Parting Shots [National Food Holidays]

There is something so deliciously satisfying about a food holiday. In Sweden, there seem to be a lot of food holidays. Today, for example, is October 4th which is Kanelbullens dag or National Cinnamon Bun Day. I blogged about this last year. But, this year is my last. So, to commemorate this occasion, I opted for the giant Hagabullar from Café Husaren in Haga, the old part of town. It is shown here compared to a regular kanelbullar that bought at Hemköp. I ate a lot of it, but not all. It's pretty damn big. I may need to go lie down and let the digestive process do its thing. But what a sweet memory to carry with me.

Parting Shots [A Dogwalker's Tale]

I was walking the dogs near the Feskekôrka (Fish Church) when a woman started talking to (at) me from across the street. Once she switched to English, I realized that she wanted to pet the dogs. She told me how much she loves animals (a lot). Then she proceeded to tell me all about how many pets she had (a lot). She was quite talkative. She must have realized that she was rattling on and paused to explain "I'm a bit drunk." Then, she hugged me and laughed. And promptly ended the conversation by saying she needed to go have a smoke. As she left, she wished me a good life. It was oh-so-very untypically typical Swedish. And such divine randomness too. These are the types of encounters I will miss in Sweden.

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v5

A long overdue post of the music I've been listening to and highly recommend. Artist links will take you to an informational website (MySpace page, artist website, etc). Song links will take you to a video of the song.

Swedonia Songs
There is some really great pop music coming out of Sweden. The varied offspring of ABBA and Roxette keep forming new wondrous variations. I only wish my friends in the States had direct access to some/all of it. So, I'll do my part to enlighten and encourage.

Alphabeat's bouncy Fascination came out in 2008 but holds up well to global inspection even today. John ME has a yearning love song with the requisite reference to drugs, Love is My Drug, on which he duets with Amanda Jenssen (winner of Swedish Idol). At 3:05, it looks a lot like love. Another winner of Swedish Idol is Agnes Carlsson (or just Agnes). Her dancefloor hit, Release Me, is one of the best dance pop songs of 2009. YouTube seems to have pulled the video (since she has exploded on the music charts around the world), but you can watch it on her website. Another one of her songs, On and On, is more Eurodance but still lots of fun. Basic Element is a dance act from the 90's that re-emerged a few years ago. They are putting out blatant eurodance like Touch You Right Now. What's not to like about that? Then, there's Robyn. She's practically Swedish music royalty. Be Mine! is quirky pop. Very Robyn. Speaking of Swedish musical royalty, A Camp, the side group of Cardigan's lead singer, Nina Persson, released Stronger Than Jesus.

In spin class, I've gotten into the zone with some spirited music including Oh Laura with Release Me (Attic Remix) and Swingfly with Singing That Melody. Position 2, please.

Swedish acts are featured prominently in commercials. The Honeythieve's Reminder is used in television ads for Lindex. I love the global ad and the song for Magnum Temptation ice cream bars. Though, the music sounds a bit like the White Stripes. A DJ/music producer out of Stockholm creates sonic snippets for use in Cubus commercials. And I love them. Two ads, for Christmas and Summer, are the best. I think of them as my own personal soundtrack. I walk down the street and this music plays in my head. Try it. Oh, and the model in the commercials is Swedish supermodel, Mini Anden.

I'm a sucker for a good power ballad. I grew up in the 70's and 80's, so guilty as charged. When I heard Takida's Curly Sue, I knew I would like it in spite of myself. Why!?! And then there is my lone Swedish Alternative pick (cause Alphabeat is pop with a capital P), Mando Diao, with their Echo and Bunnymenesque song, Dance With Somebody.

