BC Class of 2017

The first Football game (BC-Villanova) of the season took place on the BC campus today. A reason to give all the freshmen a new yellow fan T-shirt with a suitable slogan on the back (and advertisement for the BC bookstore).  There are 2,250 freshmen this year who got accepted out of 24,500 applicants. A sure sign that BC is a popular University.  Today, before the game, they were all invited to a freshly BBQd Hamburger with all the trimmings and then chocolate chip cookies. 

They seem to look alike, but then some stand out with a non-yellow T-shirt.  Another difference is, that the girls wear all tight hot pants, while the boys are comfortable in spacious bermudas.  

And by the way - BC won!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRy3dKPUZpk&feature=youtu.be

Retired airplanes

A beautiful Concorde, once the pride of Air France, is kept as a memorial next to the runways in CDG airport in Paris. This is the closest I could come on an evening walk around the airport. To catch an  early flight tomorrow morning I stay this night in a hotel close to Terminal 1.

 If I would be in Arlanda, the Stockholm airport,  I could stay in a retired Boing 747 remodeled into a hotel: http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/PageFiles/28463/jumbo_545x300.JPG

As exclusive the Concorde was it has no practical use anymore except  as a resting place for some starlings which were swirling around in the evening  air.

(If you have to stay in a hotel at Charles de Gaulle Airport,  I can recommend this Ibis

called IBIS CDG Airport /Roissypole, 3 rue de Bruxelles, 932 90 Tremblay.)

DRAMATEN

This Art Nouveau building which opened 1908 for the public is the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm and it is prominently placed in the centre of the town. In 2008 for its 100th anniversary renovated, it still shines in the sunshine and the gold plated sculptures glitter.

From September to July about one thousand performances are given in its six theaters of different sizes.  During summer recess only guided tours are offered to admire the artistic decorations inside. But even a look behind the scene was allowed.

There, from behind the stage we could see the Royal balcony with the chair (not the one on the floor) which is always reserved for the Queen who visits regularly the Royal Dramatic Theatre.

http://www.aviewoncities.com/stockholm/dramaten.htm

A walk in the woods

70 % of Sweden is covered by woods and it is easy to enter a forest. We had some rain and now we were looking for mushrooms.   On our leisurely walk we could enjoy the calm and the beautiful moss covering the ground and found many small blueberries. 

Keeping on a small footpath not to disturb the soft moss, eyes searching and wandering around for some signs of fungal growth..... and there, a picture perfect chanterelle waiting to be picked.

After an hour we collected just enough to prepare an appetizer.

Now we hope for more rain to go back for a walk in the woods.

 

Sweaty and Healthy

In France we have Club Med Gym to work out, here in Sweden we could partake in the classes given  by  'Friskis&Svettis'. 

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friskis_%26_Svettis)

During sunny Summer evenings, this Club offers free training in a park close by. It looks like fun and is certainly sweaty to jump and move with music and with the instructor on the podium.......

But we prefer an early morning swim in the lake. No music necessary and the water is certainly 'frisk' in the sense of 'fresh, clean and cool'.

The Book Temple

 

 Next month classes will start and after so many sunny lazy days, a good time to visit the Stockholm main library.  Since 1928 when this public library opened it is famous and admired. The Swedish master architect Gunnar Asplund (1885-1940) designed her with a classic temple in mind. The entrance through a long small stairway between dark high walls and then the (planned!) surprise of the lit up large rotunda is still effective.

  

Here one is surrounded by thousand of books (and several computers), quiet readers and hushed voices by librarians and visitors.  We have the impression of a house of worship.

 

On the side, not holy-water,  but a water fountain.  The little kouros holding his helmet forms with four arms a beautiful and practical faucet.

More about one of Stockholm's famous building:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_Public_Library