Category: Culture
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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Prague, Czechia
Andrea and I have been teaming up lately for exercise, social events, Swedish practice, garden plans and now travel! We just returned from a short trip to Prague, where we managed a sampling of the city highlights. I learned a lot about Czechia, the Czech Republic in the process. The iconic Charles Bridge area of…
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Puglia Part 3: Bari, Monopoli
It’s coming up on a full year since our Apulian Adventure so I thought I’d better complete the record by posting the final installment. Last year I did two posts about the trip celebrating CJ and David’s 50th birthdays. Here’s a link to the second one… but left off just prior to our tour of…
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Day trip to Hamlet’s Elsinore Castle
One of my favorite family adventures so far! Seriously good tourism, right in our own backyard. On Saturday I was able to check an item off the bucket list. So simple and satisfying was it that I’m amazed it took this long. Three years ago my friend Lisa shared with me her brilliant twist to…
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Musical Interlude
Our Swedish choir leader seems to enjoy arranging opportunities for us to perform and socialize together. I suspect he also holds the goal of teaching us Swedish language and culture. This weekend he organized a retreat at a scouting camp in Österlen, Skane, a little over and hour from Lund. During our regular practices Gösta…