POTD: World's Tallest Wooden Buildings

"Steel still rules the sky,
But the smell of pine reaches
Up where clouds drift by."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer

Who says wooden buildings can't be more than four or five stories tall? Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Brumunddal, Norway. It shows Mjøstårnet, "an 18-storey mixed-use building completed in March 2019. At the time of completion, it was officially the world's tallest wooden building, at 85.4 m (280 ft) tall, before being surpassed by Ascent MKE in August 2022." Who knew there was even a competition?

POTD: Norway's Odd Roadside Attractions

"Shining against clouds,
A strange shape stands by the road.
Life begins with laughs."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 07 Lillehammer

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Norway at a highway rest stop. The artwork is "Sædspira" by Linda Bakke, and in case you're wondering, yes, the sculpture is exactly what it looks like.

POTD: Vigelandsparken

"Naked forms embrace,
Unashamed beneath the sky—
Flesh reborn in stone."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 06 Oslo

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway in Frogner Park, site of the Vigeland installation of 212 granite and bronze sculptures, all designed by Gustav Vigeland.

POTD: Nobel Peace Center

"Close to Oslo's heart,
A tribute to those who strive
For a world at peace."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 06 Oslo

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Oslo, Norway at the Nobel Peace Center, "a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. The center is also an arena where culture and politics merge to promote involvement, debate and reflection around topics such as war, peace and conflict resolution."

POTD: Royal Palace of Norway

"Statue guards the door.
Grandeur at Oslo's center.
Crown and tradition."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 06 Oslo

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken at the Royal Palace of Norway in Oslo. The Palace "was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born Charles XIV John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. The palace is the official residence of the current Norwegian monarch...King Charles John never had the pleasure of residing in his palace before he died in 1844, and its first occupants were his son Oscar I and his queen Josephine."

POTD: Old Fredrikstad

"Glimpse the fortified
old town preserved in the past.
Fredrikstad stands still."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 05 Fredrikstad

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Fredrikstad, Norway, founded in 1567 by King Fredrick II. "The city centre is on the west bank of the Glomma, while the old town on the east bank is Northern Europe's best preserved fortified town." Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Old Fredrikstad.

POTD: Walkable Gothenburg

"Flags, pendants above.
Cobblestones beneath your feet.
Gothenburg alive."

— h/t ChatGPT

	From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in the city center of Gothenburg, Sweden. Walkable, vibrant, busy. What's not to love?

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Rosenlundsverket

"On water's edge, where
Smoke once darkened sky and stone,
Now blue buildings smile."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg

Who says a power plant has to be ugly? Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Gothenburg, Sweden. It shows the Rosenlundsverket, a century-old heat and power plant. Originally fired with coal, it was replaced by an oil-fired plant in the early 1950s. Natural gas firing was put into operation in 1988. Today, Sweden generates only about 2% of its electricity from fossil-based fuel. The vast majority comes from hydropower (around 40%), nuclear power (about 30%), and wind power (about 20%).

POTD: Fish Church

"Once a bustling trade,
Fishmongers' voices now gone.
Diners take their place."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Gothenburg, Sweden. It shows the Feskekörka (Fish Church), "a building that formerly housed an indoor fish market. Its name is based on the building's resemblance to a neo-Gothic church. It opened on 1 November 1874...Feskekörka underwent a renovation for several years, beginning in 2021. There is now a single occupant of the building operating a restaurant business."

POTD: Poseidon in Götaplatsen

"Proud, worn, ever strong,
gazing over Gothenburg,
Prompting our judgment."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Götaplatsen, a public square and the cultural hub of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is "enclosed by the Gothenburg Concert Hall, the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the Gothenburg City Theatre and the City Library."

In its center is a statue of the sea god Poseidon by Carl Milles. The statue was inaugurated in September, 1931. Opinion on it is divided, some saying Poseidon's face is ugly (a subjective judgment), some saying Milles himself was a Nazi sympathizer (fact). Art is never just art.

POTD: Swedish Meatballs and Lingonberries

"One day in Sweden,
but Gothenburg's tastes remain,
meatballs, berries, joy."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 04 Gothenburg

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in a restaurant in Gothenburg, Sweden, the only city we visited in Sweden. When you have only one day in Sweden, you just have to eat Swedish meatballs, right? And so we did. They were served with lingonberries. Sweden on our tongues.

