Leanne Goes Global

Lund Cathedral

I finally made it to the most visited site in Lund...and well, one of the most visited in Sweden. Unbelievable I hadn’t been here till last Saturday, but I took my birthday weekend to make a few stops on my list of must sees. Plus, I had just finished another major paper and another course in my program. Blinding pace this university system, but maybe that topic will get a post of its own.

A tad bit of intro before I drop the pic bombs. Lund Cathedral is the Scanian hub of the Pilgrim Way which connects to the Satiago de Compostela in Spain, Vadstena in Sweden, and Nidaros in Norway. The breathtaking structure was built in the 1080′s and houses the heart of Queen Margaret’s son Olaf, who passed away while in Scania in 1387.

Another fascinating feature housed in the building is an astronomical clock, the Horologium mirabile Lundense, which is nothing short of a work of art. It was constructed just prior to the tragic passing of prince Olaf around 1380.

While I was there, the three o’clock hour bathed the cathedral in warm and steeply angled sunlight. It was a beautiful and serene visit that left me feeling centered and at peace. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do.

Field of Dreams?

This post is a shout out to all my LA and Arch peeps, and the discussion questions are: If you build it, will they come? And if they do come, who are they and what are they about? (Can you tell I’m back in school? ;)

I’ll start with the first example, Jakriborg Sweden. This is an interesting experiment in New Urbanism on the outskirts of Lund. Building started on this bedroom community in the late 90′s, and the idea was to build something new in the traditional vernacular architecture of Skåne. It is replete with a medieval layout that excludes cars within its nearly walled boundaries, and so residents park around the perimeter of the settlement. This makes the first impression when nearing the compound...I mean village. Before I describe my impressions after walking around a bit, I will let you folks look at a few more pics and see if you pick up on the same thing I did.

Beautiful, but almost creepy. I halfway expected Rod Serling to open the shoe box lid with the fake sky painted on it and dump me out with all the dollhouses I had been looking at. According to locals, the development never really took off and therefore many storefronts and homes remain vacant. Interestingly, just across the train tracks lies a more contemporary village full of people, literally a few yards away! The picture I took at the end here was almost a relief, I had finally found a small child at play. So again, the questions: Who are the people that came here and why? Why have so many others stayed away? Pick a buddy and discuss.

Next up to contrast is Christiania, in Copenhagen. An independent district within the city, Christiania represents a different type of experiment, a social experiment in anarchy. I’m gonna keep a wide berth on this one because I know so many who have strong feelings about this place. I’ll proceed by describing my encounter and giving some brief reflections. 

Yesterday afternoon I made my way from a local vitamin shop via Google Maps to the outskirts of the district which is bordered by a seemingly sweet little lake. Google wanted me to take the stroll along the lake into Christiania, so I obliged welcoming a connection to some nature in the city. The sights along the way included no less that three men urinating into the veg and water as if this amenity equaled their toilet. They did not appear to be homeless, but rather residents of Christiania relieving themselves where they saw fit. Ok, moving on.

After the third urinator, I decided it was time to enter the village and made my way off path to a pedestrian corridor framed by cottage-like homes. I was eager to see what all the hype was about, and quickly made my way to “district center” following the lunch tip from the vitamin shop owner. The organic vegetarian lunch spot seemed perfect, but alas only accepted cash so I had to settle for the emergency snacks I brought with me. It was somewhere about this time I started to feel a strange vibe that I can only describe as a bit hostile. Nothing too overt, but I started questioning my choice of clothes, my backpack, my smiling face to those I passed on the small streets. I was torn between listening to my woman spidey senses and wanting to explore more to get an understanding of this place. Here’s some of what I had seen up until this point.

