Saturday Snow and Sorting Out

13 februari, 201614 februari, 2016 / Leya / 27 kommentarer

To my great surprise, it was snowing heavily this morning. I knew it would come…but just two days ago I heard the lark had arrived. Always the same thing – get ahead of the others…it might work to your advantage – or not.

I finished my prunings today, giving my pot plants (about 170 plants) new soil and a new life. I had a cup of coffee while contemplating their thankfulness.

Time for the dog walk – should I forget, there is one young man here who is quick to remind me…so I had better call my mother it is time to go.

A thin layer of white – and Totti is totally happy!

Suddenly his nose went into the air…

…and two deer gently sailed away between the trees.

Home again I started on the bookcases – a project I have wanted to start upon since long, but somehow never did. So many books…and so hard to sort out or throw away.

Now I must do it. These are some of my old university studies…more than 30 years old. A photo at least before they go…surely to make room for others though. How I enjoyed reading them in those days! With all my notes and translated words inside, I went through them again, sitting by the fire. But, I’m sure I will never re read them. So, Goodbye, dear friends. Parting is such sweet sorrow…

I wonder, do you have the same difficulties …parting from old friends?

Travel theme: Flutter

12 februari, 2016 / Leya / 18 kommentarer

Ailsa’s Travel theme goes all the way to Tibet this Friday – See more Flutter here.

Thousands and thousands of prayer flags, fluttering over the mountain roads.

Böneflaggorna sänder bönerna mot himlen

Thursday Thoughts

22 januari, 201622 januari, 2016 / Leya / 48 kommentarer

I have been helping an old friend moving to a home for elderly and disabled people. Yesterday I helped her packing up the last things and putting everything into place. We went through all her paintings as well, to see how many she could use on the new walls and where to put them up. And the rest…I do not know…

She has been diagnosed with Alzheimers. Once she was so smart, sharp tounge and vivid mind and memory. She was even a candidate for a TV prize contest. These last three years…she has been losing everything…and now she can no longer manage on her own. She was also a famous dog breeder for 30 years and won international as well as national fame. Her last dog she could no longer take enough care of, so two weeks ago we went together to the veterinary to put him to sleep. Tough on her and tough on me.

This is so sad, the whole situation. So many people suffer from this disastrous disease. And my old friend has no family, no children – only a half brother. And they have not got along the last 20 years.

She has nobody – but me. Luckily, the last two years she has found a good friend in a new neighbour coming over with some food and cookies – and sometimes some company. I am so glad she is there, as I live 60 kilometres away and cannot visit every day.

When I came up the stairs, she met me with a weak smile – ”I don’t like it here, they are all numb and dumb…cannot speak or understand what I’m saying”. She moved in two weeks ago, after we had been working hard to get her this apartment as she was so alone and needed company in order to eat properly and function socially. She had help four times a day and got food and cleaning as well.

”They are not kind to me here”, she says. ”I want to move.”

We have known each other for 40 years. Now I am searching for my old friend behind those gentle eyes…but I’m afraid she might no longer be there.

Heading for South Iceland

17 januari, 201617 januari, 2016 / Leya / 59 kommentarer

As we only had a few days in Iceland, we wanted to show our friends a piece of Route No 1. Luckily we were blessed with a sunny day, even though the sun this time of the year only is up between 11 a.m and 4 p.m.

We started off around 10 a.m to be on the road for the sunrise.

And soon, the sky turned yellow and orange, revealing the hot springs steaming.

On our right side, the sun was awakening, and I waited for the first rays to hit the mountains on our left side. A creamy lilac across the snowy white.

Soon Hekla, the most famous volcano – and one of the most active ones (last eruption 2000) – crowned the wheaten landscape in all her glory. The farms still there below her snowcapped face.

Faraway at sea – a glimpse of Västmannaeyar with Heimey. We wanted to go there with our friends, but unfortunately the ferries took a longer route this time of the year. And I can still, vividly, remember how heavy the sea was last time we went. And, how sick I got from it…

These islands are otherwise well worth visiting. Maybe best in summer though. Puffins and other birds nesting, and you can still see the lava stream from the latest eruption burying houses and almost the harbour as well.

Along the south coast, the road is straight and easy to drive. The beautiful low, golden light followed us throughout the journey.

For today, we finish at Eyafjallajökull. Further along the road we will visit Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss – and of course Vik, with its black beach and roaring waves.

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A Taste of Reykjavik

17 januari, 201617 januari, 2016 / Leya / 40 kommentarer

My greatest love in this beautiful city is of course the symbol of Reykjavik, Hallgrimskirkja (1937, 74,5 metres, and named after the Icelandic priest and writer Hallgrímur Pétursson.) by architect Guðjón Samúelsson. The church is spectacular in many ways – not only from the outside, but also the inside is serene and breathtakingly beautiful.

