Week 22 – Gärdslösa / halfway through “One Year – One Island”
Gärdslösa is one of the villages on Öland that I find particularly pretty. I don’t know much about the place; I just enjoy driving through it because the houses are pretty, the gardens bloom in spring, the old oak trees line the road, and of course, the Esso sign, which gives the village a recognizable eye-catcher. I’ve since seen the inside of two of the houses as part of a continuing education course, and this has only reinforced my opinion of Gärdslösa – subjectively, positive!
Ted and Hilda, a couple in their early 40s, live in one of them. He’s a guitar maker, and we were allowed to visit his workshop in the annex to his lovingly designed cottage. Here, Tad only builds about 2-3 guitars a year, all by hand and using hand-picked woods. His buyers have to be patient, as his waiting list for his one-of-a-kind guitars is long. They aren’t cheap, either. But what really blew me away was the meticulous order in this workshop. As an artist, I’ve seen my fair share of creative workspaces, but something like this… unbelievable! There wasn’t a single curly piece of wood chip, not a speck of dust. The planers were sorted by size, and the varnishing bench was spotless. I know nothing about guitars, but the two that were currently being worked on must be beauties. And such a humble and likeable man! Anyone interested in handmade acoustic guitars can check out Ted’s homepage: https://astrandguitars.com/ His wife Hilda lives for mime and theater. Lively and enthusiastically, she told our group of visitors about her project, a major festival in Gothenburg. Her hands—in constant motion—underlined her words. I would have liked them to be my friends.
The other creative couple whose home I had the pleasure of visiting are Tove and Hanna Folkesson. Tove is a writer and has already published several books, including poetry. The current book is called “Badort” (”Seaside Resort”) and is a novel set in Borgholm in 1938. Tove’s wife, Hanna, created fantastic drawings to illustrate the story. Hanna works full-time as a bricklayer and is very busy. She is trained in traditional bricklaying techniques and has done a lot of DIY work in her own house. With great creativity and attention to detail, the two women have created a very special home. For example, there’s the glass connecting hall between the two parts of the house, which transformed the cobblestones and former entrance steps of the old house into a patio with a view of the Baltic Sea. Or the staircase to the second floor (I didn’t go upstairs), which is so softly and gracefully bricked and plastered that it’s reminiscent of Hundertwasser or Rudolf Steiner. The entire home exudes a connection to nature and the beauty of essentials.
I have lived on Öland for 17 years and over the years have revised my view of the island’s population several times. At first, I saw mostly simple people who had lived here since childhood and had rarely, if ever, thought outside the box. Then I discovered how diverse the reasons for living on Öland could be, and that alongside the farmer’s son who lovingly and tenaciously cultivates his forefathers’ land, there are also – for example – a well-traveled missionary widow, a young man who dresses in the style of the 40´s and has done without beeing mobbed since his ground school years and an aging yoga teachers from the big city. Instead of simplicity, I repeatedly encounter a healthy sense of practicality; instead of limitations, I discovered a conscious contentment with existing simplicity. And creativity without limits! Anyone who thinks that people in the countryside are devoid of ideas is very much mistaken! Here on North Öland, the Swedish Trench Diving Championships are held – a sport in which you dive in dug meadow ditches filled with cold, muddy water wearing snorkels and goggles. Or there’s the Witches’ Catwalk on Good Friday, where local residents transform themselves beyond recognition and, after a dance with brooms, are crowned Miss Blåkulla. Here you’ll find whiskey tasting classes, pottery courses, belly dancing for beginners, and much more. And I’m pretty sure I’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Speaking of Easter witches – this coming weekend I’ll be hopping on my broomstick and flying to the nearby island of “Blue Maiden,” or as we witches affectionately call it, “Blåkulla.” Then it’ll be partying until the sparks fly! Too bad we’re opening our café again the next day, and I have to be fit somehow.
Sweden is traditionally associated with hens and chicks, snowdrops, and Easter bunnies – just like in most other European countries. Here, too, the Easter Bunny hides his nests of sweets in the garden, and the children search for them. Here, too, families gather, eat, and celebrate the occasion. But only in Scandinavia are Easter witches found. In Sweden, the big festival, where only women dance around the huge fire for one night, is celebrated on the island of Blåkulla – which lies between Öland and the mainland and is enchanted and uninhabited. No wonder the number of witches on Öland is extraordinary. Except nobody knows that, because in everyday life they’re just ordinary women. Traditional Swedish Easter cards often depict cute, plump women with rosy cheeks, and in addition to the distinctive features of a broom and a cat, they always feature a copper coffee kettle. And even today, always on Good Friday, little girls dress up as cute witches and knock on their neighbors’ houses, wishing them “Glad Påsk” (Happy Easter), and receive sweets in return. My own daughter, at the age of 6, drew little notes and then handed them out with her Easter wishes. Out of maternal nostalgia, I carry one of hers in my wallet—even though she’s almost 30 now.
So, now I’ve really digressed. I was in Gärdslösa, here are some photos of the place:
The place is famous in Sweden because the poet and playwright Erik Johan Stagnelius was born there in the rectory. That was in 1793, and Stagnelius is considered one of the most important figures of the Romantic era in Sweden. Nevertheless, the glamour of fame still falls on the sleepy little town, and especially on his birthplace, the rectory. There’s also the church (which was shortlisted as my painting motif) where Princess Margaretha (eldest sister of the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf) was married in 1964. It is said to be the best-preserved medieval church on Öland and was probably the ecclesiastical center of the island for a long time. Öland has 34 churches – not counting the ruins, most of which are ancient and each with its own special story.
In Gärdslösa, I did, however, paint the old country store. Nowadays, it’s a museum, and you can visit and admire it in the summer – untouched since it closed in the early 1970s.
So here’s my 22nd watercolor – and with it, I’m halfway through my “One Year – One Island” project. I’m proud of myself for making it this far – especially through the winter! Now the beautiful season and many sunny bike rides await me!
Glad Påsk wishes Angelika