In Falconberg we stayed in a Scandinavian-designed hostel, where even the recycling sorting station was a wok of art.

From there we headed off to a place considerably older, the Varberg Fortress from 1650.

Onion domes make this pier look like something out of Russia but despite the 31° heat in early June it wasn’t yet open for the season. I was taking a photo of this date of 1650 when a woman asked me why I was doing that. I told her that I was from the west coast of Canada and there wasn’t much in existence dating before 1870. To see something this old and still standing, maybe even liveable, was exciting. “Of course it’s liveable,” she exclaimed, “my son lives here!” 
Okay, the windows don’t look original. This stone structure has withstood the ages. This is the view of an island out from the ramparts.Inside was a museum, with this painting of a similar view, only from several hundred years ago. A loose sketch of the nearby landforms – I love it. Another series of views done as a triptych.Then there was this painting of a huge creepy family – where all everyone looked as if they had the same face attached to different sized bodies. This side of the painting shows the male lineage……and this side the female side. An even more ancient stone carved with the chariot that carried the sun through the sky.View out the window overlooking the ocean. Here looking over the inner courtyard. Metal spiral staircases and shadows on the deep pink walls. There were cannons covered with stickers pointed in the direction of the city.

This ancient door of patched metal…lead to toilets that were shipshape and industrially enticing.
What can I say – I’m in love with the toilets! On the way out we saw some wharves with boats and a sign advertising fishing trips. The sign contained illustrations of fish, including the Rödspätta, (‘Red Spot’ in English), a type of Plaice, one of my most memorable meals the first time I was in Denmark in 1965. From here we set the GPS to my cousin’s place just slightly inland from Goteborg.

More about our trip to Denmark & Sweden in 2018.