2026: 28 March/Ah, the museums and the theater!

 Uppsala

Today we got to sleep in a little bit--until 7:45.  First we drove downtown and found a parking spot central to where we would be.  Sweden, including Uppsala is doing what many complain about Minneapolis doing.  They are engineering the environment of the city to encourage people to walk and use bicycles while making it less comfortable to drive your car.  They have built and enlarged walking and biking paths.  The bike paths are often separated by a raised curb or up on a curb height from the street.  Parking is very restricted.  Most businesses do not have parking spots.  There are parking bays on some of the streets, but not the most driven ones.  Most streets are one lane each way.  Parking anywhere in the city is monitored by an app.  You need to enter your car and the number for the area in which you are parked (ie:  specific parking lot, along this street in this area of the street).  You then leave and when you return, you enter that and it ends.  You pay per minute.  One problem is that there is more than one app.  Whoever owns the parking area decides what app to use.  And then you enter your credit card info to pay for the parking.  There are many parking police who drive around checking to make sure that each person parked in an area has entered their information and if they haven't, they get a parking ticket placed under their windshield wiper.  And I believe that it is significant.  But today we were there earlier on a Saturday, so we found a spot right away (unlike yesterday). 

Our first stop was a guided tour at Museum Gustavianum which is part of the university here in Uppsala.  First we went into an operating theater.  It is one of those that you see in movies, with the the table at the center and the rising rings for students and colleagues to stand and observe.  A medical professor (Olaf Rudbeck the elder) back in the 1660s was learning from other doctors in other parts of Europe and saw one there and insisted on one in Uppsala as a condition of his working at the University.  They said that the wooden table would have been marble with a small trough cut just inside the outside edge for the blood and goo to go to drain into buckets.  And also, they rebuilt the current one from the old one though the upper walls and ceiling are original.  It was mostly used for animals, there were only 10 human dissections in the 100 years it was used.  In Sweden, there were only three sources for humans to dissect:  a murderer, a suicide (self-murderer), or a child up to the age of 12 conceived outside of wedlock.  I asked why 12--that was the age of marriage.  The purpose of the dissections, in addition to teaching students, was to try to understand the mind of God.   

The walls  of the theater are speckled so that any flying blood or goo would just blend in.

This is looking down on the table which would have been marble instead of wood like this one.

Then we saw the Augsburg cabinet.  It was created in Augsburg, Germany and presented from the city as a gift to King Gustavus Adolphus in 1632.  Unfortunately, he died later that same year.  His 6 year old daughter became queen and had the cabinet brought to Uppsala for her coronation.  It is full of drawers, and openings, and other spaces and was filled with objects from all over the world.  Many of the items  were kept with the cabinet until it was donated.  Some are broken beacause the young queen would play with them.  (Side note:  she abdicated her throne at the age of 12 because she converted to Catholicism, I believe.  She was banished from Sweden).  The cabinet was also supposed to help understand the mind of God.  There was even a pipe from a native American tribe on the East Coast.  It is supposed to represent the entire world.  It is built in the themes of the sea and love.  On top was a nut from Seychelles that was washed up on the shores of a western Europe colony  and traded.  The guide said that there are also steps inside that can be folded out to use to access and observe the top. It was extremely valuable.  At the time, the cabinet was valued at roughly the price of a castle.  Many references to Christianity as well as mythology.

Items from the cabinet

 A close-up of one side

The top

More objects from the cabinet

Another side

Another side (the white statue in the center was of Cain and Abel). 

Finally was the room of science.  Our guide showed us many interesting holdings and explained the Eugenics movement  in Sweden that began in the 1300s and ended with the final sterilization in 1971.  

This was the first Celcius measurement device, though at that time
the scale was backwards to what it is now, with 0 degrees being boiling and 100 degrees freezing.  

Other parts of their science holdings

The atrium area

Oh, it's a modern statue in the niche!
Too bad it isn't taller to fill the space better!

After this we walked over for brunch at the Stockholm Nation building.  The university in Uppsala is divided into "nations", more like societies.  Each is an area, such as the north, etc.  It seems to be to help students to feel less alone--give them a peer group besides those of their classes and other organizations.  Especially helpful for freshmen.  Each society has its own library, student center, pub, etc. but anyone can use them, including member of the public.  So we went there.  They had several choices for their brunch.  I had french toast with nutella and whipped mascarpone and the Smoothie of the Day--it was a mixed berry smoothie.  Very yummy brunch for less than $10. It is known for its brunches and its good prices.  (Guess I didn't get a picture of the breakfast--meant to!) 

