Ye Olde Musicke

This Sunday, Ensemble Pian´e Forte performed in the church of Stenhagen, a residential area just outside of the city. It is also the place where I lived growing up, and made many good friends that I still haven´t lost. Gunnar invited me to join and sing a few pieces. I was also the designated drummer to a song I hadn´t heard before. Fortunately, they were so tight on their own that the beat was easy to find.
It was nice to bring this music to Stenhagen, hopefully we will have more opportunities.

Uppsala Sunset

This evening, light was especially promising and I took a little tour on the bike to see if any photo opportunities would arise. So many lovely views to capture - but you have to be fast, the light diminishes by the minute or quicker.

A classical view of the cathedral.


The old mill used to draw it´s power from this waterfall. Now it´s merely decoration. Thanks to a newly installed fish-ladder, the asp can now overcome this hurdle and reach it´s mating site upstream.

The concert hall is one of the newest buildings in the city. The event that just ended seems to have been well-visited. Six-photo panorama.

A weekend on the west side

The location of this year's Heinrich Schütz Society annual meeting was the most enchanting coastal outpost of Marstrand, not far from Göteborg. The society includes singers, musicians and directors who share an admiration for the German composer who wrote in the Italian style. The meeting is held in a different place each time and usually it´s crowned with one or more musical performances. This time our choir was joined with a local one. We performed a few pieces by Schütz and Giovanni Gabrieli, his teacher. Later at night, after our performance in the local church, we were given a small lecture on the topic "Schütz and Venice". This is a special interest group, no doubt about it.
The picture above shows the fortress of Bohus and some chorists practicing on their musical expression.

Mormor´s 90th birthday

Last weekend we gathered in Avesta to celebrate my grandmother´s birthday, turning her 90 years of age. A handsome crowd of relatives, off-spring and friends feasted on many kinds of cookies (a tradition here) and cake. There were some girl friends of her´s from way, way back, and we watched photos from when they were young in the 1940´s. But, of course, the center of attention was as always little Aron, who sat in his great-grandmother´s lap for the first time.
It was a lovely day to spend in the company of family.

Mormor

Aron goes to the lake

As the climate becomes more and more favorable and light slowly returns, we get a feeling to go out to the great out-doors. Martin and I rang up Dad and we teamed up to go to the nearby lake, Ekoln. Sitting in tranquility, enjoying the sound of waves and the occasional bird song, is like music to the ears of us, urban residents. Aron was also quite intrigued and with a notable lust for exploration.

Candles and roses

Heading home from my dancing lesson, I noticed a lot of candles in front of an apartment building on Bruno Liljeforsgatan. It was the memorial of a young woman who was recently slain by her husband. She was especially remembered on Saturday when hundreds of people marched through the city, manifesting on International Women´s Day.

Pictures of Uppsala

Top 10 tips for better photos

I usually don´t write about things I find on the web, but this is a really useful list for all you photographers out there. 10 simple rules that are golden when taking a picture. Check them out (link in the title).

Photos from Valencia

Valencia

Cullera

"Iiiiihh!", I heard myself say as the small wave broke between my feet. Clara had told us we had to try the water, saying it was not as cold as the river in Norrbotten where we swam on Midsummer. Johannes didn't seem very convinced. She insisted we should taste it too, to see how salty it is. I declined politely. We were standing ankle deep in the Mediterranean water. My face felt like an orange, absorbing the strong sunlight after a long time in the shade.
They grow a lot of orange trees here.

From Torrente

It has been a lovely day here in Valencia, where I've arrived to spend a few days together with Johannes and Clara. We are staying with Clara's mother, who has given us a very warm welcome. Today, we visited La Ciudad de la Ciencia y de las Artes, a futuristic complex of museums, concert halls and recreational areas. One of the attractions is the Oceanogràfic, a centre for marine wildlife. It contains the world's third largest aquarium, with some fierce-looking sharks swimming around.
The climate is more forgiving here than back home, and we enjoyed a lot of sun and a pleasant temperature.
Watch out for some photos that will show up soon!

Riding to work

As I pedal to work the sun still dwells beneath the sky. Soon it´s pale fingers will reach over the trees, touch what is frozen, and make the crystals sweat. And they in turn will break the light into a wonderful palette. Right before me, the reflection on my handle bar stimulates the eye. Just as the crystals flashing briefly as I pass them by. Although faint, these rays clear my doubt.
As I pedal to work, squinting at the light, I recall what a day is all about.