Dance
Shena brings back the disco with her NuDisco gold, Can't Stop The Rain. David Guetta pairs up with Kelly Rowland for When Love Takes Over; this is the dance song of the Summer. And, yes, the Black-Eyed Pea's I Got A Feeling will compete with Guetta for song of the Summer. Hed Kandi continues to roll out (and rework) some great dance music including Warren Clark's Bitch is Back which features the aforementioned Shena on vocals. And Ali Payami's Dancin' which features vocals by Missum. She brings on the fun-K. Kraak & Smaak lay on the funk with Squeeze Me Tight. Utada is a Japanese-American who sings mainly pop who has had much more success in Japan. But, Automatic, Pt. II caught my attention. Sleek. Stylish. Tokyo at night. Laurent Wolf, French DJ/producer, has delivered with a followup to No Stress, again featuring Éric Carter: Wash My World. And finally a song from way back in 2007: Let Go by German DJ extraordinaire Paul van Dyk.

Alternative
Moby's new release, Wait For Me, traverses one amazing sonicscape. Shot in the Back of the Head is sublime. When the weepy guitar comes in at 1:08, it's staggering. Pale Horses harkens back to Play quite nicely. Lily Allen actually wrote a song I like (Lily Allen = not so much). Normally, I think the whole Brits singing with a Brit accent a little much. But, this cheeky homage to a Carpenter's song, F*ck You is quite catchy. Diane Birch has some great pipes. Fortunately for me, she was featured on iTunes where I was exposed to Rise Up.

Adult Alternative
Seriously, I love Laura Izibor. This woman's voice has me hypnotized. She finally released an album with all the wonderful songs I'd heard before and some new favorites. This includes the quite lovely If Tonight is My Last. It puts a big smile on my face. Another new voice with promise is Angel Taylor with Make Me Believe. True, Yael Naim made her name by having her song, New Soul, included in an Apple commercial. Don't hold that against her. Instead, check out another single, Far Far, and enjoy.

R&B/Soul
A great voice not to be missed is Chrisette Michele with Blame it on Me.

Trip Hop
Tricky! He's back. Puppy Toy. Check it out.

Guilty Pleasures
I am not sure if these guys qualify as a guilty pleasure or the end of all things with taste as we know it. Star Pilots competed in Melodifestivalen 2009 with their song Higher. Needless to say they did not make it to Eurovision representing Sweden. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. So, where do I start? How about a contest? See how many song lyric cliches you can identify in this song. It is basically just a string of cliches set to a throbbing dance beat. Not as egregious and 100% eurodancepop is their other song In The Heat of The Night. Enjoy.



Archive Posts
Musik i Full Fart Volume I
Musik i Full Fart Volume II
Musik i Full Fart Volume III
Musik i Full Fart Volume IV

GLAD PÅSK!

Glad Påsk! That's Happy Easter in Swedish. And what better way to celebrate Easter than with a bag of Påsk godis. And, that is exactly what I did. Last night, we made a trip to ICA Maxi and there in the frozen food aisles was a Påsk godis display calling my name. This morning, the godis bag is empty. I know I will pay for this somehow. But, for the moment my stomach feels fine and my head does not feel the sugar rush associated with the overconsumption of very sweet things.

Easter is a big holiday in Sweden. But, religion is not a big part of it. As is typical, there are pagan origins to some of the traditions that carry on today. It's less about the Easter Bunny and more about the Easter Witch. More here.

But, now is not the time to contemplate the religious significance of Easter here in Sweden, or lack thereof. No, now is the time to savor the flavor of Påsk godis gone by.

Opera Diva Wins Melodifestivalen

The winner of the 2009 Melodifestivalen has been selected to represent Sweden in the Eurovision contest. It's opera singer, Malena Ernman, who sings La Voix in both English and French to a throbbing disco beat. It should have strong multi-national, multi-generational appeal. How can it lose? I mean, this is the 35th anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision contest. Well, that satirical musical number presented at the finals in Stockholm might not go over well with this year's Eurovision host country, Russia. More on that later.

