Coffee in Härrstrom

Pic 1 Åbacka home in Harrstrom
Pic 2 Oldest fishing house in Harrstrom
Pic 3 Windmills in Harrstrom
Pic 4 Original bridge in Harrstrom
Pic 5 Davis's fish
Pic 6 Caroline's Harrstrom sweater


On Tuesday afternoon, we were invited for coffee at Caroline Åbacka's home in Harrstrom, a small village near Korsnas. Caroline is a lifelong friend of Lena's and was one of the girls I knew when I was here as a teenager in 1976 and 1980. She and her husband live on his family's old homeplace and they have restored the 1920's house of his grandparents. When the house was built in the 20's an additional part was added from another house making it quite large. They have done an excellent job in modernizing the interior but keeping the original feel to it.

The Åbacka's have a fox and mink farm, raise long haired cattle, and farm land as well. When I think of Finland, they are the 'typical Finnish family' in my mind. Caroline made a delicious cake and blueberry pie for our coffee. Caroline modeled a sweater she had knitted for her 40th birthday. It is in a pattern which is unique to Harrstrom. It is special to have a sweater like this because it cost so much to have one custom made. Each village or town has their own pattern or designs and colors to represent their community in sweaters and traditional costumes. And the people who make them are very few. We visited and looked at an atlas to find where some relatives live in Florida and Tennessee so they can stop and visit us for a while some time when they come to the US! Caroline is also a trained florist and has some beautiful flowers and plants in her yard. The kids fished from the bridge with Caroline's daughter, Felicia, who is almost 12. Davis caught a nice sized fish (but I don't know the name of it!)

We took a little drive to see some of the historic places in Harrstrom-the old windmills, the old bridge, and the oldest house in Harrstrom. We had a very nice afternoon!