Posted by jackie | Under Culture
Monday Jul 26, 2010
Mary-Jordon in Gothenburg! We wanted to find out just how amazing her trip was so we asked her a few questions. Enjoy!
1) What was your first impression of Sweden? I was taken by how well kept everything was there. Anywhere you looked it could have been a view from a postcard.
2) What was on your itinerary?
We began our tour in Gothenberg, then headed north along the coast. After we got our Volvo loaner, we visited Klädesholmen, the Nordic Watercolor Museum (and saw an Andrew Wyeth exhibit, funnily enough), Handelsman Flink on the Flatön island, and the Vitlycke Museum in Tanumshede. Later we traveled to Fjällbacka and tooled around the village while waiting for our ride out to Väderöarnas Guest house. On our way back for one last night in Gothenberg, we stopped for lunch at Villa Sjötorp.
3) What was the greatest culture shock that you saw/experienced while in Sweden? Coming from the sometimes chaotic New York City, I was surprised to see such order in Gothenburg. It was evident that the Swedish Government devotes a great deal of resources to making the country a pleasant place to live.
4) The beauty in making your own travel itinerary is that you could tailor your trip to your liking – What was your favorite part? I appreciated getting off what I would consider the beaten path and seeing the Swedish countryside and the more remote sights. We traveled the backroads instead of the E6 whenever possible and enjoyed the farmlands.
5) Is there anything that you left off of your itinerary that you wished you were able to do or see?
Too many to list. I will have to go back one day and see so much more!
Posted by jackie | Under Culture
Thursday Jul 15, 2010
Congratulations to our winner Jennifer Huber! You have won a copy of Stefan Edman’s new book,Koster Sea : the First Marine National Park in Sweden. Be sure to check out CarPlusVacation for a chance to win a trip to West Sweden!
Posted by jackie | Under Culture
Thursday Jun 24, 2010
On Car Plus Vacation you create the itinerary for your dream vacation in West Sweden and then submit that opportunity to win that trip! You also get a Volvo to cruise around in for the duration of your stay. We are hosting a giveaway of Stefan Edman’s new book,Koster Sea : the First Marine National Park in Sweden. Edman is one of Sweden’s most prominent nature writers, having published over 35 books!
We have 3 copies to give away, all you have to do is post a link to your itinerary that you created on Car + Vacation in the comment section below no later than July 15th for a chance to win, it’s that easy! We will randomly select 3 winners! Good Luck!
Here is more information on the book:
Did you know that crabs walk for miles across the seafloor carrying their “babies” under their abdomen, that sea cucumbers spit out their guts to defend themselves or that ordinary shrimps perform a sex change midway through life?
These and many other interesting and amusing facts are presented in this book about the Kosterhavet Marine National Park — a wonderful, diverse world, full of contrasts, all within a surprisingly small area. Most of the aquatic environments that are typical of the west coast are found here alongside some unusual and unique habitats, among them the only living coral reef in Sweden.
Posted by jackie | Under Culture
Friday Jun 4, 2010
Even though we are in the year 2010, there is now a chance to go back and experience the grooving 1970’s at the newly-unveiled exhibition at Molndal’s Museum! The museum decided that this year’s exhibition would honor the colorful decade of tie-dye and disco by showcasing many iconic pieces of 70’s pop culture that will be on display for the public from now until March 20, 2011.
More than just a nostalgic walk down memory lane, this exhibit is fun for the whole family! In addition to the exhibit, there is a children’s pillow room as well as a series of lectures in the Fors café. The 1970’s theme will be carried throughout other parts of the museum and will be the focus of this year’s Culture Night in Kvarnbyn on September 3rd. Check out the microsite!
Posted by jackie | Under Culture
Friday Apr 23, 2010
The Nordic Championship in oyster opening in Grebbestad is just a week away! The championships take place in Tanumstrand, next to Grebbestad (which is Sweden’s ‘oyster capital’ in case you didn’t know). On May 1, top chefs from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and more will battle it out to for the title of the speediest opener. Knives are sharpened, champagne will be flowing, and oysters will be abound!
It’s a seafood enthusiast fest and visitors can partake in oyster and lobster safaris! Safaris? you say! Join a trained guide and travel out into the archipelago aboard a beautiful wooden boat, to taste these sea creatures straight from the sea, and experience how this delicacy is harvested. Head out here for the weekend or swing by if you are a local! Our favorite place to stay is the Tanumstrand Hotel so start booking and Bon Apetit!
If you want a quick lesson in how to shuck an oyster, see below:
In line with Swedens attitude towards eco conservationism and the green movement, a national eco-tourism certification was created during the UN’s International Eco-Tourism Year 2002, identifying companies and activities that practice responsible tourism and eco-friendly tours.
