Yet another Swede

[Holme]

I have been lurking this forum for some time now, but felt it was about time to make a post.

I am 48 years old, living in Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden. I spend as much time as possible hiking, fishing and in recent years, also some hunting, preferably on my own land. I own an old farm and mill, ca 60 hectars of land, mainly woodlands, but also some fields and a stream running cross the land.

I also have a keen interest in old handicrafts and bushcraft.
I look forward to be a bit more active on this forum!

 

[Radix lecti]

Hello Holme and welcome.

 

[JAG009]

Hello and welcome to the forum

Jason

 

[Robbi]

welcome aboard

would love to see some pictures of your land.

 

[Paul_B]

Hello there. Love Gothenburg. Went there last year in February for a business trip to a customer a little east of there (about 45 minutes drive in). Love the city and really want to go back. Was especially good being there on expenses too. There is a really good Boston style sports bar there with a TV on pretty much every space on the walls. Each showing sport. Spent a good night sat on the opposit side of the table to a TV screen that filled my field of view while I ate ribs and drank beer. All without getting out of my chair!! Well apart from frequent visits to a certain room that is. Excellent service and somehow I escaped a massive hangover the next day. All on expenses.

Walked all around the city too. We were there for about 2.5 days so we had half a day there when we flew in. Then our meeting was over and we were free from 12pm with nothing to do but explore Gothenburg.

One thing that really amazed me was flying over the forests as we were getting close to our destination. It was amazing for someone like me from Northern England. I don't think we have anywhere with a landscape even slightly as natural as Sweden is from what I've seen. I've also been to the other side too nearer Stockholm and north a couple of hours. That was similar. Forests with marshes and lakes and clearings with some farms. The red roofs of buildings and the major roads are no bigger than dual carriageways and everyone (except us English visitors) drive most courtesly. Roads were cracking too and even the side roads with snow on them just like the ones in the small town we had to drive through weren't closing the roads down. People just drove on the compacted snow without any problems. one thing though, they slowed more towards junctions than over here.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and I think you can tell, I really like your country. You guys have things right I think.

 

[John Fenna]

Hello and welcome!

 

[PaulSanderson]

welcome to the forum Holme...I hope you enjoy your time here.

 

[DavidJT]

Hej, det kan inte bli för många svenskar!
Im in Gothenburg every summer, and always have a great time. Welcome to the forum.

 

[RonW]

Välkommen Holme!

 

[JonathanD]

Hi, Welcome to the forum.

 

[Chris the Cat]

Greetings fella!
Chris.

 

[Holme]

many thanks for your response!

What I find really positive about this forum is that everybody is so polite and cordial and shows such enthusiasm to the life outdoors and bushcraft. It is quite difficult to find anything resembling that in Sweden. Maybe it is because we have such an abundance of woodlands and fresh water that we take it all more or less for granted.

 

[RonW]

Are you serious, Holme?

No bushcraftcomunity in Sweden?
Well, then we will have to change that, right?

 

[Husky]

Hej Holme och välkommen!

 

[Holme]

Yes, I´m quite serious. Of course there are quite a few people here that spend a lot of time out in the woods, but I have never had a name for it, except for general outdoors life (Sw: friluftsliv").

That is something you do as a natural part of your life and upbringing, but as I believe have been stated many times before, we don´t have a special name for it. So, the word "Bushcraft" has no specific meaning or equivalent in the Swedish language.

 

[Steffen]

maybe we should just call it skogshåndtverk.

 

[Paul_B]

Well if its just a part of most people's life as a default then you surely wouldn't need a name for it. You live it, we sometimes guilty of talking about it. I mean as a nation. or most of the nation. If more people do the bushcraft types of activities then the skills could be in wider curculation and it is less of an activity than just a facet of life. In that case it doesn't really need a name for it. If that makes sense. I also remember something on a Ray Mears programme about how in Sweden there is a closer connection to the natural world and the skills needed to be out in it. There is also a right of access that is so deeply ingrained in the national psyche that it doesn't need legislation to keep it. Kind of like our human rights, an inalienable right of access. In that case you don't need a word for it I guess.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hello chap, welcome to the forum.

 

[Barn Owl]

Hi and welcome.

 

[Holme]

Hello there. Love Gothenburg. Went there last year in February for a business trip to a customer a little east of there (about 45 minutes drive in). Love the city and really want to go back. Was especially good being there on expenses too. There is a really good Boston style sports bar there with a TV on pretty much every space on the walls. Each showing sport. Spent a good night sat on the opposit side of the table to a TV screen that filled my field of view while I ate ribs and drank beer. All without getting out of my chair!! Well apart from frequent visits to a certain room that is. Excellent service and somehow I escaped a massive hangover the next day. All on expenses.

Walked all around the city too. We were there for about 2.5 days so we had half a day there when we flew in. Then our meeting was over and we were free from 12pm with nothing to do but explore Gothenburg.

One thing that really amazed me was flying over the forests as we were getting close to our destination. It was amazing for someone like me from Northern England. I don't think we have anywhere with a landscape even slightly as natural as Sweden is from what I've seen. I've also been to the other side too nearer Stockholm and north a couple of hours. That was similar. Forests with marshes and lakes and clearings with some farms. The red roofs of buildings and the major roads are no bigger than dual carriageways and everyone (except us English visitors) drive most courtesly. Roads were cracking too and even the side roads with snow on them just like the ones in the small town we had to drive through weren't closing the roads down. People just drove on the compacted snow without any problems. one thing though, they slowed more towards junctions than over here.

Anyway, welcome to the forum and I think you can tell, I really like your country. You guys have things right I think.

Thanks again.

I suppose it was O´Learys You visited? Once upon a time when the place opened (some 25 years ago) I actually believe there was a chap by the name O´Leary and I believe he came from Boston. Now I think it has become some sort of a franchise concept...

Nevertheless, it is funny that you found everyone to drive courtesly - I, and many with me, consider road rage to be a national sport