Melodifestivalen is bigger than ever. Here's an introduction to this year's event. There were four regional contests held around the country to select the semi-finalists for the finals in Stockholm. In additional, there was a second chance contest (andra chansen in Swedish) to select from those artists that did not make it through the semi-finals. The first regional show was right here in Göteborg. The event was televised live. According to reports, 3 million people watched that show. For perspective, Sweden only has a population of 9 million. In the United States, 100 million people would have to American Idol to achieve the same ratings success.

My take on the artists and songs in this year's contest can be described in one word: flat. There were some very lackluster performances and forgettable songs. Now, I like Alcazar, but their song, Stay the Night, was as limp as a semla sitting in milk. At least compared to this little ditty, which I love. And, Måns Zelmerlöw's Hope & Glory didn't have any. Måns was a favorite going in to the contest. Maybe next year. I still think he is the Enrique Iglesias of Sweden. E.M.D. with Baby Goodbye was pretty good but the song title was self-fulfilling. And Agnes, who I like, didn't deliver enough Love Love Love. Still, most had the requisite sing-along-pop and dance sensibility. Which is what Melodifestivalen is all about. The winner, Malena, wasn't expected to do well, but the public voted for her in big numbers.

Now, on to the controversy. At the finals, there was a parady skit and dance number that mocked Russia and its national anthem. The dance number had Matryoshka dolls and Cossacks and dancing bears. Oh my. Lots of Russian stereotypes. Offensive, maybe. But, funny as well. Oh, those nutty Swedes. Enjoy.




And, one final treat. In honor of ABBA's win at Eurovision 35 year's ago, here is a video of them singing Waterloo in Swedish at Melodifestivalen that same year.

Shopping Cart Rentals

Pay a deposit to obtain a shopping cart. Get the deposit back when you return the cart. This sounds like a strange concept to some of you. But, the system is common throughout Europe. And it works quite well. Of particular interest to Americans, you see few, if any, shopping carts that have strayed far from their respective store parking lots. As a former grocery store employee (more than 25 years ago), I can attest to the straying nature of shopping carts. They just like to roam.

So, the system is quite simple. There are two slots for coins; one each for a 5 kronor or a 10 kronor coin. Depending on the exchange rate, that works out to something over $0.50 to less than $1.75 for your shopping excursion. So, in most cases, you really do want that coin back. Insert the coin into the slot and the chain connecting your cart to the one behind it is released. Reverse the process after shopping by reconnecting the chain to your cart. Voila! Coinage retrieved.

And, yes, TJ and I shop at Willy:s. We like Willy:s. Um, I mean we like to shop at Willy:s. Oh, you know what I mean.

Semla Tasting Contest

Well, if someone's gotta handle the tough assignments, it might as well be me. The relocation service department (WIN) of the West Sweden Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Västsvenska Industri- och Handelskammaren) sponsored a semla tasting contest. This activity involved eating, judging, and scoring. How could I pass up that opportunity?

First, the basics. What is a semla? A semla is a wheat bun made with cardamom that is sliced in two, filled with almond paste and whipped cream, and dusted with powdered sugar. Now for an important distinction: multiple semlas are called semlor.
A good overview of the semla is here. Traditionally, semla was consumed on the last Tuesday before Lent, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, or Fettisdagen in Swedish. But, Swedes cannot resist a sweet tasty treat. And so, you will see semla appearing in stores starting January and continuing on through Easter.

As part of the semla hype, newspapers have "Best Semla" competitions. And, so with Swedes weighing in on the best semla, it was thought to give non-Swedes a chance to test their taste buds and voice their opinion. Göteborg takes its semla seriously. There is even a semla academy in the city. There are established standards for making semla. More on what makes a good semla is here. Apparently, it's all about the almond paste.

I had tried a semla last year. And came away not being impressed at all. It was like eating a dinner roll with super light whipped cream. I don't even remember tasting any almond paste. Which may have been the problem. Still, plain [flavorless] whipped cream does nothing for me. I tried not to take this bias into the contest.

