scandinavia, part III

we traveled in scandinavia on a very large sailing ship, which was really nice, as the ship is smaller than those of the big cruise lines.  the good part about this is that the ship can get into harbors often too small for bigger vessels.  this was to our advantage, as we were able to see some of the idyllic smaller cities and villages of the region.

the wind surf, still in oslo

we were fortunate to visit the town of stromstad, sweden.  it's just a tiny bit over the border of norway, on the west coast of sweden.  we were only in stromstad for part of one day, and it was a bit rainy.  we still enjoyed walking the cobblestones and taking in the view.  we decided to visit the downtown, and spent our time in the grocery store, toy store, and a local coffee shop.  it was a nice respite from museums and tourist attractions.

the architecture is gorgeous

love the green patina of the copper roof in the distance

pattern everywhere!

color, even on a dreary day

stromstad has been in existence since the 1670's.  it has been a fishing village, and now attracts people to rest on the beaches and eat in the seafood restaurants.  the harbor is dotted with simple outdoor cafes serving up seafood in a no-frills atmosphere.  it's a clean, beautiful, charming, colorful delight to the senses! 

main shopping area

walking path, with accessories

across the canal view of shops

scandinavia, part II

if you know me personally, or have followed my blog or artwork, you will know that i am really attracted to vintage medical and science junk.  i was actually a biology major until my junior year of college, until i switched to art.  (i was thinking about being a medical illustrator for a while until i realized i couldn't sit still for that long.)  anyway, one of my favorite books as a high school student was gray's anatomy.  i spent hours and hours pouring over that thick book, looking at the plates of veins, muscles, arteries, and other components that make up humans.  

when john found out there was a medical museum (medicinsk museion) in copenhagen, i was overjoyed.  i knew that it was a must stop location on our trip.  the museum is located near the royal palace, in an amazing old building with not much signage, and two unassuming front doors under a pillared porch.  it turns out that the museum is housed in the former Academy of Surgery, which educated surgeons in Copenhagen between 1785-1842.  One of the spaces in the building is the auditorium in which dissections were carried out as part of the course of training!

dome in the auditorium

the exhibits were wonderful, as was the interior of the building.  one could walk the unfinished wide-planked pine floors and imagine surgery students long ago treading on that same surface.  inside were amazing things, including a vintage pharmacy reinstalled in the space.  there was a room with vintage prosthetics, and one with wax models of face disfigurements.  everything was so amazing!!

we read that during the time of the Academy, surgeons were not doctors.  they actually began as butchers!  at that time in history it was believed that knife skills were more important than medical training.  who knew??

vintage anatomical model

vintage anatomical chart

another model

and one more chart!

my only regret is that i don't have more photographs.  i think i was so taken with the stuff in that building that i forgot that i had a camera.  oh, what i would do for a couple of shots of those prosthetic legs, hands, and arms!!

scandinavia, part 1

i just returned from a wonderful trip to scandinavia.  after a crazy spring, and an insane beginning of summer, it was a much needed respite.  i was really excited to go to that part of the world, because i love scandinavian design.  the trip did not disappoint.  wherever we went we were blown away with the pattern, color, and design around us.  everything was beautiful, functional, and clean.

in oslo norway we went to the "radhus", or city hall, which began construction in the early 1930's.  construction was halted for WWII, and not completed until after the war.  the entire interior of the building was covered with artwork.  amazing wood carvings outside the entrance, murals on every surface including the ceilings.  even the floors were works of art.

ceiling in the radhus

silk wallpaper 

the size of the murals is almost unimaginable

detail of wall painting

another ceiling

floor in the main hall

"swan maidens" wood carving on the exterior of the building

it was breathtaking.

we spent two days taking in the sights in oslo.  it's a place i will never forget.

on another note, the sightseeing did interject some sadness in oslo, too.  it was close to the one year anniversary of the mass shooting there.  near the government buildings (which are still boarded up and under repair from the bomb the shooter detonated before he went really crazy) were piles and piles of roses left for the people lost.  we watched as men carefully packaged up the flowers and placed them neatly into boxes.  it was really sad, and really moving at the same time.  throughout the construction zone, flowers were poked in every nook and cranny as well.

every nook

and every cranny

it's strange and terrible that we are living and dying through these tragedies over and over.  i truly can't get my brain wrapped around how humans can be so cruel.

in my next post i will share some more photos from the trip.  we were gone for 12 days, and visited norway, denmark, northern germany, and sweden.