Tuesday 9 July 2013

Birthday to remember

Thank you dear friends for birthday wishes, I miss you all dearly. I have had a wonderful day today even being reminded I am officially over the hill. 
After breakfast in the Swedish sunshine under the apple and pear trees, we all went to the ancient town of Visby. Håkan officially gave me permission to visit every beautiful shop filled with crafts and design for however long I desired as it was my birthday. It was overwhelming, every shop was filled with beautiful things. The sheep skins here are really something, all sorts of colours of grey, black and white from long haired to short and curly and so soft. The town is enclosed by a medieval wall and the shops are in all the old buildings. 
I even took photos of ceramics for my ceramic blog!
Clothes and ceramics are often combined in the same shop. The clothes are really beautiful but very expensive.
Visby rooftops.
Here's an old grandpa carrying shopping and pushing a pram.
Tonight we went out for dinner to a restaurant on the water's edge. Here all the Swedes sit in the sun, while we poor Aussies struggle with this being afraid of too much sun. 
Here is Kate with sunglasses and we were inside, that's glass behind her. We were all cooking. Albert and Jenny arrived this afternoon with Viggo, Edward's cousin of 5 months.
Viggo
Had to put in a photo of Edward as well in my ceramic blog, sorry. Yes anonymous AG it is a deal, he and MG a perfect match!!!!
Part of the restaurant, see the bar outside.
Here is Håkan outside. It is about 9pm
We went for a walk to an old fishing village near the restaurant as well as a Viking boat memorial. When boats were no longer seaworthy the Vikings made the shape of the boat out of stones. There are hundreds of them on Gotland.
The old fishing huts on the water's edge. We also saw a mink swimming in the water, this was an escapee from a mink farm according to Håkan.
Birgitta, Edward and me for a birthday photo this morning.
Finally we returned home to a Swedish birthday cake made by Kate and Tasmanian whiskey. What a memorable day.


A sad note to end on, Gwynn Hanssen-Pigott died Friday, the end of an era for Australian ceramics. What a towering influence in world ceramics.















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