Next on the agenda was a matinee musical performed by one of the high schools that we had visited.  We were able to walk there as well.  It was performed in a small theater downtown--the Regina Theater--kind of fun for high school kids to get to perform in an actual theater.  They were doing "The Prom", a translated American musical based on true events and is a movie you can watch on Netflix.  It is the account of a high school student in Indiana who wanted to go with her girlfriend as her date to their high school prom.  The girlfriend's mom was very homophobic and didn't accept that her daughter liked girls.  And, being in a small Indiana town, most of the students are homophobic as well.  They are shown the errors of their ways and the girlfriend fully comes out to her mom, though the couple did miss the prom.  They even broke up for a short time, but got back together in the final scene.  The nuances and specifics of the plot were difficult to pick up on Swedish, but it was fun seeing the kids having fun acting their hearts out.  I met the director and we spoke for a few minutes during intermission.  These are pictures of Uppsala that I snapped as we walked back to the car park through downtown and part of the old town. 

pinky finger is waving at you!

There is a street running through the bottom floor.

There is a story associated with this about a person getting their head cut off
by the French; it flew off and where
it ended is where they built the fountain and it is named after his head.

The cathedral in the background

Our group had a discussion outside the theater on whether or not to go out that evening as a group one more time, but decided to just say goodbye there and have a quiet last night with our hosts.  Margareta and Gunnar made a delicious dinner of salmon, salad, potatoes, and homemade bread with wine and we finished it off with the last of my brownies with freshly whipped cream.  (Being retired, Margareta is able to make all of their bread).  Then I repacked and started writing this, then spent the rest of the night talking with Gunnar and Margareta.  Gunnar and Margareta shared a few days ago that she had gotten cochlear implants which has made a huge difference in her life.  Last time I was there, she wasn't able to participate in our conversations and I think there were some social/cultural misunderstandings as well which made it awkward at times.  It was much easier and enjoyable this time and I was able to draw Margareta into some of the discussions and she showed me her photo album of vacations that she took in the US with her first husband.  As a host/ess gift, I gave them a nice couch blanket of a map of the state of Minnesota with pictures.  It was very thick and large and they seemed to like it.  Gunnar gave me two pairs of socks that his mom knit.  When he visited last time he gave me a pair of wool mittens that his mom had knit---very warm but large, meant for a man's hands.  His mom is 98 and still makes things and lives on her own.  Then to bed.  

2026: 25-26 March/Home of the Swedes

 Uppsala, Sweden

Wednesday

Hej!  (that's hi in Swedish).  I was way too tired last night to write my blog.  After I wrote my blog on the last night in Paris--two nights ago--I had everything repacked in my bags, with things laid out for a shower the next morning and the necessary bags to put everything in after a shower including the clothes that I was wearing.  The room I was staying in had 6 beds, or three sets of bunk beds.  Two of them faced each other in little alcoves in the wall and the third was over on the other side of the room in an alcove of its own, facing the window.  I had the bottom bunk of the last one.  Before this, the other women had all been assigned to the other bunks.  Well, that night, two women came in with their bags, and I asked if either of them was in bed 1, the one above mine.  Bummer, but yeah, one of them was.  So I couldn't keep all of my things laid out on the floor under the window because that infringed on their area as well.  So I shoved everything under the bed so that she could have some floor space as well.  

