Genève - alors

Nellys and Kapusas flat is situated just one km from the French border. We walked to France to get cheap grocerries the other day. The price difference is substantial. Genevas features are watches, chocolates, flashy cars and well dressed career diplomats with stern faces on their ways to crucial meetings. One thing that I find remarkably nice is the generous way people great each other. There is always time and place for a "bonjour monsieur", even to a passing stranger outside the block of flats in which we live. In Sweden such unwarranted greetings would get you considered as a potential rapist, and if you greet a gentleman, a homosexual rapist. Well I strolled downtown Geneva yesterday, here are some snaps that perhaps convey a little of the atmosphere of this remarkably international, and strikingly ethnically mixed city. Actually, a majority of the citys inhabitants are foreigners, many working for different international organisations like UN, WTO, ILO, GATT etc. There is also a notable female surplus in the city, in the streets the men in strict suits are surrounded by click-clacking high heels.

Arrividerci, Italia

Yes, the car did indeed break down. We found a mechanic who needed six days to get a new gear-box and new tyres, and fortunately, he managed to get it working by Friday Aug. 24th when we were scheduled to move out from Strassoldo and drive to Geneva. It cost us 1000 Euro to get the car rolling again. We left Strassoldo Friday at noon, got stuck one hour in traffic outside Venice and then an hour and a half outside the tunnel going through Mont Blanc between Italy and France. And along our route west, Italians, French and Swiss charged us and arm and a leg just to use different stretches, pass the tunnel and made us pay road tax to enter Switzerland. Around 10.30 PM we reached Emilys sister Nellys flat in Geneva, where the youngest sister Kapusa resides. For two weeks now we haven´t had any access to TV, we have not had any newspapers we could read properly and with great difficulties have we managed to reach internet twice. That has not been a totally satisfactory state of affairs. I starve for media, news and gossip. The picture shows our car, Old Betsy, waiting in line two kilometers before the Mont Blanc tunnel. Frustrating experience, but the mountain was a truly impressive sight, and the girls, unusually untied to their chairs, had a ball.

Dark clouds loom

Dark clouds loom on the horizon in Friulia. The car has been producing terrible, clanking sounds for some days and I have to get it to a mechanic first thing Monday. It sounds as a serious problem. If it takes weeks to repair and we are to drive to Switzerland on Friday, I do not now how what do do. And most Italians are on holiday. The official Ford mechanic in Cervignano close to our village hasnt even put a sign up when they come back from holiday. However the train service is close and works well. Well find a way.

Venice

Venice. What can I say that hasnt already been said? one thing, at least: what struck me how this city shows me how italians revere not only the decaying historical artifacts, but also cherish and love decay itself. Venice breathtaking ambundance of historical beauty was of course impressive, but we managed to slip into a family row during our exclusive lunch in an exquisite restaurant in Venice.

Fighting the figs

The dropping figs are increasing in numbers. Considering the level of committment the figs exert its somewhat surprising that the landlord, a Swedish journalist, didnt mention them on beforehand. I should leave 50 kgs of figs in his bedsheets, as a memento for him for his next visit. That would make a point with a nice modern reference to the horses haid in The Godfather, fnarr-fnarr-fnarr...
Yesterday, we left for a trip to the classy, stylish and for us unknown city of Udine. During our four hours in Udine no less than 158 figs awaited us when we came back. That makes an average of 800 figs a day and night to be raked. But our methods have improved, we deal with them in a little more than 1 hour a day of active work. Killer snails of Sweden, come back, in hordes, everything is forgotten.
But when cleaned up, the garden is really nice, and with a steady stream of italian tourists occationally strolling by, to look at the castle Strassoldo, that got its present design in the 17th century.
Our neighbours Mario and Lydia, is a charming and tremendously helpful couple, that has helped us a lot with information and even internet access, during our first four days here. Mario,an ex official from the shipping industry, seems to have that rare gift of surfacing with tips and solutions to whatever problem you stumble into. He even takes care of the rotting figs to make soil for his garden.

