We left Sunday, June 19 for Gothenburg, Sweden, Sweden´s second largest city. Their art museum was fantastic and had plenty of images and information for the students' papers they are writing to earn their grade for the art history portion of the trip. There is a huge train station there with tons of train tracks, passengers, trains coming in an out, eating places, etc. David found a bookstore there and I bought the second in the Steig Larson "Girl with the . . . . " books in English. I read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on my e-reader but found that I couldn't purchase any books over here, has to be in the U.S. for my reader. The Dragon Tattoo was difficult to get into, but once a ways along, totally worth it. I could hardly wait to read the next one.
We had a nice meal at a Swedish restaurant in Gothenburg - a three course deal with appetizer (David had herring, he loves it, I had salad) main course and dessert. David left an umbrella and my book there so he had to walk back to get it after we had arrived at our hotel. It was only a few blocks away.
We loved Oslo. What a vibrant city! Tons and tons of shops of all kinds in the downtown area, a beautiful harbor, lots of gorgeous old buildings, parks, people everywhere. Lots of tourists, like us. Everyone is eating outside or just having coffee and chatting. The first night, we encountered a marching band, so we followed it as they played and marched around several blocks, then settled into a beautiful park to listen to them play in a band stand.
They also had an excellent national gallery with a host of paintings and sculptures to enjoy as well as files with large thin drawers that contained drawings and prints by famous artists including Rembrandt and some really old ones from the1400s and 1500s.
We had a nice meal in Oslo as well. The restaurant had a beautiful outdoor area with a fountain. I had fish soup with super fresh fish and a delicious broth. David had a fish sandwich.
David and I visited the Norwegian Resistance Museum and you had to really want to see it or you wouldn't bother tromping over cobbled walkways, up hills, and up and down stairs to get to the museum which was located on an ancient fortress. It was worth the effort as it was very comprehensive and they had lots of artifacts, recordings, videos, etc. So now we've visited two resistance museums - one in Copenhagen and one in Oslo.
We returned to Mullsjö Folkhögsköa today (Wed. June 22) in the afternoon. It is really good to be back here. David walked to town to get some laundry soap and I am doing this blog and reading my book. Only two more days here and then we leave for our last trip which is to Stockholm. Then next Tuesday we fly to Springfield. We are all talking about how we will be glad to get home and we know that once we are home we are going to be sad because we will miss this place a lot.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
You can make decent chilli in Mullsjö Sweden
Most week-ends we travel, so we aren't affected by the fact that no meals are served here at the school on the week-ends, beginning Friday evenings. So, last Friday I cooked chili and baked brownies to be served on Saturday evening to the 7 MSSU students and David and me. First, a trip to the grocery store, which thankfully was facilitated by Janna, a teacher at the Folkhogskola, driving me to the store and helping me find things. It took a long time to locate everything I needed. Then, I started cooking. That was a problem because the stove, located in a kitchen in a student lounge area in one of the dorm buildings, wouldn´t turn on. I even found instructions, which were in both Swedish and English, but they didn´t help.Finally, I found two of the students who had cooked on that stove and found out there was a timer that had to be turned on. Apparently some mishaps have occurred in which someone turned on the stove and left it on. So there is a timer that has to be set every thirty minutes for the stove and the oven.
Once I got that problem solved, everything went smoothly. I was sure I had more chili than even 10 people could eat - our friend Edina, a volunteer at Folkhogkola from Hungary, joined us. But all of it was consumed. The brownies were kind of a wierd consistency - the flour seemed more like pancake mix - who knows - but everyone got fed and we had a good time talking with Edina from Hungary about what different English words mean. Like "zip lock" "snack" can´t remember what else.
Once I got that problem solved, everything went smoothly. I was sure I had more chili than even 10 people could eat - our friend Edina, a volunteer at Folkhogkola from Hungary, joined us. But all of it was consumed. The brownies were kind of a wierd consistency - the flour seemed more like pancake mix - who knows - but everyone got fed and we had a good time talking with Edina from Hungary about what different English words mean. Like "zip lock" "snack" can´t remember what else.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Saturday at the market
This past Saturday, June 12, we walked to Mullsjö and after a delightful pastry (we wondered if they call it Danish here in Sweden) and coffee at the local bakery, we caught the train to Jönköping. We had heard there was a farmer's market as well as a flea market there on Saturdays, all we had to do was find it. Even though it was gray, cloudy and a bit rainy, we decided to make the trip any way. At one point during our search for these markets, we encountered fairly heavy rain but were able to avoid getting super wet by standing under some overhangs of the downtown buildings until it subsided.
With the help of a friendly grocery store clerk who spoke English, we found the farmers market and had fun viewing the fresh produce, cut flowers, flowering plants, freshly-caught fish, cheese and deli meats, and even clothing that was for sale in the open-air market. We actually found a stand selling donuts! So, far there had been no donuts served anywhere in Sweden but this gentleman was from New York and his donuts were fresh out of the fryer. After enjoying that treat, I decided to visit "our" church again. Lucky me, the organist was playing again so I was treated to another concert while David explored outside.
One of the reasons we like this church, is that in addition to being beautiful and having an organist who peforms lovely music regularly, they have a great bathroom (toalett). So, this chuch is becoming our favorite place to take a break.
We also took a break in a coffee shop and had warm chokolade. It was served in a nice-sized pitcher with a very tall rounded stirrer. The server briskly stirred the chokolade by rubbing the large rounded stick back and forth between her two hands, then poured the hot liquid into our mugs. It was chilly enough that day that the warm chocolaty, not too sweet, beverage was just perfect for our break.
We finally found the flea market, located in a big building in the area that was a matchstick factory at one time. However, we were too late, they were already packing up. We will go there this coming Saturday, now that we know where it is, we can arrive in time to peruse the goodies they are selling.
We managed to catch the train only a couple of minutes after we arrived at the station. Then we walked back to Mullsjö Folkhogskola after the train dropped us off. It was an enjoyable but very tiring day so we decided to take a nap at 4:00 p.m. when we arrived at our apartment. Five hours later, we woke up from our "short nap" and got ready for bed!
With the help of a friendly grocery store clerk who spoke English, we found the farmers market and had fun viewing the fresh produce, cut flowers, flowering plants, freshly-caught fish, cheese and deli meats, and even clothing that was for sale in the open-air market. We actually found a stand selling donuts! So, far there had been no donuts served anywhere in Sweden but this gentleman was from New York and his donuts were fresh out of the fryer. After enjoying that treat, I decided to visit "our" church again. Lucky me, the organist was playing again so I was treated to another concert while David explored outside.
One of the reasons we like this church, is that in addition to being beautiful and having an organist who peforms lovely music regularly, they have a great bathroom (toalett). So, this chuch is becoming our favorite place to take a break.
We also took a break in a coffee shop and had warm chokolade. It was served in a nice-sized pitcher with a very tall rounded stirrer. The server briskly stirred the chokolade by rubbing the large rounded stick back and forth between her two hands, then poured the hot liquid into our mugs. It was chilly enough that day that the warm chocolaty, not too sweet, beverage was just perfect for our break.
