Lars Van De Goor

Beautiful landscape images by very talented Dutch photographer Lars Van De Goor.

Today´s picture

Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

Corruption and lobbying in the newly born Swedish government. Of course! Sofia Arkelsten this time. I’m sickened!

Moss

Apropos this and the beautiful moss on the rocks, I came over this picture a few moments ago and had to publish it. So amazingly pretty!

And this is me

The Man

Thought I’d show you my Man, Rickard.

Morning stroll

Queen Chocolate inspecting her territory this fine morning. (Somewhat blurry, it’s taken through the kitchen window.)

Pink Month

Did you remember to donate to The Breast Cancer Awareness this month?

The US: http://www.pinkribbon.org/

The UK: http://www.pinkribbonfoundation.org.uk/

Australia: http://www.pinkribbon.org.au/

Germany: http://www.ueberleben-mit-brustkrebs.de/

Austria: http://www.krebshilfe.net/kampagnen/pinkribbon10/ribbon06.shtm

Sweden: http://www.brostcancerfonden.se/

Swden: http://www.cancerfonden.se/sv/rosabandet/

Norway: http://www.rosasloyfe.no/

Canada: http://www.cbcf.org/

Autumn Beauty

Autumn is here for real and all the leaves are just about gone. So here’s a few photos of how the really beautiful Autumn can be.

Borrowed from A Tranquil Townhouse

The Royal Swedish Opera

 

Since my Man recently became the head of security at The Swedish Royal Opera House, I thought I’d publish a blog about the historic building.

The opera company was founded by King Gustav III and its first performance, "Thetis and Phelée" with Carl Stenborg and Elisabeth Olin, was given on January 18, 1773; this was the first native speaking opera performed in Sweden.

But the first opera house was not opened until 1782 and served for a century before being replaced at the end of the 19th century. Both houses were officially called the "Royal Opera", however the terms "The Gustavian Opera" and "The Oscarian Opera", or the "Old" and "New" Opera are used when distinction is needed.

The original Stockholm Opera House, the work of architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz was commissioned by King Gustav III, a strong adherent of the ideal of an enlightened absolutism and as such was a great patron of the arts.

The Swedish Opera company had first been located in Bollhuset, but there was a need to separate the Opera from the theatre and give them separate buildings. Construction began in 1775 and the theatre was inaugurated on 30 September 1782 with a performance of the German composer Johann Gottlieb Naumann's Cora och Alonzo. It was also the place for public masquerade balls, events inspired from the famous opera-balls in Paris, which was open for everyone wearing a mask at a cheap cost and somewhat ill-reputed.

The Gustavian opera building in 1880:

The building was very imposing with its center Corinthian tetrastyle portico supporting four statues and topped by the royal crown. The four-tiered auditorium was oval in shape, had excellent acoustics and sight lines. The sumptuous foyer contained neoclassic medallions and pilasters.

It was in the foyer of the opera house where the king met his fate: during a masquerade on March 16, 1792, he was shot by Jacob Johan Anckarström, and died 7 days later. (In turn, this event inspired the opera Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi.)

Following the assassination, the opera house was closed until 1 November 1792, when it was opened again, which by some was considered shocking.

The son of Gustav III, King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, did not like the Opera, possibly because of the murder of his father, and disliked the fact that the scene of his father's murder was used as a place of amusement and leisure, and when a frivolous play was performed for his queen Frederica of Baden in 1806, he decided to close it down. It remained closed until 1809, and when the king was deposed, it took until May 1812, before it was organised enough to be fully opened again.

You can find more information here!

Dave Coote Design

Soooo pretty. Definitely inspiration for our kitchen. Love the big sink!

   
Source: Dave Coote

Snow

I woke up to the first snow of the season. And the only positive thing about that is that if it’s going to snow some more all the leaves on the ground won’t show and we won’t have to do anything about it.

Divine bedroom

 
Source: 79 ideas