Sweden Trip, Easter 2019

Listen to my podcast about my trip, while viewing.

What am I to make of my recent vacation to Sweden, of my heritage, and of St. Birgitta’s role in my Catholic conversion? The trip was invigorating; knowing one’s heritage is a healthy aspect of self-understanding; reading St. Birgitta understandably piqued my interest in Catholicism; all reasonable explanations–or perhaps too superficial.

– How did I so happen to spend my last couple nights in Sweden on a farm given to Birgitta and her husband by her parents? My wife wasn’t aware of this when booking the airBnB.

– How intriguing that my Great…Grandfather, Johann Skytte, knighted by the King of Sweden in 1603, lies nearly across from St. Birgitta’s relics in the Cathedral of Uppsala. He figured prominently in the Protestant Revolt under King Gustavus Adolphus, confiscating the Bridgettine monastery, the Uppsala Cathedral, and all Roman Catholic property.

– My wife and I wouldn’t have considered this trip, had not my spring break coincided with my son’s break from the North American Pontifical College in Rome, who happened to have served in a Swedish parish the previous summer.

The mind likes to find patterns, and to form them even where none plausibly exist; which am I here engaged in? I do seriously suspect the former. Perhaps God so placed me to catch the ear of a few Swedes, beckoning them from their current post-modern malaise to their Roman Catholic heritage. Stopping shorter lands one in the truncated Christianity of Protestantism; aiming too far lands one in the abyss of Viking paganism. Swedes, check out your patron, St. Birgitta of Sweden!

Saint Birgitta relics, with St. Eric’s in the background; the figure of a lady in the background is Mother Mary, looking up at the tomb of the Swedish king taking the place her monument used to occupy. The tomb of my Grandfather Skytte (on my mother’s side), is at the right.

Dan’s Itinerary

Friday 4/19
6:00 AM – Depart Amtrak, Grand Rapids. Train #371 Pere Marquette Reservation #5D68D3
9:08 AM – Arrive Chicago (Union Station)

4:00 PM – Depart from Chicago O’hare Airport. Airline: SAS; Flight 946; Terminal: 5;
Ticket #1177276276947; Confirmation: T6G5MF (SAS)

Saturday 4/20 – Uppsala
7:20 AM – Arrive in Stockholm, Sweden; ARN Airport, terminal 5
8:30 AM – You are able to pick up your car. Booking Ref. #SE492974950; Confirmation
#49980427US0. Located at the Rent A Car Centre.
***You will need to find out where to get a SIM Card***
2:30 PM – Check in at 1st AirBNB: “House with Sauna”.
Address: Ekedalsvagen 13, Knivsta
C, Uppsala County 74192
Sweden
Host Name: Daniel
Easter Vigil at the Cathedral in Stockholm. You will have to look up time and address.
During this visit you will want to Visit Uppsala.
Check out: Monday 4/22/19 by 12 noon.

Old Uppsala

Newer Uppsala

Monday 4/22 – Vadstena
1:00 PM – Check in at 2nd AirBnB: “Guesthouse with a View”. Reservation #HMTSADJR8J
Address: Bondorlunda, Ostergotland
County 592 92, Sweden
Hosts: Frida and Mathias

This is where St. Bridget is. You have Monday, all of Tuesday and Wednesday till you leave for
Oslo with Nathanael & friend
Check out: Wednesday 4/24 by 12 noon.

Wednesday 4/24 – Oslo, Norway
3:00 PM – Check in at Hotel: Citybox Oslo ***NOT pre-paid. Pay at check in w/ Blue Card.
Booking # 25477
Address: Prinsens gate 6
N-0152 Oslo
Check out: Thursday 4/25 by 12 noon.

Thursday 4/25 – Trondheim, Norway
3:00 PM – Check in at: Angelhill Ranch Confirmation code: HM8HED2FRZ
Address: Engelsasveien, Trondheim
Sor-Trondelag
7039, Norway
Host: Linda

Check out: Saturday 4/27 by ?. You will then drive Nathanael & friend back to Oslo so they can
catch their flight back to Rome.

Saturday 4/27 – Not far from Karlstad, Sweden
3:00 PM – Check in at: Norra Kroppkarr Bed & Breakfast. Confirmation Code: HMD8PHYNQM
Address: Bavervagen 15 65468
Stockfallet-Lorensberg
Varmlands Ian 654 68, Sweden
Host: Ton
Check out: Sunday 4/28 by 11:00 AM ***Don’t forget Church***

Sunday 4/28 – Last AirBnB, located between Stockholm and Airport
8:00 AM – Check in at: Stay in Paradise Bed and Breakfast.
Address: Skoldnoravagen 16
Upplands Vasby
Stockholm County
19492, Sweden
Host: Agneta