Jønkøping, Huskvarna, Gänna and Stockholm. 2017.

Our brunch with Småland beer. Photo: Janis Kravis.

Bird Museum, Jønkøping. Photo: Guntar Kravis.

My public school, Jønkøping. Photo: Guntar Kravis.

Our first apartment (Window behind me) Gränsgatan 11, Jønkøping. Photo: Guntar Kravis.

From Gothenburg we drove to Jønkøping, where I used to live from 1944 to 1950. Upon arrival we drove straight to the top of the mountain to have a view of the city and to have a bite. Of course, we had to have a Småland beer for the occasion.

Nearby was a Bird Museum, that seemed to have all the birds of Sweden represented. A very interesting exhibit.

I wanted to show Guntar the places that I had lived at in Jønkøping. We found the first apartment easily enough on the map, however had a very difficult time getting to it, because of one way streets and dead ends. With the help from some locals, we did find it, very close to my first public school. We also found the second location, however the building was gone and had been replaced by two new buildings.

Jønkøping is located at the south end of Lake Vättern, a long and narrow lake, the second largest lake in Sweden. We drove along the eastern shore, through Huskvarna toward Gränna and Yellene Uttern (Golden Otter) where we had made reservations for one night. It is a charming place, built in the 1930ies and inspired by some historic castles nearby.

Its main dining room "Verandan", is a member of the Chain des Rotisseurs, a food appreciation society. We had an excellent dinner there.

Main dining room, Yllene Uttern. Photo: Guntar Kravis.

We had an unusual experience when trying to order some Gin &Tonics. The receptionist, who was also the bartender, asked how many centilitres of gin we wanted, one, two, three? This was the first time that anyone had asked us this question. We asked what was the usual quantity? We settled for four. Apparently they charge by the centilitre and they also charge separately for the tonic. Sweden is a very expensive place compared to Canada.

Planted roofs at Yllene Uttern. Photo: Janis Kravis.

I was very impressed with the very mature and beautiful planted roofs at Yllene Uttern. Various mosses, lichens and wildflowers create a beautiful carpet in browns and rust.

Stockholm.

After an uneventful drive from Yllene Uttern, we arrived at our Hotel Terminus, located directly opposite the main Railway Station. It was a great location, close to the water and the City Hall.

View from my hotel window. Photo: Janis Kravis.

The Stockholm subway system is quite extensive and some of it is deep inside the bedrock. Many of the rock walls have been left exposed to allow for water to surface and be drained away. Artists have been part of the design teams and have contributed many wonderful features to many of the stations.

We were very fortunate to be able to visit the studio of one of Sweden's most prominent sculptors, Thomas Qvarsebo. An architect friend of mine, from Toronto and living in Stockholm, Boris Culjat shares part of the studio. Boris is also a very good and accomplished artist and gave us a tour of his studio. While there, we met Thomas Qvarsebo and saw many maquettes and sketches of his work. He is a charming fellow and gave us a tour of his studio.

Architect and artist Boris Culjat. Photo: Janis Kravis.

Thomas Qvarsebo, sculptor. Photo Janis Kravis.

Thomas Qvarsebo, Sculptor. Photo: Guntar Kravis.

We took an extended boat tour into the Stockholm archipelago and saw many red cottages with white trim, a typical Swedish scene. All the small islands have electricity by underwater cable. There is a ferry system that makes access very convenient. Some are so close to downtown that you can be at the cottage within minutes. It seemed almost difficult to get into a cottage mood while you could still see the city. Many islands and cottages continue for many kilometres into the Baltic.

We went to the Vasa Museum to see the salvaged ship, which sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage. It is a massive ship, 69 m (226 feet) in length and 50 m (164 feet) in height. It weighed over 1200 tons, and had 10 sails, 64 cannons and 120 tons of ballast and hundreds of sculptures. It was however unstable. It only sailed 1300 m before a gust of wind heeled the ship to port. As the gunwales were left open, water started gushing in, and within minutes the Vasa had gone 32 m below. Many sailors perished and the flagship of the Swedish Navy was no more.

"Gamla Stan". (The Old Town). Photo: Janis Kravis.

The Old Town or "Gamla Stan" is where Stockholm started. A small island, cobblestone streets, narrow four storey buildings, now occupied by studios, shops, bars and restaurants. The site of the Royal Palace.

We had lunch with a Swedish friend, Karl at the "Bakfickan" (Back Pocket) at the Royal Opera House. Their main restaurant "Oprakällaren" or the "Operacellar" is only open in the evenings. On the menu I had two of my favourite choices, a herring selection and Lobster Bisque. I am very fond of Loster Bisque and will try it in most places to see how good it is. I had my best Lobster Bisque at the Plaza Hotel in New York city about fifty years ago. It was truly outstanding, with substantial chunks of lobster and a silky smoothness. Here I ordered the Lobster Bisque and was delighted to find it to be excellent. I would like to acknowledge that the Lobster Bisque that i had at the Bakfickan was the second best that i have had. Perhaps it was the best, it is difficult to compare within such a long timeframe. I will remember savouring the bisque as one of the highlights of the trip.

Many Latvians and people of Latvian origin wear a traditional ring, which identifies their connection. All the members of our family wear one.

A young lady, who was having lunch with a friend, had noticed Guntar's ring and asked him in Latvian if he spoke Latvian? Then she continued in English, explaining that she only spoke a few phrases. It turned out that she was from Toronto and was travelling with her niece through Sweden and going to Ireland. I asked if she was familiar with Karelia. She was, and her parents had taken her to the Front Street store many times and she had items and Marimekko fabrics in her home. When she found out that we were going to have dinner with Ristomatti Ratia the next evening and meeting Vuokko, she got really excited and we hugged. What a wonderful coincidence and surprise.

We had a bit of a wait at the airport on our way to Helsinki. It is a beautiful, modern airport with wonderful lounge areas, furnished with the best Scandinavian designs.

Arne Jakobsen's Egg Chair. Photo: Janis Kravis.

My Trip to Europe 2017Janis KravisNovember 23, 2017Comment