I decided it was time to abbreviate my visit and look only for those places that seemed really interesting. I headed for a colorful street with lots of flags and vendors along its length. I was about to snap a picture before heading down, and was stopped by a local resident. He pointed out that residents did not want any pictures taken of this area, and if I had taken any to delete them (which I did on the spot). He and I chatted a bit, and I immediately recognized the source of my vibe. Although Christiania was founded on social freedoms, they were ready to defend them violently if necessary. I was about to enter “Pusher Street”, where some stalls were likely selling hash illegally. If I had taken a picture in that area, it may not have gone well for me. I thanked the resident, and checked out his recommendation to visit the “ladysmith” studio before I left.

Looking over my shoulder as I exited, I couldn’t help having mixed feelings about Christiania. I wished I had done a little more homework before arriving for one thing. I also need to understand the soft and hard drug culture of Denmark better. What I can say is that my personal impression of the place does not match those of travel shows and glossy magazine articles I had seen in the past. It takes a special kind of person to want to live there, and they all must be pretty passionate about their way of life to defend it as they do. Since my visit I have dug in a bit more to learn that violence has occurred between residents and the Copenhagen police over the drug culture in Christiania. I’m not sure I have much interest in going back for a few reasons, but I know plenty who will go visit again with genuine excitement. 

Copenhagen by Degrees

I’m still thinking about my visit to Copenhagen a couple of weekends ago now. I had a lot of anticipation built up to see this guy... I mean place.  If you have a couple of minutes, I’ll let Vince Vaughn explain.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feeIOZH7wr4

To me, Copenhagen is the Rated R guy, I’m not so sure we’re a match made in heaven yet (oh say, like Stockholm!). But I am planning our next meet up. 

My day started out with a gritty street food lunch in the Meat Packing District. Not quite sure where GPS was leading me, I followed my nose a few short blocks from the train station through some cool looking old warehouses.

Lunch was messy and good, with a lot of fire and smoke coming from the booths surrounding me as I ate my Ethiopian food with my fingers.

Next, I took a tip from a Danish classmate and made a hike up to the Norrebro District. This neighborhood is supposed to have a sort of Berlin vibe to it I’m told, so I was curious. The pictures above are from around this area, and I crossed that impressive bridge as well as the beautiful swans along the water’s edge to get there. I have to admit, after the swans, it was sort of like Copenhagen bought me some flowers.

Before I left this part of town, I ducked into a bakery because another of my classmates challenged the status of the infamous Swedish cinnamon roll with the Danish version. I had to find out for myself. Even though I have no pictures to demonstrate the debauchery that ensued, I can tell you that Denmark did indeed take up the challenge to outdo the Swedes in this point as well (as in almost everything else)! This thing was a monster of ooo and gooo and cinnamon goodness; a far cry from the skillfully formed, crispy light, and perfectly spiced Swedish Kanelbullar. I’ll let the eater be their own judge, but I pretty much made out with this thing for a good ten minutes!

At this point in the afternoon I couldn’t wait any longer to see the canals, so I made my way towards the historic city center. A snap along the way, noting the solid bike culture of this town.

Ok, so here we have it after about 3.5 hours on foot. A concentrated area of charm, vitality, fun and eye candy! Not that these elements weren’t elsewhere during the day, but I found I had to notice them as I moved around the city. Here they are, all laid bare in a glorious parade along the canals. First up are pictures from my boat tour (cause that’s really the best way to see these cities for the first time), then a video of the main drag at sunset.

Danish Architecture Center

Main Street Food Market in Copenhagen, and one non-stop party! I wish there was sound for this picture, because you could hear the music on the other shore! I went there for dinner after the tour and definitely got the feeling Copenhagen wanted to get me liquored up, but I settled for another interesting meal at a Thai Fusion booth.

Huge sculpture garden as seen from our boat, but I don’t think our guide mentioned the name. I would love to find out more about this installation.

Black Diamond Library Project

Opera House

Royal Palace from the water, and next on my list to visit!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PfL2gP2t9uYwiEhX2

 As I made my way back to the train station full and processing the day, I stumbled upon this great reflection pond. I let it mesmerize me for a bit, then forced myself to find my train despite tired legs and sore feet. (That’s the one down side to all those cobble stones!)

