Consular visit in Portland

The northwest's Swedish consul met and learned about Swedes in the region when the new mobile passport station was on location in Portland, Oregon. 

  • Carol Tripp, Lars Jonsson and Ross Fogelquist in front of Fogelbo, the historic site adjacent to the Scandinavian Cultural Center.

  • Portland was recently visited by Lars Jonsson, the Swedish Consul for the states of Washington and Oregon, based in the Seattle office of the Consulate of Sweden.

  • Consul Lars Johnson of Seattle

  • More than 30 Swedes from the Portland/Vancouver area went to Seattle to renew their passports in May 2015 when the new mobile passport station was on location there. When the time came, the consul elected to deliver the passports in person to save the applicants another trip to Seattle. However, the deeper objective with his visit was to meet and learn about as many Swedes as possible for the benefit of his role as consul for the northwest region.

  • Oven baked pancake, "ugnspannkaka"

  • In the morning of May 30, Jonsson met with members of New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society and Scandinavian Heritage Foundation (SHF) for a pancake breakfast (ugnspankaka) at Fogelbo, the Swedish epicenter in Portland.

  • The interior of the Swedish epicenter in Portland, Fogelbo.

  • After a delightful breakfast the group proceeded to the new Scandinavian Center next door, lead by Greg Smith, the director of the center, for a preview of the facility, which opened officially in June. The center, called The Nordic Cultural Center, serves all the Nordic countries and is a 10,000-square-foot building at 8800 S.W. Oleson Road dedicated to all things Nordic. The building includes an exhibit gallery, a concert hall, a conference room, three outdoor patios and a Nordic-themed café.

  • Table set at Fogelbo in Portland, Oregon.

  • Construction of the $4 million Nordic Cultural Center, which has been under discussion for twenty years, began in the fall of 2014. An open house to celebrate the opening of the center was held on June 27 and 28.

  • At the front of the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation building.

  • The following afternoon allowed the consul to see another of the local Scandinavian hubs when all Swedes in greater Portland were invited to the Swedish restaurant Broder. On the menu was a traditional smörgåsbord sampler, including marinated herring, meatballs and other typical specialties.

  • L-R: Swedish Vice Consul Emeritus of Oregon Ross Fogelquist; Greg Smith, executive director of the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation; Consul Lars Jonsson. The doors were created by the late Leroy Setziol, often referred to as the “father of woodcarving in Oregon.”

  • The event provided ample opportunity to meet with many Swedish locals and a happy and pleased Swedish consul for the Northwest no doubt returned to Seattle at the end of the visit.

  • Café area at the new Scandinavian epicenter in Portland and Oregon, the Nordic Cultural Center, 8800 SW Oleson Rd, Portland, OR 97223

  • By Leif Rosqvist, editor of the Newsletters of New Sweden Cultural Heritage Society and SRIO in Portland, Oregon.

  • Consul Lars Jonsson and Vice Consul of Oregon Emeritus, Ross Fogelquist, wearing their Swedish North Star decorations

  • For more information, visit:
    www.consulateofswedenseattle.com
    www.newsweden.org
    www.scanheritage.org
    http://broderpdx.com/

  • Local Portland restaurateur Peter Bro of Broder Restaurant.