Art

The Stories they tell – in Your Heart

/ Leya / 32 kommentarer

As the morning dog walk was finished and we were warming up in the kitchen, I began to think about why I keep the things I keep on the old sideboard …and maybe they are not as beautiful as they once were…Why don’t I throw away faded roses…or faded twigs from an asparagus? And why do I keep a ceramic owl that cannot stand on its own feet?

Memories. Memories of a dear friend who gave me the loveliest roses – 10 years ago. Now they are resting in an beautiful bowl inherited from one of my oldest friends.

The owl is leaning against a ceramic bottle (from my grandmother). A gift from someone who listened to a lecture about some faraway country.

The three old bears were inherited from my mother-in-law. Somehow I love their expressions and I remember exactly where they were placed in her home. Now I let them sit together, contemplating life, on the golden crocheted tablecloths made by my husband’s grandmother, Anna.

The vase was a gift from another old friend, and the flowers – common cotton grass – were picked on my second trip to Iceland in 2006. They are still just as beautiful!

Things may fade, but memories don’t. They may change…but they will never leave you.

So, tell me – what do you keep on your sideboard, and what are their stories?

Sunny City Stroll – Umeå

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In the summer, the river banks are lovely to walk – but winter is very interesting as well. And of course it is easier to get to the other side of the city.

Going by car or bus, you have to use the bridges. And there is a bridge for pedestrians as well. We tried both.

There is a shimmering swirl of snow/ice crystals in the air, that we never have in Skane, where I live. I guess it is the crisp cold that does it. Difficult to catch on a photo, but here are two possible ones. I hope you get what I mean!

Some examples of architecture – lovely houses here. Mostly wooden. And a happy guide!

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One of the most beautiful buildings in Umeå is the Town Hall, built in 1892. The Restaurant and Brasserie, Rex, on the corner, had a sale this Saturday. Old porcelain and cutlery, furniture and miscellaneous. Not a chance of getting inside! The queue went around two blocks…in this cold…

The last day we had dinner at Lottas Krog – and we were all very satisfied with our visit – many thanks to our excellent guide. Lottas too, can be recommended!

Lobster soup with Västerbotten soufflé

Gammlia – Umeå

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A beautiful place for showing Västerbottens cultural history – Gammlia. The word means ”the old hill”, or ”the old mountain hill”.

We spent a lovely hour here, walking through the area, enjoying the old houses and  snowy surroundings. My favorite kind of fences everywhere.

Good walking
Colourful houses in the sunshine
Take a close look at this one…isn’t it Santa Claus over there…?No – a skier!

Who would not fall in love with Helena Elisabeth?

The church has got an interesting story as well.

– 20 degrees C – gives you the opportunity to preserve things just as they are…

…but only as long as the cold stays.

 

Going North

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In a week or two from now, I will go up north to visit my daughter. Last year we went in February as well, and visited the Sapmi market, Kiruna and the ice hotel too.

This time we will only visit Umeå, where Emma is studying. Umeå is called ”The city of birch trees” and is a very lovely city even when the birches are covered in snow. Looking forward to going there again! Umeå is a city of culture and has hosted many spectacular events. This February we hope to see the famous snow sculptures.

 

WPC: Tour Guide

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Tour Guide – What do I love about where I live? Well – The beautiful nature and countryside! Including:

My garden and flowers

The animals I meet every day

The old fairy tale villas

Even our ugliest old building looks beautiful in the low sun…

And I love our Castles, Hovdala and Wanås, always hosting spectacular art and exhibitions. Here josting and below Wanås with ants (from a South American artist) crawling over the faςade. They also have great areas for hiking and outdoor activities.

I do love this area, and I guess I would not want to live permanently anywhere else.

 

 

 

CFFC: Letter X

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Letter X – X needs to be anywhere in the word or shaped like the letter X

For Cee’s challenge this week – I go for shape. A mountain meadow in Switzerland – flowers and steep hills. There is need for an X- fence.

 

Oh…Which one?

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I happened to overhear this couple in a store in Dublin, Ireland – about the difficulties of choosing the right cap… Somehow, this is of course a human dilemma that hits us all sometimes…which one should I buy?

In Sweden almost everyone my age is familiar with a famous humour dialogue with Gösta Ekman and a newspaper salesman, about which evening paper to buy: Aftonbladet eller Expressen.

Unfortunately Gösta Ekman passed away recently, but his legacy is that of a giant in the Swedish comedy genre.

I cannot post the dialogue, since it is only in Swedish, but chose this clip instead. Among all his movies and comedies, Ekman invented his own, middle aged,  clumsy figure called ”Papphammar”. Papphammar is the average man, who sometimes wants to try new things…with not so very great success.

Gösta Ekman did all his ”stunts” himself, and his body had to take a great deal over the years. Our greatest comedian, actor, director. We are grateful for all his unforgettable gifts to us.