Swedish Interlude

 It has been too long. But things have happened that must be recorded: the most important of these my recent trip to Sweden, where my dear friend Pia married her Farz in a ravishing 18th c chapel on the West coast, near the town of Halmstad: 

                 Pia was with me on that auspicious journey to Mali for New Year  2005/6, which became the  launching pad for my new life in Mali, since we visited Djenne, and  I decided to go back eventually. It was Pia's idea to go to Mali, and 8 of us went on our adventurous journey not only to Djenne, but through the northern part of Mali to places totally beyond reach today. 

At Pia's wedding I met up with some dear friends I had not seen since that journey, and others I had not seen for a very long time, as well as making many new friends. Much fun was had by all, and although it was cold and it rained most of the time, a clement deity decided that on the Wedding Day itself the sun shone down on us from a brilliant blue sky. 

                                      

                                       I had time to admire an interesting example of Swedish Public Art: (!!!)

and after the wedding I went to my Childhood Paradise, just around the bay at Torekov, where the early summer roses were already spreading their intoxicating fragrance. 

This short Swedish interlude ended at Staffanstorp, close to Lund, with a  couple of chess matches between cousin Pelle and me, 1-1.

                                                                                  

Back in Siena now where it is already quite warm and I spent an enchanting evening just outside Siena in Montalbuccio, with dinner under the stars at Claudio's beautiful garden where his horses are roaming around freely, just like mine used to in Mali...