We finally found the flea market, located in a big building in the area that was a matchstick factory at one time. However, we were too late, they were already packing up. We will go there this coming Saturday, now that we know where it is, we can arrive in time to peruse the goodies they are selling.
We managed to catch the train only a couple of minutes after we arrived at the station. Then we walked back to Mullsjö Folkhogskola after the train dropped us off. It was an enjoyable but very tiring day so we decided to take a nap at 4:00 p.m. when we arrived at our apartment. Five hours later, we woke up from our "short nap" and got ready for bed!
Kidnapped by a cab driver!
Yes, we were taken by a cab driver, actually with our consent, to his chuch yesterday. The story starts with a search for breakfast Sunday morning. No meals are served from Friday through Sunday night at Mullsjö Folkhogskola, and we hadn't done a good job of making sure we had enough in the apartment to eat. So, David suggested we walk to the Mullsjö Hotel. He was there the day before and saw that they had a dining room so he was sure we'd find breakfast there. Granted, it was a bit of a walk, but much of it was through beautiful woods and there was a path the entire way. So, after what seemed like many miles of walking, we arrived at the hotel, and entered. Not a soul was there. No one. No breakfast either. We could have walked away with their china and silver.
So, on to plan B. We knew there was another motel-gas station type place and while it was another bit of a walk, we headed that way. We made one mistake, in that instead of walking on the busy road, we decided to walk on the lawn of an empty commercial building. Big mistake. The "lawn" was small shrubs, planted very close to each other and there was a bit of a cliff to climb down and then up. It was so steep, we had to walk with our feet sideways so we wouldn't topple over.
After successfully overcoming that challenge, we arrived at the restaurant-motel place and had a very nice breakfast. We were hoping for scrambled eggs but no such luck. All the eggs in Sweden, apparently, are hard boiled. We also bought some much-needed groceries at the same location but now we were faced with the terrible (to me) task of walking back, this time with groceries in hand. I asked the clerk if she would call a cab for us. She did, but no luck. Discouraged, we sat down to gather our strength of the walk ahead, and then I asked her to call again. She did and this time the cab driver answered and said he'd pick us up in 15 minutes. I was so happy!!!
A very nice man who spoke English picked us up and told us he had left church to come and get us. Would we like to run by his church and maybe have a cup of coffee and then he'd take us to the school? We answered, sure, we can do that. When we arrived, church services will still going strong, so we entered the sanctuary and settled in. Everything was in Swedish, of course, so we did our best by observing nonverbals and doing what everyone else did. During communion, there was a beautiful duet with a woman playing the flute and another playing the piano.
When the church service ended, we were greeted by many friendly people and led into their community room where we enjoyed coffee and sweets. Instead of standing up during this time, we were seated which was very nice. A couple of people who work here at Mullsjo Folkhogskola were members of this church so there were some familiar faces.
Finally, we suggested to our cab driver that maybe we should head back to our school. He and his wife, Maryanne, then drove us back to Mullsjö Folkhogskola, and that is how we were "kidnapped" by a friendly cab driver and taken to his church.
So, on to plan B. We knew there was another motel-gas station type place and while it was another bit of a walk, we headed that way. We made one mistake, in that instead of walking on the busy road, we decided to walk on the lawn of an empty commercial building. Big mistake. The "lawn" was small shrubs, planted very close to each other and there was a bit of a cliff to climb down and then up. It was so steep, we had to walk with our feet sideways so we wouldn't topple over.
After successfully overcoming that challenge, we arrived at the restaurant-motel place and had a very nice breakfast. We were hoping for scrambled eggs but no such luck. All the eggs in Sweden, apparently, are hard boiled. We also bought some much-needed groceries at the same location but now we were faced with the terrible (to me) task of walking back, this time with groceries in hand. I asked the clerk if she would call a cab for us. She did, but no luck. Discouraged, we sat down to gather our strength of the walk ahead, and then I asked her to call again. She did and this time the cab driver answered and said he'd pick us up in 15 minutes. I was so happy!!!
A very nice man who spoke English picked us up and told us he had left church to come and get us. Would we like to run by his church and maybe have a cup of coffee and then he'd take us to the school? We answered, sure, we can do that. When we arrived, church services will still going strong, so we entered the sanctuary and settled in. Everything was in Swedish, of course, so we did our best by observing nonverbals and doing what everyone else did. During communion, there was a beautiful duet with a woman playing the flute and another playing the piano.
When the church service ended, we were greeted by many friendly people and led into their community room where we enjoyed coffee and sweets. Instead of standing up during this time, we were seated which was very nice. A couple of people who work here at Mullsjo Folkhogskola were members of this church so there were some familiar faces.
Finally, we suggested to our cab driver that maybe we should head back to our school. He and his wife, Maryanne, then drove us back to Mullsjö Folkhogskola, and that is how we were "kidnapped" by a friendly cab driver and taken to his church.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day trip to Jönköping
David and I took the bus from Mullsjo Folkhogskola to Jönköping yesterday. Jönköping is about 25 or 30 miles from here. David has explored this small city before so he showed me what he had found from earlier trips. The town has a very nice, big shopping area with lots of coffee shops, clothing stores, and housewares type stores. It is a good walking area with lots of benches and even public toilets.I was thinking that we tend not to have toilets for the public in the U.S. unless there's event, probably because we don't want the homless to have any place to go to the bathroom but here in Sweden it doesn't seem like there are any homeless people.
Once we scoped out the shopping area, we visited a very large church with huge steeples. The best part was the organist was practicing so we stayed and listened and just looked around for quite some time until practice was over.
The next stop was a beautiful, quiet cemetery. I guess they are all quiet, aren't they? It was very well maintained and had a lovely spot with a semi-circle of trees that were trimmed to make a canopy. There was a water feature and lots of flowers as well as some benches. We spent a lot of time there as well since I like to get as much rest between walks as I can.
At the town square or town park, not sure which, a crowd of college students were marching to the beat of some drums, carrying flags, and then they presented a program featuring a choir that sang several songs and a speech by one of the students, it appeared. The speaker received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. We had no idea what the occasion was or what they were speaking and singing about but it was enjoyable just the same.
This small city sits on a huge lake which was quite foggy that day. It made the air nice and cool while we walked and toured.
Jöngköping used to have a match factory which has now been turned into little shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. We shopped at the Red Cross second hand store where there was lots of great stuff including clothing, furniture, books, glassware, etc. Another stop was in an antique store crammed with bric-a-brac, pictures, lamps, jewelry, and chandeliers.
We ate lunch at a little restaurant in the match factory area. I asked for enough pizza for two people and we received two probably 12 inch pizzas each, way more than we could eat. We were eating outside and I noticed some people walking by looking at our enormous pizzas and laughing. I think they were saying, "those Americans, they eat so much, no wonder they're so fat."
We visited a radio museum with two rooms chock full of radios from the 1920s through 1980s and televisions from the 1950s on. David got more from that museum that I did because he knows more about old radios than I do.
