Påsk

We went to a friend's house for a påskafton (Holy Saturday) dinner celebration.  Similar to the Christmas tradition, the eve of the holiday is spent celebrating with friends and family.  The actual day of Easter is primarily a religious observance. 

 

One of the guests at the party is an organist for a Church of Sweden congregation.  They, and others, are having a service tonight.  The church service will start at 11:30 PM.  All will be dark.  Quiet or somber music will be playing and scripture will be read.  At midnight, the service will change as candles are lit, and songs of celebration are sung.  It sounds wonderful.

 

The main reason I am posting tonight, is I want to show you a picture.  Our host tonight had the priveldge of owning a unique coin. 

 

  It was for thirty of these very coins, that Judas betrayed his creator.

Easter frivolity

Hi there!  As we approach the holy and blessed season of Easter, I take a moment to note the frivolity.  We all know that Americans  have their own versions of silly (distracting) traditions when it comes to Easter.  We have an abundance of rabbits and chicks, Peeps, chocolate everything, colored eggs, stuffed plastic eggs, and plastic eggs hanging on trees. The Swede's have their own version.  They too have chocolate eggs, jelly beans, and colored real eggs.  They have some tradition that involves a witch (yuck!), and then there is the abundance of brightly dyed feathers that are affixed to bare branches... 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a pic that I snapped on the bus last Sunday morning.

It's a bouquet.  I think.

Don't ask me to explain it.  I am just reporting it.

 

(He who is without sin, cast the first stone.)

Hur svenska är du?  (How Swedish are you?)

This a test.  I am figuring that if you are a full blooded Swede, living in Sweden,

you may be able to identify this object by the first picture. 

 

 

(1) 

 

Hmmm....Not sure?   OK, let me make it clearer.

 

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(2)

 

There you go.  Now it should be perfectly obvious. 

Still not recognizing this ubiquitous object?  Okay.  More hints.

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(3)

 

By now a Swede is saying, "Självklart!"  ("obviously", self + clear).

Still don't know?  So maybe you are not a Swede after all?...

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(4)

 

Does this help?

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(5)

 

This design is sooooo familiar to anyone in Sweden.  So so familiar.

 

OK, I will give you the answer.  You are going to kick yourself!

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(6)

 

Självklart!

 

So please tell me how many pictures you needed to see before you identified this lamp. 

And also if you now live, or ever have, lived in Scandinavia.

 -- Or gone to an IKEA store!

 

(Kindly ignore the fact that this picture is repeated below.  It just wouldn't go away!)

 

 : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vienna Part 4

This will be my last post about our trip to Vienna.  There is more I could write about and show you, but I don't want you to fall asleep!  And besides, the name of this blog is not Austria Bound.

But, let us take one more quick tour of Vienna.

On Saturday, John and I went to the  Naschmarket (outdoor food market) and Flohmarket (flea market).  So fun!!

 

I guess these speak for themselves.

 

Please note that some of the alcoholic beverages are less

expensive than the coffee, tea and soda.

 

Ahh tulips.  With the promise of Spring, we also see a lot of tulips in Malmö.

\

 

 

 

After leaving these wonderful markets, we walked to Dorotheum.  Dating back to 1707, it is the oldest auction house in Europe.  According to the guide book, Dorotheum handles ~ 250,000 pieces of art and antiques every year.  We saw new and used jewelry, a room of fur coats, furniture, artwork and a few fun pieces which I will share with you. 

 

 

The next morning, a beautiful Sunday morning,

we took a final walk around the city center.

 

 

Window shopping. 

 

 

 

I love the guy with the bike.

 

 

Two views of Saint Stephan's Cathedral (note the reflection in the second picture).

 

 

Vienna's magnificent Opera House

 

 

And finally:

 

 

 

Temptation awaited me at both airports.  I guess there really is no place like home...

 

 





Weather report

For friends and family elsewhere who may be curious:

The winter has been very consistent.  We have not seen above 35F since before Christmas, have had intermittent light snow flurries, and mostly gray skies.  The wind usually comes from the west which is warmer.  Last week, the wind (not breeze mind you, but wind) came from Siberia and it was down-right frigid!  I understand from others that it is typically a little warmer.  But that would mean standing in cold rain at the bus stop, so I will take the freezing temperatures.

Last summer, it was often sunny, rarely over 70 F, and never humid.  At least not humid compared to the three other cities we have lived in: Cleveland, OH;  Buffalo, NY; and Mobile,AL.

Since we dislike hot weather, we like the climate here. But I do miss the constantly fluctuating weather of Cleveland.  It would be nice to feel 60 degree weather for a day of two in mid winter (and if it were to be like Cleveland: followed by 20 F and a snow storm, followed by 40 F and sunny, followed by 50 F and rainy, followed by...)

