Single room shopping!

Three weeks into the term, Linnea finally found out that she was getting a single room! Hallelujah!
So one part of our Skåne-weekend was the mission to go shopping for what else she might need now, that she had a whole room to herself. I had promised her a big rug for example, as the plastic red floor in the rooms is super ugly; and some big (fake) plants.

So after our overnight in IKEA-land we picked up Linnea and continued to Helsingborg. The plan was to cover Väla Shoppingcenter, but it took us all day to browse the second hand, and furniture shops. 
All three of us stayed in a hotel in Helsingborg for the night, went to Pinchos for dinner, and the next day we returned to Väla for some "normal" shopping. There was a need for new jeans for Linnea, and some other bits and pieces. 

All in all, mission complete, and we returned to Svalöv with all our new treasures. We set Linnea up, had dinner, and then stayed in a Guesthouse nearby for the night, before we continued on to our next stop.

IKEA Hotel & IKEA Museum

Mum and I decided we should go on a little trip this weekend. Linnea needed some help with her room, so we were heading down to Svalöv, but on the way we decided to do an overnight in Älmhult.

Älmhult is the birthplace of IKEA, where Ingvar Kamprad opened the very first IKEA store in 1958. This is where the story began and where its culture and design philosophy are still nurtured. It is still central to IKEA today, as it hosts IKEA’s global headquarters.

We booked in for a night at the IKEA hotel!

The first IKEA store is no more, it has turned into the IKEA Museum! This is a place I have been wanting to visit for a long time, as I keep seeing the signage for it every time I drive from Skåne to Skara.

A different kind of museum store.

The IKEA museum is designed to feel immersive, you step into the whole timeline of IKEA.

It shows not only how the company started, but how the IKEA furniture design evolved, from early wooden pieces to today’s flatpack solutions. 

There was rooms from different time periods recreated, to show how IKEA envisioned living spaces across the decades.

Certain classic IKEA pieces were showcased with their design stories, and their global impact. Really interesting! IKEA really is a global cultural phenomenon, and the exhibition delves into how IKEA spread to other countries, adapted to local needs and became a global lifestyle icon.

The exhibition also showed prototypes that never made it to the stores. It was a really interesting visit.

 

In the evening we went just across the road to the restaurant Grillen. Completely furnished with IKEA pieces of course, but offering a slightly more upscale menu than your traditional IKEA restaurant! We had some tapas looking dishes, and everything was absolutely delicious.

Kinnekulle Autumn Art

Nathan and the kids were only able to stay for a couple of days just for the funeral, this morning they already left again. Nathan was flying back home as he was only on compassionate days off, Lucas was going to a stand-up show tonight in Copenhagen, and Linnea needed to get back to school.

So Mum and I went for a little drive up Kinnekulle, as the many artists and craftsmen were having open studios for a bit of a 'Höstrunda'. I was looking for a gift for Erika, and had my heart set on some ceramics. Even though not many ceramic studios were on the route, I managed to find her a beautiful bowl, mission complete.

We stopped at 'Utsikten' (The Viewpoint), with great views of Lake Vänern:

Their sundaes had very local and funny names, but we still opted for waffles, with cloudberry jam, mmm!

Dad's funeral

Yes it does feel a bit bizarre to write about such a thing as a funeral, but it is part of life as well I guess. We took photos to be able to remember this day, as it all felt like a bit of a blur while it was happening.

I was so extremely happy that everything worked out and the whole family was able to be there. 
Nathan flew in to Copenhagen and after Lucas and him picked up a rental car in Malmö, they passed Svalöv to pick up Linnea and arrived in Stenum quite late on Wednesday night.

The ceremony was really lovely. It was a civil ceremony, and since Dad was going to be cremated we had opted to do it with the casket and do the farewells in the chapel, rather than end the ceremony at the grave. The chapel at Marie Kyrkogård is really beautiful.

The officiant had asked Mum and me to write a bit about Dad, and he used our words for the eulogy. It was a sad and very emotional moment of course, but it also felt warm and moving. Mum and I had chosen the music, and it all came together beautifully. It was a heartfelt and touching farewell.

Dad's magicians hat and wand ♥︎

Afterwards we gathered at home. Dad would have liked it that way, coffee and smörgåstårta (sandwich cake), one of his favourites. We had set the tables with Mum's nicest linen table cloths and china, when else to use that?
So grateful for everyone that came to honour and remember Dad.

Pia, Emma and I were on kitchen duty. Emma had made her lovely cakes, same as at Elicia's christening.

I call this photo "Tanter i trädgård". Luckily the rain subsided so they could go outside and do a walkabout in the garden:

♥︎♥︎♥︎

At Västergötland Museum

In a bid to keep busy, we visited the Västergötlands Museum today. Every Thursday they have some kind of guided tour, and today it was of their storage. Exciting!

The guide took us around in the underground, and showed us a few different random objects that he enjoyed and that had fascinating stories. Some with local attachment, others like this, just fascinating. This yellow bowl had been coloured with - uranium! The uranium had been mixed into glass to create this bright, brilliant yellow. I had never heard of that!

One of the first Apple computers:

Mum admiring some old bobbin lace:

Spiken

After our tour of Läckö Castle we decided to go out to another place I had never been to before, Spiken. 
This is a cosy fishing village, which is one of Europe's biggest freshwater harbours. We were a little off season of course, in the summer it is bustling with life and tourists. Now in September, not so much.

So we were happy to find at least one restaurant that was open!

We shared a Skagen pizza (really yum!), while enjoying the afternoon sun, and the views.