-
The Great Swedish Adventure
It took a lot of time and a few reminders from Anne of Green Gables (“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will,”) but we finally convinced my folks to make the trek to visit us in Sweden! They still think Lund…
-
Summer Travels
Bryant and the younger one did the big travels this summer. They went to Iceland, Colorado, and Minnesota. Iceland We took advantage of the IcelandAir “layover” program on our way from Sweden to the US. We stayed 2 nights and had 2 nice experiences, along with some decent food. In Reykjavik, we saw a famous…
-
Karlskrona, Port City
We opted to include the neighboring county (region) of Blekinge in our summer ticket. It’s very accessible by public transportation, though it’s a bit far for a day trip, so we haven’t seen much of the area except for Sölvesborg. That charming town in Blekinge was described in this earlier post. With Bryant and the…
-
21st Anniversary!
Using our summer ticket, we took advantage of a last minute overnight package deal to a spa hotel in Båstad. Skansen has all the traditional elements for a very Swedish holiday. We arrived in time to explore the town and enjoy a beach stroll before dinner. I felt that room 713 was a good omen…
-
Midsummer Mania
Summer is flying by and it’s hard to believe we’re now past the solstice! And though it is too dry, with some burn bans and water restrictions, the weather has been very nice for being outside. Stephanie and I gathered elderflowers together and each made a batch of fläder syrup. It was easy but took…
-
A Royal Visit
King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia have been touring Sweden to mark the Golden Jubilee, 50th anniversary, of the ascension of Carl XVI. Yesterday they arrived by train to Malmö Central Station and paraded along the canal to the royal residence at Stortorget for a reception and ceremony with music and speeches. I arrived in…
-
History Day
We had delightful weather for Lunds historiedag, a cross between a mini Renaissance Festival and a historical recreation club, spanning 1,000 years in the history of Scania. This year is special because it is 900 years since the inauguration of Lund Cathedral in 1123. Andrea managed to get us registered for 3 guided tours in…
-
The Graduate’s Ball
There was lots of last minute drama and running around, but our eldest had a really great time at Katedralskolans ball! I accompanied her to the “student castle” at the university to serve as shoe assistant (she was late and could not run in heels) and discovered that all the parents were dressed up and…
-
Puglia Part 2: Masserie, the farmhouse estates
Another highlight of our Apulian food adventures was the masserie, 16th century fortified farm estates, where we learned about the arts of cheese, and olive oil production. Here we are at Masseria Cappella in the Valle d’Itria, where several of us attempted to form mozzarella knots and pouches of burrata. It wasn’t easy, particularly with…
-
Puglia Part 1: The Culture of Food in Puglia
I can’t say enough about our trip to the region of Puglia (pool-ya), the heel of Italy’s boot. CJ and David really know how to celebrate turning 50! This food tour was led by Sophie Minchilli, the daughter of one of CJs favorite food writers, and was limited to 12 participants. We were super fortunate…
Living La Vida Lunda: A blog abroad
The Minnesota Noices