Now my flight wasn't until 12:40, but I did a timeline, allowing three hours early at the airport (they recommend at least two but one was my cushion in case of a problem).  I had checked my transit to the airport with the front desk the night before to ensure it would work (Metro 6 to RER B) and he said that it was the best route.  So I allowed an hour for that.  Then time for a shower, to pack the odds and ends, to walk to the metro station, and to grab a quick breakfast, meant I should wake up at 6:30.   Before going to bed, I apologized in advance to the woman that was going to be sleeping above me for coughing a lot.  She said that it wasn't a problem, she wears ear plugs.  OK.  Well, I was still worried, so I didn't sleep soundly.  Woke up groggy at 6:30.  In case you don't know, one of the effects of ADHD can be an incredible difficulty (almost an impossibility) getting yourself moving--including getting out of bed--in the morning unless you are very late or want to get up.  I finally got up, took a shower, and finished repacking everything.  I found yesterday's pair of capri pants in my bed (I had to change into my nightshirt in my bed space the night before because the other two women were using the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.  I had used the public toilet out in the hallway first.  Well, there was no time to unpack to fit those pants in my bags, so I stuffed them in the sleeve of the jacket I had bought a few days before. (no judgements!).  The jacket was hanging on my carry on bag. Had just a croissant and orange juice for breakfast and I was out the door, having checked out when I came downstairs and having brought my luggage with me.  The metro station is less than a block away so it wasn't a problem getting there and the train came only a few minutes after I arrived.  It was crowded, being morning, so I had to check a few cars before there was one with room for me and my bags.  Then the RER arrived at the next station shortly after I did and I was at the airport in under 45 minutes!   With over three hours to spare!  Well, it took a bit to figure out exactly which Terminal 2 I needed to be at (there are at least 5).  In security I only had to take out my laptop and liquids bag (shoes stayed on).  I obsessively emptied my pockets and breezed through.  Went to Terminal 2E, gate 35.  I was able to charge my laptop by propping up the charger (heavy laptop charger on a 2 prong adapter) while I was waiting.  My passport wasn't checked until I went to board.  Then I boarded, had been given a window seat, and there was another person in the aisle seat but no one in the middle so I could stretch my legs out a little more.  2-1/2 hours and we arrived in Sweden.  After a few texts I met up with Gunnar, the person hosting me. 

We drove to his apartment and he and his wife reaquainted me with the apartment and got me settled.  Margareta had been preparing a dinner.  First we had brie and thin crackers. The main dish had a thin red sauce with spinach, peppers and I think tofu served with rice.  It was not spicy (we are in Sweden after all) and it was delicious!  Then a thin flat chocolate cake that tasted like brownies with real cream.  It was all very good.  Then we talked and talked and then watched a Swedish master chef show that they follow--except that it was all in Swedish.  Then we talked more before bed.  They have an addition to the family--a puppy--a big puppy that is obsessed with smelling my crotch and jumping up on me.  He was very excited all night--so many new smells and a new person to get attention from.  I am still coughing quite a bit, so Margareta gave me some prescription cough syrup she has.

Thursday

Today we officially started.  Up early and a shower.  Then breakfast.  I just had some slices of break (more like a french bread), toasted and with butter, cheese, and meat.  And tea. They have something similar to oatmeal or muesli and sort-of sandwiches as well as coffee and tea.  Then we went to the school where we were meeting--a new school.  It has three buildings broken down by grades--young students (they start school at age 7), middle students, and the oldest students.  We met in the lunchroom of one of the schools for fika.  Fika is very important to the Swedish people.  In the schools, classes stop, teachers and staff go to the lounge and have coffee/tea and usually a pastry.  Children are given milk and crackers or cookies and often get to go outside for a short bit. In the lounge, no one talked about students or lessons, it was all about their personal lives and things going on in the world.  It is a time to stop working and reconnect as people.  Then it happens again in the afternoon.  What a great concept.  Granted, some people have to watch the students, but I think you could get parent or community volunteers to do that.  Everyone has fika, not just the schools.  

For our fika we had cinnamon rolls and coffee-tea and the jubilee teachers reconnected with people that we had met before.  The jubilee teachers were there (that's me) as well as the annual delegation of teachers.  And all of the hosts and leaders of the program.  One of the teachers from the delegation my year worked with a teacher in Sweden to create a mural with the students.  When it was ready to be painted she sent the Sweden half of the mural as well as buckets of paint home with the Swedish teachers from that year. Both groups worked on it and we saw the final product.  She will be bringing the mural home to Minneapolis to display possibly eventually living at City Hall.  A smaller copy will be sent to Sweden for them to display.  The Uppsala mayor spoke and was excited to possibly hang it in their city hall.   

The organizers of the jubilee and former delegation  leaders.

Past and present leaders.

The mural

Then, after speeches and photos, we went to a local folk museum and saw the Gamla Uppsala church.  The museum is at the site of the original city of Uppsala ( a short distance away from the current city).  Gamla means old, it is the Old Uppsala.  We were broken into two groups.  Our group first went into the church to hear about the history of the church in the evolution of the city.  Then the groups switched and walked around outside (it was VERY COLD outside with icy winds).  We learned about the original inhabitants (BCE).  And about their worship of the Swedish gods and the sacrifices they performed.  We looked at the burial mounds and heard about some people buried in their boats with all of the earthly goods that they would need for the next life.   Uppsala was the center of Sweden, people from all over the world came to visit it.  It was all fascinating.  

