Swedish Grace

We returned from a trip to Sweden last week, where we stayed with Jan at his castle-home in Borringe near Svedala. It was a memorable stay as he and his family took great care of us. It was nice to be in the midst of untouched natural surroundings of lush green plains and deep blue lakes. The weather was pleasant. Nature has this calming force that makes one forget the trials of daily life. It is sad that the media tries to project nature as something unpredictable and dangerous, whereas the fault may often lie within us. The beautiful landscape will always be etched in my mind when I feel troubled or gloomy.

Jan's house is almost a museum with stuffed deer, mongolian hats and an eclectic array of paintings and portraits. Books are in every room of the house and windows have been designed to capture the best views of sunset on the lake. Despite the sheer regality of his home, Jan and his family are very down-to-earth and caring. The trip to their summer beach house in Flasterbo was as charming as the ruby-coloured cobbled streets of Lund. The picturesque library in Malmo and the elusive mermaid in Copenhagen will always be remembered.

And then there were these one-liners such as "Why did the Kashmiri girls look down when an awe-struck Jan-Carl looked at them? Because they were wondering where the smell is coming from!" And this next one I just made up:
"Why did Jan-Carl not get any presents for Christmas? Because he hung up his stockings"

For pictures of our trip click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11970582@N02/