We were able to run a bit and catch the 2:00 pm train back to Mullsjo. It stops in Mullsjo and then we caught the but back to Folkhogskola which is actually walkable but taking the bus left me with more energy for the rest of the day.
A return trip to Jonkoping is planned for this Saturday because they have a farmers market then and we didn't visit the historical museums yet.
Tomorrow (Friday, June 10) we go on a day trip with the students to Kalmar Castle in southeast Sweden, south of Stockholm, plus a stop at the Orrefors glass factory. Our wonderful driver, Bernt Svensson, will be ferrying us around again. It is so good to have him as he knows about every place we visit, can get us there and back, and answer all of our questions. Plus he patiently waited at the grocery store the last time, while we supplied ourselves for several days of no meals being served at Folkhogskola. He also let me know via e-mail the very next day after we returned from our last trip, to let me know he had my purse, etc. that I had left in the van by mistake. Reminded me of losing my purse in northern California a couple of years ago.
More after we return from our trip to Kalmar Castle.
Once we scoped out the shopping area, we visited a very large church with huge steeples. The best part was the organist was practicing so we stayed and listened and just looked around for quite some time until practice was over.
The next stop was a beautiful, quiet cemetery. I guess they are all quiet, aren't they? It was very well maintained and had a lovely spot with a semi-circle of trees that were trimmed to make a canopy. There was a water feature and lots of flowers as well as some benches. We spent a lot of time there as well since I like to get as much rest between walks as I can.
At the town square or town park, not sure which, a crowd of college students were marching to the beat of some drums, carrying flags, and then they presented a program featuring a choir that sang several songs and a speech by one of the students, it appeared. The speaker received an enthusiastic response from the crowd. We had no idea what the occasion was or what they were speaking and singing about but it was enjoyable just the same.
This small city sits on a huge lake which was quite foggy that day. It made the air nice and cool while we walked and toured.
Jöngköping used to have a match factory which has now been turned into little shops, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. We shopped at the Red Cross second hand store where there was lots of great stuff including clothing, furniture, books, glassware, etc. Another stop was in an antique store crammed with bric-a-brac, pictures, lamps, jewelry, and chandeliers.
We ate lunch at a little restaurant in the match factory area. I asked for enough pizza for two people and we received two probably 12 inch pizzas each, way more than we could eat. We were eating outside and I noticed some people walking by looking at our enormous pizzas and laughing. I think they were saying, "those Americans, they eat so much, no wonder they're so fat."
We visited a radio museum with two rooms chock full of radios from the 1920s through 1980s and televisions from the 1950s on. David got more from that museum that I did because he knows more about old radios than I do.
We were able to run a bit and catch the 2:00 pm train back to Mullsjo. It stops in Mullsjo and then we caught the but back to Folkhogskola which is actually walkable but taking the bus left me with more energy for the rest of the day.
A return trip to Jonkoping is planned for this Saturday because they have a farmers market then and we didn't visit the historical museums yet.
Tomorrow (Friday, June 10) we go on a day trip with the students to Kalmar Castle in southeast Sweden, south of Stockholm, plus a stop at the Orrefors glass factory. Our wonderful driver, Bernt Svensson, will be ferrying us around again. It is so good to have him as he knows about every place we visit, can get us there and back, and answer all of our questions. Plus he patiently waited at the grocery store the last time, while we supplied ourselves for several days of no meals being served at Folkhogskola. He also let me know via e-mail the very next day after we returned from our last trip, to let me know he had my purse, etc. that I had left in the van by mistake. Reminded me of losing my purse in northern California a couple of years ago.
More after we return from our trip to Kalmar Castle.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Dinners in the dorms
Last Thursday evening, we were invited by Oscar and Daniel to dinner in the faculty lounge of one of the buildings on the Folkhogskola campus. They knew that dinner wasn´t being served that evening by the school, so they kindly decided to host us themselves. This involved a lot of trouble on their part because they don´t have a car so they walked to town and purchased the items and then cooked and served them to us. The faculty lounge has a great kitchen and lovely setting to enjoy dinner. We had ground-moose meat meatballs with herbs and onions, roasted root vegetables including carrots and beets, and potatoes. For dessert - Greek yogurt with honey, nuts, and chocolate shavings. It was a delicious dinner featuring great food and enjoyable conversation. The moose meat balls were excellent and tasted just like ground beef but moose is much leaner.
Oscar, who has finished his 2 years at the Mullsjo Folkhogskola, and Daniel who has a masters in human geography, were both in the class David taught when he was here in January. Then they both came to Joplin, along with about a dozen other Folkhogskola students, and stayed at MSSU in April. We drove everyone, using both our cars and several trips, to a diner in Webb City one Sunday in April for breakfast.
Another dinner in the dorm was last night hosted by the students from MSSU who are here for the month. They collaborated on every aspect of the dinner including planning the menu, purchasing the items for it, cooking it and serving it in the student lounge of one of the dorms. The menu was spaghetti with a creamy tomato sauce, mushrooms (on the side because not everyone wanted mushroomsd) and garlic toast. David and I contributed a couple of beverages, not to be named because this campus doesn`t allow alcohol. The food was delicious and it was more fun because everyone participated.
Oscar, who has finished his 2 years at the Mullsjo Folkhogskola, and Daniel who has a masters in human geography, were both in the class David taught when he was here in January. Then they both came to Joplin, along with about a dozen other Folkhogskola students, and stayed at MSSU in April. We drove everyone, using both our cars and several trips, to a diner in Webb City one Sunday in April for breakfast.
Another dinner in the dorm was last night hosted by the students from MSSU who are here for the month. They collaborated on every aspect of the dinner including planning the menu, purchasing the items for it, cooking it and serving it in the student lounge of one of the dorms. The menu was spaghetti with a creamy tomato sauce, mushrooms (on the side because not everyone wanted mushroomsd) and garlic toast. David and I contributed a couple of beverages, not to be named because this campus doesn`t allow alcohol. The food was delicious and it was more fun because everyone participated.
Tivoli Gardens and Amusement Park
For a treat we headed for the famous Tivoli Gardens which has been an amuseument park since the late 19th century. The most charming part was the concert band which played in an old fashioned setting, and the pantomine acts and ballet which performed on a Chinese theatre type stage. There were also lovely gardens and plants, flowers everywhere. Otherwise it is pretty much an amuseument park with rides such as you would find in any amusement park. There were also tons of restaurants. It was a pleasant outing and I`m glad we got to see it.
Art museums in Copenhagen
We visited quite a few museums both on the way in and out of Copenhagen and in the city itself. On the way in to town we stopped at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. The setting for this museum is absolutely gorgous as it sits on the Sound and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. Lots of people, families, were enjoying the parks and the water outside of this museum. Inside, there was a huge installation by several artists about different ways of "living" like in treehouses and the like from all over the world. Also, an exhibit by David Hockey about drawing using an I-Pad.
In Copenhagen, we visited the National Gallery of Art which for my purposes, was one of the most accessible museums we visited, something that was very important to me the day after I fell at Kronberg Castle. The art ranged from French to Scandanavian painters and from the Renaissance to modern art, which should provide the students on the trip with excellent examples for their research papers.