All Swedish churches have an area at the back of the church for the children during the service.  This one at Gamla Uppsala has clerical staff vestments for dress up, a child size communion service, a basin for baptisms, and even a tiny coffin that stuffed animals can go in.  It is all adorable.  They talk about how much they love cats because it is a cathedral.

ceilings

Originally the walls were painted with bible scenes and decorations, but during the reformation they whitewashed over all the paintings.  They have been able to recover some, though some became damaged by the covering over and from sunlight.

The organ in the back of the church.

The organ--we were able to take turns playing it.  One duo played heart and soul.

the nave

The ceiling

Some of the burial mounds. The three major ones are named after the three primary Swedish gods.  They keep finding boat burials all over.  Only a tiny part of the area has been excavated.  

After that, we had lunch at the folk museum, paid for by some organization.  It was Swedish meatballs (with gravy) with mashed potatoes garnished with lingonberries and pickled cucumbers.  I didn't eat the cucumbers because I don't like them, but the rest was delicious.  Mashed potatoes with lingonberries was very yummy and the meatballs were great.  We found out later that the meatballs were made with a mixture of reindeer and moose meat.  

After that we drove a teacher home and went back to the apartment.  We stopped on the way for me to buy cough drops.  I went in to take a nap and fell asleep right away and didn't move--I woke up on my back with my phone still sitting on my chest.  I was feeling a bit dizzy before that.  I think is was probably the caffeine in the three cups of tea today (breakfast, fika, and lunch) combined with my ADHD medication (a stimulant).  I looked it up and that was the likely cause.  I'll have to try and drink herbal tea tomorrow at least one of those times.  I woke up from my nap feeling much better and not coughing nearly as much.  I worked a bit writing this and then we went to dinner.  We were meeting many of the other jubilee members (I think we ended up with 17) at a local restaurant in an old house turned school.  This one was on us.  We could order the three courses or just the entree.  I just ordered the entree.  There were three choices, I chose the fish (cod).  It was the fish, potatoes cooked into what looked like a hockey puck, and asparagus.  All very good.  It was fun talking and laughing with the other teachers.  There were several special ed teachers as well.  Then we dropped off a different teaher/host pair and came back near 10:00.  

Tomorrow we are due to start with school tour at 8:00. 

2026: 24 March/There was a fire here?

 Paris

Okay, this morning I was super lazy and slept really well, but slept until 10:15.  Breakfast ends at 10:30.  So I considered skipping it, but I don't know if I can get it tomorrow, and it is a nice way to start the day (and less expensive than a meal out somewhere later!).  So I got up, dressed, and arrived at 10:30.  I asked if I was too late and they said no, and waved me in.  Today is much warmer and I wore capris and sandals!  Yay!!  

After a leisurely breakfast, I brushed my teeth, packed up my bag, and headed out!  Last night I heard another person in my room coughing in the night, so at least I'm not the only one that could be disturbing my roommates' sleep!  I worry about that because some people are much lighter sleepers than others.  I mean, it's not like I can help it--it's not a choice.  And other than the tissues, cough drops, and water that I take in my bed space with me and use all night, there's not much more I can do.  

Anyway, I took the metro halfway to Notre Dame and walked the rest of the way.  Much better for my back.  And the line was not terribly long and just kept moving.  I was in the no reservations line.  The reservations line had people and groups waiting to be let in as well.  So a short time in line and I was in!  To be honest, it doesn't look much different inside.  Cleaner probably, but that is it.  I know that they cleaned the stained glass windows that remained intact--they were covered with smoky residue.  I read that Germany shared three stained glass craftspeople with the French and paid all of their expenses, and I'm guessing that the government hired others as well to rebuild the windows that were damaged and destroyed.  I read that because it is owned by the French government, the church and most of its contents cannot be insured.  But within days over 800 million euros had been raised and more since then to repair the cathedral.  I remember feeling heartsick when it happened, like a personal loss.  So, it was nice to see it looking well.  Some of the artwork had obviously been replaced with more modern art and some of the windows had been redone in a different art style than the originals.  I read that there is much more work to be done, including re-doing the grounds in front of the cathedral and that they feel that they have enough money to get it done.  Macron had promised 5 years to repair Notre Dame, but it was reopened in three (though, as I said, there is more work do be done that is less visible).    (My photos uploaded in a strange order and don't want to be moved around.  Sorry about that!)

