The Time Of Crocuses.

This past week marked the true beginning of the reign of Spring in southern Scandinavia. With temperatures in the late 50's, nature visibly turns green and the first flowers are at last in bloom.

Today was a sunny but chilly day, in contrast to a warm and very rainy night. As I did the first gardening of the season, I marveled over the progress that is so visible in my small garden. All the bulbs I planted in October are sprouting. Some are just barely pushing through the dirt, such as tulips, while hyacinths and daffodils display fresh and green stalks.

The only flowers in bloom are crocuses.
I simply love this first real flower of the spring. So resilient, yet so fragile, it appears so enchanted, as it pushes through the remains of the last snow already in early February. Clearly able to withstand frost and growing through ice, it is a miracle of nature in my eyes. At all times a sign of life, it is a consolation when spring is still very elusive and sun barely present. And then, when the sun returns with the vernal equinox, it displays beautiful crowns that turn toward the first sunshine, bursting with yellow, blue, purple or white, so symbolic of renewal and joy of new beginnings.

Today, when I uncovered the last sprouting bulbs, by removing old autumns leaves and protective bark - I found a butterfly.
It looked tired and fragile, fluttering its wings, drinking the warmth of the spring sun. I could easily pick it up and relished close up in its beauty. A rare moment in time, so unreal in the height of summer when this gentle being will never stand still long enough to admire. Within minutes, as the butterfly absorbed enough heat from my hand, it lifted its wings and gained altitude, drifting away from my view on a gentle spring breeze...

And so it begins, the best time of the year is here.

Flashback Friday: "BangaBoomerang".

The first musical interest of mine was without doubt the mega successful Swedish group Abba. I was barely eight and I remember listening to the records my parents would play and immediately found absolute appeal in hits such as Dancing Queen, When I Kissed The Teacher and Fernando, my mothers favourite. I recall that very intriguing cover of Arrival, where the members of the group sit in a glass helicopter and I looked at it with awe and fascination as the beat to the undying melodies was streaming from the stereo.

Considering that Abba was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 15 March 2010, I thought I simply have to share at least one of their hits.
I decided to go for one that is less known internationally, but became a smash hit for Swedish duo called Svenne & Lotta, for whom this single was written to be performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975. Although the track was included on the Abba's first Greatest Hits album, released on 17 November 1975, the ABBA version was in fact never issued as a single in Scandinavia.

Aside from the somewhat badly composed title - with a strange choice of words, Bang-A-Boomerang is my absolute personal Abba favorite. Hope you will enjoy it too, as well as the wonderfully laid back video (including the fabulous 70's fashion), filmed in what I believe to be Stockholm in spring.

Theme Thursday: "Sign".

Or "Lost In Translation".

I decided to participate in Theme Thursdays this week as I just could not miss the opportunity to share a fun story about a sign.

Posted in an article on the BBC news site, it tells an amusing incident with a road sign that was standing near a supermarket in Swansea, printed in both English and Welsh.

The sign was comissioned by the Swansea Council, that sent an email to its in-house translations service to have this road sign translated into Welsh:

"No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only."

However, the Welsh translator wasn't in his office at the time, thus an automated "out of office" mail response was sent back to council officials. They were under the impression though that what they recieved was indeed the needed translation, when in fact it stated:

"I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated."

Unaware of the real meaning of the message, authorities had it printed on the road sign under the English text. The sign was removed as soon as the official became aware of the mistake; however not before a few pictures were taken and news stories were written.

(For more sign translation blunders, please see this article.)

The Oldest Cities.

One of the the major appeals of Europe - in my eyes at least - has always been it's rich history. The old age of this ancient landmass is reflected in almost any of its cities or towns. Numerous archaeological finds, dating back centuries in time make this continent an absolute paradise for anyone who finds history intriguing.

To me it is of outermost fascination to walk around the streets of old towns, where the tides of times can be read in every cobbled stone, where one can physically touch walls which has seen centuries of life and death, laughter and tears - where thoughts that redefined our history were conceived and decisions that changed our world were made.
The fact that I live in one of the fifty oldest cities in the world - and actually in the oldest Scandinavian city - makes my location on the map quiet interesting.

On the same note one would ask; Which is the oldest city in the world?

The answer to this is actually not that simple. After researching the web I found that another question should be asked first; what is actually considered a city? Closely followed by the limiting factor whether one is looking to find the oldest continuously inhibited city or just the absolute oldest city, that no longer exist. That of course is somewhat tricky, as the oldest city might yet have to be uncovered.

As the case is with any information find online, I have to say that there are conflicting reports to what is actually the true oldest city in the world. However, most sites list Damascus, the capital of Syria, located on the Asian continent as the oldest known city in the world. Inhabited as early as 10000 BC, it became a city of importance first around 1400BC. This is closely followed by Jericho (3000 BC) located on the West Bank and Byblos (5000 BC) in Lebanon.

In Europe, the oldest cities are found on the Greek Islands of Crete; Chania and Larnaca on Cyprus, and Athens, on the European continent, all dating back to around 1400 BC.