We walked from there to the Hirschprung Collection, located in the same block. Here the art was arranged as if it were in a home and included period furniture from the artists´ homes. The paintings were from the Golden Age in Denmark.
The least accessible both physically and otherwise for me was Thorvaldsen`s Museum. Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish sculpture very famous in Denmark and the museum houses not just his sculptures but everything he collected including ancient from Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
On the way out of town we went to the Arken Museum of Modern Art which sits on the Sound a few miles out of Copenhagen. We enjoyed the exhibit of Anna Archer a Danish painter who, even though she wasn't allowed to enter the Academy because she was a woman, became a highly-regarded painter in the late 19th century and early 20th century. There was also an installation which the students enjoyed experiencing several times which made the participants feel like they were in a dense fog with various kinds of light.
In Copenhagen, we visited the National Gallery of Art which for my purposes, was one of the most accessible museums we visited, something that was very important to me the day after I fell at Kronberg Castle. The art ranged from French to Scandanavian painters and from the Renaissance to modern art, which should provide the students on the trip with excellent examples for their research papers.
We walked from there to the Hirschprung Collection, located in the same block. Here the art was arranged as if it were in a home and included period furniture from the artists´ homes. The paintings were from the Golden Age in Denmark.
The least accessible both physically and otherwise for me was Thorvaldsen`s Museum. Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish sculpture very famous in Denmark and the museum houses not just his sculptures but everything he collected including ancient from Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
On the way out of town we went to the Arken Museum of Modern Art which sits on the Sound a few miles out of Copenhagen. We enjoyed the exhibit of Anna Archer a Danish painter who, even though she wasn't allowed to enter the Academy because she was a woman, became a highly-regarded painter in the late 19th century and early 20th century. There was also an installation which the students enjoyed experiencing several times which made the participants feel like they were in a dense fog with various kinds of light.
Copenhagen, city of bicycles . . .
We liked our hotel, Ibsens, located pretty much in the center of the city. This is a city of bicycles. We saw more bicycles here than we have since we were in China in 1999. Pregnant women, old people, people smoking while they bicycle, conversing, traveling in huge crowds, alone, and in pairs, on old bikes, nondescript bikes, bikes with big wagons on the front for the kids or maybe even an adult.
The buildings are old, 3 or more stories high, with lots of windows and they sit on numerous canals throughout the city. Anyway, back to the hotel. Our room was plenty large for us and furnished in simple, Danish modern style with a bed, desk, and a huge footstool. No closet, but places to hang things and the bathroom was teeny tiny but got the job done. Basically, the floor of the bath was the floor of the shower. You could put all your stuff in the sink and then just reach for it when you needed it while showering.
We enjoyed the breakfasts which were included with the hotel. Buffet style, of course, with little half sandwiches of cheese, chicken, salmon with lots of greens (salat) housed in open paper packages. Yogurt in little dishes with different types of fruit. Then if you wanted to, you could add almonds, granola, etc. Coffee served in small, thick, squat glasses. Everything went on a tray with little indents for each glass.
There was a nice dining area furnished in Danish modern style plus a sitting area and then a lovely courtyard outside where we chose to eat. David photographed it all so we'll see if we can get them posted onto the site. So far posting photos is tedious and a bit difficult.
More on the museums later . . .
The buildings are old, 3 or more stories high, with lots of windows and they sit on numerous canals throughout the city. Anyway, back to the hotel. Our room was plenty large for us and furnished in simple, Danish modern style with a bed, desk, and a huge footstool. No closet, but places to hang things and the bathroom was teeny tiny but got the job done. Basically, the floor of the bath was the floor of the shower. You could put all your stuff in the sink and then just reach for it when you needed it while showering.
We enjoyed the breakfasts which were included with the hotel. Buffet style, of course, with little half sandwiches of cheese, chicken, salmon with lots of greens (salat) housed in open paper packages. Yogurt in little dishes with different types of fruit. Then if you wanted to, you could add almonds, granola, etc. Coffee served in small, thick, squat glasses. Everything went on a tray with little indents for each glass.
There was a nice dining area furnished in Danish modern style plus a sitting area and then a lovely courtyard outside where we chose to eat. David photographed it all so we'll see if we can get them posted onto the site. So far posting photos is tedious and a bit difficult.
More on the museums later . . .
A fall at Kronberg Castle
Our first stop on our way to Copenhagen after we left the ferry from Sweden, was Helsingor, the home of Kronberg Castle. It was built in 1420 as a fortress and is the model for Shapkespeare´s Elsinor in Hamlet and sits on the Sound, the body of water between Sweden and Denmark. Complete with a moat and drawbridge, the buildings form a square around a huge courtyard. You can visit the underbelly of the castle where the soldiers would hunker down during a seige and prisoners would be housed.
While everyone was exploring the dungeons, I waited for them to return because I didn't think I could navigate the stairs (a good call, David informed me later). But as I headed toward the doorway to the courtyard to talk to a museum staff member, I was looking up to see where she was and totally missed that there was a big step down so down I went, flat on my face, actually my knees. The staff member and others helped me up, sat me in a chair to recover and even brought me water. Meanwhile, everyone in our group was looking for me and couldn´t see that I was in a foyer out of sight from the courtyard.
I´m glad I´m writing this a few days later because now I know I am just fine and the trip isn´t ruined because I can´t walk. Just some bruises and such and now my "good" knee isn't so good! And now I've had my fall for the trip so that should be it!
While everyone was exploring the dungeons, I waited for them to return because I didn't think I could navigate the stairs (a good call, David informed me later). But as I headed toward the doorway to the courtyard to talk to a museum staff member, I was looking up to see where she was and totally missed that there was a big step down so down I went, flat on my face, actually my knees. The staff member and others helped me up, sat me in a chair to recover and even brought me water. Meanwhile, everyone in our group was looking for me and couldn´t see that I was in a foyer out of sight from the courtyard.
I´m glad I´m writing this a few days later because now I know I am just fine and the trip isn´t ruined because I can´t walk. Just some bruises and such and now my "good" knee isn't so good! And now I've had my fall for the trip so that should be it!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
An evening in Sweden
We were invited to join the staff and faculty of the Mullsjo Folkhogskola for an outing to an island located in a nearby lake. We took a bus to a ferry about 25 or 30 miles from Mullsjo and the bus went right onto the ferry. After about 20 or 25 minutes we arrived on the island where we were joined by a tour leader who explained the history of the island, various points of interest including two ruins of ancient castles. She also took us into a very old church that had been there since the 1500s. An earlier church that had been located in the same place was built in 1100. The art in the church seemed kind of like folk art, kind of germanic in nature. There were statues of a duke and his wife made out of alabaster, religious statues and paintings, lovely curved arches all the way up to the ceiling, and lots of huge brass plates with gold decor located in the church. There were also several angels with wings hanging from the ceiling and located all down the middle aisle of the church. Oh, and there were also wooden statues of Jesus´ disciples. The tour guide spoke at length in Swedish but David and I were both able to hear some translated information from individual faculty members. There were some crown jewels in a safe in a room off the entryway that we could view. This island was the home of many Swedish kings in past centuries.
