FMTSO: Routine (Summer Thursday)

Summer Thursdays in My Town (Borås, Sweden) differ a bit from the usual everyday routine, but have become a yearly tradition, to draw people into the city even in the heat of summer (when many prefer the beach or the countryside). The attraction is free concerts in the main square on Thursday evenings in/around July, and the shops then also staying open late (until 9 pm instead of closing at 6 pm). The main concert starts at 9 pm, and before that there are some less well-known bands etc playing. There is also dance music (different band) and an outdoor dance floor in the town park.

I never actually attended any of the late night concerts – not quite “my thing”, too loud and crowded. But we have had exceptionally warm and sunny weather this week. So after a few days of that, I tried a routine more associated with southern European traditions - taking a “siesta” during the heat of the afternoon, and then a walk into town towards evening, checking out the early part of the Thursday Night events.

Me and my shadow!

The rose garden in the Town Park in full bloom.

“Pre-concert” band playing in the Main Square (photo taken around 6:30 pm). That early there aren’t yet all that many people standing still to listen to the whole show. (I might have stayed a bit longer if they had not been quite so LOUD…)

Many like myself seemed to prefer to wander about, popping in and out of shops etc.

The police were on patrol to make their presence known.

… and an ambulance waiting around the corner…
I don’t know if that’s routine too!!

Pretty much summer-idyllic so far, but…
Wait a minute…
What’s that up on the roof?

An inflatable sculpture copy of Edward Munch’s famous painting The Scream. (Part of the ongoing sculpture biennial.)

Yes. There’s certainly a lot of anxiety lurking in the heat of summer as well. And one can feel very lonely in a noisy crowd - especially if one is there on one’s own rather than with someone in particular.

So after strolling around for a bit, I turned back home before it (presumably) got even livelier in town.

Seeking the most shadowy way on a hot day like this, I walked across the old graveyard both ways. (The first picture of me under the tree was also taken there.) On my way home, I spent some time watching the bunny rabbits living there (quite a big colony of them) – disturbing them in their supper (consisting of delicious green grass). They are very camera shy, but I managed to zoom in this one with the evening light shining through his ears.

 

Sporty Weekend Reflections

As mentioned in my “shoot out” post from last weekend, this past week we’ve had a lot of different sports activities going on here – Swedish Championship Week (‘SM’) in about 40 various types of sport.

Some of the days unfortunetly turned out very rainy, and as I’m not one of those sports enthusiasts who will glady stand around getting wet and cold in order to see other people getting even wetter, it wasn’t until yesterday I joined the crowds for a while with my camera. But then the weather was rather perfect for both participants and spectators.

Just getting into town at all was a bit tricky since the streets between the town center and where I live had been turned into a cycle-racing track surrounded by fences, and with guards at every pedestrian crossing.

In the river, there were various wet acitivites going on:

I’m not sure if the water polo players found the temperature in the river perfect as well.

Up on land, next to the river, they have been throwing stones smashing squash balls in a glasshouse…

… and in the main square, as I passed by, what was previously in the week a sandy boules court, was now being converted into a basket ball ground.

There was also a lion let loose in town. Probably a friendly one, but some children preferred to keep a wary distance. (Wise kids. Best ask mummy first.)

All in all, “something for everyone”, I guess.

Myself, I did not hang around long enough in one place  to watch any game in full, but I enjoyed the walkabout.

Linking to Weekend Reflections (first photo in particular).

[PS. Sorry to have no sunset picture for FMTSO... Some days the sun has refused to show it’s face at all; and when it did come out, it popped out of bed before me, and stayed up later than I did!]

Can You See It?

Can you spot the reason why I took this picture?

Wet Saturday Surprises (FMTSO)

… Ooops! …
Water seems to be coming from all directions today!

Not to worry. Nothing sprung a leak. It’s a fountain.

On a hot day it looks quite refreshing.
On a wet day, however… Just weird!

Quite a few people did find it worth while going into town in the rain today, though.

One reason may have been that there was a Birthday Party going on in the main square – to celebrate the town’s 393rd birthday. We really don’t want to miss the opportunity of Free Cake, just because of a little rain!

Even more weird stuff to wonder about:

Why has half the square been filled with sand, with terraces for spectators on each side?

And what on earth are they building here?

Having been born (I can only suppose) with a sports filter pre-installed in my brain, it has totally slipped me by until today, that next week (the whole week) Borås will be hosting the Swedish Championship in about 40 different types of sports (some of which I don’t even know what they are).

Apparently this was decided in June 2012.
Which just proves how very efficient my sports-filter is!

Linking to

Friday My Town Shoot Out – Open Theme

 

BTT: Anticipation

This week, Deb at BTT wants to know:

Do you still get excited about new books as you did when you were little? In general? New books in particular, like from a favorite author? Or do you look at all new, unread books with the same level of anticipation?

It usually takes a bit more than a general “hype” about a book to make me automatically think I’m going to love it. There has to be something that catches my personal interest (or tickles my curiosity) – whether it’s the author, a review, the blurb from the publisher, or even just the title or cover image.  A new book by a favourite author usually tends to get priority over other titles in my “to read” pile, though.

Just now I’m kind of trying the opposite – reading an older book by an author (Peter May) whose latest four (‘The Lewis Trilogy’ + Entry Island) I’ve appreciated a lot. The one I’m reading now is the first in The Enzo Files series – Extraordinary People (2006). I’m only about 40% into it yet (reading on Kindle) but it seems rather Dan Brown-inspired (Da Vinci Code etc  - not quite my favourite genre, a bit too stereotype). I think May has deepened his writing skills since then, not least when it comes to characters, and conveying the atmosphere of a place. But it’s interesting to see an author develop; and that in itself can make it worth while to go back and read earlier works for comparison.