On the African continent, the oldest city Fayium is positioned in Lower Egypt dating back to 4000 BC.

In the Americas, the oldest city is considered to be Ticul in Mexico, from the 7th century BC and in the US most likely Acoma Pueblo and Taos Pueblo in New Mexico with settlements dating back to ca 1075 AD.

In 1999, archeologist began an excavation of Hamoukar in northeastern Syria, most likely the oldest city in the world, or at least one of the oldest. Inhabited some 6000 years ago, it came to redefine the traditional concept of the city appearance and the civilization on Earth.

Xocolātl.

Chocolate.
A word evoking a plethora of images and emotions within us. Smooth texture, bursts of taste, feeling of comfort and happiness. Seductive pleasure. Who doesn't love the taste of this ancient indulgence?

In any case, chocolate is simply the best thing I know, even though my preference is white chocolate, which by some is not considered true chocolate at all. This due to the fact that it lacks the cocoa solids.
The raw material for chocolate production; cocoa mass, comes from the beans of the Cacao Tree, which has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Central and South America. Cocoa mass was used originally in Mesoamerica both as a beverage and as an ingredient in foods. The earliest chocolate beverages were made by the Aztecs. Known as Xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water", most likely due to the fact that the seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor.

The Maya civilization used the cacao beans to make a frothy, bitter drink used for ceremonial purposes and in addition to everyday life. The chocolate residue found in an early ancient Maya pot in Río Azul, Guatemala, suggests that Maya were drinking chocolate around 400 AD.
Until the 16th century, no European had ever heard of this popular drink used by the Central and South American people. It was not until the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs that chocolate could be imported to Europe.

Chocolate has become one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world. While it is regularly eaten for pleasure, it has been linked to particular health benefits in the human body. Dark chocolate benefits the circulatory system, lowers blood pressure and it has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain.

Crossing The Vernal Equinox.

While everything around me seem to be waking up from its months long slumber, I too feel invigorated from my short, but vital time of rest. It was not a complete physical rest, although I certainly would wish for one very soon, still it felt beneficial to keep my thinking occupied with other matters than the inspiration to prose composing. At times, it is wonderful to fuel our perception with fresh images and thoughts, without having to feel the need to put them down in writing.

Winter is now truly departing. Although it takes it's time and will most likely leave us in a dust of snow as it hits the road, the point of no return has been reached.
Spring has crossed the doorstep and with it, the Vernal Equinox brought the warmth of the renewed daylight, signifying the absolute end of the reign of winter nights and thus the true beginning of a new season.

The winter landscape, that just a week ago displayed the last traces of snow has vanished. It is almost surreal to see the exposed, frost burned grass and it feels utterly strange to be stepping on a snow free ground. However, a welcomed spring rain drenched the nature with the vital fluid of life, getting it ready to renew itself. Soon the yellow and dry will turn into juicy green.

As the sunlight returns to dominate our days, I look forward to see my garden come to life once again. The coldest winter in fifteen years has slowed down this progress somewhat, but perhaps this will only extend our joy as nature gradually brings back the first green hue mixed with colours of the first bloom.

(Please, click the below image to enlarge.)

Intermission.

I am taking a short break from writing, but will return soon. Have a wonderful week everyone.
Xoxo
Zuzana

Last Traces...

The days have became significantly warmer and thus our snow is slowly, but surely melting. As soon as the vital spring rays hit the remains of the old, white, icy precipitation, it turns slowly into small streams of liquid, collecting in pools here and there.

The magic of the sun is reflected in all the spring plants that grow taller by each day. My very first crocus is almost in bloom, flaunting its blue crown, standing tall and majestic. So delicate, yet so strong, this first flower of spring holds my outermost admiration.

While Lady Winter packs her bags, preparing to pass the reign over to Lady Spring, there is also a slight melancholy connected to the vanishing of the snow. As its inner most layers are exposed with the last thaw, bringing back fallen autumn leaves, I recognize in it the first snow that fell some ninety days ago. That magical first snow, that brought us our white Christmas and transferred the dull, grey landscape into an enchanted fairytale.

As I relish in all the joy and renewal that is so palpable in the air with the changing of the seasons, I still pause a moment to reflect over our departing winter; a unique one and a magnificent one in every way.

Flashback Friday: "If I Can't Have You".

The first time I saw and heard Yvonne Elliman was in the film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, where she played the role of Mary Magdalene. I was completely captivated by the film and by her performance of the well known song I don't Know How To Love Him. The music felt very powerful and enticed my young mind like very few compilation had before. I sat mesmerized watching the musical, holding my breath.

Later I realized that Yvonne Elliman also performed as a backing vocalist for Eric Clapton on many of his 1970s hits, including "I Shot the Sheriff" and "Lay Down Sally".
I guess she is known through many songs, today however I decided to share her biggest number one hit from 1977, "If I Can't Have You". It was featured on the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack and was written by the Bee Gees.

I hope you enjoy this flashback to the glittering disco days, when the right music was played and when the dance floor was the place to be on a Saturday night.