Let there be colour

Sometimes you need a little colour to brighten up your day. Today is one of those.

Sofiero

Sofiero Palace and Gardens in Helsingborg has been named “Europe’s Best Park 2010“, becoming the first Swedish park to receive the prestigious award. And by looking at these beautiful pictures it’s not hard to understand the choice.

In 1865, Swedish Crown Prince and Princess Oscar and Sophia built the summer castle Sophie-Ro. In 1905 the newlywed Gustaf Adolf and Margareta was given the castle as a wedding gift and Margareta created with great pleasure the garden. Her parents, who owned the castle Bagshot, in England were both interested in gardening and her father who several times visited Japan brought back plants and inspiration, which affected Margareta’s gardening interest.

When Gustaf Adolf died in 1973, he left Sofiero to Helsingborg city and today the garden is a blossoming oasis, with exhibitions, activities and arrangements. In the garden there are approximately 10 000 Rhododendron bushes of 300 different sorts and equal many hybrids. Sofiero has northern Europe’s largest collection of Rhododendron.

 

Gudrun Sjöden

Summer at Swedish designer Gudrun Sjöden is as always filled with comfortable clothes and home accessories in bright colours. Certain clothes don’t appear to me and the colours are often too much, but the home products with a touch of tradition are quite nice and something I would consider buying. For now, there are stores only in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Fireworks at the blue hour

I was riding the tram home and suddenly, a few hundred yards ahead, over the roof tops fireworks appeared. The whole sky lit up in an explosion of vibrant colours. It marked the start of the summer season at Gothenburg's amusement park Liseberg. And what a start! A clear moonlit sky at the evening blue hour. Saturday, pay day, lots of people celebrating. Certainly a perfect night to open such a happy place. Ironic though, that the opening of a park that is meant so much for children only contains of grown ups. :)