Category Archives: Travel
Top 10 Things To Know About Living in Sweden
A few weeks ago, there was a great This American Life episode called Americans in Paris. In Act 1, Ira Glass followed David Sedaris around his life as an ex-pat. It got me thinking about typical reputations of the French … Continue reading
Top 10 Things to Know About Swedish
This one is for my friends (Zane!) and family (parents!) coming to visit, plus that nice couple from Chicago I met on the Flygbussarna back from the airport: Top 5 words to know in Swedish: Hej / Hejdå = Hello … Continue reading
Swedish National Day!
June 6th is Sweden’s National Day. Technically it commemorates two occasions: on that date in 1523, Gustav Vasa (infamous Swedish hero) was elected king, and on the same date in 1809, the country adopted a new constitution. But it wasn’t … Continue reading
Grattis på studenten!
Today is graduation day in Sweden. This is what it looks like: That right. Trucks full of half naked screaming Swedish teenagers jumping up and down, blaring dance music, screeching whistles, and spraying each other with cans of beer. ALL … Continue reading
Sweden’s road rules rule
A few recent headlines reinforce Sweden’s reputation for having the safest roads in the world. First, new NYC mayor Bill De Blasio has instituted the Swedish model “Vision Zero” – a year with zero traffic-related deaths, with a target of … Continue reading
Happy Mother’s Day!
Sweden is rightfully proud about how great it is to raise children here. Of course, compared to the US, most countries are ahead of things. (Shame on you, America!) Sweden, meanwhile, is embarrassed that they’re only in third place for … Continue reading
Trickle-down fashions
I love how this middle-class kid in Holland is wearing the same fashionable petticoat breeches with crazy ribbon trim that kings were wearing across Europe – it really shows the international power of fashion! These breeches had legs that were … Continue reading
17th century sock lines
I love discovering images that make history feel more like real life. In this somewhat risqué painting of a lady taking her stockings off, you can clearly see the indentations left from the garters that had held her stockings up … Continue reading
Why table legs have boobs
Ever wonder why table legs have boobs? I just found out they’re good practice for the uninitiated. This boy and his friend had been sitting on the floor giggling and fondling this poor table leg for a while. When discovered … Continue reading
What we make fashion out of
Well, not clothes, necessarily. But accessories are usually included in with whatever that unwieldy word “fashion” includes, and are often places to find unique and interesting materials. I saw some interesting examples at the Museum of Bags and Purses* in … Continue reading