We tasted semlor from four different establishments; two of which were from the Best of Göteborg list. Each semla was cut into four pieces. As you can see below, cutting a semla is not always an easy task. But, the fresher (softer) the bun, the easier it is. This particular semla had a dry bun. Not so easy. And kind of messy.

Still, the pieces were big. And, I ended up having five. I had to resample Semla 1.

The results: the group chose the semla from ICA Focus, a grocery store, as the best. I used to love buying donuts, muffins, and cookies from the local grocery stores (Shaw's in Maine, King Sooper in Colorado, and Safeway in California). Just an unscientific observation.

Second place went to Brogyllen Konditori, which was voted #1 in the Best of survey. Interestingly, we rated the semla from Steinbrenner & Nyberg last; while the Best of survey rated it #2. My favorite was voted #3 overall. The almond paste was mild (not overpowering) and smooth. The cream, light but not too airy. And the bun was soft, moist, and slightly chewy. Cultural palettes diverge at the semla.

Waiting for the Sluts to Arrive

Okay, now before you get too offended, a simple lesson in Swedish:

Rea = Sale

Slut Rea = Final Sale

Post-holiday shopping swings into high gear with the arrival of the Slut Rea in display windows across Sweden. This isn't just any old sale. It is THE sale. A Slut Rea usually lasts through the end of January. And they usually provide some great discounts. But, this year, they came early (as they did everywhere), but reached unheard of discount levels.

We walked by this store and decided that TJ had to go in and investigate. Who passes by 90% off. Apparently, no one. TJ couldn't find anything in his size.

Don't feel too bad, he has been able to partake in the sales. As is his ritual, each Saturday morning as I sleep in, TJ investigates what is on sale around town. And by around town, I mean IKEA and other home furnishing stores. His shopping usually entails replenishing the candle supply. Or replacing the [poor, sickly] plants that mysteriously disappear on weekends. He is a good shopper. And frugal too.

As for me, I'm pretty good about shopping. I usually don't. But, I did go into this fun store on Kungsgatan called Weekday. On sale for 75% off were a pair of Cheap Monday jeans with a Día de los Muertos skull on the label. Heaven!

But, I could not find my size. Seems like the sizing is geared for all these skinny bitches [and, here, I'm referring to guys] who like the tight style. So, I thought, it was not meant to be.

Until this weekend, when TJ and I went out to peruse the sales. Again, I found myself in Weekday. The sales were gone. Oh no! But, upon closer inspection, there were still tables with sale items. I picked up a pair. It was close to my size. I picked up a second pair. It was my size! Destiny! After the discount, the jeans were 100SEK (~$13USD).

So, thanks to the arrival of the Sluts, I will be walking around town with a Skelly on my ass.

To Market, To Market

Ooops. Forgot to mention that we are heading to Germany this weekend to experience the Chrismas market (Weihnachtsmärkte, in German). Several people strongly recommended that we visit the Christmas markets.

Although there are markets in both Göteborg and Stockholm, the ones in Germany are supposed to be the best. The absolute best is in Nuremberg. But, that a bit too far to drive, so we are heading Lubeck in Northern Germany. The Christmas markets in Lubeck should be fun.

Will have a full report when we return. Including what we bought.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is fast approaching. A scary day during some scary times indeed. Even here in Sweden. So, we've decided to throw a Halloween Party. Halloween is not celebrated on the same level as it is in the US. The holiday and associated marketing are just making inroads into Scandinavia and, for that matter, most parts of Europe. Candy corn is unknown to most Swedes. The horror!

We aim to change all that.

But how will we acquire the requisite orange, yellow and white sugary gold? Well, a trip to the US, of course. Luckily we already had one planned. A very brief trip to Upstate New York. But long enough to do a little shopping and help prop up the US economy. We're both bring an extra suitcase! And we will return with candy corn, some decorations (which are few and far between here), and perhaps the makings of a costume.

Yes, it is going to be a costume party! In that spirit, I designed an apropos Halloween greeting. Click on the image below (or here) to be taken to an interactive page where you can reveal who is scarier...

