‘Zorn and Carl Larsson – Art and Friendship’ Exhibition, Zorn Museum, Zornmuseet, Mora, Sweden It’s funny how sometimes a small town can be famous for some major things. Mora, quiet, tiny and generally unobtrusive, is famous for three symbols of Swedishness: the Dala Horse (produced in a village nearby), the sturdy, multifunctional Mora knife, and the artist, Anders Zorn. As…
In Mulhouse, France Tucked in the corner by Germany and Switzerland, Mulhouse has a history that is closely linked with both of these countries. A part of Switzerland for over two hundred years, and under German control after the Franco-Prussian war, the cultures of these two countries have left a mark on what is now firmly a French town. We…
In Stockholm, Sweden The Great Square Christmas Market (Stortorgets Julmarknad) has its origins in the old medieval markets of Stockholm. It’s been in this same spot every year since 1837 (with a brief window from 1907-1914, when it didn’t run at all). Therefore since 1915, it has been a constant presence in Gamla Stan, and you couldn’t get a more perfectly…
Skansen, Stockholm, Sweden When I was about 14 years old, I went to a Carl Larsson exhibition at the V&A Museum in London and ever since then I’ve had this obsession with his Sweden. One of the images I’ve always liked was of his daughters dressed in a long white gown, wearing a crown of lit candles. This shows the…
In Ribeauvillé, Alsace, France There is something about the Middle Ages. They are exciting but quite frightening; they are attractive, but have a very ugly side. They are full of character, but not necessarily of the kind you like. The Christmas Market at Ribeauvillé has a Medieval theme, and actually captured a lot of the beauty, and some of the creepiness,…