I just got my new Nebraska license plates for my car. They celebrate the 150th anniversary of Nebraska becoming a state in 1867. When Augusta set off on her European journey in 1847, Nebraska was not even a formal territory. So when did the large Swedish migration to the US start? Who were the first families to settle in the heartland? I had hoped to […]
On the last day of our 4-day cruise, the sun rose around 4 am while we were crossing Lake Vänern. At that time we were fast asleep in our cabin. Augusta had quite a different experience as described in her diary: July, 1850 “As there was no cabin available except for that of the mate, which only had space for one person, I had to […]
Kerstin and I had talked about taking a very early morning walk in Motala. We didn’t realize that by 7 am we would already be out on Lake Vättern, Sweden’s second largest lake. When I opened the cabin door, the breeze caught my nightgown and the air was crisp. The view was beautiful, a cobalt-blue sky meeting the deep blue water at the horizon, and […]
Having left Stockholm, we were now cruising on Lake Mälaren and taking a little detour to view Drottningholm, the UNESCO world heritage site and home of the royal family. From there, we passed the island of Ekerö where Augusta spent a memorable Saturday in June, 1851 with three famous Swedish politicians and leaders: Gustaf Lallerstedt, A. Oscar Wallenberg, and August Sohlman. “The Saturday after my […]
Oh my. What a fun and memorable cruise we participated in last week! It was above all expectations! It started with the taxi ride to Old Town, Stockholm. -We would like a big taxi, said Kerstin to the taxi operator, it is not that we have a lot of suitcases, we just have wide skirts. I don’t know what the taxi driver was expecting, but […]
How could a morning be more peaceful than this! The boat jolted; where were we? I opened our cabin door – the chilly, early morning air was refreshing. I looked at my watch – 5 am; it was already light outside. On deck, a few fellow passengers were waving to early joggers along the canal. The city of Söderköping was waking up. I could feel […]
Only 3 weeks until our Göta Canal cruise! Now is the time to read up on Victorian table etiquette. What food could you buy on a Swedish steamboat in 1850? Augusta never described in her diary what she ate on her Göta Canal trips – did she and her family bring their own food or did they buy food on board? What food could you […]
Join us on May 30, 2017, for a 4-day cruise on the legendary Göta Canal! Augusta, in a diary entry in 1850, describes her journey on the legendary Göta Canal as “one of the most beautiful and pleasant trips one can make.” Augusta’s diary – which she kept faithfully throughout the voyage – provides us with an eyewitness account of her trip: her fellow passengers, […]
In July 1850, Augusta made a memorable voyage on the Göta Canal. The reasons for Augusta’s voyage was to wave goodbye to her brother August, who was to sail from Gothenburg to Cape Town on the brig Mimer. And of course, Augusta provides a colorful eyewitness account of her voyage. On the outbound trip to Gothenburg, onboard the steamer Götheborg, she spends a lot of […]