Our Almost-Free Vacation

Matt and I with Ingrid our XC90

As our plane descended in Gothenburg, Sweden, I woke up well rested in my SAS “Plus” seat. The champagne served in the airport lounge and after takeoff helped; that and our transatlantic flight was free. A driver waited at baggage claim to whisk my husband Matt and me to the Clarion Post hotel where we had a free night’s stay, free breakfast, and a free dinner at the hotel’s Marcus Samuelsson restaurant. We were not lucky contest winners. We had bought a Volvo from their Overseas Delivery Program (OSD).

Four months earlier, we had customized our XC90 SUV at a discount and without any destination fees. Our local Florida dealer had processed our order. A price list with all options eliminated haggling and made this our most pleasant car-buying experience yet. After we made a small deposit, our salesperson shook my hand and said, “Welcome to Volvo for life.”

Two weeks after we ordered, a package arrived with maps, brochures, books, and travel options to consider. Vehicle pick-up and drop-off locations throughout Europe and 15 days of auto insurance meant we could hit the Autobahn in Germany or drive the French Riviera. The travel agent offered discounted hotels, tours, and custom packages. Round-trip economy-plus airfare included a return flight from any Scandinavian airport. With only one week off around Thanksgiving, and a stop to make in Norway, we did not have time for the Autobahn.

Gothenburg, on Sweden’s west coast, is the country’s second-largest city. We arrived on a Saturday and spent the weekend eating arctic char, langoustines, mussels, and shrimps. We walked off the calories along canals, gardens, and the Christmas market. Trams and busses crisscrossed the city. The cars were mostly Volvos. This is a company town.

Meatball lunch at Volvo’s Visitor Centre

Monday morning Volvo sent a driver to bring us to their Visitor Centre. Our advisor Amanda handled our paperwork, then brought us to the delivery area to meet our car. We walked around it, confirming our color and option decisions. I was weirdly proud of the red Swedish license plates we could keep. Amanda took our picture with the car then ushered us back inside. Our Swedish meatball lunch in the Visitor Centre café was ready. The five other families who took delivery that day were already seated at tables.

After dessert and coffee we all joined our guide Nicole on the “blue train” that took us through Volvo’s Torslanda plant, which is the size of Monaco and the Vatican combined. Inside the body shop, sparks flew around large Transformers-like robots that assembled and welded. Workers on the assembly line drilled, bolted, and welded a variety of models. Most vehicle components were delivered via an overhead track. At the “marriage point,” a car body on the overhead track was lowered to join a powertrain on the line to become a car.

When we returned to the Visitor Centre, Amanda reunited us with our car. As we were first-time Volvo owners, she showed us how to use its features. We then took the highway toward Oslo, an easy three-hour drive north.

Nore Kirke in the snow

The next morning we left Oslo before dawn. I had told my grandfather that we would visit his grandmother’s church in Nore, a forested area two-and-a-half hours northwest of Oslo. She had immigrated to the United States when she was 16, but some of our family still lives near the old wooden church. My grandfather has a picture of it on his wall, next to a shingle from the old roof. He had longed to return to Nore, but had a stroke, making travel difficult.

Sverre the caretaker had agreed to open the church and meet us. Built in 1167, my great-great-grandmother’s stave church, named for its pine stave corner posts, is one of only 28 stave churches still standing. Sverre explained the Celtic art and pointed out Viking graffiti from 1190 carved in the center post. Two hours later, we were back on the road to Oslo, having recorded a video to show my grandfather.

Oslo Opera House

In Oslo we visited the Nobel Peace Center and walked up the roof of the waterfront opera house. Built with marble, white granite, and glass at angles, it evoked an iceberg jutting out of the water.

Before sunrise we left Oslo, detouring down the jagged Bohuslän coast from Norway to Gothenburg. Pink granite cliffs faced the indigo sea scattered with 8,000 rocky islands. We wended our way through picturesque fishing villages and spent the night at Salt & Sill, a floating “boatel” with a sauna and a rooftop hot tub on Tjörn Island, one hour from Gothenburg.

Kungshamn, Sweden

We dropped our car off at the Visitor’s Centre where Volvo would ship it to our local dealer, including marine insurance, customs fees, and port charges. A driver then brought us to the train station where we left for Stockholm, a three-hour ride.

Bartenders set our weekend agenda in Stockholm. Our first mixologist paired inventive cocktails with our tapas and recommended we walk the medieval Old Town. The next barman suggested the Vasa Maritime Museum, another told us to ferry to the Christmas Market. Our last evening there we barhopped their favorite local haunts.

Cocktails in Stockholm

A week later Volvo emailed me the name of the ship transporting our car. We tracked its progress online. It cleared customs and a few days later, our dealer called. Eight weeks after we dropped our car off in Gothenburg, we drove it home. Next time we buy a car, we’ll pick it up in the summer and take the Autobahn.

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Heather von Bargen

Heather von Bargen is an award-winning writer and photographer who focuses on Italy. Her work has been featured in galleries, websites, literary journals, and print magazines. Based in Florida, she has a home in Le Marche, Italy.

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