Our bus also took us to one of the ruins of an ancient castle, which due to erosion, is now sitting right at the edge of the lake. As we were walking around it, a major rain storm hit us and the temperature dropped by quite a bit. We hurried back to the bus but not before getting totally soaked! I met a woman who had visited Andersonville, a neighborhood near Chicago where Matthew Varmecky now lives that was originally settled by immigrants from Sweden.
We had dinner at another folkhogskola (school) located on the island. I asked the president of the school if he had arranged the program. He said yes, he liked to have the staff and faculty go on an outing in June and then again in August. He said usually they go for a couple of days but they had so many programs scheduled for the summer they had to do this program in one afternoon-evening. I asked him if the programs were usually of an historical-educational nature, and he said, "usually they are centered around food!"
Everyone was very friendly, they chatted constantly with each other, and obviously enjoyed each others´ company. I thought it was very good that the president of their institution made it a priority for the staff and faculty to spend time together like this. This included the people who cook, who clean the facilities, and keep up the grounds as well as the faculty. They also have a coffee break together at 10:00 and 2:00 every day plus lunch, too.
I learned that Folkhog or folk (not sure which) refers to the method of teaching they use at this school. It involves bringing out and using the knowledge the students already have, working in groups, and doing hands on activities to enhance the learning as opposed to the teaching at their universities which involves mostly or only lecture. I got so excited when Elisabeth Johannson, a textile teacher and milliner, explained this to me, because it matches my teaching philosophy as well as what Chris Myers-Baker from TCC and I have been promoting and implementing at our school. I´m looking forward to visiting with Elisabeth about this some more.
We learned on Wed. (June 1) that the school was closing down for a national holiday so no meals are being served right now. Fortunately, we head for Copenhagen tomorrow and don´t return until Sunday but in the meantime and on Monday we are eating sandwiches, etc. Elisabeth was kind enough to offer and then take me to the large grocery store in Mullsjo. That helped out a lot because taking the bus would have been a challenge with carrying around groceries. It was fun shopping with her because she could explain what things were and recommend items, etc. The groceries cost 467 kroners, or around 75 US.
David and I had a bit of a mix-up yesterday in that he left to take the train to Jonkoping (pronounced yongchirping kind of ) and I stayed here to work on our itinerary for Copenhagen. He asked me not to lock the door to our apartment because I had the key. We pretty much don´t lock it. Well, I got in a hurry and apparently shut it up more than I thought I had so David returned from his outing at 4 and I was at the store. He forgot I was going to the store so he looked all over campus for me. Then he joined the Swedish students and MSSU students and went to Jonkoping with them. When he returned at 8 pm or so, he had blisters all over his feet and white stuff all over his shirt from the sweat that occurred from all that walking. Even though they took the bus and train, he walked all over Jonkoping photographing and it is a bit of a walk to the train. Today he has bandaged his feet up so he doesn´t incur more damage.
David and I are working on downloading his photos onto this blog. So far we've managed only his photo of the Eiffel Tower at night but we'll do some more, hopefully tonight. Tonight two of the Swedish students, Oscar and Daniel, whom were in David´s photo class here at the Folkhogskola and also they came to MSSU in Joplin in April, are hosting us at dinner in the common area of the dorms where there is a stove. They have promised steaks and beer! It will be fun, they are both enjoyable young men to be around.
More later from Copenhagen!
Our bus also took us to one of the ruins of an ancient castle, which due to erosion, is now sitting right at the edge of the lake. As we were walking around it, a major rain storm hit us and the temperature dropped by quite a bit. We hurried back to the bus but not before getting totally soaked! I met a woman who had visited Andersonville, a neighborhood near Chicago where Matthew Varmecky now lives that was originally settled by immigrants from Sweden.
We had dinner at another folkhogskola (school) located on the island. I asked the president of the school if he had arranged the program. He said yes, he liked to have the staff and faculty go on an outing in June and then again in August. He said usually they go for a couple of days but they had so many programs scheduled for the summer they had to do this program in one afternoon-evening. I asked him if the programs were usually of an historical-educational nature, and he said, "usually they are centered around food!"
Everyone was very friendly, they chatted constantly with each other, and obviously enjoyed each others´ company. I thought it was very good that the president of their institution made it a priority for the staff and faculty to spend time together like this. This included the people who cook, who clean the facilities, and keep up the grounds as well as the faculty. They also have a coffee break together at 10:00 and 2:00 every day plus lunch, too.
I learned that Folkhog or folk (not sure which) refers to the method of teaching they use at this school. It involves bringing out and using the knowledge the students already have, working in groups, and doing hands on activities to enhance the learning as opposed to the teaching at their universities which involves mostly or only lecture. I got so excited when Elisabeth Johannson, a textile teacher and milliner, explained this to me, because it matches my teaching philosophy as well as what Chris Myers-Baker from TCC and I have been promoting and implementing at our school. I´m looking forward to visiting with Elisabeth about this some more.
We learned on Wed. (June 1) that the school was closing down for a national holiday so no meals are being served right now. Fortunately, we head for Copenhagen tomorrow and don´t return until Sunday but in the meantime and on Monday we are eating sandwiches, etc. Elisabeth was kind enough to offer and then take me to the large grocery store in Mullsjo. That helped out a lot because taking the bus would have been a challenge with carrying around groceries. It was fun shopping with her because she could explain what things were and recommend items, etc. The groceries cost 467 kroners, or around 75 US.
David and I had a bit of a mix-up yesterday in that he left to take the train to Jonkoping (pronounced yongchirping kind of ) and I stayed here to work on our itinerary for Copenhagen. He asked me not to lock the door to our apartment because I had the key. We pretty much don´t lock it. Well, I got in a hurry and apparently shut it up more than I thought I had so David returned from his outing at 4 and I was at the store. He forgot I was going to the store so he looked all over campus for me. Then he joined the Swedish students and MSSU students and went to Jonkoping with them. When he returned at 8 pm or so, he had blisters all over his feet and white stuff all over his shirt from the sweat that occurred from all that walking. Even though they took the bus and train, he walked all over Jonkoping photographing and it is a bit of a walk to the train. Today he has bandaged his feet up so he doesn´t incur more damage.
David and I are working on downloading his photos onto this blog. So far we've managed only his photo of the Eiffel Tower at night but we'll do some more, hopefully tonight. Tonight two of the Swedish students, Oscar and Daniel, whom were in David´s photo class here at the Folkhogskola and also they came to MSSU in Joplin in April, are hosting us at dinner in the common area of the dorms where there is a stove. They have promised steaks and beer! It will be fun, they are both enjoyable young men to be around.
More later from Copenhagen!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Love, love, love Sweden!!!
We arrived in Gothenburg on a rainy Sunday afternoon. It was quite chilly and it felt great. Our drive found us with no trouble and we piled all 9 of us plus huge amounts of luggage into his large van. What a luxury - we have a driver and vehicle for the entire month we are in Sweden so no more struggling to figure out how to get to museums, etc. He will drive us up to the door and drop us off, returning to pick us up at a designated time.
