As a note: I’ve tried to be accurate with my information as possible, but I’m human and thus subject to errors. You are welcome to correct me. And if you are really interested google is sure to offer interesting finds on the places we visited.
May 1, 2007
Yes, I know. This entry is months behind. But a lot has happened in the last two months. I’ve been a busy girl! I have a bit of breather and so can try to get caught up.
Because May 1st is a political holiday in Sweden we had the day off. We weren’t feeling particularly political or felt like listening to Swedish demonstrations and rhetoric, so we took for the hills, literally, to enjoy some history.
We drove through a beautiful area of southern Sweden and saw rolling hills brilliant with a never-ending landscape of gold from the raps fields. We headed south to the southern coast of Sweden to a place outside of Ystad. Ales stenar was our first destination.
Ales Stenar
Ales stenar is formation of 59 large boulders, set in the shape of a giant ship. I don’t remember its approximate date or even who may have created it. Before we hiked to the stones, we enjoyed a lunch of freshly caught fried fish with onions, mashed potatoes and lingon jam. Okay, I enjoyed my lunch of fish. The rest of the family ate hamburgers or meatballs. I appreciated the ambience of the harbor, sea wind, and the yummy food.
After our lunch, we hiked the rest of the way to the stones. The stone formation is set up on top of a cliff overlooking the sea. The information board rather poetically described as a place where the sea, land and sky all meet. It was an accurate description. We were able to touch the stones, walk around the formation, and really get a sense of the formation. (A contrast to the roped off walkways of Stonehenge we saw last week.)
The drop to the sea was rather dramatic. We enjoyed the views of blue skies, grey seas, green grass and mystic appearance of this ancient stone formation.
Glimmingehus
Glimminghus is one of the best preserved medieval fortresses in Sweden. I’m not sure why it received this distinction–perhaps because it was never actually tested as a fortress? Anyhow, this fortress was rather small in comparison to some of the castles I’ve seen. It was built by a very paranoid count who designed multiple ways to trap attacking enemies throughout the castle. There is a central staircase which is confusing to navigate and stairs which become progressively steeper the higher you go.
Some interesting tidbits from our tour:
The well was inside the bottom floor in the kitchen. It was not covered and consequently all sorts of things fell into the well. To keep it clean, servants caught an eel and kept them in the well. Eels apparently eat everything and so were the ideal source of garbage disposal.
The count who built the fortress was very cruel. There are several letters on file to the Danish king from farmers in the area complaining to the king about the count. (Skåne belonged to Denmark until ca 1681.)
Ladies carried their own toilet brush in their dresses to wipe themselves after going to the bathroom. Disgusting, I know. But at least they could use their own instead of the communal brush.
The count commissed a stone engraving of himself kneeling at the feet of the crucified Christ to show himself a pious man.
There is a legend that a young maiden was buried alive inside the fortress walls.
You can’t really complain about the modern conveniences we enjoy after you witness the conditions of the past.
Read Full Post »
A Stranger Here 