Concert in Dalhalla

One of my favorite nights during our vacation in Dalarna was on July 26th. My husband and daughter stayed with the dog at the hotel while I took our parents to a concert in Dalhalla outside of Rättvik. WOW...such a marvelous setting! This concert hall is in an ancient lime quarry! No going underground this time...we could see the sunset, then the stars over head!
Polly, Carol, Robert and Barbro head into the quarry!
The man in the souvenir booth was very pleased to stamp my Park Book! I collect rubber stampings from famous places....mostly National Parks, World Heritage Sites, Museums, etc.
Check out this stage...right in the water of the quarry! GREAT acoustics! At night they use the walls of the quarry to create dramatic displays of color and design! This night's performance was a variety show hosted by Calle Moreaus. Opera, Folk, Jazz, R & B, Classical, Swing and RAP!!! what a mix with lots of comedy mixed in! (I was so proud of myself because I understood most of the jokes in Swedish!)
I took this photo to show you just how important FIKA is here in Sweden! As you can see there is a singer on stage (Babben) but over to the side the previous group is having FIKA on stage! Yes, they are drinking coffee and eating cookies at tables on the stage! They made many jokes about it during the evening! Actually, it is rather nice for the performers to relax after their bit and watch the next couple of acts close by rather than behind the scenes.
Swedish RAP STAR, Dogge Doggelito y el Primo, were also a part of the show! This crowd was a bit on the older side of life so I was skeptical about how they'd be accepted here. He rapped out his usual stuff but had made changes in the lyrics to mention the local area. And they are wearing the cute traditional costumes of Dalarna! Who wouldn't love them?
Blurry with excitement photo... this rapper won the hearts of the crowd! They even got up out of their chairs and DANCED to his music! I've never see Swedes be so wild in public!
Guess what?! During the 30 minute pause I got to talk with Dogge Doggelito in SPANISH while he was signing autographs and selling CDs! His mother is Venezuelan married to a Swedish man. SO COOL! Not sure I like his regular rap stuff so much (you can YOUTUBE him) but it was exciting to clap to the rhythms and listen to his Swedish/Spanish lyrics !

I loved going to the concert with these hip folks! Despite all their aches and pains, they are still very young at heart! You should have seen them shaking to the rhythms! I couldn't ask for better parents or in-laws! Maya's groovy grandparents!

Just to prove that I CAN patchwork & quilt....

when I have the time.

