Sweden: Sculpture Park

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MILLESGARDEN MUSEUM

Sculpture terrace—MillesGarden

On the recommendation of our friends Mary and Joe, we visited the sculpture garden and house of Swedish sculptor, Carl Milles.  We took a cab from our hotel to a suburban residential area where the entrance to MilllesGarden is boldly signed on a quiet street.

Milles lived from 1875 to 1955, was in Paris for a few years early in his career, and then he and his wife Olga returned to his native Sweden on the outskirts of Stockholm.  Olga was also an artist, a painter, and Milles’ sister Ruth Milles too.

The grounds of the Milles property, built on several levels, include an expansive sculpture terrace facing the water, several pools, a couple of upper terraces, and their house. Many sculptures are mounted on tall pedestals.

Poseidon
Orfeus, (detail), 1936

Carl Milles collected antiquities and these pieces, along with plaster casts of some works, and art by both women, Olga and Ruth, are on display in the house.

Hylas cast, 1898-99
The Listening Woman, 1952

Milles favored classical and mythical figures from Europa to Orpheus in his work with the occasional fish or bison or other animal. It is an amazing collection (roughly 100 pieces) and was a treat to experience.

I liked several paintings by Olga Milles, one of a woman at the piano, and the other of some vibrant red poppies.

Lintschi Granner by the Piano, 1900

There is also a café, which we didn’t patronize, and a small shop where I purchased some note cards. There I got asked to do a visitor survey.  Using a QR code, I logged into the survey site on my phone.  Even after choosing English, it was not the easiest survey to navigate. I would have gladly provided some constructive suggestions, but was happy enough to just get through it! 

The desk staff called us a cab, and while we wondered for a bit if we’d be rescued, we were.  The taxi driver ferried us back and knew the streets well enough to turn away from a set of horses and riders slowly clopping their way down the road and backing up traffic.

OUTDOOR LUNCH

Bistro du Passage

This was Sunday, and many restaurants were closed, including almost all of them in Saluhall.  We spied outside tables at what we thought was Paula’s, but turned out to be Bistro du Passage according to the menu.  It was breezy and cool outside and I wanted to eat in, but the Chief Penguin insisted on an outdoor table. From our sidewalk seats, we watched family groups and individuals stroll by while we awaited our orders. 

Pappardelle with chèvre

This lunch was excellent.  I had pappardelle with chèvre which was lovely pasta with a goat cheese sauce and some little spears of asparagus, topped with thin slices of summer truffle, super yum!  The Chief Penguin had their chicken salad: greens, bell peppers, and sliced artichokes, all under a small chicken leg and thigh —some of the most flavorful chicken he’s had.  And I survived the gusty weather!

Note: All photos including header photo of sculpture terrace ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Sweden: Stockholm on Foot

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CAPITAL CITY

View toward the Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Stockholm is Sweden’s capital and largest city and is made up of numerous islands.  The city with a population of around one million is located at the juncture between a lake and an arm of the Baltic Sea.  Here, you are never far from water, and bridges and overpasses link some of the islands, making much of the city walkable.  Stockholm was founded in 1252 and officially recognized as the capital in 1436.  This was before Stockholm was fully liberated from the Danes in 1523. Today, Stockholm is a thriving center of commerce, industry, and culture, including the royal opera, philharmonic orchestra, and royal theater.

CITY PARKS

Berzelius Park

Berzelius with pigeon

As we wandered around exploring, we enjoyed several green spaces.  Berzelius Park is small with a statue of Jacob Berzelius (1779-1848), one of the fathers of modern chemistry, in the center.  Orange and yellow zinnias surround the statue while an outer ring of benches provides seating for contemplation.    

Enjoying the park

Kungstradgarden

Namaste Indian Festival booth

Kungstradgarden or King’s Garden is a large park in central Sweden.  Called by the locals, Kungsan, it is the site of friendly gatherings and festivals.  We admired the fountains, observed the locals, and wandered through the Indian cultural festival, Namaste Stkhlm.

Yoga in the park
Contemplating next move?

We were there as the festival was being set up and then again in the afternoon when it was a bustling scene of live music, colorful booths, and the tempting smells of Indian food.  We also watched a yoga class and noted a chess game in progress.