Once back in Lund, I surprised myself by deciding to walk back home even though it was close to 10 pm.  As I approached Stadsparken (the huge park close to my flat I’ve mentioned before), I saw that it had been waiting up for me with candles and perfect manners like a beautiful table setting. Honestly I’m not sure what the occasion was, but sweet little Lund wanted me to notice how good looking he was all aglow in the night air. At that moment, I felt like I was at home, and walked the rest of the way without thinking about Copenhagen or my feet.

Chill Göteborg

A couple of weekends ago I snatched the opportunity to visit Sweden’s Second city, Göteborg. If the o with the two little dots (ö) scare you, the other version of the name is Gothenburg. I tell this to myself as much as anyone, because I feel it’s time for me to get serious about learning the language. So I’m gonna have a staring contest with those two little dots on the extra Swedish vowels and see what develops ;)

Anyway, I made another date with the train and took a short trip up the west coast of Sweden on a beautiful late summer day. My Airbnb host was amazingly helpful, and got me pointed in the right direction for my two days there. What follows are a few highlights.

The pictures above are from my walk to city center, which reveals a mix of historic and modern architecture. And as always in Sweden, a well organized network of pedestrian, bicycle, mass transit and automobile lanes. I almost didn’t notice the swimmers in the top picture as no one on the ground was looking up. I did however feel I was being watched somehow, so I looked up and returned the notice with my camera.

After my people watching hour, I took a boat tour around the canals of Göteborg then out into the harbor, which happens to be the largest in Scandinavia and is where the Göta älv River flows into the North Sea. In the video attached here my tour is cruising the canals, and our young Annie Lennox look-alike guide is showing off her linguistic talents. (If I had known she was going to speak fluently in yet a third language, I would have kept the camera running.)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jtbpPnSlA6K46Tsx1

Above is the famous Feskekôrka (or Fish Church), a truly unique landmark to Göteborg housing a massive seafood market. After the tour, I spied the most beautiful putt putt course on the way to dinner (below). I mean, really Sweden...

The best for last here on this post. My dinner was in the Haga District, the oldest in the city and once home to the medieval working class masses. It is now this chill town’s hipster central, but only hipster in a laid back “I naturally look better at this than anywhere else” sort of way. First impression mind you.

I had heard the food scene here was legit, and my dinner did in fact turn out to be spot on amazing. The following pics are pre and post dinner as the sun was going down on another great day. I was full and completely satisfied. Probably had a grin on my face.

Svenska Stil II

I’ve got a huge smile on my face as I make this post. Honestly, I can’t believe I have this incredible cultural resource about a 20 minute walk from my flat. Simply stunning.

As I was talking with the woman in Skansen at the textile booth, she told me I had to visit Kulturen in Lund. Just had to. Did she ever have my number. Oh holy red cow... (I’m totally restraining myself from using exclamation points.)

Kulturen turns out to be the second oldest open-air museum in the world, and its indoor exhibits are so beautifully curated you could almost cry. Again, only having a couple of hours to spend before turning my attention to class readings, I judiciously started in the textile house. 

The pictures above are from the couture throughout the ages exhibit in Sweden. Can you take it? Below pictures represent more of the traditional rural dress, which make such an impression you have to give yourself a good minute to take it all in. I kept thinking the outfits had a sort of metal edge to them.

On to some more textiles, just because... there are more textiles.

I know Tumblr would like for me to end it here, but I will try to give you a peek at some of the amazing historic buildings outdoors. The amazingness will unfold in no particular order, then end with my dazed video after coming out of the textile house.

This one’s for you Mary Wagener ;)

Svenska Stil I

I finally have time for the post I’m so geeked over I don’t even know what to do with myself! Please excuse me if I gush a Swedish red streak (maybe that only makes sense here), but I was in heaven for my tour of Skansen in Stockholm, and Kulturen in Lund!

