Journey through the Midwest...

Well, that's me doing what I do; talking about Vasa and promoting maritime heritage.

This shot is from my recent six-day whirlwind lecture tour through the American Midwest. The lecture tour began with a sore throat, a bad cold, and a long flight from Stockholm to Chicago. Great start.

Delays en route meant I came in just barely in time to catch the last bus on a Sunday night up to my alma mater, Beloit College, two hours away in Wisconsin. The next morning came the first set of presentations. Oy...

Despite my failing health, the hectic travel schedule, and the 6-hour time-shift, all went relatively well and I really enjoyed the adventure. For one, it was just a real delight to spend time with my museum studies profs, history profs, plus a few friends who are still around, though perilously close to graduation. I spoke about Vasa in a few classes there and gave a public lecture about the Vasa story, past and present and got to marvel at the interest that Vasa sparks with people wherever I go. However, I did learn that finals week is really not the time to try to draw an audience....

It was also wonderful just to be back on campus for the first time since graduation; to see Middle College, that grand but infernal building that consumed two years of my life while I built detailed scale models of it for my senior museum studies exhibition....

...and Eaton Chapel where I spent quiet evenings doing homework in the balcony and listening to students practicing away on the grand pipe organ.


I even wandered past my old house where so many epic legends were born...the Atomic Cookie Dough Crisis, the Mouse War, the Frozen Chicken Incident...

...and I went down to my old swimming hole on the 'Mighty Rock,' the disgustingly polluted river that flows through town (ranked No. 11 on the list of most polluted American rivers) .

From Beloit I caught a northbound bus toward Madison, Wisconsin...

...and dropped in on my 'aunt and uncle' Karen and Jeremy on their farm.
It was an infinite pleasure to see them again. More caring, generous hosts are not to be found anywhere. Not to mention, the food is always good and nearly endless.

In years past when Jeremy's health was better he taught me how to drive a tractor, fell trees, maintain a testy gas-powered wood splitter and plenty of other handy forrestry skills.

But this time, with both of us in poor health and the weather rather nasty, we stayed in the living room close to the fire instead. After all the frantic scuttling about in Heathrow, O'Hare, and then rushing through Beloit, it was so nice to sit in front of the fireplace and talk with Jeremy and Karen for hours about anything and everything. The place is like home....

Now and then the local turkeys would show up to peck about the driveway and show off their plummage...

...an activity easily encouraged with a little feed. Corn's up!

..odd lookin' critters ain't they? I think it's the bald head that bugs me...

From the farm, I went into downtown Madison to spend a little time with my two good college buddies, Evan and Bjorn--co-conspirators in the mischief that led to the Atomic Cookie Dough Crisis, the Mouse War, the Frozen Chicken Incident, and so many others.

We mostly lounged about--especially when we found a good hill for cloud-gazing in the local arboretum. Evan has a natural ability to look at home in any environ...

...while Bjorn has a natural ability to sleep in any environ, especially after we'd kept him up all night.

After some of Bjorn's legendary pancakes, Evan and I hit the road.

We drove northward up that American rite of passage known as I-90, just 'a flat-out, high-speed burn' from Madison to Minneapolis...

Upon arrival, Evan dropped me off at the stunningly ornate American Swedish Institute, housed in the former mansion of a Minneapolis newspaper baron. It is an impressive place, to say the least, right on the southern edge of dowtown Minneapolis. After hopping out of the car all gussied up in a suit and tie, I went inside for a wonderful evening as one of the several guests of honor at the annual ASI Scholars' Banquet. My VIP status that evening came from the delightful fact that I was awarded the coveted Cornelia Malmberg Scholarship (adminsitered by ASI) for 2007 which will be supporting me and my maritime museums research in Sweden for the rest of the year.

The evening was a delightful blend of socializing, dining, watching spectacles like the blowing of traditional shepherd's horns, and the highlight--the most famous Swede of all time, Carl von Linnaé himself...well, Hans Odöö actually. But he does a wonderfully fun and informative Linnaeus impersonation.

The following day I gave my performance, a long-winded presentation on the history of the Vasa from the time she was built on up to the research being performed today. Prepared for 25, the epic ship drew a wonderful crowd of 68 down to the dark basement of ASI despite a spectacularly beautiful spring day above ground. But what a great way to finish the lecture tour...

While in Minneapolis I met up with another good college friend, Melissa...

...and after hopping an Amtrak train down to Chicago to catch my flight, I met up with my friend Akane...

...and soon after was back aboard an SAS flight headed for Sweden. But what a wonderful whirlwind trip it was--so good to be back in the Midwest and to see good friends and beloved family.

Barely a month after returning to Sweden, my 'uncle' Jeremy passed away. He was a most kind and generous man whom I had great respect for and he will always hold a place as one of the most influential and inspiring individuals in my life.