Since having a child (6 years ago) I have had a very hard time making time to quilt, patchwork, sew, anything! Of course, I do small projects now and then but it has been a long time since I've done something substantial. I"m hoping that once my daughter starts school this fall that I will miraculously have new time on my hands. It amazes me when I see my friends' projects especially since they have more children than I do! This is something I must really work on...making time for my passion. I have a HUGE stash of gorgeous fabrics waiting for my crafty hands! If anyone has ideas for me about MAKING TIME , please write me a comment! Here are a few photos of past projects.... Before my child was born in 2002, I was CRAZY sewing (nesting). I made so many things for the nursery...curtains, bolsters, pillows, two quilts, decorations, blankies, etc. Here are a few of the items I like the most from that period. I made the large bed quilt first (the pinwheel quilt), then after consulting with my good high school friend, Natalie, about baby crib sized quilts I realized that I had made this one TOO big for a little baby! So with the left overs from the larger quilt I made a proper sized little one (in photo). Then I made 3 pillows with the other left overs (2 in photo). I probably still have left overs from that large quilt to make more projects some day! I was prepared for a child from the RAINBOW so I used all my favorite colors! This is a silly, easy as pie thing I do all the time for our lucky dog, Pepe. It's his fancy party scarf! I make one for him whenever we have a theme party! This one was for my daughter's "Under the Sea" party! The party guests all got "beach comber" bags made with the same fabric....they used the bags to gather goodies/treasure all during the party! And Pepe was part of the party in his matching scarf! This quilt brings fond memories! My "Swedie" visited me in the USA in November 1998 for Thanksgiving...we spent the holiday visiting my best friend and her partner (Betsy & Mary) who had temporarily moved to New York for a year or so. During our visit with them we attended some auctions in the countryside and scouted out treasures at flea markets. I found this quilt top at one of the markets, then at my friends' home I finished the edging and backing. Then we drove out to the Pennsylvania countryside to an Amish community where Betsy knew a woman to do the hand quilting for me! (Betsy is also a quilter, she got me interested in the craft.) It was such a treat to spend time in Alma Yoder's home! Like walking into the early 1800's! She was so curious about my Swedish man...and she could understand bits and pieces of his Swedish! (similar in some ways to their old German dialect) Unfortunately, we could not take photos in/outside the wonderful home! Anyway, she and her "married" (her "unmarried" ones were busy with something else) daughters (about 6 of them, I counted) worked on this quilt for me. Several of my other quilts have been quilted by their hands, including the large baby quilt I showed you above. This is another of my quilts that was hand-quilted by the Amish family. Only...well this isn't MY PATCHWORK either...it's a mysterious piece that came from my mother's family. Nobody knows who did the work or how old it is. I can tell you that the squares were definitely from old clothes and some pieces were very, very worn. Before finishing it, I had to repair several areas. Since it matched the large quilt I got in New York so well I decided to use the same fabric to finish this old piece at last! The Yoder ladies embroidered their names into the edging for me...if you look carefully in the blue area you can see some of them. Here's the little family quilt hanging up in my bedroom. It's random squares and rectangles give me something to think about each night...I see different things all the time. It soothes me. This is the backing of the quilt below...I ordered the hand-dyed fabric in Los Angeles, where I used to live, especially for this quilt. It was hand quilted, again by the Yoder women, they called it their "sunshine piece" because they could see what they were doing best when they worked on it outside in the sunshine! I requested that they quilt it with black thread so that I could really see their handiwork on the backside of the quilt. It must have been hard to see in a room without electricity! It's not a particularly creative quilting pattern but I'm in awe of the individual tiny, precious stitches. We sometimes flip sides to have something different to look at in the bedroom and I love to see their stitching! My low-key husband likes the back better than the front...he says you need to wear SUNGLASSES for the other side....
As you can see again...I love COLORS! But it was so hard to decide which of the bright, rich fabrics to use for this quilt....so I just used ALL OF THEM! You can't see so well in the photo, but I used a lot of hand dyed fabrics and batiks along with machine printed ones. I should do another photo of the border because it's rather cool looking, if I say so myself. This quilt is a double bed size. I worked on the cutting and piecing while I was visiting my Swedish honey for 8 weeks during the winter in 1999 here in Sweden. When he worked night shifts, I enjoyed working all night long on the quilt top while he was gone and then I went to sleep when he did at 6:30 in the morning! Doesn't matter much in the winter as it is dark so much of the day time anyway! It's a pretty wild and crazy quilt and to be honest, we don't use it much.

I didn't make this alligator...just stuffed it. She comes from Panama...she is made mole style (applique piecing of the Panama indians). She goes quite well with the baby quilt's gator fabric! This little quilt I hand quilted very simply. I grew up in Florida...home of the University of Florida Gators! So they are special in our family! Go GATORS!
These sweet and silly decorations are from when my daughter was a baby...I made many to hang in her window and over her bed. She won't let me take them down yet even though they are faded. I made gold lame ones, too!


And when I get around to it...I'll photograph more of my projects but I really hope to share new ones! When I find the time! he he

Vintage Car Week in Dalarna

Just our luck...the vacation time my husband arranged from his work for our trip to Dalarna coincided with VINTAGE CAR WEEK (week 31--every year for those of you planning a trip to Dalarna in the future). Now, I like to see old cars but the towns around Lake Siljan were inundated with "vintage" cars during the week we were there. That meant it was difficult finding the accommodations that we would have preferred, instead we were happy with what was available! Approximately 30,000 visitors come into the area for this special week. Each day there are several events planned, from morning until way into the night for the vintage car people. Our goal was NOT to get caught in the CRUISING traffic so we kept an eye on the daily events even though we weren't participating in them. The oldest cars involved didn't seem to be driving around much so my photos are mostly from the cars that are in better shape, 40's- 50's-60's (and now the 70's is "vintage"). We saw so many and took photos as we were driving (not good shots) so these only give you a small glimpse of what we actually saw that week. My parents had a great time reminiscing about all the cars they have had in their life times....it's a good way to spark memories! Fun to hear these cars stories! (for example, when Dad took Mom on a date in her family's studebaker and he backed up into a train!)
I have seen plenty of PINK CADDIES but never a pink Rolls Royce! wow!
How about this beauty? See all the market stalls in the backgroun they had in the area to sell car stuff?
We stayed in this section of the hotel in Tällberg with our dog. Isn't this car cherry bright?
COUGAR...this is a Cougar. We saw outside the Bear Park in Orsa. Note to Dad: I will enlarge the Cougar sign on the front of the car so you can indeed see that this is a COUGAR! and NOT a panther! Then you owe me, buddy old boy! he he
Crusing in Falun.....
Falun cruise
While Pepe and I were posing here with this black Caddie, the owner came out. I quickly wiped off my finger prints!

