Neil Hopcroft

Gripsholms Slott is set on a small island near the city of Mariefred (though it doesn’t have the population of 10,000 needed to technically be a city in Sweden).

In the courtyard of Gripsholms Slott are a pair of what appear to be Turkish canons, but the notice explaining their history claims they were captured in Russia.

[Read aloud to Adelle] Queer Georgians by Anthony Delaney This book collects some stories about gender non-conforming people in Georgian times, from before we had the understanding and rich language we now have to describe people outside the heteronormative world. We have been handed down little in the way of unbiased information about these people, […]

Griphsholms Slott is an impressive castle on the lakeside 40 miles west of Stockholm.

I took another walk around the Igelbacken Nature Reserve, finding the site of an ancient settlement near what is now Hallonbergon.

We went to the Tinitus Festival, run by the same people as last years Re:Publik

Spring at the Sollentuna Nature Reserve is not so cold as the winter, though there were still some little pockets of snow around in the ditches.

To the south of the city is the Woodland Cemetary, a graveyard set in a tranquil woodland that is now within the urban area of Stockholm. We found the grave of Greta Garbo and a wonderful place for firey burial ceremony.

On the first proper day of spring we headed to the seaside of Saltsjöbaden, though the sun was out and it was a beautiful warm day the sea was still frozen over in places.

[Audiobook] The Last Overland by Alex Bescoby This book recounts the story of an expedition following the return path from the First Overland, a journey from London to Singapore in 1955. A documentary of which launched the career of David Attenborough. The background to this journey and the planning for it are covered. The original […]