I fell in love with Sweden on the drive up to our destination in Mullsjo at Folkhogskola. The terrain here is much like that of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or the northern portion of the lower peninsula, my favorite place in the world. Lots of birch trees, thick, lush green forests, little sparkly and big sparkly lakes, and that cool, cool air. This place resonates with me - it's like I'm home - like I feel when I get to go to northern Michigan for a week or two. For others that feeling comes when they are in the desert, or the mountains, or at the seashore but for me it's that northern Michigan and now Sweden type place.
The Folkhogskola is a lovely place. Our apartment is in the building where we eat our meals. We have a little living area with a round table placed up against two big windows, a couch, book shelves, two beds, a little kitchen, and plenty of closet space and other storage, and TA DA!!! a huge, soaking tub in the bathroom. I squealed out loud when I saw it. We sure weren't expecting that. So I've been taking wonderful, luxurious baths that heal my sore muscles.
We can walk to town on a very nice walking path which winds around a lake. Mullsjo is small but so far has had everything we need, including the train which we can take everywhere, and bus which goes everywhere the train goes plus to little towns.
We are served 3 meals a day in the lovely dining room which features two walls of huge windows looking out onto the woods and lakes and has dining tables and chairs in that light wood that seems to be everywhere here. There are fresh flowers in little vases on the tables. Food is served buffet style and it is wholesome and scrumptious. Breakfast features hot hard boiled eggs, a selection of lunch-type meats and cheeses, pickled vegetables, fruit sauces and a hot cereal. The hot cereal with the fruit sauce is yummy!
The staff and faculty take a coffee break around 10 or so and there's a deck off the dining room that provides a great setting for conversation and relaxing. Lunch is pretty big with lots of fresh vegetables, pickled items, and yesterday we had sausages and potatoes for the entree. Dinner is apparently a lighter more lunch-like meal. We missed dinner last night because we walked to town with Janna (pronounced Yahna) a photography teacher whom David met when he was here in February. She and her husband helped us with train and bus tickets for the month, while I purchased a new hair dryer and some other items. They got on the train to go home and we waited for the bus to go back to the campus but got tired of waiting for the bus so we walked back. I've found that I can use my carry-on as a kind of "cane on wheels" and it helps me walk.
Now, why did I need a new hair dryer? We purchased one in Tulsa that was for both types of current. When I got ready to use it in Paris I didn't realize it had a switch to determine which type of current to use and it was on 120 so when I used it on 120, it burned up. So much for my new, universal hair dryer. My new one, purchased in Mullsjo, cost 398 kroners - I'm not sure how much that was in dollars! I'll have to look at my credit card bill, I guess.
We have a laundry on campus and it is interesting, especially the dryers. The washing machines are all front loaders with not much space in them. They don't have dryers like we do. There is a dryer that is like a big closet with places to hang clothes, and then you turn it on and hot air kind of blows through it. Awhile later your clothes are dry. There's also a room where we hang up our clothes on clothes lines and turn on the heat/air and shut the door. Hours later the clothes are dry!
Today we are going to go on a little trip with the faculty on a bus and then a ferry to an island. We'll have dinner with them and there will be a speaker type program (in Swedish!) and I assume we will get to walk around the island for awhile so we're looking forward to that. The faculty are all very welcoming and friendly and they all speak English. It's nice that David already knows them from being here in February.
Bottom line, I feel like we just landed in paradise. We are pinching ourselves and saying to each other, "I can't believe we get to do this!"
I fell in love with Sweden on the drive up to our destination in Mullsjo at Folkhogskola. The terrain here is much like that of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan or the northern portion of the lower peninsula, my favorite place in the world. Lots of birch trees, thick, lush green forests, little sparkly and big sparkly lakes, and that cool, cool air. This place resonates with me - it's like I'm home - like I feel when I get to go to northern Michigan for a week or two. For others that feeling comes when they are in the desert, or the mountains, or at the seashore but for me it's that northern Michigan and now Sweden type place.
By the way, today (May 31) is David's birthday. I have nothing planned so if you get a chance, send him birthday wishes on his facebook page.
The Folkhogskola is a lovely place. Our apartment is in the building where we eat our meals. We have a little living area with a round table placed up against two big windows, a couch, book shelves, two beds, a little kitchen, and plenty of closet space and other storage, and TA DA!!! a huge, soaking tub in the bathroom. I squealed out loud when I saw it. We sure weren't expecting that. So I've been taking wonderful, luxurious baths that heal my sore muscles.
We can walk to town on a very nice walking path which winds around a lake. Mullsjo is small but so far has had everything we need, including the train which we can take everywhere, and bus which goes everywhere the train goes plus to little towns.
We are served 3 meals a day in the lovely dining room which features two walls of huge windows looking out onto the woods and lakes and has dining tables and chairs in that light wood that seems to be everywhere here. There are fresh flowers in little vases on the tables. Food is served buffet style and it is wholesome and scrumptious. Breakfast features hot hard boiled eggs, a selection of lunch-type meats and cheeses, pickled vegetables, fruit sauces and a hot cereal. The hot cereal with the fruit sauce is yummy!
The staff and faculty take a coffee break around 10 or so and there's a deck off the dining room that provides a great setting for conversation and relaxing. Lunch is pretty big with lots of fresh vegetables, pickled items, and yesterday we had sausages and potatoes for the entree. Dinner is apparently a lighter more lunch-like meal. We missed dinner last night because we walked to town with Janna (pronounced Yahna) a photography teacher whom David met when he was here in February. She and her husband helped us with train and bus tickets for the month, while I purchased a new hair dryer and some other items. They got on the train to go home and we waited for the bus to go back to the campus but got tired of waiting for the bus so we walked back. I've found that I can use my carry-on as a kind of "cane on wheels" and it helps me walk.
Now, why did I need a new hair dryer? We purchased one in Tulsa that was for both types of current. When I got ready to use it in Paris I didn't realize it had a switch to determine which type of current to use and it was on 120 so when I used it on 120, it burned up. So much for my new, universal hair dryer. My new one, purchased in Mullsjo, cost 398 kroners - I'm not sure how much that was in dollars! I'll have to look at my credit card bill, I guess.
We have a laundry on campus and it is interesting, especially the dryers. The washing machines are all front loaders with not much space in them. They don't have dryers like we do. There is a dryer that is like a big closet with places to hang clothes, and then you turn it on and hot air kind of blows through it. Awhile later your clothes are dry. There's also a room where we hang up our clothes on clothes lines and turn on the heat/air and shut the door. Hours later the clothes are dry!
Today we are going to go on a little trip with the faculty on a bus and then a ferry to an island. We'll have dinner with them and there will be a speaker type program (in Swedish!) and I assume we will get to walk around the island for awhile so we're looking forward to that. The faculty are all very welcoming and friendly and they all speak English. It's nice that David already knows them from being here in February.
