Tomelilla and an old church, Sweden, 040714

July 11, 2014

I’ve been wandering around a good deal, and have got back to good internet connectivity. Here are two of the very interesting places I visited in the Skane area of Sweden, thanks to and her affectionate hospitality....

We decided to start with visiting and at the stuga (cottage) they'd rented out in Tomelilla. I dragged along, too. Imagine being in Sweden and not attending an LJ meet!

Here are Caro and Nina, who brought colour into my life when they visited me at Bangalore earlier!

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The cottage actually used to be the stables, and the weather-vane bears that out:

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The cottage is well-decorated and comfortable inside, too: IMG_2475 A cute loft: IMG_2477 A cute staircase to the loft: IMG_2478 The old stable windows look wonderful: IMG_2476 IMG_2481 Some pleasant modern windows, too: IMG_2480 IMG_2600 Nice pics on the wall: IMG_2483 We sat outside in the garden, IMG_2494 scoffing doughnuts and swilling coffee: IMG_2486 IMG_2487 No one realized that there was a spider on the sun-umbrella over our heads: IMG_2490 ...so I didn't tell them, either! I liked this whale-in-the-wood just behind us: IMG_2491 Manolo is a great raconteur, with a great sense of humour. IMG_2498 I wandered around the garden while the others chatted, and was enchanted by what I saw: IMG_2500 IMG_2506 IMG_2507 IMG_2509 IMG_2510 IMG_2512 This seemed to be the main house: IMG_2513 IMG_2514 Another house nearby: IMG_2583 The view from there: IMG_2605 The flowers in the garden included hollyhocks IMG_2515 Pelargoniums (can I forget that I call LJ user="idahoswede" PQ, or Pelar Queen?) IMG_2518 Daisies and roses: IMG_2557 Snapdragons: IMG_2577 Wild flowers delighted me, too: IMG_2602 IMG_2519 IMG_2531 IMG_2533 IMG_2591 this, told me, is Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) ...that is often used in preparations to help people sleep; it was also used as perfume in the past. Given its sweet scent, this is not surprising! IMG_2555 IMG_2543 Bees and other insects were at their pollination work, amongst the flowers: IMG_2516 IMG_2559 IMG_2561 IMG_2593 This barn had a Swallows' nest, with the parents flying in and out: IMG_2580 We went for a walk to a very old, ruined church nearby, which is still sometimes used for weddings: IMG_2524 This Muscovy Duck was sitting in the stream that we crossed: IMG_2521 IMG_2523 IMG_2589 A White Wagtail sat on top of the barn: IMG_2581 We crossed fields of asparagus IMG_2525 and horse-radish: IMG_2526 A railway track, too... IMG_2527 Local trains are purple! IMG_2570 IMG_2569 We came to the church: IMG_2529 It lay, dreaming in the sunshine: IMG_2534 The explanatory plaque was, of course, in Swedish! IMG_2564 The gates were hospitably open: IMG_2545 The very lichen on the rocks seemed mellow with age: IMG_2573 Narrow, slit-windows spoke of defence against marauders, when a church was also a citadel: IMG_2574 Photography was mandated! IMG_2548 A pigeon seemed to be one of the present inhabitants: IMG_2549 What scenes had these windows looked down upon? Now, like the eyes of a departed man, they were shut... IMG_2544 The church did look like a face that was exclaiming at its own chequered past: IMG_2551 Overhead soared a European Black Kite: IMG_2535 The men were probably discussing how the hot weather was good for a beer! IMG_2565 Here we are, photographing on our way back: IMG_2584 The cattle made a pretty scene: IMG_2586 Nina wanted to get to know the cattle better! IMG_2585 </lj-cut> I photographed my friends: IMG_2587 After Tomelilla, we were going to Ystad... IMG_2608 But that's the next post!