanilla cream filled pastries... deliciuos! Not something I think of as a lunch snack, mroe of dessert, but we had it midday! What a treat! After this, we relaxed for a while and watched T.V. in the basement. It was nice because I don't remember the last time I really sat down to relax and do nothing! Marianne has three dogs too. Her and her late husband John (who passed away last year), have raised dogs for quite some time. Now that Marianne is on her own though (Camille is moving out soon), she will have her last set of puppies this summer and then move on within a few years after. She says it will be too hard taking care of 3 dogs and puppies by herself. As much as I love dogs, these ones were HUGE and kind of annoying... not my type! We left for the birthday party at 4:30...

Niklas' (Mariannes son) house was where the party was. He lives on a wide open property, not a farm though. When we arrived, we had dinner with Heidi (his girlfriend) and her parents and grandparents, and Crystal. Dinner was chicken, rice, potatoes... very good! And let me tell you, these Swedes eat A LOT! wow! they kept going back for 2nds and 3rds! I was stuffed! We even had sundaes for dessert! I asked them if it's Swedish tradition to sing Happy Birthday, and they laughed! haha. I guess the song is so long and funny that they don''t like to sing it! I said they had to for me.... and they did... haha. They were right, it was LONG! They make funny noises and sing on the top of their lungs! It was so loud! But very funny too! After dessert, Patrik (Marianne's other son) came with his girlfriend and they joined us. We hung out until 11:30 pm. Playing darts, cards, UNO, and watching a famous Swedish singing competition on T.V. Heidi brought out some chips, popcorn, chocolates, and some candy for us all to enjoy.... it was so nice! Niklas also has a son, Jesper, who is 6 years old. He is quite a riot! He'd be my great x 10 cousin! When we left Niklas' house at night I had met everyone of Mariannes family except Michael, who I would meet tomorrow.

That night I slept in Jespers bedroom, full of toys and color! The bed was SO comfortable, I was in heaven compared to that crappy bed in Vaxjo! I slept like a rock too... got the rest I've been needing since January 16th! haha. In the morning, Marianne had let me take a shower and relax in front of the T.V. (Nothing what I expected when she invited me to stay, it was so kind!) She prepared breakfast again and we talked at the table for a few hours before going to Michael's house.

Michael only lives about 15 minutes from Marianne's place. It is a gorgeous house as well. The style of houses here and decorations are so pretty, it's like living in an IKEA catalogue! Michael lives with his girlfriend and her daughter, Carolina.  We sat and visited for a while and Minnie served us Swedish snacks and Expresso, so delicious! Michael doesn't speak so much English, nor does his girlfriends daughter, so communication was mainly through his girlfriend, Minnie. It was rather humorous when they took out the Swedish/English dictionary!

My stay at Mariannes ended with a delicious dinner and dessert. Her hospitality was wonderful, offering me drinks and food and making sure I was situated Ok. I can definitely see the relation in this long lost family of ours... there humor is just like the Johnson's! When my mom and dad come to visit in April, we will be spending Easter dinner at Marianne's along with her four children, and their families. I think it will be such a fun time!