Glad Kanelbullens Dag!

Much to my surprise, October 4 is Kanelbullens Dag. A day to celebrate the cinnamon (kanel) roll or bun (bulle). That Sweden has a special day set aside for a pastry should really come as no surprise. But, I would have thought that the French would be the ones to honor such delectable treats. Perhaps they do. I am always willing to be enlightened about such matters.

So what is Kanelbullens Dag? Well, this handy website would surely tell me, if only I were more proficient at Swedish. Luckily, I found this bit of info on another Swedish blog. "The Cinnamon Bun Day is invented by an organisation called Hembakningsrådet. Hembakning means home baking, and this organization works for supporting knowledge about cereals, baking and other bun-and-bread-related issues."

So, there you have it. I cannot think of a better reason to celebrate. In fact, thanks to TJ, I've already "celebrated" this morning with two lovely warm kanelbullar. Two down....many more to go!

Ooh, it really makes me wonder...

There was a story at the English language news site, The Local, regarding pedestrian crosswalk signals. The signal (shown above) is manufactured by a Swedish company, Prisma Teknik, and is ubiquitous in Sweden. It is also found in a number of other countries around the world. Be on the lookout for it.

Seems innocuous, doesn't it? A warning light, a figure of a pedestrian, and a helpful hand that points up to the button that should be pressed before crossing the street. But, in reality, the hand actually is a hidden symbol for God. The president of Prioma Teknik states that "We want to show that there is only one way to reach God and that is up and through Jesus." Now that's a subliminal stairway to heaven!

Of course, it is possible that if you don't press the button, but still cross the road, you might end up reaching God a lot sooner. Having said that, I use the hand to guide me to the button every time I cross the road. Heaven can wait!

Party Post-Mortem

The Fourth of July party couldn't have been any more fun. Well, maybe if the Swedish Bikini Team had shown up. Still, fun. And warm. The weather gods were listening and the warm temps (27C+) returned just in time. Friends, food, drink, music and good conversation. What more could you ask for? TJ in a silly hat, perhaps?

I was not wearing mine for this photo, but both of us did receive a hat. One of many gifts from our dear new friends welcoming us to Sweden. A few pix from the party. To see more photos, either select a photo below or click here.

One thing I learned at the party is that my compact digital camera is toast. Too much abuse over the years. I've dropped it more times than I care to admit. All the photos seem to be out of focus on one side. Not good. And the trip to Burning Man added quite a bit of dust to the interior of the camera. Dust, you can have as much as you like.

Another thing I learned is that Swedes can really drink. But, occasionally, so can TJ. The day after photo tells the story. Shhhh. Be very very quiet.

Midsommar: The Movie

For your viewing pleasure, my first attempt at making an iMovie:



If you want to view the video at higher resolution (recommended), go to YouTube and select the "watch in higher resolution" link below the Views (below and to right of video frame).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1lYxoTJdh8

And, because you need to know, the lyrics to the frog dance. Sing Along! And, I bet the song will get stuck in your head.

Lyrics in Swedish:

Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se! Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se! Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de! Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa!

Literal English translation:

Small frogs, small frogs are fun to see! Small frogs, small frogs are fun to see! No ears, no ears, no tails they have! No ears, no ears, no tails they have! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa! Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack! kou ack ack ack ack kaa!

Efter Midsommar

We were invited to spend Midsommar in Tanum, a small town on the coast about 140km North of Goteborg. The weather all week had been, in a word, poor. So much for Summer. But, our friend Ingrid mentioned that the weather is always bad leading up until Midsommar (last year, especially). And, then, like some biblical prophesy, the skies part, the weather gods smile, and good weather returns for the holiday weekend. Okay, I made that last part up. But, the skies literally did part. And, on the drive up, I saw my first ever funnel cloud! Came down less than halfway from the bottom of the cloud. Then dissipated. Was not able to pull off the highway and provide you with photographic proof. Next time! I promise.