Vinter

As the season´s darkness engulfs the city, couples embrace in a tango inside the concert hall. The Argentinian tunes spill out through the glass facade and mix with the silence of a desolate street. The audience of tonight´s musical event is prolonging the sensation, savoring every moment cheek-to-cheek. Outside, silence awaits patiently.

Wedding in Rome

This weekend, Rome was the setting of family festivities as my cousin Francesca tied the knot with her Francesco. An event that brought family members and friends together from different parts of the world. From Sweden, the delegation consisted of my father, Isabel, Martin and I.

The ceremony was held in the incredibly beautiful church "Sant' Agnese in Agone" on Pza. Navona. The weather forecast had been gloomy and in the hours after lunch a familiar tension began to build in the air. Before we knew it, a powerful electrical storm was upon us.
While the priest spoke, thunder rolled heavily above the cupol and mixed with the organ music of Albinoni, Bach and Schubert to great dramatic effect.

Fortunately, it subsided in time for the party, which included dancing to live music and many conversations under the Roman sky. There were so many snacks and desserts on the tables that I would have missed my flight back if I had tried to eat of them all. We had a great time!

Before suiting up for the ceremony, my brother and I went to check out a premiering exhibition about Stanley Kubrick and his film-making. We were delighted to enter the computer HAL 9000, and also have a closer look at several original props from such classics as The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc.

We also had the opportunity to take a picture of us cousins. From left to right:

Martin, Filippo, Francesca, Isabel, me

Baptised

A great number of loved ones gathered this Saturday in Nora, Lina´s hometown, to witness the christening of Karl Aron. While the priest laid out the message of the ceremony, Aron seemed very interested in the light that played through the church windows. Soon, the priest held him over the baptismal font so he could touch the holy water before it was rubbed on his head.
Afterwards, we gathered for lunch and cake. Since Aron has not yet reached the age of paper ripping, other children offered a helping hand with the opening of presents. A great day, perfectly arranged by Lina and her family.

Arons dop

The Wedding of Joakim and Gunilla

Two weeks ago, my friends Joakim and Gunilla joined in holy matrimony. The ceremony was held in a small church just outside Uppsala. Afterwards, the couple took a carriage to the bride´s fathers house, where the festivities continued. It is located on a small peninsula, and I, serving happily as event photographer, was able to take some pictures there with the lake in the background.
A very traditional Swedish arrangement in all its glory.

J & G Bröllop

Uppsala meets Concert Hall

After about a hundred years of debate, the city of Uppsala finally has its own concert hall. It´s been a long road, and many people have been opposed to the project, but now it´s there. An impressive structure, perhaps not beautiful, but striking. The large auditorium, with more than 1100 seats, is surrounded by a lobby with an incredible view of the city.
Unlike our neighbouring cities, Uppsala hasn´t had a venue built specifically for concerts, and visiting and local musicians have been referred to either a gym hall or the university aula. The later is really elegant, but more suited for ceremonies or lectures than music. Being so, it should interest anyone to experience their musical flavour in the new hall.
I hear the whole thing cost about €70 million. Money well spent.

Tall Ships in Stockholm

This weekend some of the largest sailing ships of the world moored in central Stockholm. They had come from all over the globe, from Malaysia to Mexico. It was a sight to behold, with the crews on deck, flags waving and a great number of curious bystanders along the quay. On Monday, these ships gather at the start line for the 2007 Tall Ships´ Races, just outside the capital´s archipelago, to compete in crossing the Baltic Sea between a series of ports.
One of the most notable guests was Sedov, the world´s largest sailing ship measuring 118 m from prow to stern. It carries more than a hundred naval students and has a quite interesting background. Built by Germany in 1921, she functioned as a cargo vessel between Australia and Europe until Russia seized it at the end of WW II. Much later, when she was visiting a French harbour in 2000, she was prevented to leave by the government since a Swiss firm claimed it as a token for a Russian debt. Russia, however, insisted the debt belonged to the Soviet Union, and furthermore that the ship isn´t property of the Russian state. A court ruled in favour of Russia. The story

Together with Ali, Johannes, Clara and Rahwa, we spent the evening sampling the atmosphere around these great ships and their crews.

Desktop Background

Give your computer screen a background that breathes summer. It´s tileable!
(Click the image, then right-click and choose Use as desktop background)

Summertimez

Johannes & Clara show they´re not afraid of the water or the blooming algea.
Strolling along Upplandsleden, I snapped these pictures.