Bottom line, I feel like we just landed in paradise. We are pinching ourselves and saying to each other, "I can't believe we get to do this!"
Goodbye Paris
On our last day in Paris I splurged and took a taxi to the Rodin museum and gardens. It was totally worth it because I arrived after only 15 minutes with lots of energy for the museum visit. While it was quite busy, it wasn't as crowded as the Dorsay the day before and the gardens were very relaxing. Since I was by myself I could go at my own pace and just linger wherever I felt like it. My favorite part was the building that housed the museum - a old hotel where Rodin once lived. It looked kind of like the Tulsa Garden Center before they renovated it. They are going to renovate the museum - make repairs etc. beginning this winter. I took a taxi back to our hotel in Monmarte. David and I had a nice dinner and walk around our neighborhood that evening. Our room was right on the street, Rue de Marcadet, which seemed to be party central every night we were there. Lots of raucous hollering, huge crowds, very noisey. We found our ear plugs that we brought along for the plane worked great.
We had to get up the next morning (Sunday) at 4:00 a.m. to catch our shuttle to the airport. When you're riding down the French expressways you could be anywhere - Tulsa, OK; Joplin, USA. We flew to Frankfurt, changed planes and then on to Gothenburg.
The first stage of the trip ended but the second stage was just about to begin . . . .
We had to get up the next morning (Sunday) at 4:00 a.m. to catch our shuttle to the airport. When you're riding down the French expressways you could be anywhere - Tulsa, OK; Joplin, USA. We flew to Frankfurt, changed planes and then on to Gothenburg.
The first stage of the trip ended but the second stage was just about to begin . . . .
Friday, May 27, 2011
The French
Some observations at the risk of lumping all the French together in one big heap. I love the language. It's so lilting, especially when the women say "bonjour Madam" "Merci Monsieur." They are very polite with formal greetings and goodbyes. The women dress very well with lots of them wearing scarves and they are very trim. I even see men wearing scarves tied in different ways, even those puffy scarves made out of light material.Sometimes I think we are offensive even though we don't mean to be. David and I stopped at a sidewalk cafe late today. I had tea and David had Irish coffee(s). My feet were sore and my legs all swollen so David helped me lift them up and put them on a chair. Then our server brought me a stool. It felt great. But then a man walking by said something really loud about "madame" and I don't know what it was but apparently it was very derogatory because I said "what did he say" and a gentleman at a nearby table said "you don't want to know."
We went to Versailles today and I noticed how very competent all nine of us were getting onto the right train, exiting when we needed to and then getting on the next train without having to look at maps of the subway system for long periods of time. We got to Versailles pretty early but it soon got very crowded. I enjoyed seeing all the thrones, canopied beds with huge beds with feathers on top and marble walls, marble fireplace mantles, etc. etc. David and I ate lunch in a very nice restaurant there (hope you don't mind if I talk about food, we haven't had a bad meal yet). I had quiche lorraine with salad and David had grilled scallops with rice. We each had dessert - he had a melt-in-your-mouth creme puff almond thing that was to die for and I had a macaroon only not like ours, more like a wafer with some cream in it. Not surprisingly, we aren't having any dinner tonight because we're not hungry and that meal blew the budget!
On the way back from Versailles, we stopped at the Muse' Dorsay. We didn't have to wait in a line at 3:00 p.m. but the place inside was so crowded. There was one show-stopping masterpiece after another plus what a gorgeous building. I could just picture it in the 1930s with bunches of trains linining up, entering and exiting, with their whistles blowing and people scurrying to catch their trains. David provided me with an art history lesson on many of the paintings and most were familiar to me from all those art history papers I typed for him when he was at TU. Definitely more of a thrill than the Louvre.
I couldn't help but think at Versailles about how we cycle through the same types of times over and over again. The King didn't like Paris so he had his Dad's hunting lodge made over into this massive castle with over-the-top gilding of real gold all over everywhere, then had to pay the members of his court to come out there and be with him thereby spending all the money while his people - the everyday folks - went hungry. Then the poor people rebelled. The only thing that's different is that very few are rebelling at this time.
Not sure what we're doing tomorrow except I know that David and the students will be out photographing. I may go to the Rodin gardens, not sure. Tomorrow is our last day here and then Sunday we fly out very early and head for Sweden. Nicole N. was kind of enough to comment about how she landed in a surprised gentleman's lap in London on the tube when she was backpacking around Europe. Keep the comments coming - thanks Wendy, Matthew, Nicole, and Jeremy!
t
We went to Versailles today and I noticed how very competent all nine of us were getting onto the right train, exiting when we needed to and then getting on the next train without having to look at maps of the subway system for long periods of time. We got to Versailles pretty early but it soon got very crowded. I enjoyed seeing all the thrones, canopied beds with huge beds with feathers on top and marble walls, marble fireplace mantles, etc. etc. David and I ate lunch in a very nice restaurant there (hope you don't mind if I talk about food, we haven't had a bad meal yet). I had quiche lorraine with salad and David had grilled scallops with rice. We each had dessert - he had a melt-in-your-mouth creme puff almond thing that was to die for and I had a macaroon only not like ours, more like a wafer with some cream in it. Not surprisingly, we aren't having any dinner tonight because we're not hungry and that meal blew the budget!
On the way back from Versailles, we stopped at the Muse' Dorsay. We didn't have to wait in a line at 3:00 p.m. but the place inside was so crowded. There was one show-stopping masterpiece after another plus what a gorgeous building. I could just picture it in the 1930s with bunches of trains linining up, entering and exiting, with their whistles blowing and people scurrying to catch their trains. David provided me with an art history lesson on many of the paintings and most were familiar to me from all those art history papers I typed for him when he was at TU. Definitely more of a thrill than the Louvre.
I couldn't help but think at Versailles about how we cycle through the same types of times over and over again. The King didn't like Paris so he had his Dad's hunting lodge made over into this massive castle with over-the-top gilding of real gold all over everywhere, then had to pay the members of his court to come out there and be with him thereby spending all the money while his people - the everyday folks - went hungry. Then the poor people rebelled. The only thing that's different is that very few are rebelling at this time.
Not sure what we're doing tomorrow except I know that David and the students will be out photographing. I may go to the Rodin gardens, not sure. Tomorrow is our last day here and then Sunday we fly out very early and head for Sweden. Nicole N. was kind of enough to comment about how she landed in a surprised gentleman's lap in London on the tube when she was backpacking around Europe. Keep the comments coming - thanks Wendy, Matthew, Nicole, and Jeremy!
t
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Just another day in Paris, France
We've been having one adventure after another since arriving in Paris yesterday. Gosh, yesterday? Seems like we've been here for days already. The plane trip over wasn't bad. We were able to get some sleep and we found our shuttle, etc. at the airport without too much stress.
We went on a boat ride down the Siene last night. It was relaxing and awe-inspiring to see all the great architecture along the river. Great bridges, one after another, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night.