HELP!

I can't seem to do anything on this #$@%&*( blog site today!

What's up? Does anyone else have a problem? (I've looked all through the HELP area and posted in the group part but now I can't find where my post is to see if anyone responded to it!)

I can't do spell check. (NOW I did a spell check on this post and you should see all the CORRECT words it has highlighted!)
I can't add photos. (and I obviously could just a day ago!And I've cleared my cookies!)
I can't add new blog links.

I've only done this for a few weeks and I"m so frustrated with these problems ... I'm going to give up! AGHHHHHHHHHH...scream!

World Heritage Copper Mine in Falun

Why are nearly all the houses and buildings in Dalarna "Falun Röd" Color? (Falun Red) The answer begins here at the Falun Copper Mine. This World Heritage Site was an interesting learning experience for us. Last year we had visited the LKAB iron ore mine in Kiruna, Lappland which is still in operation. It is run mostly by computers with the latest technology, only a few workers actually enter the mining area over 800 meters below the surface. In comparison, this mine was only operated by manual labor for much of its history. Learning something new every day! I now know that this symbol not only means FEMALE but it also means COPPER! Did you know that? (I don't remember much of my high school chemistry!)
Before our tour started, the guide announced that the elevator was broken and if we were to go on the tour we would be walking down and up 500+ steps. Mom and my father-in-law decided they weren't up to it so just Bo, my Dad and I went. (Maya & my mother-in-law stayed at the cabin.) My Dad is in GREAT shape but still I was a little worried about him.....he's 78 years old and he made it down and up again without any trouble! Yeah Dad!
Here's a view of the mine area from the outside....they know people started mining the copper here as long ago as the year 1000 ! By the 17th century it produced 70% of the WORLD's Copper! Now that's an important contribution to the world!
Hard hats on....coats handy....we are ready to head under the earth's surface! It was one of the hottest days during our trip 32 c (90 f) degrees...so the cooler temps below were a welcome rest since there is not any air conditioning to speak of here in Sweden!
Down...down....down we go. Couldn't help humming the Dwarfs' song from Snow White...High-ho, high-ho it's off to work we go! Only the workers didn't go down by nice, stable stairs. They went down in buckets suspended over the hole!
Temp under ground 5 c (41 f)
Our guide was explaining how the workers would carry all their equipment & lunch hanging from their belts while holding a lit torch in their mouths to climb up and down these ladders to get to their work sites! Talk about a dangerous working conditions! scary!!! A thousand men worked in this mine during it's best operating time.
The men came into the mine on this bucket...standing on one foot, there could be up to 7-8 men standing on the edge as it went down. They simply jumped off at the level where they worked! YIPES! As far as I could see...this cavern under the bucket had no bottom. NOTE to friends in Sweden: the best rope for this bucket was made out of ox skin, it needed to be replaced every few weeks...therefore hundreds of ox were slaughtered for their skins, so there was a LOT of meat to make sausages. That's how FALUKORV got its name!
Falun Red paint?

"Then, as now, the buildings were painted in Falu Rödfärg, manufactured from ruddle, the red ochre from the mine. Red pigment has been produced on an industrial scale since 1764. Over the centuries, the red paint has brightened up the populated areas of Sweden. It has become a national symbol. In fact, Sweden is the only country to have an abundance of red houses with white corners and gable ends.

Falu Rödfärg has many good qualities. Apart from being attractive, it is easy to apply, effective and it provides good protection."

So there's the answer to the red house paint!