Skansen is an open-air museum on Stockholm’s Djurgarden island (along with the Vasa and other amazing museums I mentioned previously). It happens to be the oldest in the world, and represents Swedish (Svenska) culture from various parts of the country throughout history. There are over 150 farms and buildings assembled here, and cultural performances and celebrations take place at key points in the Swedish calendar.

You could easily spend all day looking through the exhibits, visiting shops, exploring houses, and eating handmade goodies, but I made the most of the three hours I had here on the sweet scandi summer afternoon I visited.

For this post I am focusing on my favorite farmstead of the afternoon from the early 1800′s. Note the painted walls and furniture (I also wrote about this in the palace post). I learned that not all farmers and working folk could afford art, so they created their own. Each family was responsible for creating the art displayed in their homes, and it became a source of pride among their neighbors to display the talent within each home.

Artistic handiwork also extended to the elaboration of everyday objects, such as the carved iron on the table below. As I was standing in this doorway looking at the bed against the wall, I noticed the amazing loom and needle work on the bed linens. I asked the guide in this farmhouse about them, and she told me that bed was made up just for the display of the linens as was the custom for guestrooms of that period. It inspired my special souvenir for the day that I intend to display proudly wherever I call home from now on!

After a dreamy few hours in this special place out of time, I strolled past the village market square and spotted a woman selling traditional Swedish textiles. She was an expert in historic stitching and weaving patterns, and was selling pillows, tables runners, place mats and wall hangings she had meticulously made displaying the patterns from different counties in Sweden. Almost all were made from very fine local wool, and a few were made from 100+ year old remnants. After much debate, and an amazingly enjoyable conversation... I chose the one in the middle :)

Stockholm Sightseeing III

The third part of my little sightseeing tour for this series of posts is the Vasa Museum on the island of Djurgarden. I will say that this island is a particular favorite of mine, and most others who visit I imagine. Almost the entire island is dedicated to parks, museums, and recreation, it is simply amazing!

I prioritized the Vasa Museum over others on the island, such as the Abba Museum, but I will go back and play sometime in the near future. I had seen Rick Steves rave about the Vasa, so I knew if I had to see only one museum on the island it would be this one. It truly did not disappoint. 

The museum was built to house the reconstructed wreckage of the ill-fated maiden voyage of King Gustav II Adolf’s Vasa warship. It was built to his exacting aesthetic standards, and not those of experienced ship builders of the day. It was those same shipbuilders who predicted its demise, and not even an hour into its first voyage it sank into Stockholm harbor. It was the clay content beneath the fresh water mixing with sea water that ended up preserving her, and as a result we have the most complete reconstruction (98% original) of a ship of its kind from the 17th century (1628 to be exact).

The pictures below are some that I took during a guided tour with other English speakers. The tour is about 45 minutes and well worth the price of admission to learn about the history of the making of the ship, as well as the ongoing efforts to preserve her.

Apparently through the Swedish royal family, I have learned the upper limits of Tumblr’s carrying capacity. But to be fair, it is safe to say I expressed excessive tendencies long before I was introduced to royalty ;) So if you have not seen the previous post, please go back and do so, cause this is a two-parter!

Now I’ll introduce the interiors, at least the historic rooms open to the public. I’ll start with a video of the entrance hall. Then, note how the color theme changes from room to room. I’ll end with my favorite room(s)!

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipOX3sYSw4mhT4MKUgv6Anqgp4cYwLHiu1_BC6w4

Just below are the former Queen’s private bed chambers.

And here’s a little something I didn’t expect. A room just for a tiny paper doll theatre!

