Gullbranna, Sweden

We left Hannover early Saturday morning and took 4 trains to spend three days with Kjell and Annika and their kids at their summer cottage on the west coast of Sweden. It was a perfect interlude between packing up and leaving Hannover and the rigors of figuring out how to approach Copenhagen. Good conversation. The weather was perfect: blue skies, upper 70s, lower 80s, and the water was warm (73 degrees). We spent most of the time walking on the beach and around a harbor, the little village, and the Christian camp next door. We ate all our meals outdoors on the porch and on the lawn. We swam every day. The ocean was curious; it reminded me more of swimming in a lake than the ocean, since the waves were tiny and  it didn't taste very salty. Very clear and no tide to speak of. A few crabs and shells, but not much seaweed and not much in the tidepools. The rocky parts of the shore were all composed of big blocks of beautiful metamorphic gneiss with red feldspar, very pretty and smooth to walk on. I enjoyed looking at the feldspar-rich veins and folding.

 

Swedish breakfasts are great. My favorite was the blueberry drink: intense essence of blueberry. Also, yoghurt  and thick milk that you pour onto müsli or cornflakes, cheese, ham, boiled eggs, bread, and rye crackers. There is also a strong Swedish tradition of fika, what the Brits call elevenses, coffee and something sweet (cake or pastry) at 11:00 a.m., mostly a time to gather for conversation. Even though we ate breakfast late after runs (K. & A.) and our walks on the beach and were still nursing our tea from breakfast, tradition called for observing this very civilized gathering.

Swedish Breakfast

Small bay near the point

Nice Gneiss

Point with fishing huts and boats

Typical red with white Trim Swedish House in the village

Watch out! Children Playing sign in the village