So upon arriving, it was time to eat the traditional Midsommar meal: herring (sill) and new potatoes (nytt potatis). Now, I was expecting an actual fish (head and all). Nope. The herring were swimming in jars of pickling juices and sauce. There were three flavors: plain, onion and mustard sauce. I preferred the onion. The texture was interesting. My palette had to warm up to it. Like fish balls, the herring is manufactured by Abba. The seafood company, not the pop group. New (or fresh) potatoes are essentially boiled baby potatoes with dill. And served with sour cream. Simple, yet delicious. To end the meal...strawberries (jordgubbar).

Then, we made our way to a common area near the boat dock. Around 200 people assembled. Young and old. And waited. People ate. Kids played. Music wafted through the air. Swedish folk tunes, perhaps. Then, the maypole was brought out and raised.

Two rings of children and adults encircled the maypole. And the dancing began. Several dances were performed. The most famous is the frog dance (små grodorna dans). My favorite was the sleeping bear dance (björnen sover). Sadly, I have no video of this. I was too enthralled by the choreography. I am working on an iMovie of the festivities. Because, who would want to be deprived of seeing people hopping like a frog and dancing around a maypole.

Well, there is always the photo of TJ wearing a crown of Midsommar flowers in his hair.

Back to food. Dinner. First course. Colorful and tasty.

Main course. Leg of deer (Bambi). Our host, Jannes, shot the deer himself. Yes, that is a big leg. No, between four of us (plus 2 children), we did not finish even half of it.

Glad Midsommar!

Leaving tomorrow for our first Midsommar celebration! A lowdown on Sweden's favorite holiday can be found here. The dogs will be in tow. Perhaps, they will join us in a frog dance around the maypole. Perhaps, not.

Will have a full report next week. Herring ho!

Sverige, Sverige, Sverige!

That was the rallying cry heard this past Sunday along Avenyn, one of the wider thoroughfares in Goteborg. The city had blocked off part of the street and set up jumbo screens suspended from cranes so that the Euro 2008 football (soccer) match between Sweden and Spain could be watched by the masses.

And watched by the masses it was. As was the match against Greece on June 10. Chanting, silly hats, national pride, consumption of copious amounts of alcohol. Yes, football is the national sport here. We enjoyed watching the game along with the crowd. But, we didn't have the stamina to stay for the whole game. Indian food was calling us back to our favorite restaurant. How could we not heed the call of that chant?

Chants of Sverige! were heard Wednesday night as well. That is, up until the game ended. Sweden had failed to score 1 point against Russia which would have advanced them into the next round. And, so, Sweden was out. I guess Swedish sports fans will have to put away their jerseys and silly hats. At least until curling season starts up.

An interesting perspective on the geopolitical implications and uniting powers of football can be found here.

Swedish Women Don't Spit, They Swallow

It's true. We have proof.

A few weeks ago, TJ and I attended an art event at the Världskulturmuseet (Museum of World Culture). As we stood there waiting for the naked performance artists to start crawling across the glass roof above us, a group of women positioned themselves next to us to get a good view. One motioned to TJ and started speaking to him (in Swedish). He did not understand what she said as much as he understood her gestures. She handed him her wine glass. He held it. From her purse, she produced a round tin and opened it. Inside the tin, were packets (portions) of snus.

Snus, for the uninitiated, is a moist powder that is chock full of nicotine; it is placed under the lip, similar to chewing tobacco. Snus is produced and consumed mainly in Sweden and Norway.

The woman placed a packet of snus under her bottom lip, thanked TJ, and reclaimed her wine glass. It was then that I noticed she did not have another container. One in which to catch the snus juice. Nor was the floor the type of floor that one might spit upon. We were indoors after all. Even the Museum of World Culture has its limits. It was then that it dawned on me. She would have to swallow the snus juice. TJ and I conferred about this...and shuddered.

