Beds and Bed-Making
I know, I know.  You are thinking, "Why in the world is she writing about bed-making?  How different can bed-making be?"  I would have thought the same thing.  After all, I know how to make a bed.  I am a nurse.  Not only was bed-making part of my education, but as a nurse educator, I have taught others how to make beds.  But, like so many things, this is different here.   Thus this post. 

First of all - the beds themselves are different.

There are not box springs and mattresses.  The top mattress has the feel of condensed cotton batting, similar to a futon.  I thought it was pretty comfortable, but my husband definitely prefers the good ol' American box spring and coil mattress.

 

And now the bed making. 

 

 

 

First of all, there is no fitted sheets to cover the shallow mattress. Swedes use a flat sheet for that.  And that is the only flat sheet used.  That is, Swedes don't use a top sheet!!!  I know!  Also, in a shared bed, each person gets their own quilt.  I don't know why, but there you go.

 

Is this all earth shaking?  Obviously not.  But still, I wouldn't have thought if it.  Thus the post!

 

"Hash", or "Tally" Marks

Several months ago I was in my Swedish language class which was, of course, filled with immigrants. This was truly an international group from all over the globe.  Anyway, some one was drawing a right angle on the board.  I didn't know why, so I asked my Brazilian friend.  She patiently told me that much of the rest of the world does not draw hash / tally marks like we do in the States.  Maybe I should have known that - or at least suspected it - but I never thought about it.

So - I borrow the following from Wiki:

(for more - see Wiki)

 

The weather Friday evening was lovely.  Although still cold, the sky was bright blue, and we were happy to get out and take a walk.  When we got to Gustof Adolf Torget there was a small crowd gathered.  The King and Queen were coming!  And so we waited a few minutes to be a part of the crowd waving.  The royal couple soon arrived accompained by a small handful of security gaurds.  There was a polite, though apparently genuine, applause and a  cheer went up that reminded me of "Hip, hip, horray!", and...OK that was pretty much it.  I didn't see many royals in Ohio, so it was fun.

 

 

And, by the way, they came via a big yellow bus.

 

 

That's it.  ...then we went and got a pizza...



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.

 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

 

 

(2)

 

There you go.  Now it should be perfectly obvious. 

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

.

.

 

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

 

(3)

 

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

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

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

(4)

 

Does this help?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

 

 

(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!

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

(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...