Art Suites – In the Rocks

12 februari, 201712 februari, 2017 / Leya / 26 kommentarer

When the first snow has arrived somewhere in November, artists from all over the world come together in the village to take part in creating the art exhibition of snow, ice and light that makes up Icehotel.

My guess is that they will spend quite some time in the cosy bar…! Here you get drinks in ice glasses…as they say – in the rocks.

From the beginning, the glasses were made by hand. But, as the guests started to get numerous, the capacity of three glasses a day became a bit too slow…so now they are machine made. Do you know that they last only for 30-45 minutes? Then the alcohol will make the ice melt and make your drink end up in your lap. Glasses made for fast drinkers like Hemingway then…

The selected artists who are invited to take part are not required to have worked with ice before. Instead, those who want to participate have to send in their ideas based on originality, and creating it in natural ice will pose a new challenge. Some 200 applications usually end up in some 40 artists coming here in November each year for the construction of the rooms. But this year they were about 60 – to decorate the new art suites.

The artists often work two at a time in the rooms, and when they are finished, they are allowed to stay one night in their creation…and only one night.

Let us walk down the corridor and peep inside some of the art suites!

Mermaid Fitness – Nina & Magnus Hedman

Oh Deer – Ulrika Tallving & Carl Wellander

In fact, should you spend the night here…you would get a mattress, reindeer skins and a sleeping bag for -28 C. My absolute favourite room was Living With Angels – artist Benny Ekman. I would have felt perfectly safe and secure.

Jukkasjärvi Icehotel

11 februari, 201711 februari, 2017 / Leya / 39 kommentarer

Icehotel is the world’s first hotel made of ice and snow. Founded in 1989, it is reborn in a new guise every winter, in the Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi – 200 km north of the Arctic Circle.

This winter season there is, alongside the classic Icehotel experience. ICEHOTEL 365. This hotel was built to be a permanent structure that includes luxury suites, each with private relax and bathroom, and art suites, all sculptured by selected artists. There is a large ice bar that serves champagne, and an ice gallery. This ice experience can be visited year-round and is cooled by solar panels during the summer months.

Let us first go inside the ordinary hotel and enjoy its cold beauty – 5 degrees C below zero.

As we walk down the aisle there are corridors on our left, all leading into rooms – the hotel has got 55 rooms and suites. I admire the grand chandeliers, all handmade in ice…

We approach the ice chapel, and the light is amazing. I have to walk slowly to take it all in.

The ice benches are all covered in reindeer skins, and we sit rather comfortably here. Artists made the altar and the decorations, as well as the baptismal font to the left.

The very white material making up the chapel is called snis – probably a merge of snow and ice, as that is what it really is.

The Torne river stretches 520 kilometers, and is the largest of Sweden’s four national rivers -in fact also one of the last untouched rivers in Europe.

It’s the Torne River that provides Icehotel with its ice in winter – and in the summer when the hotel melts, the water returns to its source. Natural ice requires a lot of work – before it is harvested in March, when it has grown its thickest. Months are devoted to maintaining the “ice field” and keeping it clear of snow for the ice to have the best possible conditions to grow.

Each harvested block weighs about two tons. The picture shows one of them standing.

In next post we will enter the new hotel and the cool bar…with drinks served in ice glasses. I will walk you through some of the spectacular art suites as well. I wonder if you would like to check in…? Hope to see you then!

WPC: Shadow

10 februari, 2017 / Leya / 22 kommentarer

Shadows from Spain – monastery and the famous, impressive Roman aqueduct in Segovia.

Thursday Thoughts – The Importance of Festivities

26 januari, 201726 januari, 2017 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Travelling means learning new things every day. I guess that is one of the best parts of life – learning new things. In this 2 million people capital, Quito, Ecuador, I enjoyed every second. Almost 3000 metres up in the Andes – you had to take it a bit easy the first day.

Do you, for instance, know which mountain is the world´s highest? I learned from the Ecuadorian businessman sitting next to me in the plane between Guayaquil and Baltra, that it is…..Chimborazo, a big volcano in Ecuador. It is higher than Mount Everest – if you count from the middle of our planet Earth.

Colourful Old Town Quito, together with Krakow, Poland, 1978 became the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. And they keep it colourful, clean and tidy.

There were grand festivities this week – December 6 was celebrated everywhere. So, what did they celebrate? Their freedom? No, they celebrated the Spaniards conquering them in the 16th century…I asked them how this could be something to celebrate – and they all answered that they had put all this behind them – this day was just a good day for festivities and having fun. That sounded just great to me!

Ecuador Ama la Vida

Music and Dancing in the street

Miss Quito and Gentleman

Lovely festive ladies

These musicians were absolutely professional – we did not leave even if we had finished our meal…

Beautiful city and beautiful people – and wonderful food! We enjoyed Quito despite some rain. Old and young, everybody in a good mood.

A young man came up to me with a rose. You know, the thing they do everywhere down in Europe, expecting you to give some money…This young guy was in a group of students, and he was the only one to have a single rose in his hand. I shook my head and told him I had no money, but his eyes were shining when he smiled, saying that he did not want any money…just to give me the rose.