POTD: The Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle

"Vaulted ceiling rises
Above stained glass saints and kings.
Crown and cross entwined."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Denmark's Frederiksborg Palace in Hillerød, Denmark. "It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century...Frederiksborg Castle was the first Danish castle to be built inland. All previous castles had been on the coast or close to ports as the sea had traditionally been the principal means of travel. It was also the first to be built for purely recreational purposes rather than for defence."

POTD: Kronborg Castle

"There are more things
in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of
in your philosophy."

— Hamlet

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Helsingør, Denmark. It shows Kronborg Castle, much better known as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. "Rendered as 'Elsinore,' it's actually the anglicised name of the surrounding town of Helsingør."

"The castle's story dates back to a stronghold, Krogen, built by King Eric VII in the 1420s. The castle is situated on the extreme northeastern tip of the island of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sound between present Denmark and the provinces of present Sweden." The narrowness of the sound leads to "the strategic importance of maintaining a coastal fortification at this location commanding one of the few outlets of the Baltic Sea."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: 19th Century Tivoli Gardens

"Rollercoasters climb,
Music from a bye-gone era,
Tivoli still sings."

— h/t ChatGPT

	From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, an "amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world."

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Copenhagen, a Bicycle Friendly City

"Carbon-neutral plans,
can-do spirit seen on streets.
Copenhagen thrives."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Copenhagen, Denmark, a bicycle friendly city. According to a 2013 Guardian article, "Everywhere, visitors are greeted by streams of bicyclists; 36 percent of trips to work or school in the Danish capital are made by bike, and more than 20,000 cyclists enter the city center at peak hours, filling Copenhagen's 249 miles of cycle tracks."

New buildings in Copenhagen must now be constructed according to Low Energy Class ratings. A Low Energy Class building in Copenhagen is likely more energy-efficient than even a LEED-certified building in America (LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Meanwhile, at home, "Richardson Says No to LEED". :-(

A bonus photo is after the jump.

POTD: Christiansborg's Tapestries

"The Great Hall stands tall,
Home of woven history.
Myths and monarchs."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, the seat of government of Denmark. One room is filled with tapestries. Usually tapestries in old buildings are faded and threadbare. But in the Great Hall of Christiansborg Palace are "17 quite modern tapestries, one of the greatest depictions of Denmark’s history ever made."

After the jump a bonus photo shows a dark period of recent history.

POTD: Christiansborg Palace

"Palace of power,
Three branches under one roof,
Denmark's marble halls."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 07 01 Copenhagen

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken in Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. "The palace is home to the three supreme powers of Denmark: the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power. It is the only building in the world that houses all three of a country's branches of government. The name Christiansborg is thus also frequently used as a metonym for the Danish political system, and colloquially it is often referred to as simply Borgen ('the castle')."

For us, visiting "Borgen" was a highlight of our trip because we had previously enjoyed the TV series Borgen.

Bad Monkey (TV 2024)

Rotten Tomatoes

asdf (TV 2024): A comedy set in the Florida Keys and Bahamas. Fast-talking, flippant detective (Vince Vaughn) latches onto a case of a human arm pulled up from the ocean by a fisherman and can't let go. Lots of oddball characters. Even the bad guys are fun. A-

AppleTV+

POTD: Farewell to Turkey

"Two weeks through Turkey,
Friendship in every smile,
Bridges, not walls."
— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken along the seafront of Izmir, Turkey at sunset on our last night in Turkey. That's a warship, Turkish I believe, but I note that Turkey is a US ally, a member of NATO since 1952. Its membership was prompted by aggressive moves by the Soviet Union after WWII. It's perhaps instructive to note that Ukraine does not have NATO membership. Alliances are important. Enough said about global politics. For what it's worth, on our two weeks of travel through Turkey, we were met with nothing but friendly interactions with locals in all places.

Next stop: Copenhagen, Denmark.

POTD: Strolling the Aegean Esplanade

"Seafront in Izmir,
Sila's voice warms the cool night,
Joy flows through the square."

— h/t ChatGPT

From 2024 05 19 Ephesus and Izmir

Today's photo-of-the-day was taken along the seafront of Izmir, Turkey. The Kordon esplanade runs along the Aegean Sea for 1, 3, 5 miles, or more, depending on who you ask. It's a great place to dine, stroll, and people watch. At night, you might be lucky enough to see a local festival, like the free Sila concert that was on at Gündogdu Square on the night of our stay in Izmir, the Turkish holiday known as "May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day".

Bonus photos after the jump.