Tag Archive for ‘Travel’

Milestone

Milestone

According to WordPress this is my post number 500. To write about milestones makes perfect sense.

Milestone originates back to the Roman Empire where they used them to mark the distance to Rome. Between each pole shaped stone, miliaria, the distance was one thousand dubbel steps, mille passus, approx 1483 meters.

In Sweden they were introduced by law in 1649 and was used until 1890. Back then local farmers was obliged to act as driver or supply horses for the nobles and officials travels across the kingdom. The milestones was introduced to create a way calculate a fair fee.

They used the Swedish mil that was 18000 alnar, cubit, that equals to 10688 meters. Today a Swedish mile is 10000 meters. If you ever get lost driving in Sweden and you get help with directions be sure to ask if they use Swedish miles.

Drive safe, ha de Gött!

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Cowmotion

Cowmotion

It can be hard to stay calm and trust yourself when a flock of cows run towards you. Each weighing 500, up to 800 kilos. Golden rules are, too check your escape route, never walk trough a flock and look the leader, the alpha cow in the eyes. If you start to run you better run fast as they will start to run with you and can accidentally run you down.

Keep calm in muh muh land, ha de Gött!

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Communication

Communication

Cars and trains, blue skies and wind power. There is a beautiful ugliness in this motorway bridge over the gorge. Travel has always been important for us humans. The will to explore. To boldly go where no-one gone before, or at least possible to go from Göteborg in Sweden to Oslo in Norway in three hours.

When you can, go by train, ha de Gött!

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Easter bonfire

Easter bonfire

The ‘Påskbrasa’ Easter bonfire tradition stems back the mid 1700 when Dutch merchants in Göteborg brought this to the Swedish west coast. The fires was meant to scare of the witches returning from the island Blåkulla where they been indulging in orgies with the Devil. There is also a link to the burning of alleged witches that took place all over Europe during the 1600.

The Easter bonfire is a tradition in the northwestern part of Europe, Austria and Switzerland. Like many Christian church traditions this has it roots in the folklore. Fires were lit in the breaking point between winter and spring, to help spring to win over the cold and dark winter.

Keep the fire burning for all that is good, ha de Gött!

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Sea Gull

Sea Gull

Two adult Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus), Havstrut in Swedish, resting on a small rock at the edge of the Sannäsfjord. The sharp contrast between the black and white feathers reveals that they are adults, at least four years old. This is the largest of the Gull family. This opportunistic, and curious birds can be found on both side of the Atlantic oceans northern parts.

Sea you, ha de Gött!

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Gullbringa

Gullbringa

The small village Gullbringa, tucked in behind the rocks. In the past all houses was placed so that it was sheltered from the winds. Specially the north and the west winds. This made easier to keep the warmth in the houses. In the past all wood was used to cook fish-oil during the herring periods.

Herring usually lives far out in the oceans but in periods, between 10 to 20 years, the shoals move close to the coast. This made it possible to capture huge amounts of herring even with smaller boats. Result was a economic boost to the area. The challenge was the almost 100 years between when people needed to find other income sources.

Nothing lasts forever, ha de Gött!

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Landscape

Landscape

So it finally got me. That little bugger, the Covid-19 virus. With three vaccine shots, I got mild symptoms, some fever, sore throat, headache and a running nose. They say we are 60% water and I think all of it has been poring out of my nose.

Better stay home and replenish all that water so no running around with the camera for me. So today a link to a slideshow with my attempts of landscape photography.

Stay safe, ha de Gött!

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Under the Alder

Under the Alder

Framed by the alder branch you see the cliff ‘Riddarsprånget’. Translates to ‘knights leap’. According to the local folklore a knight was chased up on the cliff. Outnumbered and with chasers rapidly closing in on him, he spurred his horse over the cliff. Wether the knight and his horse survived the 30 meter fall remains untold. If the knight stripped off his steel Armour before, he might have swimmed ashore together with his faithful runner on this very beach.

Don’t let anything weigh you down, ha de Gött!

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