Natures Best was created to help raise awareness of and promote eco-tourism in Sweden and has been designed to guarantee a high quality travel experience, in combination with an actively responsible attitude to protecting nature, a more environmentally friendly way to travel, and a caring attitude to the people and culture of the destination.
West Sweden has 8 experiences that have received Natures Best eco-certification, including sea kayaking, lobster safariing, and wool handling on local farms. Given the current need to keep our environment as sustainable as possible, Natures Best is a great way to enjoy your visit to West Sweden and keep your eco-footprint as small as possible. Check out more things great activities in West Sweden here or for a full list of the 124 Natures Best certified experiences in the whole of Sweden check out the Natures Best website.
Lucia Festival - "Lucia" and her procession of maidens and "star boys".
I’m not quite sure any other culture is as fanatical about Christmas as the Swedes. The celebrations start at the beginning of the first Sunday of advent and don’t end until after the new year. This year advent was Nov. 29th, and the Swedes started things off in a delicious fashion with a traditional glöggfest – a gathering to imbibe hot, spiced, mulled wine (glögg) accompanied by blanched almonds and raisins, with saffron buns and ginger biscuits. Who doesn’t want hot glögg on a brisk, snow-filled Gothenburg evening?
After the glögg, the cities of Sweden are decked out to the nines, with lights, decorations and more Christmas markets than you can imagine. Gothenburg has not only seven distinct Xmas markets but also the largest one in the country: Liseberg has dozens upon dozens of stalls selling gifts for all, shows, ice skating, holiday delicacies (including of course more glögg) and what holiday market would be complete without St. Nicholas sitting in his workshop to listen to the wish lists of excited children. As if that weren’t enough, the market is bedecked in over 5 million (!!!) Xmas lights to celebrate the seasons.
Michelangelo, da Vinci and Raphael together in Gothenburg
Leonardo. Raphael. Michelangelo.
No, not the Ninja Turtles, but the Renaissance artists for whom they were named, were not, as their reptilian counterparts, the best of friends. In fact, most would describe their relationship with something akin to rivalry. These three great minds of the turn of the 16th century competed to create works of genius to inspire commissions and of course fame.
Now, for the first time, the trio will spend the next 8 years traveling the world in a new exhibition starting out in Gothenburg Sweden in March of 2010. And There Was Light is a unique and intriguing exhibit put together by artistic director Alessandro Vezzosi, director of the Leonardo da Vinci museum in Tuscany and scientific director Francesco Buranelli, the scientific director. It unveils the intricacies of their relationships with each other, the competition, the rivalry, and the brilliant works that it fueled.
Traveling with the expedition, will be da Vinci’s ‘La Bella Principessa’ (1490), Michelangelo’s ‘Plan for the bastions at Porta al Prato’ (1529) and Rafael’s ‘Study of a possessed boy with father to the right from Transfiguration’ (1519). ‘La Bella Principessa’ has been the victim of overnight fame, when it was discovered that a piece bought at auction for a mere $19,000 by a Canadian collector, was proven to be an original da Vinci worth over $165 million (or approximately 8,684.2 times what it realized at auction).
Eriksbergshallen in Gothenburg, West Sweden, will host the exhibition (20 March-15 August 2010) prior to its world tour. Admission is SEK 200 pp (£17).
It is surely a once in a lifetime opportunity to see not only such inspiring works by the three Masters of the Renaissance all in once place, but also to discover how they worked, how they lived, and how they competed with each other to be the best of the best.
The newest way to travel in Sweden is in a box…sorta.
The Swedish Tourism board has created a very amusing video to promote Swedish City Breaks – easily assimilated boxed packages of fun for visiting Sweden. It’s a great tool that has some really cool “breaks” like getting Soundtracked in Gothenburg - where you get your own personalized soundtrack played by an instrument-imitating mouth orchestra during your entire stay in Gothenburg.
On the less quirky side, the relaxing Feel Good Trip, is basically a relaxing spa package with all the details worked out for you so you don’t even have to stress making your vacation plans. These boxed City Breaks are really a unique way to see what Sweden has to offer without having to spend forever researching and booking everything separately.
Of course with the holidays coming up the Christmas Spectacular in Gothenburg, with 5 million fairy lights strung throughout the worlds largest Holiday Market also makes for a tempting to go box…Don’t forget to bring me back some roasted chestnuts please!
Castles abound in Gothenburg and its surroundings. It’s a throwback to days gone by and an homage to a simpler way of life that is utterly foreign to modern existence. In West Sweden there are a myriad of castles and manor houses that are open for tours, dining and even some overnight stays.
You can explore the Bohus Fortress guided through its historic halls by guides garbed in medieval costume. Take a guided tour of Carlsten Fort and climb up to the roof of the tower and be rewarded by a magnificent view of the whole Marstrand archipelago! Dinners, historical meals, conferences, and historical reenactments are also arranged at the fort. Explore the variety of accommodation options Here.