GAMLA STAN

Royal Place
Guard at his palace post
Nobel Prize Museum

Gamla Stan or Old Town was the original nucleus of the city of Stockholm.  It’s made up of three islands connected by bridges and overpasses.  Here one finds the Royal Palace, the Parliament building, and the German church among others. Also a museum devoted to the Nobel Prize. The Chief Penguin and I were fortunate to host a dinner in San Francisco for Nobel Prize winners from California several years ago; the head of this museum was in attendance.

Swedish Parliament

 Many of the buildings date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are impressive and large with colorful facades.

Lively square, Gamla Stan
Love these buildings!
In front of oldest bank building

 We walked up and down and around in this section taking lots of photos and then stopping for lunch at one of the many sidewalk cafes.  The Chief Penguin sampled the schnitzel with a local lager, while I ordered a Caesar salad with marinated chicken, a dish that seems to be on menus around the world.  This rendition had some bits of bacon and a few cherry tomatoes along with the requisite Parmesan and romaine lettuce.

Note: Header photo is of Storkyrkan, oldest church in Stockholm. All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Sweden: 80 & On to Stockholm

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CELEBRATING 80!

Josh flanked by Michel and the Chief Penguin

Our friend Josh, a Welshman, came to Sweden more than 50 years ago after studying at Oxford University.  He became a professor at Uppsala University and never left.  Josh and the Chief Penguin collaborated on battery research projects over the years.  In honor of his 80th birthday and his long and fruitful career, colleagues and others organized the celebration we attended.  We enjoyed an elaborate dinner with plenty of toasts and stories about Josh one night.

The next day was an all-day scientific symposium of talks by his friends and former students from England, Scotland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, and the U.S.  It took place at the Angstrom Laboratory on the university campus. The talks were enlivened with anecdotes and photos fleshing out Josh’s big personality, his warmth and kindness, and his dedication to having fun together as well as doing science.  One Japanese scientist, a lone female in her research group at home, came to work with Josh in the1990’s, bringing her three young children with her.  Josh located a preschool for the kids, and he and his wife hosted them at their home at Christmastime.

 I sat in on the symposium, and in addition to hearing much more about beta alumina and sodium ion batteries, more fully appreciated Josh’s formative impact on his PhD students and their careers.  It was also an opportunity for me to re-connect with French, British, and Swedish scientists I had met or hosted in our Swarthmore home decades ago.

ON TO STOCKHOLM

Uppsala’s train station is modern and a model of efficiency.  Our hotel was just across the street so we were able to easily drag our luggage over, buy our tickets at the convenience store, and board the 10:44 train.   The train left at precisely 10:44, made one stop, and arrived in the Stockholm central station 35 minutes later—the fast and expensive train, not really, just slightly more than the commuter one!

We got a taxi to our hotel, Villa Dagmar, and had just learned that even though it was before noon, our room was ready!  At that point, the transaction halted as the hotel’s fire alarm went off.  The desk staff proceeded to investigate the security panel; an announcement came over the loudspeaker; several people, not many, exited the front door; and eventually the alarm stopped. A man looking to be kitchen staff and wearing an apron appeared briefly.  Had he or someone else burned the toast?

Typical park scene complete with bikes
Local or visitor?

EXPLORING & DINING

The hotel is very comfortable and quiet.  After lunch in the adjacent food hall, we explored the neighboring streets, noted the many boats in the inlet, and wandered in a small park.    For dinner, we opted for The Garden restaurant in the courtyard. 

Dining with friends

Our tasty meal was to the tune of blaring loud music midst a crowd of attractive young Swedes enjoying their Friday evening out.  Thankfully, our room above has triple pane windows and nary a sound or note was heard when we retired.

Breakfast is included with the room, and we presented ourselves at the dining room at 7:30, the weekend opening time.  A buffet of fruits, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, meats and cheeses, and the like was on offer along with a printed menu of cooked dishes. We made ourselves plates from the buffet and looked around and looked around, but we could see no bread or rolls, staples of Swedish cuisine. 

I inquired if there was bread, only to be told that there is a bakery on the floor below, and the bread was stuck in the lift!  The staff expected the issue to be resolved in about 15 minutes; did we want a hot dish in the meantime?  The Chief Penguin ordered and enjoyed a lovely ham and cheese omelette. 

