Those of us who are devoted to Ingrid will want to make a pilgrimage to Fjallbacka, the small fishing town near Gothenburg [Goteborg in Swedish]. From here Ingrid used to leave by boat to spend holidays on the island of Dannholmen, owned by Ingrid and her husband, Lars Schmidt. They could often be seen shopping in the town and Ingrid used to take part in the summer sailing school.

Ingrid started visiting Dannholmen in 1958 and thereafter spent all of her summer holidays there, with her husband and her children. You can see happy photos of them all on the Fjallbacka website.

The exact geographical location position of Fjallbacka is 58 degrees, 40 minutes North, 11 degrees 10 minutes East and it is the closest we can get to the sea [part of the Kattegat], where Ingrid’s ashes were scattered. Fjallbacka nestles beneath huge granite boulders and all of its houses are painted in fondant shades with intricate ginger-breading, known in Swedish as snickargladje [carpenter’s joy]. According to The Rough Guide To Scandinavia, "As you enter Fjallbacka, it will immediately become apparent that a certain celebrated actress holds sway in the little town". There is Ingrid Bergman Square, where a statue of Ingrid looks out towards the islands. The tourist office is in a small red hut in the square.

Fjallbacka must be our place of pilgrimage: it is my ambition to make this pilgrimage as soon as possible.

Any further information about this area will be added to this article, as soon as I find it.

"Here’s looking at you, Ingrid - always!"

Mary Hutchings mhutchings@taunton-cyber.co.uk

July 14th 1998