The facade, much cleaner tha before!

From the line--every window in that building, even in the attic, has a (tiny) balcony!

The nave

Looking at windows

One of the rose windows

So bright and clean

Vibrant colors!

A different rose window with the sun coming in!

The ceiling and the pipes

As you walk in.

One of the side chapels

These windows do not look original

The chapel of Mary Magdelene--I find it interesting that the statue in here is of a man--not the saint herself.

Even the stone pillars are repainted

Modern art replacing destroyed originals

More modern art

Then I went across the square to the crypt, specifically, the Crypte archéologique with a Dans la Seine special exhibition.  In the mid-60s, they attempted to build a car park under the square in front of Notre Dame.  Well, they found Roman ruins down there!  They found ruins back to the 4th Century, CE.   They also found evidence much further back including a wooly mammoth tusk as well as flora and fauna evidence back to the neanderthals.  One benefit of solo travel is that I can totally nerd out and read all of the placards, watch the videos, and examine everything they have found.  My family and most travel buddies would not put up with that unless we split up and then met up later somewhere.So I spent a bunch of time and learned a lot--it was fascinating.  I will show you a bunch of pictures here and you'll have to look it up or go visit if you want more.  Interesting things about more islands, a much wider Seine, a very humid forest and more. (Again, some uploading issues with the photos!)

The square in front of Notre Dame (the ruins were found under this)

Some of the Roman ruins--these are part of the rampart walls built around the Ile de la Cite to keep out the "barbarians" 

Part of the Hotêl-Dieu (a hospital)

Part of the baths

Part of the baths

More of the hospital

This is a doorway down by the docks (yes, still under the courtyard)





Well, it was around 3:30 by now and I was munchy.  None of the lunch/early dinner options sounded good, so I figured that I would find a patisserie and get something until a later meal.  Now I have passed many patisseries  prior to now, but I could not find one--about  a thousand crèpe stands and a boulangerie, but no patisseries (pastry shops).  Then I saw a cafe with a sandwich that looked good--all of the cafes serve "sandwichs".  So I had another chicken sandwich and it was served with fries.  I ate out in front and the waiter asked if I knew french when I greeted him in french.  I said a little and we conducted almost all of the business in French, so that was nice.  My French is finally coming back, though I keep saying "Si" instead of "Oui", so shopkeepers ask if I speak Spanish.  I'm just a multi-national treat, I guess! 

The Hôtel de Ville (city offices)

Well, because it was so warm, I hadn't brought my hoodie with me.  I walked around by the Seine a bit more, but was getting quite chilly at 5:30, I decided to go get my hoodie at the hotel.  Once I got here, my plan was to go to a park and do a little Duo Lingo, then wander some more.  I thought about a boat cruise, but I didn't have any leads and it was getting later.  I found a bench, but couldn't get a reliable connection and my app wigged out a bit and wouldn't work.  So, I tried the park across the street from my hotel, using their wifi.  Nope, doesn't reach that far.  I even tried the sidewalk in front of the building.  Nope.  So I settled for the lobby.  Well, by the time all of that happened and I did a few lessons to get out of the demotion zone, it was 7:45 and dark,  And I knew that I needed to repack my bags.  So, like a loser on my last night in Paris, I went up and started writing this.  Sad, I know.  Then to top it off, I can't get my computer to charge.  I tried both the main cord and the extension, plugged into the adaptor plug and tried several outlets.  Nada.  Since I only have 25% battery left, hopefully I can finish this blog tonight and then have better luck in Sweden.  

So I will upload my photos, put the best on here and hope to have enough juice to upload it.  Then I need to repack my bags.  Yuck.  But Sweden awaits me tomorrow!  🤣 

*Okay, the rest of the photos loaded at the bottom here, so we'll have to live with it!

Street performers (I didn't get a picture of the solo oboe player a block back--he was awesome!)

Hôtel de Ville

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Very "old Paris" building

A garden remembrance for  those who died in the attacks on November 13, 2015

The river

You can see the new spire of Notre Dame if you look carefully

A closer view

Another view

A back view

Back view

another type of bike lane