Linear view vs. Masonry View

Archive for ‘Travel’

Medieval Alleys Stockholm

Medieval Alleys Stockholm

Narrow streets and tourist traps in a historical setting.

It’s a 6h drive from my home but this summer we took a trip, by train, to Stockholm. The capital of the Kingdom of Sweden. Spread out around water, both salt and fresh, with the Old Town in the middle.

With its well preserved medieval buildings and narrow alleys it’s an outdoor museum. Just like in the middle ages you can hear all kinds of languages in the crowded streets. The Viking heritage is a popular theme from all the peddlers in the small shops along the main street, Västerlångatan.

Here are some pictures I took in this beautiful city.

Yes, the royal castle is there on the same small island. None of the royal family lives there anymore. The King decided that he wanted to be a country boy when he became a father to the Crown Princess Victoria. I suppose nobody want hordes of tourists passing through the bedroom.

Vini, Vidi, Vici, ha de Gött!

Advertisements
1
Explore the Rock Carvings of Tanum: A UNESCO Heritage Site

Explore the Rock Carvings of Tanum: A UNESCO Heritage Site

I live close to one of the UNESCO listed World Heritage sites. Rock Carvings in Tanum and Vitlycke Museum. This area has the highest concentration of rock carvings in Europe. Rock carvings, also called petroglyphs, are knocked with small stones, knocking stones, into the rock during pre historic times. They can be found all over the world but the highest concentration are found in Africa, Scandinavia, Siberia, and Australia. New carvings are discovered daily by archaeologists and the public. As the with all art, interpretation is in the eyes of the beholder even if there is a scientific approach to what the carvings mean. Even so the images triggers the imagination to what made the people to make the effort. Faith or just a wish to be immortalised.

If you want to take a step back in time, to the bronze age when most of the carvings were made. The Vitlycke museum has a reconstructed bronze age village built up with two long houses, storage huts and work sheds. The village is next to the rock carvings in the Tanum World heritage area. You can visit all year around but in summer high season there are guides to explain and let you try craftmanship from that time. The Nordic Bronze age is considered to have lasted from 1700 to 500 BC.

Fun fact. The museum building was inaugurated on the same day my oldest son was born. In a blizzard on April 4 1998 and he also worked there for three summers. Do check out his YouTube channel Hemläxa where he made a series on the Swedish farmers history where episode one has section from Vitlycke. In Swedish but you can use the auto subtitle function in a language you prefer. https://youtu.be/6ff1wRQMwM8?si=MsxFVjlZJu0_Nbdm

Find out more from the museum website https://www.vitlyckemuseum.se/en/.

You have to look back to understand the future, ha de Gött!

Advertisements
0
Dublin residential area

Dublin residential area

The sun does shine over Dublin, only not that often. I took these photos as we walked through a residential area and the sun found a hole in the clouds. I guess the tourist board wants to show off the new city that is emerging but to me this was more interesting. No doors was like the neighbours and the chimney gardens was also something that caught my eye. I guess with all the rain no-one needs to climb up and water them.

Dublin is truly a hidden gem for a city weekend trip. The people are very friendly. Lots to see and experience, like the Riverdance. If you like whiskey and your beer dark, this is the place to go. Food is good and affordable, specially at the many pubs. The city is dense so you can reach most by foot. You can also go by bus and tram. Taxi had surprisingly low fares.

Slainte, ha de Gött!

Advertisements
3
Silent wilderness

Silent wilderness

If you want to listen to the sound of silence the national park Tresticklan in Dalsland, Sweden is the place to go. The park is the largest uninhabited forest in south Sweden. The the 2906 hectares forest area has been growing untouched by humans since a big fire in 1830 in . One of the few remaining wild forests in southern Sweden.

I visited on a still day and between the birds singing there was complete silence. You could almost touch the silence. I did not see any of mammals you can find, moose, roe deer, fox, pine marten or wolfs but there was tracks.

I’ll be back, ha de Gött!

Advertisements
0
Back in the day

Back in the day

The sandy beach Skrea Strand in Falkenberg, Sweden where I spent much time as a teenager and young adult. There are some good, and bad, memories from this place. It must been 20 years ago since I was here the last time and still amazed by the long sandy beach and the high dunes.

Cherish your memories but don’t get stuck in them, ha de Gött!

Advertisements
1
Imagine

Imagine

I took a bus tour to the Northern Ireland on my visit to Dublin. There was several stops where we were herd around like sheep by our friendly shepherd, ehh guide. One stop was the Dark Hedges. Never heard of it but my brain quickly built up a picture, more like this first photo.

This was what it was like. More sheep, ehh, people. More places to go so time was, to say the least, limited. Total stop 20 minutes, 8 minutes to get there from the bus stop. Do the math and there was 4 minutes to get a good picture. Preferably without all the sheep, ehh, people. Eight minutes back to the bus, no time for a pit stop! Let me tell you my bladder is now double size.

Luckily I’m Scandinavian and close to two meters tall. Managed to come away with this last picture.

Only small sips of the water, ha de Gött!

Advertisements
1
Old man and the sea

Old man and the sea

I got this picture from the island Ven of the old man on his boat. Made me think of Hemingway.

The beautiful island Ven is situated in the Öresund between Sweden and Denmark. There will be more pictures coming when I catch up with editing my photos from all traveling this summer.

Navigandum est, ha det gött!

Advertisements
1
Stockholm City Hall

Stockholm City Hall

The Stockholm City Hall was completed in 1923 after 15 years of construction. This 101 year old building is not only for administration but also holds several large halls for larger banquets. The Nobel Prize banquet is held here in December every year. So if you want to rub shoulders with the Swedish royal family you just have to figure out a ground breaking invention or discovery.

The 106 metre high tower it makes a good landmark for Sweden’s capital by the shore of the lake Mälaren.

Keep invent, ha de gött!

Advertisements
1