"Unsorted pictures" by El_Sueco

The number of runic inscriptions in Sweden is about 3000. Half of the stones are located in the regions of Uppsala and Stockholm. The stones were erected in the change between heathen time and Christian time. The inscriptions has short messages of who has erected the stone and for whom. Also some data about the person can be present.
Signs point you to the stones "Runsten" (Runic Stone) or "Fornfynd" (Ancient memory) and beside the stone there is the interpretation of the text, which not always are complet.
Here is inscription no 105 in the region of Östergötland. The inscription is dated from 1000 A.D and the message is:
Torsten erected the stone after Viste, his father, an able peasant, who was son to Gise.
This stone is now located at the Kärna Church in Malmslätt, but its original place is unknown.
The Runic Stones are protected by the Swedish authority "Riksantikvarieämbetet" (The National Heritage Board), www.raa.se
who investigate the inscriptions and register them.

The typical Swedish countryside house is painted red. Many visitors are strucked by the high frequence of red houses with white corners - the typical Swedish view.
The history of painting the houses started around the 18th century. One motive was to protect against the aging, another motive was to give the houses a neat appearance (at the beginning only the walls towards the streets were painted).
At the end of the 18th century fabrication of paint started from all residuals from the copper mines, that contained iron-oxides. Later on also iron-vitriol was used. Then when many houses was painted red, the red colour gave not the same prestige as earlier. Rich people searched for a new colour, and started to use oil paint in yellow.
In the start of 19th century the King asked the people to change to the yellow colour that he thought was much nicer and the most happy one. The yellow paint at a distance had a resemblance of a stone construction, but it was never as popular as the red, which gave better protection.
At that time, beginning of 19th century, a change was made towards more light colours, a search for elegance and lightness, a new stile epoque. The red colour still was used in the towns, and local authorities prescribed red colour. But many simple houses were kept unpainted.
Now, after changing to new methods of protect the surfaces and also new construction materials, the colour of the houses is not as predictable as before. And if you nowadays can paint your wood paneled house in almost any colour, so why not blue?

Along the main roads, there are a lot of places for a short rest when driving. Some are just a parking place, some are equipped with facilities.
The new ones specially are made with a bit more "landscaping" (an architectural therm?), and are placed at beautiful views and so on.
I like to get out of the car and have a bit of fresh air, even if it is winter. Coffe or thea and something to eat, makes you get new strength.
This place is Björnfallet, on road E20, coming from Stockholm it is 13 km before Örebro. There are resting places on both sides, but you have to choose the one on "your" side, you can´t cross the high-way.

This pictures shows the parkings, you can notice some other tables and benches, and a trash-bin near.
We try not to pollute the nature, so please use the trash-bins!

In some places (increasing number) there are adjustments made to make the resting places available for persons with walking dificulties and so on.
In short, the goal is that construction design shall be made so that if buildings and public places are planned in the right way they shall be possible to be used by all, "a society for all".

In the late summer we eat crawfish in Sweden. They turn red when cooked.
The Swedish crawfish are very expensive [almost extinct by a plague], so we import them from Turkey, USA and China.
Many might think it is strange to eat those "insects", but they are very popular [to eat them the best way, you have to drink something strong, preferably sing too].

A custom in Sweden is to make "pepparkakor" (most usual translation something like Gingerbread cakes, I think). They have the form av hearts, stars, leafs, figures, father X-mas, and so on.