Partytime – At the Fishmarket!

4 januari, 20174 januari, 2017 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

Before sailing with our ship, Cachalote, we went to the fishmarket in Puerto Ayora. On our way, we were constantly reminded of Darwin and his famous finches, and how repulsed he was by the marine iguanas, famously referring to them in his journal as “imps of darkness.” Personally I must say I love them both! I also love their surroundings and the way they exquisitely blend in…More than once I almost trod on them. Juan, our naturalist guide, was constantly warning us not to touch any animals here.

Marine iguana

Darwin recognized that the differrences in their beaks depends on their different food sources

When we finally reached the fishmarket, we got a full blown show the next half hour!

The fish (and bird…)market in Puerto Ayora

On the roof, waiting for the right moment…

Something fell under that box…let me…

The left brown pelican has lost his upper beak – I wonder how he managed…

The Great Frigate birds are tough guys who always steal their dinners…

If or When you finally get your hands on a piece of fish – run!

Always aware of the importance of their precious islands – do not catch the wrong fish!

Keep the Galápagos Islands the way they are – serene and unpolluted. 200 000 tourists a year visit them. Maybe Ecuador has to slow down a bit to save this treasure for the future?

Galápagos – Santa Cruz and Darwin

3 januari, 20173 januari, 2017 / Leya / 20 kommentarer

From the lushness of the Amazon we flew to Galápagos – now in the dry season. We visited 10 of the 19 islands, starting with Santa Cruz and the Charles Darwin Research Station.

I guess most people recognize this gentleman as a Giant Tortoise, but some maybe think of him as the Galápagos Tortoise or the Elephant Tortoise. Length 150 cm and weight up to 250kg, and they can get very old. Of originally 14 subspecies, 10 remains. This gentleman here, might have been alive when Darwin came to the islands 1835 – just reflect upon that…

Lonesome George was very well known over the world as the last existing of his kind. Despite many efforts to save his species – the scientists failed. He died alone in 2012.

In the highland area of Santa Cruz, these giants walk and live. Not very well seen by the local farmers though, as they easily break any fence and eat 40 kg a day…

…but on the other hand they spread the seeds again back onto earth again …

These giants are not very fast…and we saw several of them along – or on – the road. There were even roadsigns to warn drivers about them.

Our guide, Juan, was a tough guy – almost military discipline – but that is needed to protect the islands and its very special wildlife. We were requested to stay in the group, only walk on the signposted paths and not move closer to the animals than 2 metres.

Most species are endemic, that is also why Darwin got easily observed material for his theories. In fact he did not visit the islands for more than 35 days – and from this came…The Origin of Species. Something that was to change the world for ever.

The research institute is very successful in breeding and releasing tortoises, iguanas and finches – among other endemic species. There was this great story of Diego, a tortoise of the hoodensis species, who 1905 was brought from Espagñola island to San Diego Zoo. He never liked it there, but stayed until 1965, when he was brought back to Santa Cruz to save his species from extinction. And he did – almost he alone! Now there are about 2000 of his offspring ”running” around on the islands! He would not be photographed though…turning his back on us all…

There are two distinct carapace shapes: the dome – shaped and in this picture, the saddle – backed tortoise

The saddle – backed have got longer neck and legs…

…when mating, the higher you can raise your head…the better chances the female will accept you

Freedom!

Amazonas – Almost Airborne!

31 december, 201631 december, 2016 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

The last days at Sacha Lodge, we spent most of the time 40 metres up – above the canopy of the rainforest. In fact, ”Sacha” means ”forest” in Quichua, the local language here.

The biodiversity is extremely rich in the Amazon, and the list of birds sighted at Sacha, for example, is at 605 species – in an area of 5000 acres. 12 species of monkeys and plants somewhere in the thousands. Trees are about 100 species per acre – no wonder my treeloving spirit soared in the canopy!

This walk offered splendid views of the canopy and of the birds living here

Luis and Pablo spotted everything of interest

most of the birds seen had to be through the tube, but some came really close. Blue Dacnis, female.

Paradise Tanager – maybe 15 fluttering neonlights all over this tree!

Climbing down again and walking back to the lodge – Luis Andi shared some of his extensive knowledge of the medicinal plants in the rainforest. We had noticed him being an excellent scout, moving soundlessly on the narrow paths, but also an excellent birdman – he knew about 400 birds (and could sound like most of them!) I do not have to say he was born and bred in the Amazon. 90% of Sacha’s staff is made up of locals from Ecuador’s Amazon region.

Pablo listening to Luis’ stories

This butterfly would not leave my arm…finally I had another guest to handle him. But some ten minutes later, he found me again!

Iron palm or walking palm

The mushrooms were lovely, these looked like flowers…

Indeed they were all heavenly small and exquisite!

We were all very impressed – to say the least – of our guides’ knowledge. There was not one single question about birds or animals that Pablo could not answer, and Luis and him were the perfect couple to guide us through the secrets of the tropical rainforest.

But, now we were extremely hungry…knowing that a delicious lunch was waiting back at our lodge. We would need it before the afternoon and night adventures.

