Sweden weekend number two: a castle, some mushies and piles of dirt
I decided to spend last weekend in Uppsala doing some of the more touristy things on offer and getting to know the town a bit better. On Friday night, I took myself out for dinner to this restaurant which sold reindeer! Yes, that's correct, I ate Dancer, or Prancer, hopefully not Rudolph! It was really tasty, strangely enough a bit like venison. And it came with white asparagus and a chantarelle sauce - mmmm.
Then on Saturday I went and checked out the local markets. There were heaps of stalls selling mushrooms picked from the forest which delighted me no end. There were chantarelles (the orange ones) and also the king bolete that is made into porcini in Italy. I didn't buy any because.....I'd already been mushroom hunting in the local forest with people from work! So I'd already collected a heap of boletes and cooked them up for dinner on Thursday! Huh! How cool is that?
Also on Saturday, I visited the Uppsala Slottet (castle) and the Botanic gardens. I go past them every day on my way to work but thought I should really have a proper look. The castle was once used lots by the royal family but now it's mostly used as a function centre. There's also an art gallery which was interesting.
The botanic gardens are pretty - very ornamental with different plants in little hedged areas. So it was quite hedgy really. But it also contains Linneaus' organery!
And you should all have guessed by now that I'm obsessed with the cathedral so here are some more pics from the castle direction.
On Saturday night, I did something which turned out to be very appropriately Swedish - I went to the movies. It hadn't really occurred to me that Mamma Mia was based on songs written in Sweden, but there you have it. A good choice, and a funny movie!
On Sunday, I met up with Lucy's friend Hanna and we went to Gamla Uppsala. It's the original site of Uppsala city but what's really cool about it is that it's a burial ground with lots of huge mounds under which important people were buried during viking times. Awesome! And there was a fabulous museum attached which explains the history of the mounds and the general region and also has lots of information about vikings. I like vikings! It was a terrific day, plus we got to have pancakes for lunch!
On Monday night, I went around to Lovisa's fabulous apartment for dinner!
So all in all, a top weekend!
Then on Saturday I went and checked out the local markets. There were heaps of stalls selling mushrooms picked from the forest which delighted me no end. There were chantarelles (the orange ones) and also the king bolete that is made into porcini in Italy. I didn't buy any because.....I'd already been mushroom hunting in the local forest with people from work! So I'd already collected a heap of boletes and cooked them up for dinner on Thursday! Huh! How cool is that?
Also on Saturday, I visited the Uppsala Slottet (castle) and the Botanic gardens. I go past them every day on my way to work but thought I should really have a proper look. The castle was once used lots by the royal family but now it's mostly used as a function centre. There's also an art gallery which was interesting.
The botanic gardens are pretty - very ornamental with different plants in little hedged areas. So it was quite hedgy really. But it also contains Linneaus' organery!
And you should all have guessed by now that I'm obsessed with the cathedral so here are some more pics from the castle direction.
On Saturday night, I did something which turned out to be very appropriately Swedish - I went to the movies. It hadn't really occurred to me that Mamma Mia was based on songs written in Sweden, but there you have it. A good choice, and a funny movie!
On Sunday, I met up with Lucy's friend Hanna and we went to Gamla Uppsala. It's the original site of Uppsala city but what's really cool about it is that it's a burial ground with lots of huge mounds under which important people were buried during viking times. Awesome! And there was a fabulous museum attached which explains the history of the mounds and the general region and also has lots of information about vikings. I like vikings! It was a terrific day, plus we got to have pancakes for lunch!
On Monday night, I went around to Lovisa's fabulous apartment for dinner!
So all in all, a top weekend!
posted by anna at 1:43 am
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