A Sunny Day

 

The "every other day" kind of weather continues. Yesterday (Sunday) it snowed some more, and I did not set foot outside. Today (Monday), the world was still white when I woke up - but to my relief the sun was also shining again. 

The main reason why I felt relieved was that I had spent a week worrying if I should cancel an annual dentist checkup scheduled for today - or not. But my weather app kept insisting that Monday was likely to be the best weather day in the foreseeable future; and so I had decided to keep it. 

Glad I did, as now it's over and done with. I left home a quarter of an hour earlier than I would have done if the ground had been free of snow and ice. That proved a good idea, but got me into town without stress. Had the pleasure of meeting my "old" dentist (who retired a couple of years ago), temporarily filling in for my "new" dentist, who is on maternal leave. And the even greater pleasure of him finding nothing wrong with my teeth. (It was a routine checkup, and I've been feeling okay since I got the last crown fitted back in the autumn.) So in the end I just paid a rather hefty sum of money for a bit of a chat, and having my teeth polished ;-)  As nothing else needed doing, though, there was actually a bit more chatting than usual, both with the dentist and with the nurse. (Chatting at the dentist's usually difficult, as it mostly tends to consist of them asking questions and oneself gurgling something unintelligible in return, with one's mouth numb and full of their instruments and fingers...) 

No teeth removed or replaced on this visit!

My walk there and back was also quite pleasant, even if I had to take it slow (and keep my eyes on the ground a lot). First two photos from crossing the city park on my way into town; the others taken on my way back, then choosing another path along the river.

Boxing Day Walk

Yesterday was Boxing Day (or, as we say in Swedish, "annandag jul" = 2nd Christmas Day). It was also the third Christmas day in a row with perfect weather for a winter walk. This time I chose to walk to the park in the city centre, and back a different way. (I'm fortunate in that respect - being able to walk into town and back kind of in a circle rather than having to turn round and walk back the exact same way that I came.)

 

 

Approaching the city centre. Across the road, I turn right to go down into the park.

 

(Above and below:) A very "Narnian" place in the park: A kind of stone portal on one side of the path, and a lamppost and a "broken stone table" on the other...

Empty (summer) dance floor in the foreground, with winter ice skating rink behind.

Mostly open water in the river, but some thin ice along the shores here and there.

 

Leaving the park now, and looking back towards the city.

 

Walking back towards home along the river

Finishing off with a (somewhat distorted) panorama view of the football field close to home.

Keep Walkin' ...

After my long walk on Monday, I half suspected I might end up with lingering muscle soreness the next day. But I didn't, and it was another lovely autumn day, so I decided on another walk. Two months ago, I blogged about a walk downhill through a park that I haven't visited very often in later years; and one fellow blogger commented that "if I were you, I would go back in a couple of months to see it in all its glorious autumn colours". I said I'd keep that in mind - and I did! ;) It turned out maybe a little bit too early for the full autumn glory, but on the other hand, one never knows how many more fine days there will be.

This time, I decided to go uphill through the park rather than downhill; and on the way there, it seemed fitting to also say hello to the big Pinocchio sculpture in the collage above - whose official name is Walking to Borås. He's been standing there since 2008, and he was the really the start to building our reputation as a City of Art! 

The park is on the hill behind him, across a big road.

Having crossed that road, the climb upward begins...

Orchard with a big insect hotel.

Close-up of the insect hotel from my previous visit.
 

 I love autumn light...

Stairs leading up to the next level.

And even more to the next...

 

Still some roses left in the rose garden

There's a motorway running below one side of the park; which alas means quite a lot of traffic noise along that path.

Entering the woodland parts, I spotted some mushrooms on the ground. Don't know what kind!

The woodland part of the park turned out to still be quite green; and not showing as many autumn colours yet as I was hoping for.

It was also rather dark in among those trees. So I ended up leaving the woodland park, and went to explore some nearby street views instead. I'll save those for another post. 

But later, on may way back home, I caught some more views looking back up at the hill. I'll finish off this post with those:

Sunday Contemplation

One of the many strange things just now (with the corona virus affecting just about everything) is that normal Sunday church services are cancelled. Meanwhile, I think there have never before been so many online alternative church services to choose from. Not quite "the same" experience, but I'm still quite impressed by all the initiatives to not just cancel, but come up with alternatives. 

Yesterday (Saturday), my walk took me to the old church whose tower you see sticking up in the background in the photo above. Instead of going inside (I don't think it was open anyway) I walked around it on the outside; because one thing they've done there is to arrange an outdoors meditation walk of "follow the signs" kind. (I.e. literal signs have been put up on all the doors around the church, with Bible quotes, prayers, instructions etc.)

Personally, I think a stroll around the old cemetery close to where I live usually works just as well for me, though. Not following any special meditation plan or method, but just letting my thoughts wander, while my feet do the same... And stopping to take a photo now and then!

 

 

Definitions of contemplation (from Merriam-Webster)

1a : concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion

1b : a state of mystical awareness of God's being

2 : an act of considering with attention

3 : the act of regarding steadily