We arrived late in the evening this time, and walked slowly up to her in the freezing cold, Icelandic darkness.

In front of the church stands the Leif Eriksson statue. A gift from the US 1930 when the Icelandic Parliament, AllÞingi, celebrated its 1000 year jubilée. The Viking Leif Eriksson was the son of Erik Röde, who settled in Greenland. Leif himself was the first white man to discover America.

Let us go inside. My greatest love here is the magnificent organ.

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Houses in Reykjavik have to be strongly built for the rough climate. Some old wooden houses are being restored to show the old architecture – on which of course the new one is built. But I doubt any new house here has a wooden structure.

Restored old architecture

Not wood – but still beautiful

New materials – being repainted

The Concert Hall

Parliament and the Cathedral

What is difficult to see in these snowy pictures, is the typical Icelandic colourful houses. In my summer memories, Reykjavik looks like this:

Tjörnin is the lake in the middle of the city. There are always people here, playing, feeding the birds, or just walking and chatting.

The main shopping street ends with Hallgrimskirkja. And that is where we too end our snowy, first walk in Iceland and Reykjavik.

Thursday Thoughts

14 januari, 201614 januari, 2016 / Leya / 32 kommentarer

I’m back home again…from another journey to another country; meeting its nature, architechture and people. I feel I grow with every meeting and every opportunity I get to learn something new. On thinking back, all my life has been dedicated to learning – and sometimes teaching…

Travelling offers a great way to understand other people and other cultures, that we all know. But, do you often reflect on the ”getting to know yourself” more? Do you prepare your journey thoroughly and do you write down what you see, who you meet and what you learn from them? Maybe you are like me: Always preparing everything, sometimes in detail, and then you do not always keep a diary when reality comes along? Does the new knowledge just stay there without you documenting it?

We are all travellers, and we all travel in our own way. I used to be a writer, now I have become more of a memory photographer. Maybe a futile search for the precious moments to stay…a bit longer.

The abilty to reflect and learn is a great gift.

In fact, it is essential.

Thursday Thoughts

7 januari, 20167 januari, 2016 / Leya / 43 kommentarer

Leaving for Iceland for some days – only near Reykjavik this time. We will be spending some bathing time with friends. I just realized it is 10 years since our last visit. Hopefully this will mean some good times.

Wish you all a great weekend!

SL-WEEK 27: Pride

5 januari, 20165 januari, 2016 / Leya / 15 kommentarer

I am immensely proud of my daughter, who after high school went to New Zealand as a volunteer worker – natural science. NZ is far away from home – in fact they are our antipodes – and she did not know anybody there. I never got the opportunity to go when I was young, so a bit envious I was…

She handled it perfectly well and worked with everything from clearing the djungle to setting up traps for rodents and vermin.

This photo reached me after some weeks – and the pride I felt was overwhelming. A working girl, with knife , machete and saw – doing good things for Mother Nature. My Daughter.

Now she is studying to become a dentist, and when finished, she is determined to go back to NZ to live and work there.

For Sylvain Landry – Pride

2015 is Soon Coming To an End…

27 december, 201528 december, 2015 / Leya / 22 kommentarer

First of all, my deepest gratitude to all of you, followers, readers and commenters during 2015, and many of you for some years back too! I have got to know some of you rather well, and I have even met three of you ”in the real world”. I love that feeling…So, if you are coming to the southern part of Sweden, I hope you will mail me or give me a call. As you know – I have taken a year off. You are so very welcome for a chat, a cup of tea or coffee. Maybe an outing together! If I am home of course, and not on a trip somewhere in the world…

What did you like most on Leya during this year? I took a closer look at the statistics to find out the top 10 posts. Would they be my top 10 as well? I’m giving you one picture from each of these ten posts, and the link to the full post. Only five at a time, so you will not get too tired…

Analysis? Out of these first five posts, four are WordPress Challenges, which of course tells us what we already know – the importance of challenges and the importance of our host! But, the fourth most liked post made my heart jump with an extra beat. About Mille. In this post I have put some of my favourite photos of my ”Iron Man” and I have tried to describe his wonderful character.

I will post the top 6-10 before New Year’s Eve. It would be very interesting to know which is Your special favourite – and why? Let me know in the comment box! Maybe it’s not even one of these posts? And, what would you like to see more of in 2016?

WPC: Change

From Bellinzona in Switzerland. This post was featured in ”Photos We Loved” by WPC