Eventually, someone delivered me a piece of toast.  And then, some delectable croissants and dainty cinnamon rolls appeared on the buffet.  Problem solved.  In the meantime, at least three different staff checked on us, asking if everything was alright and did we want anything else.  An adventure at breakfast with excellent pastries and omelette and brewed tea (no tea bags!).  I think we’ll stay for another day or two!

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Sweden: Dining Around

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EATING OUT IN UPPSALA AND STOCKHOLM

One does not expect a northern country like Sweden to offer outside dining, but it does. Here in Uppsala, there are many sidewalk cafes and glassed-in cafes, some overlooking the river and others just on ordinary streets. Most have heat lamps, extending both the dining hours and the days on which it is possible to eat outdoors.

Iberico, Uppsala

Entrance to Iberico

Set alongside the river, Iberico is a tapas restaurant that serves in a café space in pleasant weather and across the street indoors the rest of the time.  The Chief Penguin discovered this gem, and we were delighted with what we ordered. From a plate of three different hams to shrimps in chili ginger oil, to patatas bravas, and lovely patron peppers sprinkled with salt, to a bomba filled with minced lamb and in a Swedish twist, a bit of truffle, everything was delicious!  Add in some Spanish wine and you have a tasty light meal.

 We liked this restaurant so much, we returned for a light meal after lunch in Stockholm.  We enjoyed the three Iberico hams a second time, the padron peppers, and this time the cheese platter complete with Marcona almonds, small toasts, and mini wedges of cantaloupe. 

Our waiter, a young man who grew up in Moldova, was the youngest son in his family who got “blamed’ for everything. He lived for some years in Dubai, but tiring of the noise and bustle there, moved to Uppsala. He was charming and engaging, adding to our dining pleasure on both occasions.

Saluhallen, Uppsala

Fish counter, Saluhallen

Saluhallen is an elegant food hall.  Not overly large, it is divided into sections and counters devoted to one food group or another.  A lovely selection of cheeses in one case, fish and shrimp preparations at another counter, beef and other meats at another, and fancy pastries at yet another.  You can order items to take home or sit nearby or at tables in a separate attractive light-filled area with big windows.  We didn’t eat or buy here, just wandered through, salivating all the way, promising ourselves a return visit.

Operabaren, Stockholm

Housed in the Royal Swedish Opera House complex, Operabaren is the little sister to Operakallaren, a one Michelin star restaurant also here.  Coming by train from Uppsala (about 45 minutes), we met our friends from Los Angeles.  It’s a small comfortable space with lots of wood and both traditional and elegant in feel.  White tablecloths and white linen napkins, for sure, and all male servers.  The menu is mostly traditional Swedish cuisine, beautifully plated.

Swedish shrimp sandwich

I had the half open face shrimp sandwich as my starter, while the Chief Penguin indulged in herring with little round potatoes. 

Herring and potatoes

For mains, we both ordered Swedish meatballs.  They were little balls in a rich sauce accompanied by puréed potatoes, lingonberries, and pickled cucumber slices.  A perfect rendition of this classic dish! 

Swedish meatballs!

Our friends tucked into a beef and potato entrée and gravlax with potatoes on the side.  Dessert was a buttercream meringue confection for the CP, raspberry sorbet for me, and a cheese plate for the others. 

Meringue confection

It was leisurely meal where we caught up with each others’ lives over the past several decades.

OF NOTE

Street with Hanging lampshades

Smedsgrand Street

I fell in love with the hanging lamp shade lights on Smedsgrand Street in Uppsala.  The shades are large and colorfully patterned and almost all different.  I noted only one pattern that was repeated.  I was curious about them and Googled, but was unable to find any information about them or why and when they were installed. 

TRAIN STATION

Uppsala Train Station

The Uppsala train station is a striking long building.  It is modern, with good signage, and is meticulously clean! Finding where to buy a train ticket, however, is almost impossible.  No signs or obvious ticket machines or service counter.  Finally, the Chief Penguin entered a convenience store to ask.  The helpful man there told him he sells the tickets, and he provided useful details on the schedule and travel times. We later bought tickets from him. Friends told us you can buy tickets online, but we haven’t tried that.

This station also includes an upscale restaurant, a café and a grill.  The restaurant is a separate enterprise from the station management. 

Note: Header photo by the river and all other photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)