Getting to the boat, however, was a challenge. We took the Metro (subway) and had to change trains many times - up stairs, down stairs, jump on quickly, etc. I jumped on one of them at the last minute and received a scolding from a French gentleman who told me not to do that again and to be more careful. Then he looked at my "fanny pack" bulging out at my side and just rolled his eyes. In the meantime, David had jumped on another car with all of the students and in his car, a pick pocket tried to take his wallet out of his front pocket. He grabbed her arm really hard and she was trying to get away and David was calling out loudly, "police! police!" He got the wallet back. Onlookers were highly amused by the incident, including to the students who observed the whole thing. David is now keeping everything in his neck wallet thing. Later on, we're still hopping on various trains, trying to get to the river cruise, and I was leaning over, pulling a seat up (they fold up when not in use) and the train jerked to a start at a high rate of speed - I flew over to the other side of the train and into the lap of a very surprised gentleman. Whew! Thank God I landed on him or I might have been hurt. Instead I was just shook up and wanted to cry because of the shock.
We did much better today when we took the train to the Louvre. However, after walking aroundthe Louvre for hours, I hit a wall. Took a taxi back to the hotel and slept all afternoon. I ache in every part of my body,especially my legs. I knew the Paris part of the trip would be physically grueling and it is. David and the others went on to the Dorsay and David loved it, couldn't say enough good about it. So I'll make it over there before we leave. Tomorrow we go to Versailles. Oh,we saw an exhibit of Napoleons Apartments today at the Louvre. Huge chandeliers - one after the other, a major size dining room - it seated 46 around the table, all velvet drapes, paintings on the ceilings, gilded gold everywhere. I really enjoyed seeing those rooms.
David liked the drawings that the artist/designer prepared before doing the tapestries, etc. for Versailles.
We had a lovely meal this evening at a small place near the hotel here in Montmarte. We shared some fois gras with bread, wine, a salad with greens, mozzarella, and tomatoes with a viniagrette and chocolate mousse for dessert. It was very very nice.
More later . . . . . weary traveler (and it's only day 2!!!)
We went on a boat ride down the Siene last night. It was relaxing and awe-inspiring to see all the great architecture along the river. Great bridges, one after another, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night.
Getting to the boat, however, was a challenge. We took the Metro (subway) and had to change trains many times - up stairs, down stairs, jump on quickly, etc. I jumped on one of them at the last minute and received a scolding from a French gentleman who told me not to do that again and to be more careful. Then he looked at my "fanny pack" bulging out at my side and just rolled his eyes. In the meantime, David had jumped on another car with all of the students and in his car, a pick pocket tried to take his wallet out of his front pocket. He grabbed her arm really hard and she was trying to get away and David was calling out loudly, "police! police!" He got the wallet back. Onlookers were highly amused by the incident, including to the students who observed the whole thing. David is now keeping everything in his neck wallet thing. Later on, we're still hopping on various trains, trying to get to the river cruise, and I was leaning over, pulling a seat up (they fold up when not in use) and the train jerked to a start at a high rate of speed - I flew over to the other side of the train and into the lap of a very surprised gentleman. Whew! Thank God I landed on him or I might have been hurt. Instead I was just shook up and wanted to cry because of the shock.
We did much better today when we took the train to the Louvre. However, after walking aroundthe Louvre for hours, I hit a wall. Took a taxi back to the hotel and slept all afternoon. I ache in every part of my body,especially my legs. I knew the Paris part of the trip would be physically grueling and it is. David and the others went on to the Dorsay and David loved it, couldn't say enough good about it. So I'll make it over there before we leave. Tomorrow we go to Versailles. Oh,we saw an exhibit of Napoleons Apartments today at the Louvre. Huge chandeliers - one after the other, a major size dining room - it seated 46 around the table, all velvet drapes, paintings on the ceilings, gilded gold everywhere. I really enjoyed seeing those rooms.
David liked the drawings that the artist/designer prepared before doing the tapestries, etc. for Versailles.
We had a lovely meal this evening at a small place near the hotel here in Montmarte. We shared some fois gras with bread, wine, a salad with greens, mozzarella, and tomatoes with a viniagrette and chocolate mousse for dessert. It was very very nice.
More later . . . . . weary traveler (and it's only day 2!!!)
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Joplin
We came up to MSSU and Joplin Monday (yesterday) to finish packing and check in with everyone who is going on the trip. As you probably know, much of Joplin has been devastated by a savage tornado that hit here Sunday evening wrecking St. John's hospital, the Wal-Mart, Builders Square and the high school. MSSU is the shelter for those who have been left homeless. We haven't seen much of the devastation because it is cordoned off but many people we encounter, including several students going on the trip with us, have lost everything and even have lost loved ones. So, it's a difficult time for many folks here.
We leave for the Springfield airport at 1:30 today and our plane leaves for Atlanta at 4:30. From Atlanta we fly to Paris, leaving at 11:30 p.m. and arriving in Paris tomorrow early afternoon. We have plenty to keep us entertained on the flight including movies and tv shows downloaded on our new little computer, and several books downloaded onto my Nook. The first thing we do in Paris, after checking in to our hotel (maybe a little nap?) is take a boat ride down the Seine. We already have our tickets. I've read that the Eiffel Tower is beautiful at night. This will be the last post, I think, until we get to Paris.
We are wondering if ash from the Iceland volcano will be a problem for our flight over, or maybe even our return flight . . . . . hmmmmm.... That's it for now.
We leave for the Springfield airport at 1:30 today and our plane leaves for Atlanta at 4:30. From Atlanta we fly to Paris, leaving at 11:30 p.m. and arriving in Paris tomorrow early afternoon. We have plenty to keep us entertained on the flight including movies and tv shows downloaded on our new little computer, and several books downloaded onto my Nook. The first thing we do in Paris, after checking in to our hotel (maybe a little nap?) is take a boat ride down the Seine. We already have our tickets. I've read that the Eiffel Tower is beautiful at night. This will be the last post, I think, until we get to Paris.
We are wondering if ash from the Iceland volcano will be a problem for our flight over, or maybe even our return flight . . . . . hmmmmm.... That's it for now.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Preparations
I've never blogged before and I'm not sure if I've ever even read a blog, but we are going on the trip of a lifetime and it seems like blogging will be a good way to let our friends and family know what we're doing and seeing while we're away.
It's only a few more days before we leave on our 5 week trip to Paris and Scandinavia! We are escorting 6 art students to Paris, Sweden (Stockholm, Gothenberg,) plus Copenhagen and Oslo. Our home base will be in Mullsjo Folkhogskola from late May until the end of June. We will visit art museums for the most part, as some of the credit the students will be earning will be for art history.
Any tips for our visit to Paris would be most welcome. We've been scouring the tour books but there's nothing like hearing from folks who have been there.
It's only a few more days before we leave on our 5 week trip to Paris and Scandinavia! We are escorting 6 art students to Paris, Sweden (Stockholm, Gothenberg,) plus Copenhagen and Oslo. Our home base will be in Mullsjo Folkhogskola from late May until the end of June. We will visit art museums for the most part, as some of the credit the students will be earning will be for art history.
Any tips for our visit to Paris would be most welcome. We've been scouring the tour books but there's nothing like hearing from folks who have been there.
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