Thursday Thoughts – The Fairy – Castle

29 september, 201629 september, 2016 / Leya / 20 kommentarer

We were driving along the road from Bilbao to visit Gernika this day, when suddenly, out of nowhere, without any road sign – we saw the pinnacles above the dense forest. A castle. This castle is located in Gatika, in the province of Biscay, in northern Spain

We turned left off the road and decided to have a closer look at it – and after some twists and turns of narrow roads – we found it.

The castle has a fairy-tale look about it, and as we started walking around it, we realised that the place was abandoned and nobody lived there. Further down the road we found pictures of knights and horses, together with a closed down, dilapidated café. The premises had probably been used for games or jousting.

A look at Wikipedia tells us that the present building was created as a hobby for its then owner and to create something visually spectacular rather than to produce something for people to live in. ” In fact it would be quite inconvenient as a home as the towers have little useful space and various parts of the castle have exterior connections which are not particularly apt for the wet Basque weather.”

The building is surrounded by an overgrown park which includes palms and exotic plants. We thought the forlorn castle must be totally unknown, but in fact it seems this is not the case…As any other little girl, Kate Middleton’s dream once was to get married in this fairy tale castle. (Said in a BBC interview with David Ferald.)

Back in Bilbao again in the evening, we learned from our host that the castle is named Castillo de Butrón . (He even had a painting of Butrón on the wall.) It dates originally from the Middle Ages, although it owes its present appearance to an almost complete rebuilding, inspired by Bavarian castle models, begun by Francisco de Cubas (also known as Marqués de Cubas) in 1878.

The castle fell into disuse, was later renovated and opened again, but the building was finally closed to visitors although the grounds remained open.

In November 2005 the building was purchased by INBISA (Grupo Empresarial) for about 1,6 million euros, but it remains under the general protection of Spanish law in respect of historic buildings in Spain.

Santiago de Compostela – The Goal for Every Pilgrim

6 september, 20167 september, 2016 / Leya / 16 kommentarer

What gave me most joy about Santiago de Compostela, was to see all the pilgrims arriving at Praza do Obradoiro in front of the impressive baroque facade of the Cathedral.

So much joy!

Tired…

With hurting feet…

But happy! The 16-year old boy ,to the left, said he was ready to do the same again – starting tomorrow!

And proud to show their stamped ”passport”…

…and diploma. this man had walked the Camino 7 times. Often together with some difficult young boys

Resting…

Changing shoes and going for a stroll in the city

Then every pilgrim must attend the Pilgrim’s Mass. So, let us join the them and enter into the magnificent Cathedral, built for S:t Jakob in 1000-1200 .

The ritual with the Botafumeiro has an interesting history…

…where you can kiss the 13th century statue of S.t Jacob

Beauty in …

…every detail

The Botafumeiro is filled with incense…

…and swinged in every angle over our heads. An old tradition to take away the stench of the many pilgrims…

So, this is the end of the pilgrim adventure for now – But maybe some day…

Buen Camino!

6 september, 2016 / Leya / 21 kommentarer

”Buen Camino”, is the word following the pilgrims along their walk. I guess there is no real good word for this in either English or Swedish. Can you find one?

Astorga and its Cathedral is on the pilgrim road to Santiago

The golden altar piece by Gaspar Becerra is considered a masterpiece in Spanish renaissance style

The pilgrims pass many glorious cathedrals on the Camino, and Leon and Astorga are only two of them.

They also pass Rio Arga over Puente la Reina, built for the pilgrims in the 11th century.

In this little town I found my favourite pilgrim church, Iglesia del Crucifijo. This is almost a tiny chapel, very serene, rather dark and undecorated. But, here they have an unusual wooden crucifix in the shape of a Y, with a sad looking Christ with raised arms. The cross is said to be a gift from a German pilgrim in the 14th century.

Every pilgimage has its own story. I guess many Camino walkers are religious, but the majority of pilgrims I talked to were not – they walked for other reasons. One middle aged man had lost his wife, and he needed to collect his memories and get a closure. Another man, a young man, followed his girlfriend here. She had always dreamt of walking the Camino. Now they were both smitten.

The Camino is well signposted, just follow the shell, and the pilgrims themselves. Not all of the pilgrims want to tell their story, but some do. A young American IT-engineer told me he wanted to be ”grounded”, wanted to connect body and soul and Mother Earth. Our western society do not allow us to do so, unless we go looking for it ourselves.

The North route…

…and an early wanderer

This sign was among the more unusual ones

Along the road the crossings were well marked

Resting place

You can walk, bike or ride the Camino

The stories. Yes. A friend of mine has got a niece walking the Camino this summer. Her story tells of 19 years’ struggle to raise her autistic boy. This spring he finally graduated high school. Walking the Camino is for her a relief and a way of trying to find her old self again – after a great mission accomplished.

At Monasterio de Nuestra Señora bodega, there is a tap in the wall where pilgrims can have a glass of wine for free…This hot summer day I assure you it tasted just fine. And there are two taps – in the right one you get water. That tasted even better.

And when evening comes, hopefully there is a place for you to sleep and prepare for another strenous Camino day. Whatever your reasons to walk are – I am sure you are doing the right thing.