day on Runmarö

We have always talked of loading the bikes and kids on a ferry and going riding on a neighboring island. Since we had off Friday for the Swedish national day and the weather has been so nice, we decided to set out on our bikes for the island of Runmarö.
It is funny that the boys were wearing their Spain shirts. You could almost squint and imagine we were still there. Except that this is classic Stockholm archipeligo topography.
Turns out Runmarö was the childhood home of a famous Swedish poet, Tomas Tranströmer. He is older now, lives west of Stockholm and has had a stroke. Still, being a wannabe writer myself, I could not help but think of Tranströmer on the boat ride over, what of Runmarö must have inspired him to write. I just happen to mention him to another passenger when I look up and see a woman pushing an elderly man in a wheel chair. No way. I could not help but walk over and stick out my hand. Sure enough, it was none other. They were out for the holiday. He is friends with Robert Bly, an American poet who has translated many of TTs poems into English. Mrs. Tranströmer invited us to the house if we happen to be down that way. We did not make it, still it's strange. I have had other brushes with Swedish cultural catalysts as well. Hopefully it is contagious. The boys in the picture are Superman and Avatar the airbender. Superman is the toothy one.
The boys may have been inspired to wear their Spanish shirts because they saw morfar & Tina the day before. They were passing through Stockholm on their annual summer trek up to northern Sweden. REALLY, we're not in Spain anymore!


All in all a great bike ride.