I have memories of trying smokeless tobacco (dip or chew, as it was known) in college. This was back before portions were packaged. The brand was Skoal. Just loose, moist, finely shredded tobacco leaves. I distinctly remember the rule. Do not swallow the juice that formed in your mouth. The juice that started flowing immediately after the chew was placed between the lower lip and gum. The nicotine buzz would follow shortly thereafter. Trying to keep the mass of chew in place was half the battle. It wanted to move around in your mouth. Slide across your teeth, around the sides, to the back of your mouth and down your throat, if it could. Expelling the juice elegantly was the other challenge. Some were successful, some were not. Sure, there were some friends who could actually chew and drink beer at the same time. Now, that was talent. I was not so talented. Needless to say, I had my [limited] experience and checked it off the list.

Here in Sweden, everyone, not just the women, swallows. And they combine the feat whilst drinking. Talented? Maybe. But, I'm not as impressed as I used to be.

Life and Death in the City

We live downtown. In a port city. So, in addition to the pigeons (and rats) one normally expects to find, there are seagulls. Some are garden variety seagulls, average in size and disposition; others are above-average brutes. Still, we have managed to co-exist despite their loud chatter at all times of the day and night.

So, it was surprising when I observed some strange behavior a few weeks back. I was walking the dogs near the building next door when a seagull screeched, swooped down, landed in the street, and began running parallel to us. The gull tucked his head low as it ran forward and seemed to be 'leading' us further down the street. I observed this behavior the next few times I passed this same way. Sometimes another gull would join the first. Curious. Kinda amusing. Until the seagull screeched and dive bombed me. Talons and beak too close for comfort. Okay, crazy seagulls. I get it.

Or did I? I noticed on my subsequent trips that the gulls were now perched on lights and street signs in one specific area. And when they performed their 'chase me' game, they were taking me away from something. I figured out what that was last week. Two newborns sitting on the sidewalk. Where they had hatched, I couldn't tell. Had they been on the roof and fallen down? Not sure. But, now they were huddling near a drainpipe with their parents standing guard and chasing intruders such as myself away.

Of course, I had to show TJ. Secretly thought I could capture an attack on film. Not to be. Above is TJ, the seagull (on the flagpole), and the two baby gulls (red circle).

From our deck, we were able to observe the protection ritual from afar. It was not safe to get too close during feeding time. Still, other people in the neighborhood had noticed the baby gull's predicament. A bowl of water was put out. Somehow, with the cars and foot traffic, the baby gulls seemed to be making it. Until three days ago. When I noticed that the gulls were not screeching anymore. I looked down and couldn't see any parents watching guard. The babies were gone. No clue as to what might have happened. Did some animal rescue organization collect the babies? Or something worse. So, while I am no longer in danger of being pecked by an overprotective seagull, the relief is bittersweet.

It's tough trying to raise a family in the city.

Parting Shots [Hälleviksstrand and Mollösund]

Another trip up the coast this past weekend. Revisiting some towns from 2 weekends ago. One was the coastal community of Hälleviksstrand which is located on the island of Orust. The photo above is a detail of a building located a few kilometers outside of the town. Not sure what you're looking at? Yes, a bit abstract, isn't it? Does this help?

Very quaint. Maybe, from the windows, you've guessed that it might be a something historical. Well, quaint and historical pretty much sums up the building along the entire Swedish coastline. The nave-like shape of the window should be a telling clue. A church (kyrka, in Swedish)? Yes, of course.

We also strolled around the town of Mollösund which is a little further South of Hälleviksstrand. As you head toward the waterfront, there is a church and a cemetery. The cemetery gate has this phrase which, we were told, is quite common.

Tänk På Döden - Think About Death. Heck of a recruiting message.

For more images of Hälleviksstrand Kyrka and Mollösund click here. And, you might want to check another Mollösund website (all in Swedish). The image in the lower right looks eerily familiar to IKEA Midsommar commercial. I'm just saying. In two weeks, I'll find out and report back on just how authentic that commercial really is...or isn't.