Italian week-end

Oh yes, this is Italy. Classy style, spontaneity, irresponsible charm, great coffee and inferior WC drains. This week-end we have been swimming at Grado beach, seen the villages around us. and Lily have made a sport of shouting ciao, ciao to the people she sees. Today we went to Trieste, what was intended as themajor port of the Habsburg Empire, and also James Joyces favourite city. Lily and Alice mostly in a good mood. We found out that the car indeed has a air condition-button. A very pleasant surprise. Tried to enter Slovenia, but realized that we needed passports (we left them at home in Strassoldo) since Slovenia is in the EU but not yet in the Schengen passport treaty. Passport mandatory? I asked. "Yes of course. Surprise, surprise", said the Slovenian border gard, in a rather unorthodox way. And heres an image of the castle Strassoldo, our nearest neighbour. The countess that lives in the castle sneaked out last night without shoes and had a curious peek at us. And by the way, check the small canoe and man swimming that can be seen at the other image, in the water far below our wiewing point in the hills over the Adriatic.

From Germany to Italy

We left München Friday. Came to think of it, it was in this very city Hitler and the nazi movement had its cradle and its first big rallies in the twenties. Today, Münich stands out as the western city with the inner city most densely populated by moslems, many of them apparently with wahhabite traditions, with black veils covering the womens faces. Quite ironic.

It took us about five hours to drive over the alps, passing Austria and reaching the small village Strassoldo south of Udine where we rent a house for a fortnight. Peaceful environtments, close to a medieval castle, only separated from our house by a small creek. But as soon as we settled we realized an fearless army awaits us. A big fig tree in the garden sends around 400 of it rotten fruits to the soil, attracting flies and making the garden impossible to exist in unless you like to walk around in marmalade - or - rake the stuff up twice a day. Which of course was our option.

Malmö-Munich by car in 13 hrs

It took us 13 hours to drive from mums house in Malmö to our hotel in the middle of München. After a nice supper "kartoffelsuppe mit wurst" in central Munich the girls have now fallen asleep. Considering that two minors were in the car strapped and unable to move for most of that period, it should be some kind of record. But it was worth it, well stay two nights here and then smoothly take care of the rest of the trip to Italy. In around 5 hours, at most. Lilys mood was amazingly good almost all of the time. Alice was more uneasy. It was the first time I drove across the Öresund bridge, with its Swedish side founded about 1 km from were I grew up in Limhamn. I was impressed by the experience. During the drive through Denmark i listened to Danish radio. I was struck by the obsession danes have with ethnic minorities, and particularly moslems. Even the public service radio express a primitive and false views, for instance by referring to the use of headscarves (törklaer) as a religious, moslem tradition (in fact it is a cultural tradition, regardless of religion). The slip of thought of course rendered the news reporting with another innuendo of presumed fanaticism of islam. The public service radio also repeatedly referred to immigrant areas as ghettos. Ghetto is hardly a good word for areas that are homes, places of upbringing and cherished childhood memories for many. I think the main problem is that danes have such firmly rooted views of themselves as profoundly "decent" (almindelige hygglige dansker), and that they honestly want to save the rest of the world from its rampant "undanishness". Listening to Danish public service radio makes me respect the Germans even more, who really must be the world record holder of dealing with its past sins. The first night of blogging in München was interrupted by an Austrian youth in the hotel bar, who after several drinks wanted to exercise his English with me. He very soon asked me if I had visited Dachau (concentration camp outside München), and then went on to talk about a more gruesome equivalent "Mathausen" (?) in his native Austria. Interesting. Even in a youth getting seriously potted in a bar quickly ends up talking about his cultures dark past.

Anyway, time to log out from the country of 100 sausages.

Heading south

Finally we are heading south. We stopped by in Kåraryd, Blekinge, the summer house of my sister and her husband Janne, and spent two nights there. After that, a brief visit in the Brösarp hills, where Ingmar, mothers boyfriend resides. And since, we have spent five nights at mother Birgittas house in Malmö. Tomorrow we will drive over the Öresund-bridge (first time for me) and through Denmark, take the ferry from Gedser to Rostock. Our goal is to drive down to München on one day from Malmö, a hefty stretch, yes, but well spend two nights in München, rest for a day, and then easily drive the remaining third down to Udine, Italy. Basically, up to now, it has all been family life. On the picture, sister Ingrid, Janne, and dauthers Matilda and Anna, by the mill at Huseby Manors.