Another Summer Gone?

Well, indeed another summer has left. It’s been a great one weather-wise for those of us in Sweden, at least in my humble opinion. It rarely was hot, the nights were cool, and there was a lot of sun. We had some “heatwaves” which I always find a bit humorous. 78 degrees Fahrenheit (I can appreciate Celsius after all this time but I convert it back to my favorite backward index of heat) will never be hot for me. I even wear a light jacket if it is cloudy. But to folks here it’s practically tropical. Yes, I am insufferable when it comes to talking about what “real” hot weather is. Of course someone from where it is incredibly hot could do the same to me and I’d just have to listen and bear it since I know I’d be getting “my own medicine”.

Anyway, it was a uneventful Summer for me. My vacation was a two week trek to the West coast of Sweden and after some of the less touristy spots of Denmark. I’ve not spent much time in Gothenburg till this trip and it’s a very nice city. We stayed at a high-rise hotel which thrilled my son since he loves heights. In Denmark I saw a lot of lighthouses and made the inevitable trip to Legoland. My son’s been there twice already but wanted a third go, which I gave him. It was my first go and I was not too impressed. But they do have great models of places in Europe, including a few we just saw in Denmark prior.

Before I give up trying to write interesting text and lay out the photos I must mention the first few pictures are from the Uppsala University (my alma mater, humble-brag) Gustavianum museum. It has a very old medical dissection theater which is incredible. After a very long restoration the museum it is open again and if you are in the neighborhood I’d recommend a visit.

Valborg

In the U.S., my homeland, the holidays are not often connected to harvest seasons or other things dictated by nature. I mean, Memorial Day and Labor Day were just plopped down on a certain date and then massaged even more to always provide a Monday off work. The old, weird European holidays I now have gotten used to seem always tied to some ancient time that people were sacrificed to the gods of harvest, fertility, ill-fitting burlap garments, or something.

Walpurgis night, known as Valborg in Sweden, has something to do with lighting bonfires and drinking. Looking it up it has got some folksy background: “Valborg is a very old tradition and used to be all about scaring away witches and bad spirits by lighting big fires for protection and making a lot of sounds to scare off evil forces.” So, what better purpose to have a celebration well into our age of reason? It’s got big fires!

Anyway, Uppsala is a university town, and it can’t claim to be that without some weird student stuff going on. So, on Valborg students build little boats that barely float, mostly due to the buoyancy of fear, and race down the murky Fyris river. The water is too green and too cold this time of year, but they do it. I don’t know the reason, really.

I took some of these pictures when I first started living in Sweden and the rest this spring, almost 10 years late. Like any good tradition, little changes. Here they are.

I love Norrköping

This city has done a lot with its scenic old industrial center. Also, the museums there are fascinating in their recounting of the fabric manufacturing past. Here’s a few images from my visit this year.

Winter, Damn It

If you know me, which you most likely don’t, you would know I’m not a fan of Winter. Actually, the few people who visit my blog might know me so I take that back. It’s damn pretty, I’ll give it that. However, I’d rather be in the shade at a beach with a tropical cocktail in my hand. Anyway, took a walk along lake Ekoln the other week to see the very pretty Winter scenery. I just googled the lake and saw that Ikea named a toilet brush after it. Well, I think that’s kind of a comment on life in general.

Precious Light

Winter here in Sweden has short days as you find in Northerly countries. This year there has been little snow and the sky has been usually an overcast slate grey. However, if the clouds dissipate and the ice blue shows through you find the low sun can supply an astonishing warmth to the landscape. One such day I caught some examples of the long, lingering fire tinged illumination.

Of Castles and Kings

A friend visiting in the summer provided the excuse to see some of the area around Stockholm. I hate to admit it but even though I’m a short drive or train ride away I have not explored that city as much as I should. Drottningholm Palace just outside Stockholm is where the Swedish royals actually live but you can still tour a portion of the historic building. While there’s certainly vast wealth on display you can see that Sweden’s Royal Family wasn’t the wealthiest in Europe by all the faux detailing and decoration. I captured a little bit of it in pictures.

Seasons As They Pass

It is amazing how many seasons have passed since my last update. Right now, I’m facing winter again and, as often is the case, wondering what hole the time drained down. To quote Kipling “Nobody thinks about the winter when the grass is green.”

Here are my pictures from the seasons this year so far. Looking at them helps me to recall a bit of it all.

Fall Hard

Living in Scandinavia is all about accepting the inevitable stumble towards the cold and dark every year. I grew up with changing seasons so I’m very well practiced at swearing at the ones I don’t particularly like. This year feels colder and wetter than the last few so I’m taking that as an omen I will need to take my searing up a notch. But when the sun comes to taunt us the Swedish Fall is very beautiful.

The Summer Of Discontent

It’s been a very cool summer here in Sweden. So cool that we’ve had the lowest peak temperature in 155 years. Great for those of us who love Spring since it’s been a seemingly endless Spring. Warm days and cool nights please me just fine so no complaints. However, I worry if this cool trend will carry over to the fall and winter and make me my usual grumpy cold weather hating complainer. Once I had imagined a future in a tropical climate drinking margaritas or daiquiris full of crushed ice all day. Now I’m in Sweden which is typical of how things turn out totally unlike my expectations.

Here are some additional images I took in long sleeves over this often lovely summer.