Dogs on trains . . .

The Scandic Crown Hotel in Göteborg is huge.  Seven floors and 338 rooms.  So breakfast is a frenetic, noisy affair.  It is surprising to see the number of Swedish families staying here.  We guess that they come in for a weekend in the City.  We had missed out on the pancakes yesterday and were determined to have some this morning.  Got down to the buffet breakfast about 9 am and true to form, plenty of food.  No pancakes.  Doesn't help when there is a male sports team there and some of those 'growing boys' were taking 6 pancakes or more - each!  We could see however that the staff were in the process of refilling and so, waited at a nearby table.  By the time more were delivered there was a queue waiting with 11 people ahead of us.  Thankfully the boys had had theirs and we managed to get two each this time.  Lovely crepe style pancakes, not the stodgier fatter ones.  Maple syrup, cream and jam did the trick!

We had not bought a ticket for Copenhagen as there is a train every hour - even on a Sunday - from Göteborg.  A short walk to the station and Donna goes from the Tourist Office, to the booking Office to the local Pressbyrån convenience store where she was told it was cheapest place to buy them.  Cost us the princely sum of $83.10 for each ticket - for a journey of 3 hours 38 minutes.

It is interesting to journey by train because it allows you to do a few things.  You can watch the scenery and compare how it changes over distances.  You can people watch - and in this instance, also dog watch.  Yep, we were accompanied by six dogs at various points along the journey an in this one carriage alone in this train of 13 carriages!  Once seated with their owners, they were all well behaved, but the gauntlet was thrown down by two as others passed them.  Takes a bit of getting used to.

The land between Göteborg and Copenhagen is flat.  Much of it is under crops, and there are plenty of wind turbines being farmed as well.  We see corn and strawberries, wheat and hay, just-ploughed fields, and others lying fallow.
There is the North Sea coastline, locks and canals and channels.
And dotted right along the coastline there are lots of caravan and camping areas, small hamlets that appear to be holiday homes, parklands and well serviced beach areas - everything that you would expect coastal areas to have.


We cross a bridge that is 8 kms long that crosses the Øresund Strait that is the border between Sweden and Denmark. It's hard to get photos between the pillars, but we manage a few.  And as we near Denmark there is a sight that I've only seen once before in northern Scotland - a sea-bound wind farm.  


Obviously in this area of the Strait, the coastline is well protected - otherwise you would have to question the investment in significant rail infrastructure that hugs the coast - and I mean hugs it.  There are times when there is nothing between the train line and the water other than about a 20 metre strip of sandy grasses.

We needed to be on our wits as this train does not terminate at Copenhagen.  Needn't have worried as there were lots of people getting out here.

The Station is a beautiful piece of engineering with exposed iron beams supporting a predominantly glass domed roof.

It sits across the road from the Tivoli Gardens and our taxi driver insists that even if you do not want to partake of the amusement rides, that it is worth a visit for the gardens.  We'll see.

Our hotel (hostel) is a little way from the railway station - too far to walk with the luggage in tow on cobblestones, but it is very central to much of what we want to see.  Copenhagen is one of those cities where you could spend a year and still not see all that is on offer.  The driver gives us tips on where to eat and see and take tours.  It sure helps to chat to the locals.

And finally, we have access to a full laundry.
We were starting to get sick of recycling our clothes after airing, and of washing smalls in

bathroom sinks. Donna makes four trips to make sure that everything in our suitcases is washed and dried - what a trooper!

So tonight we rest because tomorrow we hit the ground walking again.  It has done my poor feet a world of good having a quieter day today without too much cobblestone pounding.

Ciao.  See you all soon!

Finland - the other Green and Gold

If I had to use one word to describe Finland, it would be 'neat'.  Everything is just so, in it's place!

We left our accommodation just before 9 am as the car space is only free until then.  Made good use of the facilities - we each had a separate bedroom, separate bathroom, washed my hair and Donna did clothes washing.  Our hosts had generously left a few boxes of goodies for us, but we limited ourselves to one box of chocolate shortbread biccies (and if truth be known, we probably don't need them either!)  Still, a lovely gesture for visitors to the City.  Autumn is on its way to this part of the world - I had to clear yellowing leaves from the car this morning.  It has been parked in a very shaded street right next to a major park.

