Linear view vs. Masonry View

Tag Archive for ‘History’

Svangen lighthouse

Svangen lighthouse

Since 1889 it has been guiding ships towards the Kosterfjord sea-lane and Resö. Originally the light came from the second floor windows but in 1917 it was replaced with gas driven AGA lighthouse in front of the building. The first floor was the living quarters for the lighthouse keeper with family. Since the the new AGA lighthouse was automatic there was no personnel after 1917. The house was sold to a private owner in 1950. Easy to manage garden, I guess, but probably needs to be painted regularly due to the harsh and salty west winds.

The fully automatic AGA lighthouse was invented by the Swedish inventor Gustaf Dahlén. He was awarded Nobel prize in physics for his work with lighthouse technology. The light was kept burning with the help of carbine gas. To save gas it was started and stopped with the help of a sun-valve also invented by Gustaf Dahlén.

Always steer towards the light, ha de Gött!

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Shipyard

Shipyard

Like many cities in Northern Europe the Danish city Helsingør has a history of ship building. These large shipyard areas are now under development for tourism and new businesses, very different from the noisy shipbuilding industry. I do think Helsingør does a good job developing and at the same time honour the hard working people in the shipyards. Makes me feel good as my own father was a welder at a shipyard in Göteborg, Sweden.

History is the mirror to the future, ha de Gött!

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Moored

Moored

The ship Lyngholmen, moored at Helsingør guest harbour. Doesn’t carry a nation flag but a ship looking the same and with the same name is registered in Norway. It was built in 1955 and named Hankø and the name was changed in 1993 to Lyngholmen. Home port close to my home, just across the border in Fredrikstad.

Ship ohoj, ha de Gött!

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Halmstad Castle

Halmstad Castle

By chance we were able to attend a viewing of the secret garden of Halmstad castle. The castle is still in use as a government building, residence of the Landshövding (governor) of Halland. Apart from the amazing 200 year old blood maple, the garden was not what I’ve expected.

The castle was built by the Danish between 1600 and 1615 as a residence for the governor. The city of Halmstad was at the time part of the Danish kingdom. The castle, the city Halmstad and the administrative area Halland became Swedish in 1645.

In the garden it is possible to see remainders of the 8 meter high wall surrounding the city. Outside the wall there was a moat. During the years the castle has undergone many changes and colours. Believe it or not but it was actually pink before repainted to red in 1998, as is believed to be the original colour.

Be curious and learn more, ha de Gött!

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Other side of the other side

Other side of the other side

Some pictures from the other side of the other side, the East side Gallery. There are 105 wall paintings from different artist on this 1316 meters long remains of the Berlin wall. It was painted in 1990 on the east side as a celebration of the opening of the wall. Today it stand as an open air gallery with over 3 million visitors yearly.

If the east or west side was the front side of the wall I let everyone decide for themselves. I only know that a wall designed to separate people and families is never a good thing.

Translation for non German speakers on two of the paintings. “Don’t forget my love”, “The persistence of ignorance”.

Always check the other side, and be glad you can. Ha de Gött!

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National Day

National Day

6 of June is the National Day of Sweden and in beautiful Havstenssund the flags are up. The celebration is very moderate and most people spend the day with family, gardening or walk in the nature. I guess it’s a typical for the Swedish mentality, lagom, not too much and not too little.

Five hundred years ago the first Swedish king Gustav Wasa was appointed by the church, king by the grace of God, supported by rich merchants from the Lübeck Hansa. Gustav Wasa was a dictator but he reformed the way the nation was administrated. Somethings lives on still today, so in a way he founded the Swedish democracy.

We are nations but above all, citizens of the Earth, ha de Gött!

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Cologne

Cologne

The city of Cologne from a dirty airplane window. If you look closely you can see the cathedral at the Rhein river bend. The city is the oldest in Germany. Already year 50 it was granted city privileges from the Roman empire. With one million inhabitants it is the forth largest German city.

What goes up, must come down. Ha de Gött!

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Siegburg

Siegburg

Siegburg is a city with around 42 000 inhabitants 10 kilometres from Bonn and 26 kilometres from Cologne. Administrative centre for the Rhine-Sieg-Kreis district in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. On a high hill in the middle of the city is the old Benedictine monastery founded in 1064. The abbey is known by the name Michaelsberg Abbey.

All places has a story, even the unexpected ones. Ha de Gött!

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Easter bonfire

Easter bonfire

One week late, the Easter bonfire. This tradition dates back the mid 1700 in Sweden and Finland. The are lit to welcome the spring. Mostly to scare of the Easter witch flying on their broom to the island Blåkulla to feast with the devil.

Easter is the day when Swedish children traditionally go trick or treat dressed up as Easter witch or Easter man. Sadly this tradition has lately faded out and been taken over by the imported Halloween tradition.

Fly safe, ha de Gött!

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