Thursday Thoughts – A short visit to Alnarp Castle and grounds

/ Leya / 17 kommentarer

Who can resist waterlilies? I can’t. If I had a pond in my garden, I would try growing them. Their beauty is irresistible. Alnarp had a very tiny pond but it was well kept.

Gunnera is a fascinating species, and I can never resist taking photos of this gigantic plant. Natural umbrellas a rainy day?

There were several Himalayan birchtrees, very white and stately. Betula utilis, the Himalayan birch is native to the Western Himalayas, growing at elevations up to 4,500 m (14,800 ft). Utilis means ”useful”, and refers to the many uses of the different parts of the tree.

The white, paper-like bark was used in ancient times for writing Sanskrit scriptures and texts. In fact it is still used as paper for the writing of sacred mantras, with the bark placed in an amulet and worn for protection. Some areas of its native habitat are being lost due to overuse of the tree for firewood.

(European) Smoke trees are interesting things…I first saw one in New Zealand many years ago. It looked something out of this world, I thought – and I still think so!

I guess this stump once was an oak tree. Still impressive though, and left as a monument at the back of the castle.

After our stroll in the arboretum, we sat down to admire the castle and its grand wisteria on the front facade (in the opener). That will be something to return to next spring!

Lens-Artists Challenge #258 – Fences

/ Leya / 53 kommentarer

This week we welcome Dawn Miller of The Day After as the Lens-Artists guest host. Please visit her place and enjoy her guidance for this weeks challenge: Fences. In addition to her stunning photography, her blog teaches us of the landscape, seasons, history, and culture of the Shenandoah Valley, her home.

If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need.

– William L. McKnight

The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.

– J. R. R. Tolkien

These are some of my favourite or spectcular fences found during my travels – and at home. In fact, we have a fence in our garden too – to save us from Milo running out in the street.

I love stone fences, they are very common here in Sweden, and they speak loud of hard work in the old days. Ireland showed us some of the broadest stone fences I have ever seen – impressive.


And one of the most beautiful and ”wild” graveyards I have walked was in England, Yorkshire, where members of the Bronte family are buried.

A big Thank you to Philo of Philosophy Through Photography for last weeks challenge, Simplicity. I think we all learned more about the power of simplicity in photography – and in life.

Next week we continue with our July “Month of Guest Hosts”. Be sure to visit our hosts each week as they explore the following topics:

Interested in knowing more about the Lens-Artists challenge? Click here for more

Thursday Thoughts – The yearly visit to Wanås

/ Leya / 48 kommentarer

My dear friend Viveka (of Myguiltypleasures) and I went to Wanås Castle – we usually do once a year. And we enjoy the art and our delicious meal, chatting along together.

If you like outdoor exhibitions – and surpises – let’s go!

Carola Grahn is the new artist this year, and she deals with Sami art and beliefs.

The giant boxes with logs at the entrance were impressive, but then the glassed wall was our first stop – at the sight of the blue mountain.

This is a rather impressive size of art work for the little pond, but we liked it. You can read about the artist’s idea below in the gallery.

The natural theme as well as the Sami connections were ever present. The ”building” made of birches shows a free interpretation of a sign on a Sami sacred drum.

Thank you for being our lovely company here at Wanås, and hopefully you want a new tour next year!

Lens-Artists Challenge #257 – Simplicity

/ Leya / 78 kommentarer

Mr Philo of Philosophy Through Photography is our most welcome guest host this week, and he calls for Simplicity:

”I considered selecting simplicity since the modern world is so stressful and chaotic that we are losing the fundamental clarity and simplicity that allow us to concentrate on what is really important.” Please visit his site for more inspiration!

Hopefully this post will tell you why I too believe we need more simplicity.

As I grew older, I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.

— Albrecht Durer

Simplicity can be reflected in so many ways…here are a few:

I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.

— Lao Tzu

Nature is pleased with simplicity.

— Isaac Newton

Enjoy the little things,

– for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.

— Robert Brault

Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.

– Plato

Everything is both simpler than we can imagine, and more complicated that we can conceive.

– Goethe

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

– Confucius

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

— Leonardo da Vinci

We are looking forward to seeing your Simplicity posts, and remember to link to Philo’s original post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

Sincere thanks to Ritva Sillanmäki for hosting last week’s Inspiration Found In The Kitchen, a challenge with immensely creative answers! Thank you for sharing your talent and passion with us.

Next week, Dawn Miller of The Day After will be hosting LAPC # – 258 Fences. And, if you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists challenge, click here for more information.