Post by Grubb No city we’ve been to so far.
Category: Sampling Scandinavia
Into the Haga
Post by Grubb. The Haga is an old neighborhood in Gothenburg not far from the docks on the south side of the river. It was originally a working class section of town. Now its well-preserved wooden houses and streets allowing only pedestrians give it a nineteenth century feel with small cafes and stores selling antiques at twenty-first…
Soup of the day
Post by Ella In the Haga district, we ducked into a little cafe for coffee and pastry. I left Grubb to order and went to grab a table outside. Grubb comes out with a tray. A small chokaball (intense fudgy chocolate with nuts and rolled in coconut flakes) for me and a big bowl of pea…
The build in Gothenburg
Post by Grubb This morning we took the train from Malmo to Gothenburg. It was a two-and-a-half hour ride, but we were traveling first class (highly discounted for seniors) so it was very comfortable. When we arrived in Gothenburg and emerged from the station we found ourselves in the middle of a noisy construction zone that looked…
Between Malmo and Gothenburg
Post by Ella Bear in mind, these were taken from a high speed train through a train window.
Practical matters: Showers
Post by Ella Yes showers. Love them here. It isn’t that you can’t get these features back in the states (for a premium of course), but here it’s standard. So far. Our shower here in Malmö . The knob at the left end of the bar has two settings: turn the knob up and you…
Sailor’s holiday?
Post by Grubb. While we were slurping up our fish stew in a restaurant off a central plaza in downtown Malmo, it was invaded by a mob of teenagers in white captain’s caps. At first I thought the young crew to a cruise liner had docked and were celebrating a port of call. Then I found out…
Uninspired art, sumptuous fish stew
Post by Ella We attempted two museums in Malmö today. Grubb posted about the museum in the castle we visited this morning. Our second museum today, Moderna Museet, was forgettable. Maybe because it was the second museum of the day or maybe nothing captured my attention. As evidence, this is the single photo I took….
Fortified art
Post by Grubb. Late this morning we walked to the Malmo Art Museum located inside the Malmo Castle, a Renaissance fortress of thick brick surrounded by a moat in the center of the old city. Their current collection of Swedish artwork took us from the late sixteenth century to the present day. The colorful modern pieces dispelled…
Sometimes a torso is an apartment building
An apartment complex built in 2005 in Malmo, designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Called “Turning Torso”, sometimes called “Twisted Torso”.
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
Kardemummabullar & cappucino
The kardemummabullar pastry of soft sweet dough delicately dusted with cardamom called out for a smooth cappuccino. This palate pleasing combination was appreciated in a park cafe with the dulcet singsong of Swedish accents in the background.
The Bishop and Martin Luther
These busts were seen offsetting each other at the entrance to a university building in Lund. Neither one is in a joking mood.
Two old Swedes
My aunt Ruth married Roger Sutherland, son of a Swedish Minnesota farmer, who had a job working for the Feds in the Department of Agriculture. They had four daughters, blond, athletic, and self-assured. My friends loved it when my “Swedish cousins” came to visit. At family get togethers, my father would argue with Roger who had the best…
What a find in Lund
Post by Ella. The Skissernas Museum – Museum of Artistic Process and Public Art. I’ve never seen anything like it. All the work that goes into creating public art: the sketches, models, schematics, the prep work, where does it all end up? Some brilliant person at Lund University had the idea to collect all these works….