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipN6IlTiFbRj9wr5I4ayl8rEEiVTYjscV-PyzHCA

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNL-dH3W9qwyTc9m8MuVBpwI7ryI6fc5LZhHuMz

Stockholm Sightseeing II

The next two posts should be considered as one (it looks like I blew Tumblr’s mind trying to make the Summer Palace post in to one). And these posts are dedicated to Drottningholm Palace, the private residence of the Swedish Royal family (yes, they have one) and former summer retreat. Not to be confused with the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan, this beauty sits on another island in the archipelago called Lovon, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sooooo, Europe has this stuff. They have this stuff, and from an aesthetic and craftsmanship point of view, it’s amazing. What struck me here is the amount of detail work. Sweden has a strong tradition of painted walls and furniture, from the lowly farm house on up to the pinnacle of the upper class. And although Baroque may not be my favorite design period, when I stood in the presence of this level of detailed expression, I have to admit my mouth was probably hanging open most of my tour.

I will let the pictures do most of the talking. But let’s start with the grounds, cause that’s the kinda gal I am at heart. (Tap tap to the chest, blow a kiss to History of Landscape Architecture I & II.)

Like I mentioned in the last post, there are about a million things to see and do in Stockholm. My friend Nikki said that after ten years there, she is still seeing new things. I had three days, so I will share what I managed to fit in. I’m sure in later visits I can capture more to share with everyone.

I can tell you that as a designer and lover of beauty, the city and its sights are a feast for the eyes. The strong design tradition can be seen from the historic up through contemporary aspects of the built environment, including parks and gardens, clothing and textiles, and of course furnishings. What is to follow in the three posts will mostly be pic fests, so here goes!

First stop I made was to City Hall, just over the bridge out of Gamla Stan onto Kungsholmen. Although completed in the 1920′s, the architect was aiming at making the building look much older to fit in with the historical character of the area. The Royal Palace after all is in nearby Gamla Stan (actually right next to my friend’s apartment).

https://goo.gl/photos/Ezx75TUgcERXb19G8

Above, including the video, are the council chambers housing the nine parties of the Swedish government. Although aiming to incorporate historical character in the building, the architect took cues from different time periods and aspects of world culture. Here, he playfully took inspiration for the ceiling design from traditional Viking halls.

Below are images of the Golden Hall banqueting room. That’s real gold in each of those mosaic tiles! Here we can see the Byzantine flair in the mosaic murals and niches throughout the hall.

My favorite scene is the Lady of Stockholm, hair flying at the center of the world keeping everything in balance!

Ohhhh, Stockholm!

How do I begin to describe the most beautiful city I have ever laid eyes on? Inadequately I presume. I truly wonder at those that get to call this place home. Do they ever get tired of looking at this city? Do they see what I see? I think the builders of this city must have been competing with each other to build the most aesthetically pleasing block imaginable...over and over again.

But let’s start at how I am able to visit this gorgeous metropolis. Well, it just so happens that one of my childhood friends from little Santa Fe, Texas has been living here for the last 10 years. She has started her own chain of ice cream stores throughout Stockholm and is known here as “Stikki Nikki”.

Nikki graciously offered to let me stay at her apartment in Gamla Stan, or Old Town, for the few days I was there last week. Am I ever grateful! It was so great to reconnect with an old friend, and for her to share what life has been like here as a fellow Texan! She has a motto though, and it’s not for the faint of heart, so get ready. “Fit in, or fuck off.” Plainly put, and not wasted on me. I get that I need to do the work to speak the language and learn the culture of my new home. I intend to relish in it actually, and will share more about my efforts to introduce myself to Swedish culture in the next couple of posts.

Here is Nikki showing me where to get my vitamins, supplements and other specialty health items... all very important to me!

She was a wonderful hostess, I hope to visit her as often as I am able with my busy school schedule! Next, I want to show you all her hood... in my opinion, it’s the most interesting in the city due to it’s status as the oldest part of town. A lot like Lund, the medieval layout surprises you around every corner, and is forever charming.

This was the walk over the bridge into Gamla Stan.