Carl Linnaeus of Sweden

Carl Linnaeus is one of Sweden's most famous scientists...why? Maybe you have forgotten your high school biology...he is the one who invented the system of organizing the natural world! Linné wrote: "God created the living things. Linné organized them."
Well, we got to see the place where he married Sara Lisa Moræaus.
Last year was the 300 anniversary of his birth, there was quite the celebration time around the country for commemorating this event last year. He is on the 100 kronor bill!
We got a guided tour of the place from this delightful young woman. This photo doesn't do her the least bit of justice...she was BEAUTIFUL! A truly typical looking Swedish girl. Do you think I fell in love or am I just totally envious of her youth and beauty?
Views from this property were just as lovely as our guide....a tree that may have been a sapling when Linné was alive 300 years ago.
The "Brollops Stuga" where the couple met at a Christmas party in 1734 and later were married in 1739. Of course, the building is painted in Falun Röd color.
A garden growing medicinal herbs and vegetables like the ones that Linné studied for creating his system of organization. The fence is in the Gotland style...not typical of Dalarna.

Cabin in Falun

Wild berries, anyone?
Maya picked black current berries and rasberries right by our cabin outside of the small city of Falun in Dalarna (province). YUMMY!























We ate outside every chance we got, even breakfast!...excellent weather in the 70-80's and NO RAIN! No MOSQUITOS!
Here's look at our cabin. It had recently been remodeled. Mosquito screens for summer (not common in Sweden) and hot tub/sauna for winter use! There was a little creek babbling all night outside the window...peaceful!
Pepe, our dog, was so very happy to accompany us on this adventure!
Someone had abandoned him in St. Augustine, Florida several years ago. My brother, Tom, found him on a rainy day hiding by some trashcans. Pep lived with my parents a little while in Gainesville, Florida but they travel a lot so he was often in the doggie hotel. After looking into the regulations about moving him abroad, we decided to adopt him. Can you imagine the surprise of the people who threw him out if they knew he lives in Europe now? What a lucky dog! (in addition to a good home...NO FLEAS in Sweden!)
Speaking of LUCK! Maya caught her first fish....a rainbow trout! She waited very patiently and she got her reward! (Granpa didn't catch any though.)

First day of trip

We took two cars up to Dalarna since we were 7 people, 1 dog and too much stuff. The Doughty car left Skåne two days earlier than the Nilsson car.
The lunch break at a pretty rest stop provided all of us a little time to stretch our legs and visit the potty.



Along the way we stopped to see the Alvastra Monastery ruins which was built in 1185. I've been diligently reading the sequel to Pillars of the Earth called World Without End by Ken Follett (a mere 1111 pages!) and walking through these ruins brought scenes of the book to my mind. In the summer evenings a play is acted out throughout the ruins with creative lighting and live music. It must be quite spectacular to experience! I've put it on my list of things to do in the future!


Next stop, Motala town, on the shores of the Vättern Lake, is a very picturesque place with locks onto the Göta Canal. People can take various lengths of boat trips in this canal going across Sweden from Norwegian waters to the Baltic Sea. (another thing for my "to experience" list)


We stayed the night in this small, clean though rather shabby cabin near the lakeside. The toilet was around back...an outhouse with compost bucket! Maya was impressed by the outdoor shower with hot water!


Dinner was at a restaurant on the shores of the lake Vättern. It was quite warm and a few people were swimming even at 9 pm.

Trip to Dalarna

Coming soon.... I'm in the process of organizing my hundreds of photos from our lovely trip to Dalarna, Sweden...home of the famous Swedish "Dalahorses". Trying to figure out a way to show many of our adventures without being too boring...you can only 'oh-n-ah' so many times while looking at other people's vacation photos, right? Does anyone know how to stick in a photo album? I guess I should go to the help part of this website and check it out myself! In the mean time, here's Mom, Maya and me in Avesta with Sweden's largest (cement) Dalahäst. We didn't make it to the largest wooden one.

Home again

Hello! We are home again....in Perstorp!
It was an absolutely beautiful trip...excellent weather, only rain we had was yesterday and today on the drive home. Record breaking temps in Sweden! 32 degrees C in the sun...29 in the shade! wow! Loved it!

I have LOTS of photos and stories to share...but first I must deal with the unpacking, laundry and getting my dirty child into a bathtub for a real soak! She's WAY OFF schedule for sleeping...but that's the summer! Hard to go to bed when it doesn't get dark until after 9:30 pm.

Stay tuned......