The Minnesota Noices

Category: Culture

  • Madrid Highlights: IKEA

    Madrid Highlights: IKEA

    Bryant wrapped up 3 weeks of work travel with a stay in Madrid, and I was lucky enough to join him for the weekend! We had a blast seeing the highlights in the company of my friend, Laura, who drove down from Valladolid. Her daughter is studying engineering there so we met up with her…

  • Truffles, Tryffel & Trifles

    Truffles, Tryffel & Trifles

    Life doesn’t seem to slow down much at all, even in the dark, cool season. And in an attempt to distract myself from the bleak realities of human nature, I’ve thrown myself into new hobbies, clubs, travel and volunteer opportunities. I can’t see a way for American Democracy to recover from the effects of malicious…

  • All about Autumn

    All about Autumn

    Fixardag (Fix-It Day) happens 2x per year- the residents in our building gather to help do some of the communal chores such as clean the laundry room, trash room and courtyard. Ebba and Isabella (both go to Katte but in different programs) took on the job of patching. I did lots of weeding and pruning…

  • Cider and a *Guinness

    Cider and a *Guinness

    Carole invited me for a drive out to the orchard and renovated farm house belonging to transplants Simon and Sarah. Having heard lots about the orchard, I was eager to visit and catch up with Sarah (of Capellagården textiles fame). Karine, another French expat also made the journey from Kristianstad so we had many hands…

  • Lundabo Life

    Lundabo Life

    Lundabo = a person residing in Lund. With all of the recent changes in our family life, I think it will be good to establish a new routine. Next week I resume Swedish studies at Malmö University so I’ll be going to Malmö at least once per week. Today marks the end of two weeks…

  • Riga, pt 2 Baltic Excursion

    Riga, pt 2 Baltic Excursion

    Andrea and I traveled from Vilnius, Lithuania to Riga, Latvia by LUX bus, where we met up with Stephanie, a friend from Sweden. The LUX bus is highly recommended! It left from central Vilnius, and was exceptionally comfortable. It was so easy that I may consider this type of bus for future trips. Steph traveled…

  • Lithuanian Song Celebration: Vilnius

    Lithuanian Song Celebration: Vilnius

    My friend and former Oliver Avenue neighbor, Kristina, has always been active with Lithuanian American groups (Chicago and Minneapolis, I think) as a way to maintain a connection with her family’s culture. She teaches Lithuanian school and dances with a folk dance group which travels to various Lithuanian festivals. This year, the 100th anniversary of…

  • From linseed to linen

    From linseed to linen

    Capellagården, a folk crafts/ art school on the island of Öland, arranged with Sarah from The Tour Studio for a special course to be taught in English. I know Sarah through the International Citizens Hub and so had the opportunity for a spot in her linen workshop. The other participants all came from the US,…

  • Merry Month of May

    Merry Month of May

    Valborg and the First of May celebrations brought a distinct sense of Spring along with longer, warmer days. Our International Choir joined Gösta the director’s other, Swedish choir in Trelleborg to sing at the town’s Valborg bonfire ceremony at the Viking museum. It started with the “kulning” an ancient Swedish herding call by 3 women…

  • Sofia i Sogndal, Norge

    Sofia i Sogndal, Norge

    With Hil’s friend wrapping up her gap year folk school experience, our window to visit Sogndal with Sofia as our local guide was closing rapidly. On Sofia’s last free weekend at the folkehøgskule, Hil and I squeezed in a quick trip, traveling to Bergen by plane and then on to the village of Sogndal on…