Linkoping

Din sudul Europei ma intorc acum spre nord, spre tarile scandinave. Am doar fotografii pe hartie din acele calatorii, mult mai putine decat cele digitale si, uneori, mai stangace. Ele pot insa sa va dea o idee despre locurile vizitate.Alaturi de Stockholm, despre care am povestit deja, Linkoping, in Suedia, este o asemenea localitate, in care am petrecut o saptamana legata de serviciu. Orasul se afla in sudul capitalei, intr-o zona agricola, la o ora si jumatate de mers cu trenul. Peisajul placut, lacuri si paduri care abia intrau in primavara – era sfarsitul lui aprilie, inceputul lui mai.

Timpul de “plimbare” a fost foarte scurt si, de altfel, orasul nici nu iese prea mult in evidenta. Cunoscut mai ales ca si centru universitar, are o populatie de cca. 140000 de locuitori. Nu are cladiri monumentale, arhitectura moderna nu a prea ajuns aici. Multe case sunt din lemn, in stil clasic suedez sau din caramida rosie.

Cladirea Primariei dateaza din 1864, fiind construita initial ca si scoala.

Primaria
Catedrala orasului, cu un turn de 107 m inaltime, se vede de la distanta datorita acoperisului sau verde. Tabla de cupru in care este invelit a devenit, in timp, verde, datorita coclelii. Actuala biserica numara 800 de ani dar prima constructie religioasa, din lemn, a fost ridicata aici in secoul al XI-lea. Se spune ca ar fi cea mai scumpa biserica din Evul Mediu suedez.
 Catedrala
In weekend am vizitat Gamla Linkoping (Linkopingul vechi), un muzeu in aer liber, in care au fost salvate si conservate 90 dintre cele mai reprezentative cladiri din oras. Acum, localnicii se plimba printre ele pentru a-si aminti parfumul de altadata al orasului si pentru a se delecta cu bunatatile vandute in micile sale pravalioare.
 Gamla Linkoping
Fiind in vizita la universitatea din oras, am fost invitata sa sarbatoresc impreuna cu comunitatea academica, noaptea Walpurgiei. Obicei german, datand din secolul al VIII-lea, a fost preluat si in Suedia, unde se numeste Valborg. In 30 aprilie, considerata data oficiala a incheierii iernii si inceputului primaverii, studentii si locuitorii orasului se aduna intr-un loc prestabilit, de unde pornesc impreuna spre rau, purtand in mana faclii aprinse. Pe malul raului au fost pregatite din vreme ruguri mari, carora acum li se da foc. Curand flacarile se inalta spre cer, aruncand jerbe de scantei. Oamenii canta cantece traditionale de primavara, bucurosi ca au scapat de iarna. Focurile erau menite sa alunge vrajitoarele despre care se spune ca se adunau in aceasta noapte, ca sa il adore pe Satan. Acum, ele sunt prilej de intalnire, de a participa si a asculta minunatele coruri.
 la locul adunarii, studenti purtand sapca caracteristica facultatii lor
 inceputul procesiunii cu faclii
Linkoping
From South Europe I am turning now toward the North. I have only paper photos from my travels there, in the ’90s, but I hope you can get an idea about places I’ve visited there.

Along with Stokholm, which I presented here (http://travelinghawk.blogspot.com/2010/10/o-zi-in-stockholm.html), Linkoping, in Sweden, is such a place. Situated in an agricultural region, South of Stockholm, it has aprox. 140000 inhabitants. It is not a touristic town but certainly an university town. I visited Linkoping University at the end of April, beginning of May. Not much to be seen in town. Still, I enjoyed the local architecture – houses made of wood or red bricks.The City Hall, built in 1865 as a school, and the Cathedral, built 800 years ago, are two landmarks. The first church was erected here during the XI-th century, but the cathedral is newer. It is said it was the most expensive church of the Swedish Middle Age.

During the weekend I visited Gamla Linkoping (Old Linkoping), an open-air museum, were 90 old buildings have been preserved. The people are walking on the little streets, enjoying the goodies they buy in the shops.

On April, 30, people in Sweden observe the traditional Valborg. Walpurga night is actually a German tradition, the night when the witches gather to adore Satan. Here in Sweden, people gather together around huge bonfires and sing traditional spring songs, happy that the winter came to an end! The students take actively part to this event. The ceremony begins with a torches march to the river shores, where the bonfires have been prepared in advance. After they lit the bonfires, wonderful choirs could be heard in different points of the town.


Comments

Linkoping — 22 Comments

  1. Mie-mi spui? Mi-e dor de locurile nordice, mai ales ca am si stat pe acolo mai mult timp. Chiar mi-e dor. Sunt sigura ca voi reveni intr-o zi, in oraselul acela fara o alta semnificatie decat ca strazile lui imi erau casa atunci. Mi s-a facut dor citindu-te pe tine.

  2. My dear friend,
    Wonderful photos and Swedish customs!
    And thw buildings are colorful and beautiful!!!
    And I, like you, so many years of travel, the house is full of album, but I bought a digital camera in recent years …
    I could not imagine that I would blog:)
    Thank you for your good words for Greece.
    Indeed outside of beautiful seas and has beautiful mountains!
    Many greetings and kisses

  3. multumesc, pharaonx, asta este poate singura calitate; in rest multe par “tremurate”, vei vedea si in celelalte postari.

    stiu ca nu e cea mai grozava calitate dar nu am cum sa va arat altfel localitati mai putin turistice, pe unde poate nu au fost multi, dar care au cate ceva interesant.

  4. Traveling Hello Hawk,

    Also this blog is back with many information and the photos you post there that makes it sometimes seems as if I myself walk 🙂 The Cathedral also makes huge impression and I am also very impressed. Another great report.

    Greetings, Helma

  5. Wonderful buildings. I’ve often thought about getting a copier for photographs as I have 1000s & from a lot of European cities. Is the process something that you would recommend? … not that I have a lot of time at the moment.

  6. Well, you may see the results. I am not such skilled, may be a professional whould do this better. The photos look blurred and the colors are more intensified but, as I wrote, they give a hint about how the places look like. So, yes, it would be worth, in order to show people different places.

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