The provinces of Sweden (Sveriges landskap)
Sweden has 25 provinces which no longer have administrative functions, but are still bearers of historical legacies and cultural identification. Dialects and folklore follow the provincial borders than the borders of the modern administrative counties (län).
The province where I live is Västergötland; whereas the administrative county or region Västra Götaland also includes Dalsland, Bohuslän and part of Halland.
We also have a traditional broader division of the country into three areas. Götaland (blue on this map), Svealand (yellow), and Norrland (beige/brown).
Don’t worry, I won’t take this confusing topic further… 
From the middle of Västergötland, south-east through the province of Småland, to the city of Kalmar on the east coast; which is connected by bridge to the island of Öland. And back through Småland again via a different route (north-west). (I tried marking the route on Google maps but I give up for now, not getting the result I wanted. It’s too hot to struggle further with that today…)
Our first stop in the province of Småland was Värnamo, a town of around 19 000 inhabitants that traces its history back to a village in the medieval age. Here we had lunch at Gästgivargården, an old inn in the town centre. (Its name basically just means The Inn.)
I like the cutlery on the facade! You instantly know what this place is about. (Well, it could also be a cutlery shop... but somehow, I guess people will guess it is a place for eating, not for shopping.)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the free lesson in Swedish geography! I'd heard/read most of the provinces' names before, and also the terms Norrland and Gotaland, but strangely enough can not remember ever having come across Svealand.
Meike, I suspect that many Swedes, at least here in the south (myself included) would be a little bit unsure about where exactly to draw the line between Svealand and Norrland. I'm definitely most familiar with the provinces in Götaland myself. :)
Deleteso beautiful and now I know which part of Sweden you live in. helps me picture you there. I love that building with the spoons on it.
ReplyDeleteSandra, it's always fun when one finds somewhere with a bit of "atmosphere" to eat on the holiday :)
DeleteFunny how the pictures show the backs of the waiters and bartenders.
ReplyDeleteLappland makes me think of snow and sweaters. I don't think I've heard of the others.
Sandi, this summer there have even been forest fires above the Arctic Circle, due to the most unusual weather situation :(
DeleteNow I know just where you live! This inn is lovely, and you would never know how fancy the inside was. Is that a giant white fireplace? I have never seen anything like it! So what did you eat, and was it good?
ReplyDeleteGinny, it's a tile/ceramic/masonry stove. They were common here in the past (in upper class homes especially). They were more energy efficient and kept the heat better than open fireplaces.
DeleteThe restaurant offered a lunch buffet and you could pick what you liked. I don't remember exactly what I ate, but it was good!
Well, I've been learning too. I had already looked up where you've been but the map you've shown interested me because I always thought that Lappland was in the very North of Norway. The first photo could be in New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteGraham, when reading your NZ blog, I remember quite often thinking that "this could be Sweden" - except, perhaps, for the weather. This summer, we even have the heat as well...
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