 

Vienna Part 3

 

John and I spent a few hours walking through the few dozen rooms of the Hofburg Palace which are open to the public.  There are over 2,600 rooms in all.   My impressions?  Honestly, it is obviously beautiful, but it is too much for my American sensibilities.  I look at all the splendor and I think about the struggling citizenry.  It is just over the top.   But,  so that you can come on the journey with me, here are a few of the many sights to behold. 

 

 

A few of the approximately millions of zillions of ornate centerpieces.

 

 

See?  You didn't believe me did you?  And this is just the view to the left of center. 

 It is ~ 30 feet long.

 

 

Royalty ate off of silver except of soup...the other course which I can't remember.

 

OK - So dig that crazy napkin.  This particular fold was utilized only when the King or Queen were dining.  Believe it or not, the fold is a state secret.  Only two people know how to do it.  Really.  

 

 

More impressive napkin folding. 

 

One piece of an exquisite set of dishes.  Unfortunately, because some of the porcelain was bisque, it could not be used for dining. 

 

And so it goes. 

 

 

Vienna Part 2

 

 

 

The most beautiful room I have ever seen.

 

Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

 

(Austrian National Library)

 

 

Note the thickness of the door.



 

 

 This book was written in ~ 500 A.D. , and restored in 1405/6.

 

JAZZ

I love jazz.  
Last evening, John and I had the unique privilege of attending a private jazz concert in friend's home.  I do not know why we are living this privileged life, but I am so so grateful. Seriously?!  Who gets to do this?!

Tusen tack till Eva och Janeric. Och tack till Vincent de andra musikerna. Det var jätte bra!!

(Hopefully the above says "A thousand thanks to Eva and Janeric  .And thanks to Vincent and the other musicians.   It was great!")

Vincent Nilsson, trombon

Ola Åkerman, "
Ola Nordqvist, "
Björn Hängsel, bastrombon
Elias Källvik, gitarr
Johnny Åman, kontrabas
Zoltan Czörsz, trummor

Couldn't you just melt?...





Vienna, Part 1

 

I know this blog is basically dedicated to life in Sweden, but living in Sweden means living in Europe, and travel within Europe is reasonably priced. So,  last week, John and I went to Vienna for 5 days. 

We flew to Vienna on Austrian Airlines.  The only reason that is noteworthy is that when one gets on an Austrian Airlines plane, the background music is a waltz. 

 

A wall in Vienna’s airport.

(Music for The Merry Widow)

 

 

 

  On a side note: while at the airport, we saw three airport employees using scooters.  Two were on push scooters similar to what children use, where one stands with one foot on the scooter and pushes off with the other foot.  The third employee was using a small motor bike to get around. 



OK , one more aside. I took this picture for my kids

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Our lunch the first day.

The bread was nice - especially the small loaf with the dark pumpkin seeds. The seeds gave a very rich pumpkin taste. Also the bread in Austria is a little saltier than an American is used to. It is of note that although the bread may be placed on the table at the start of your meal, it is not included in the price. Or at least it was not included at the restaurants where we ate. It costs ~ $1 per piece.



Beer (I think all beer tastes vile, but John seems to consistently disagree with me), goulash with spaetzle, and roast pork with a dumpling and some sauerkraut. (You might notice a lack of green.)  The meals were solidly good, though not to die for.




 

Walking around Vienna...

 

 

One of many lovely statues that stand at the entrance of one of many lovely buildings.

Detail below.

 

 

Below is the interior of a lovely church.  It is not St. Stephan's, which is the huge cathedral in the center of town.  Saint Stephens is beautiful in the way that Paris' Notre Dame is beautiful.  But I thought this church was lovely.

 

 

The crypt of  Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen

(thanks for the information Brenda)

 

 

And finally, after many hours and many many kilometers of walking:

Dinner.

 

 

I ordered "Cream of parsley root soup".  Parsley doesn't have "roots".  So we thought that perhaps it was cream of parsnip.  Either way, it was fabulous.  John ordered Schnitzel  ("When in Vienna...").   Now you might be saying, "Oh, I see they got something green with their schnitzel."  It was extra.  The meal John ordered came with the lemon slice.  It was soley a piece of flattened, breaded and fried veal.  It was fine.  The salad was similiar to what Americans call "German potato salad" but not as sweet.  You might note the glass of white wine.  It is Grüner Veltliner.  It is, I think, a regional white wine, and it is very nice. Wine and beer tend to be cheaper than coffee or bottled water.  More on that in a future post.