The next few pictures are from streets in Old Town.

You can see the pink Stikki Nikki banner in the picture above, and below is a closer view of her store in Gamla Stan.

I wanted to write a short post on my first high speed train ride in Sweden, and well, ever. I mentioned previously that I would be squeezing in a visit to Stockholm before classes began, and it turns out the best way to get there is by train! Yay me!

By car this trip would take about 7 hours, but by high speed rail it takes only 4 hours to reach Stockholm from Lund. The tracks take you on a rapid route through the countryside, and sometimes beneath the ground and even bodies of water. This makes a trip to this incredible city totally doable for the would-be explorer from Skåne! See below.

As you can see, I’m quite comfortable and happy in my window seat watching the Swedish countryside zip by. Around Lund, or the county of Skåne (pronounced Scaw-nuh), the country is almost flat and is filled with farmland and pastoral landscapes. 

Calibrating

Every day in Sweden so far has brought its own set of challenges and rewards. I set out each day with a to do list, and by the time I get back to my flat and prepare a meal or put things away and tidy up, I am wiped. I believe my body is registering the calibration to this new environment. A truly lovely environment to find myself in, but continual work nonetheless.

As it turns out, international students had to buy tickets to attend the majority of the orientation sessions in Lund and around Scania on official Arrival Day. That day, I barely made it to the registration after my dental emergency and consequently didn’t have the wherewithal to stand in the long line to figure out which sessions to attend, then plunk down more money to do so.

So, I have decided to make my own orientation schedule and started by buying my bus and rail pass for a month’s travel in Sweden. A bit steep, and the travel/ticket app is in Swedish, but I decided to jump in! And so far so good; I haven’t ended up anywhere I didn’t intend to go - yet! As I make my way to various destinations between Lund, Malmö and beyond, I am finding that I am retaining words relating to travel and location. I am trying desperately to absorb spoken Swedish from those around me, but this is proving difficult as so many in this region are speaking various mother tongues from around the globe. I will see how this compares to my Stockholm trip this coming week!

Another major calibration topic is food. Many of you know that I cook almost everything I eat. This started for health reasons, and has turned into one of the main joys in my life. I even started writing a cookbook from the furiously scribbled recipes I conjured before leaving the US. It is my hope to continue the cookbook project supplemented by inspiration I pick up here in Sweden. So far I am challenged to find the equivalent ingredients here in Lund, but am determined to search out every market until I understand what I have to work with, both familiar and foreign! Accordingly, the other category of written Swedish that seems to be sticking are food related words.

An example from a recent IKEA shopping trip. I was starving, so I went ahead and bought it, translated the label, then ate some. “Healthy” or “fresh” mousse from cottage cheese, almonds and lingonberry. Not too bad for a cafeteria treat!

And for us Oregonians who are used to going into the market and buying the little packages of fresh herbs, here is the interesting Swedish equivalent. It’s a plant that hangs out in your window until you have eaten it alive! You can see I have already started using the “organically farmed sage”, and it will make it’s way into my sage and wild blueberry breakfast sausage this weekend.

Lastly for this post, and I’m glad to say a first for my cookbook, are some ridiculously simple and delicious no-bake peanut butter cookies. Pretty good for my first go!

So, its about to get a bit real here folks. But a better kinda real it appears. And the crown and krona part of the storyline will reappear as the plot unfolds in the coming months. It began a week before I left with a dental visit about a tooth I felt had likely fractured above the gum line. My dentist assured me that it was fine and not to worry, and that btw, he would be going on vacation the for the next couple of weeks. So on to the day.

Well, the tooth was not okay, and by Monday night an infection had begun in the now loose tooth. My friend Alex was on standby in Malmö as I began making the phone calls to the University. By the end of Tuesday morning, I had an appointment here in Lund at 3pm with an emergency dental clinic.

Long story made slightly shorter, is that the tooth had indeed fractured above the large crown and needed to come out immediately.