There are two places we really want to visit in Turku - the Cathedral and the Castle.  
The Cathedral is closer and has opened at 9 am, so we start there. Turku Cathedral is as old as the ages - that would be the medieval ages.  The cathedral was originally built out of wood in the late 13th century, and was consecrated as the main cathedral of Finland in 1300, the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Turku. It was considerably expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries, mainly using stone as the construction material. The cathedral was badly damaged during the Great Fire of Turku in 1827.

I downloaded a virtual tour of the Cathedral so we could tell what we are looking at - link here.  It is fascinating!  Like many of the Cathedrals and churches of this time, not only is this a place of worship.  It is also somewhere to learn of the social history and customs and in this particular example, some of the military history of Turku.

Absolute highlights included the fact that over 4,500 bodies were entombed under the floor of the Cathedral.  This practice was discontinued in 1784 for reasons of hygiene! There are burial chapels for the wealthy and powerful residents of early Turku dating back to the early 16th century. and a number relate to military leaders of the Thirty Year War in the 1600s.  It also includes the final resting place of Karin Månsdotter, Queen of Sweden who died in 1612.  Her coffin in black marble with a gold crown resting on a gold pillow atop it.

The ironwork grilles are the oldest remaining examples of this artwork in Finland, and quite a bit of the original wall and ceiling frescoes remain.  Now, the Cathedral is Lutheran, and the body of the church is quite austere.

The car needs to be moved by 10:15 am, so after an hour looking through this amazing piece of history, we go back out into the sunshine and walk across the square.  It is a 10 minute trip through Turku to get to our next destination - Turku Castle.  Enroute, we travel alongside the Aura river and see all the former ships that are now restaurants, the many gardens and parks and heaps of old and new sculptures and statues.  Like many cities in this part of the world, the pedestrian and cyclist have right of way and we are forever on the lookout for those who choose to just come out of nowhere!

Turku Castle is amazing - truly an O.M.G. experience.  Set at the end of the land near the Turku Port, and protected on all sides by islands at the mouth of the Aura River, the castle is an imposing edifice that towers above us.  The latest additions are all white-washed and gleam in the early morning sun.  The castle flag flies above the main entrance and in a stiff breeze, we were lucky to get photos of it a full extension.  The downside?  Cobblestones, blasted cobblestones. And no two are the same shape or orientation or even.  Thank goodness I had Donna's are to steady myself.  
Then come the steps up into the castle itself (of course).

We wander into the inner courtyard that bears testament to the medieval time of the castle.  Footings of the earlier buildings can still be clearly seen.  I was particularly taken with the following information - Before becoming a museum in the 19th century, Turku Castle served as a fortification and a stronghold for more than 600 years. The Castle was designed to be as inaccessible as possible.  Even the steps and the passageway into the entry hall of the castle are shallow and very steep - the first step (no guardrail) is almost knee high.  You all know me - I don't do bad steps, so I opt to wait here while Donna explores the inner workings.  She comes back with stories and photos of what is on display.  AND confirms my worst nightmare - narrow, steep, spiral staircases in much of the inside of the castle.

Along with the Cathedral, the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use and the largest surviving medieval building in Finland. Work on its construction was started in 1280!  A number of mishaps befell the castle over the years - a major fire in 1614 destroyed the original timber part of the castle and in 1941, a Russian incendiary bomb hit the main castle.
Major renovations on the castle commence in 1950 and continue to this day (with the major features completed in 1987).

While Donna explores inside, I observe outside.  Employees arrive in their civilian clothes, disappear into a small timber door opposite the entrance stairway and re-emerge in castle period costumes; a kitchen hand arrives hauling cold boxes, obviously empty, up the stairs and places them in  cart near where I am sitting.  She tells me that the main kitchen is in the castle proper even though the cafe is in the first courtyard - so they have to transport lunches each day!  And just before Donna re-emerged, two plasterers arrived and began working on the crumbling plaster at these stairs - I imagine that they could be guaranteed a lifetime of work in a building such as this!

So, castle done, we set out for Jyväskylä and Riikka and Runo and their family.  This drive of 3.5 hours takes us across half of the breadth of Finland, skirting regional towns and through rural landscapes that include countless lakes.  Today's blog takes its name from the green of the fir and beech forests and the gold of the barley and rye crops that gleam in the sunshine as they are being harvested.  Now that summer is at an end, there is a flurry of activity to bring in the crops.  Couldn't even hazard a guess at the number of harvesters we saw working today.  We got caught on the roads behind three in our travel. 

