Gotland is a part of Sweden and is located in the middle of the Baltic Sea, 90 kilometers (56 miles) from the Swedish mainland. High speed ferries run several times a day from Stockholm. It takes about four hours to go from Stockholm to Visby on the island of Gotland.
	Gisela's home is on Gotland. A lovely stone  house, Gotland is famous for its limestone houses and there are still a few industries based on limestone. The basic house is quite old though it has been beautifully modernized. The house is surrounded by several acres of meadows.
Gisela keeps the meadows "mowed" by keeping two mother sheep and raising their lambs every year. One interesting phenomenon of being in the Northern part of the world is the light. This picture was taken at almost 10PM. The sun had just  dropped out of sight behind the trees. Even in the middle of the night, it was never truly dark.
	One of the legacies from Gisela's husband, Sven, is the asparagus field that he planted beside the house. It is approximately 100 yards x 50 yards. I was fortunate enough to be there during the asparagus season. Each morning we cut, washed, weighed and bundled the asparagus spears and placed them in the little refridgerator in the "barn" for the self service customers. We also prepared asparagus (my favorite vegetable) in a different way for every meal and felt quite indulgent. This picture is a photograph of a painting by a Swedish artist and friend, Kerstin Ostwald. It is her delightful impression of Sven's asparagus field.
One of the things I had hoped to see in Gotland was a hedgehog since we do not have them in the  United States. We were fortunate enough to see one near the asparagus field one morning. They are a delight. A tiny little creature with a sweet face and quite spiny... not a bit cuddly as they appear. They are not fearful of people and though it probably is better to leave them alone.. They don't seem to mind if one picks them up for a moment or two.

Music: I Have a Dream
by ABBA (one of Sweden's most famous exports)