Now tracking kronas; I left paying the clinic about 100 US dollars which I will mostly be reimbursed for through my student insurance. Also, if I understood the dentist correctly, it will cost about 1000 US dollars to complete the restoration with an implant. Ahem... 1000 vs 5000 out of pocket in the US! Can I get an Amen! If this is the case, I will be sending pictures of my middle finger to all my previous dentists.

So I left the clinic in bewilderment of this new seemingly efficient and accommodating system, and walked to get registered at the University. Did I mention I had put on my “big girl pants” for the day?

After registration, feeling quite swollen and the pain setting in, I started the walk back to my flat. A couple of things happened along the way to make me feel better.

First, these from an adorable shop in town. On sale I might add.

Next, the discovery of a massive and beautiful park (is there any other kind in Sweden?!) about 7 minutes walk from my flat. Enjoy the Parkpalooza!

https://goo.gl/photos/fPmBaaYgcDCdffxV8

Lund. First Impressions

Someone dear to me holds the philosophy that it takes a long time to get to know someone, and therefore withholds locking in a first impression. Although I aspire to that philosophy, I admit the romantic in me wants to be in love with every new thing that comes across my path. I feel it will be no different with Lund.

As it turns out, my first friends on the new rock are my Malmö Airbnb hosts from my initial night’s stay. These were the saviors that took the place of the Copenhagen host who flaked, and honestly I am so glad that he did.

Jenni who grew up in Malmö, is from a small Finnish family. She married Alex, who along with his very large family are political refugees from Chile, that immigrated back in the 70′s. Luckily, most of his family made it over to Sweden. They have one adorable daughter currently being educated in a Finnish immersion school in Malmö. They each speak four very different languages, as do most of the people I have met so far. 

Already I am struck by the sheer diversity of this area of the country, as Sweden has opened its doors to so many around the world in need of a new home. I told Jenni and Alex that they are prime research subjects for my thesis, and they pointed out that I myself am now the immigrant! And this does feel true in so many ways. The language barrier for one is foremost in my mind, and I plan on remedying this situation as soon as possible. Although 90% of the Swedish population is fluent in English, I still feel I am missing out on so much not being able to read the language.

Not surprising however, is that kindness and consideration look the same no matter what the language. And I want to share that these people have gone out of their way to take care of me and see to my needs upon arrival to this country, because they too have been there.

If I had the forethought during the intense jet lag, I would have taken pictures with them. I am sure they will appear in other posts later, so for now, here are a few pics from around their apartment. This is one a handful of their Airbnb properties in a residential part of Malmö outside of city center.

And then this at the market near the apartment :)

The day of my flight brought an intense mix of emotions of course, but I won’t dwell there for this post. I’ll assure everyone that despite the stress of the move (made much easier with friends) and the event I am about to describe, that I made it through the time warp to the future just fine.

As it turns out, my Copenhagen Airbnb host totally flaked out on me and let me know he cancelled my stay just minutes before my flight. Karim, there with me at the airport, was quick on his feet and found me another host in Malmö instead. I will write more about these amazing people in the next post. Suffice to say, they were a Godsend and have become my first friends in Sweden. I don’t really believe in accidents.

On to the awe of the flight.

It’s a strange and wondrous thing these airplanes that fly us around our planet. I’ve never taken a plane off the continent before, much less one that took me to the upper latitudes of the globe. The sun never truly set, and the light coming up around the plane was magical. At one point the moon was shining brightly out my window, and the sunrise was coming up the other side clearly visible through my neighbor’s windows.

Between Newfoundland and Greenland.

Coming up on the Greenland Coast

Sunrise over Greenland

Mysterious icy water on the other edge of Greenland

Landing in Iceland

I would love to spend more time in Iceland. What an amazing chunk of geography! The air once out in the shuttle was brisk and so clear it’s hard to describe. I will come back.