As we near Jyväskylä we can see an impressive building off to our right and take a detour to find Korpilahden Kirkko. There are two stunning features - the painted clock that will forever say 3 o'clock and its exterior bell tower.  This is not a particularly old church with the date 1827 above its door.  Nothing is open, so we cannot see inside.

We arrive in Jyväskylä about 5:15 pm and book into the Greenstar Hotel for the night.  Modern, slick and clean.  They have arranged an easy-access room and give us preferential treatment to easy parking and access from the carpark!  Then it is a short ten minute drive to Riikka and Runo's home which is just two houses back from Lake Päijänne, one of the largest lakes in Finland at over 200 kms long.

It is almost indescribable how great it is to see them all again.  I can't believe how the boys have grown now 14, 11 and 9 years old.  Riikka's hug was wonderful and Runo greeted us very warmly, saying how he is sorry that Michael has not come this trip.
Riikka has cooked a lovely dinner - chicken with pesto, tomato and bocconcini cheese with rice and veges - how nice it is to have a home-cooked meal!  Dessert was fresh berries and blueberry cream.  The blueberries are tiny but so intensely flavoured - Riikka explains that they are wild from the forest.  Sorry, no photos, we were too busy catching up!

All too soon, the night grows late and time for bed nears - Riikka has work tomorrow and the boys school.  We leave at 8:45 pm after accepting Runo's generous offer of being chauffeur tomorrow on the 6.5 hour drive to Rovaniemi.  We collect him just after 9 am, so these little black ducks had better get to bed!


We will be back to stay a night with Riikka and Runo on Friday night before we all do some exploring and visit Helsinki together on the weekend.

The art of Italian cooking

Happy anniversary to us - 28 years we celebrate today!

We had very little planned for today - maybe a drive this afternoon. But this morning, well, this morning we are learning to make and cook pasta the Italian way, courtesy of our hostess Sarah.

At 10:30 am Michael and I and another three young Italians staying here join Sarah in her commercial kitchen, don aprons and get ready to get busy! She begins by telling us that there are few hard and fast rules to making pasta and that there is never such a thing as a correct measure because it depends so much on the flour, or the eggs that you are using.

We begin with strong O flour and semolina flour, a little olive oil, salt and for some of us, an egg. The semolina flour is mounded on the marble kitchen top in front of each of us, we make a depression in the centre, add oil and salt, then slowly add water and begin to work the flour in, adding water bit by bit all the time while keeping our right hand busy drawing the flour in.
We work all the flour in and then begin to knead - "not with the fingertips", Sarah instructs, "use the ball of your hand. Draw and push, not too hard", she admonishes. Easy for her to say - she does this every day - literally! She uses a variety of pasta in the prima patti course she serves every night.

Before long, the pasta dough is ready. Far from it being something relaxing, it takes too short a time! We are kept busy using both a pasta machine and doing it totally by hand (my lot!). We make spaghetti, tagliatelle and parpadelle, ravioli, tortellini, cheppo (cigarette shaped) and potato gnocchi. The tortellini had a chicken filling and the ravioli was filled with ricotta cheese, truffles and grated fresh nutmeg. We made a raddichio sauce for the cheppo and a tomato and speck sauce for the tagliatelle.

All too sudden our 3 hrs time in the kitchen was done and we set the table for a shared lunch. Gosh it was so good! I asked Sarah how long she lets the pasta dry before she cooks it. Her reply - "I don't!! Remember, no rules!" Gosh, great fresh pasta, crusty Italian bread and San Gervaise red wine - there is a God and she lives in Umbria!!!!

Bugger the drive - after lunch I retire with a book and a pillow!
Ahh it is very good to be having a couple of days relaxing and the beautiful countryside around us is encouraging quiet and contemplation. The view out over the countryside just echoes the silence and peacefulness.

Then as dusk falls, the most beautiful sunset casts its wash over the hills across the valley. It is easy to see why people like Sarah and Alessandro have traded their former lives to be in places such as this, doing what they love

Dinner tonight consists of an antipasti plate of hard and soft cheese, tiny figs and huge grapes, plus a light savoury pastry, cheese and olive slice. This is followed by gnocchi with broad beans and then slices of beef olive with roasted eggplant and tossed salad leaves and we finished with a ricotta and chocolate chip tart. OMG! And I know that today I have eaten far too much - especially carbs! Thank goodness we do not do it every day.