It was a lazy week. We got a lot of rain and the temperatures dropped from hot and humid to freezing.
The mountains around turned white while the lower meadows still stood in lush green.
I received a few gadgets to improve our comfort when travelling next time. I may make a short video when I install them.
Almost three weeks home and still a little bit in Sweden …
But as it always happens after a holiday – sooner or later you get back to your familiar routines.
Well, this is the final post on my thoughts and memories about that beautiful country up North. Everyday life in Germany has caught up with me again. And it’s not so bad here, either. 
Actually, I miss the calm and more serene attitude of the Swedes compared to the hectic and pushiness many Germans seem to emanate.
This more quiet and laid back Swedish attitude is reflected in the soft lines of the landscape, the pretty and kind of „low key“ nature, and the traditional simplicity and shapeliness of the architecture in rural areas.
It gives you this special feeling that everything is alright and you can relax completely.
The Swedes have a word for this „balance of things“: Lagom.
This means the right measure, the ideal equilibrium, the basis for a happy life.
I can feel it when I look at pictures of the wooden houses in the typical red color with white window frames that appear so cozy and friendly. A real heart opener!
So, why are so many houses painted red? Not only in Sweden, but in Norway, too.
Is it because the “cool tempered” Northeners need some stimulating touches of warmth in their living space to get going?
Well, the simple truth is rather unromantic – it’s just practicality.
The red color comes from rocks that contain a lot of copper. And the big copper mine in the city of Falun used to not only supply the country with the valuable commodity. As a side effect, there was much material left that could be made into a robust house paint.
While the Falun copper mine was closed a couple of years ago, the production of the paint still lives on. And it’s still cherished and widely applied.
The paint, called Faluroed (Falun red), contains a mixture of minerals and protects the wood from weather impact. At the same time it funcions as a natural herbicide and fungicide that helps prevent rotting.
Another very welcome side effect is that red houses make a good contrast in the snow-covered landscape in winter. So, it’s easy to find your way home.
Due to that well maintained tradition you can see a lot of red houses all over Sweden that are more than 100 or even 150 years old and still in very good shape.
Paul is sitting in the parking lot snoozing in the sun.
I guess, Paul gets more rest than we do trying to get back to our normal lifes, settling in into our old routines.
Yes, there is this bench half way up the montains we love to visit on one of our more strenuous morning hikes: https://youtu.be/aD1udi9GmAA
When I think of Sweden, I think of the „Allemansraetten“.
Did you know that the „Freedom to roam“ is part of the Swedish constitution? This so-called „Everyman’s Right“ or „Allemansraetten“ is a very old tradition in the Nordic countries.
It allows public access to nature even when it’s privately owned. You can walk, ski, ride a horse or a bicycle and put up a tent, even make a fire when it’s safe to do so.
But it’s strictly forbidden to drive a motor vehicle offroad on natural soil.
With Big Paul in Sweden, we always took care that we stayed on used, fortified roads that were clearly defined.
A lot of roads in Sweden are gravel roads anyway and some of them take you to very beautiful places where you can be all alone and undisturbed by anyone else.
Back in Germany, it looks like there is no single squaremeter unused or uncultivated and traffic is so restricted that you very rarely are allowed to drive on gravel.
Our gravel roads are usually for forest or agricultural use only and your motor vehicle has to stay away from them.
So, we go where our feet lead us, especially up the mountains to keep ourselves in shape.
We made a little video at one of our favorite spots where we like to relax after a steep walk: https://youtu.be/aD1udi9GmAA
It’s amazing – we are back home now and even ten days after our return we still need to take it easy and get used to our „normal“ routines again. Sweden is still in our heart and mind.
This morning though, a little feathered visitor brought us directly into the here and now.
He sat very quietly, studying the environment and obviously, he liked it very much.
