Eldstorp Säteri

.. translated as Eldstorp Manor, is recorded as the last residence in Sweden of my Great-Grandfather before he emigrated to America.  It is noted as being near a "town" called Askeryd, in the region of Småland.  If you Google Map "Eldstorp, Jönköping County, Sweden", zoom in quite close and look off to the right of the pin you will see a looped driveway with several buildings around it.  That is it.

Both Askeryd and Eldstorp have modern signs on the side of the road, indicating there is something there, but in actuality neither is more than a couple farm houses clustered together.  No Main Street, no grocery store, nothing else really aside from pine trees and lakes ... for miles and miles and miles.

I started doing some basic research last year and found a woman online specializing in tracing emigrants from this area.  I gave her all the details I could come up with and she was successful in tracking down four generations back from my Great Grandfather and also forward to known relatives living in the area still today.  Wow!

Straight through, Eldstorp is about a four hour drive southwest of Stockholm.  We made the most of it, taking the scenic route off the E4 highway along the coast of an enormous misty lake that was dotted with neatly kept red or yellow wood-sided, white-trimmed homes.  The countryside is quite stoic, noticeably lacking the buzz of modern technology and sense of urgency.

Our turning off point, and one of the few actual towns we encountered along the way, was Gränna.  Known as the birthplace of the candy cane (polkagris), it is dotted with candy shops and off course an intoxicating bakery where I also got to tick the box for the open-faced seafood sandwich I had been pining for. Gorgeous!

As we arrived near Askeryd we came upon an old church, which I am still certain is where several of my ancestors are buried.  Off a long dirt road from Askeryd, the Eldstorp Manor itself is quite lovely.  There are several houses together, none of which seemed to have been inhabited at the time, and all appear to be from different eras.  The large yellow house is certainly more modern, but the two red ones on the sides must certainly be over a hundred years old and were likely standing at the time my grandfather was living there. The barns also seemed to be quite old and I sense were also there at the time.

With the patch of birch trees in the back, the stone walls covered in moss, the red heart on the door of the barn, the sun peaking through the clouds, and the weight of the silence, I did feel connected.  And grateful.

Before the day got away from us we got back into the car to head down to our castle for the evening.  Yep, a castle.  I am not kidding when I say, when looking for lodging in the area, the options are slim and the Teleborgs Slott castle near Vaxjo really just seemed like a no-brainer for our night's stay on this epic journey.  It is stunning ... wins the award for best castle I have seen to date (though getting a surprise in the communal bathroom was something we probably could have lived without!).

In the morning we headed off for more adventure.  Not too far away was the home of my Mom's cousin, Jonny Kack.  Disappointingly he was not home when we arrived, but we did speak with a neighbour and exchanged some information about our quest.  Bit of an emotional event ... even the neighbour started to tear up with goosebumps!

From there we toured some of the Swedish crystal shops, smashed the car into a tree stump, visited the historic village of Eksjo for some last minute souvenirs and pastries before starting the long road trip back to the Stockholm airport. Whew.

I am so glad we made this trip.  I may even go back some day.  There is more history to uncover, and despite there being several generations and influences from other cultures in my DNA I still sense the heritage of the Swedish custom in me and my family and it is something I am proud of.

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