Connect2Earth Hour

I mitt arbete med Åke Sundvall så söker vi tillsammans vägar att kunna leva mer hållbart i vår vardag både som företag och vad det egentligen är som vi som individer kan göra själva. Längst ner hittar du Ed Sheerans låt& ser videon för #Connect2Earth. 

Långholmen på Södermalm i Stockholm har
 ibland oväntad fauna. 

Det som startade som en enskild symbolisk manifestation/aktion i Sydney, Australien där man släckte ljuset i en timma 2007, så har Earth Hour vuxit till den största gräsrotsrörelsen i världen med miljöfokus. 

Från Getterön i Varberg,  vintertid ser man Danmark som en strimma i horisonten. 

En organisation som inspirerar miljoner människor i hela världen att själva göra något för vår planet och dess natur. 

Vår natur är inget vi kan ta för givet. Den är något vi måste ta hand om gemensamt. 

En gräsrotsrörelse är en folkrörelse eller organisation som utgår ifrån och drivs av befolkningen i ett visst område. 

Palmen kallad Imperial på Portugisiska kan bli över 50 meter hög.  På Svenska säger vi Vaxpalm  då man ur bladen utvann  Karnubauvax som användes som vegetabiliskt skomakare vax

Gräsrotsorganisationer använder sig av kollektiva åtgärder på lokal nivå för att skapa förändringar på lokal, regional, nationell eller internationell nivå. 

Vad kan jag själv göra 
mer konkret undrar jag  då?

WWF som är del av Earth Hour 
ger som förslag på webbsidan att man blir värd för ett Earth Hour event/kväll 

Det är ett sätt att ge uppmärksamhet åt miljön och att tydligt visa sin närmaste omvärld att detta är något viktigt jag vill att vi sätter fokus på att ta hand om vår jord. 

Vill du göra något enkelt till att börja med så kan du ha en middag med levande ljus och se på stjärnorna tillsammans eller helt enkelt bara släcka ljuset ihop under en timma. 

Vill du göra lite mer ? Då kan du göra ett gig eller en konsert, visa en film, eller så är du värd för ett Earth Hour party. 
Möjligheterna är oändliga! 

Är du peppad att Connect2Earth så läs mer om vad du kan göra på Earth Hour and share it on Social Media to let everyone you know how YOU feel. 

Sen vill jag påminna om att om du letar efter en smart&snygg tvåa i Fruängen 
som jag kommer hjälpa dig att inreda klimatsmart o kvadratmeterkompenserande eller compact living som vi sa för 20 år sen i nästa ÅS inlägg. 

Lyssna till Ed Sheerans "ALL of the Stars" och se Earth Hour 2019 videon nedanför.  

Stay in touch 

Jimmy 


Tidigare ÅS inlägg - Här 
kan du läsa mer om att enkelt leva hållbart.

The Queen of Beaches in Portugal

The city of Figueira da Foz was crowned Rainha das Praias, Queen of the Beaches already in the 1920´s.

We had no idea that we were going to experience the sensational sea resort considered the Queen of the Beaches of Portugal when we left Arlanda, Stockholm. 

We flew in to Lisbon on our way to Rio de Janeiro since TAP makes a stop in Lisbon.  

We made plans to see Marcellos close friend from Brazil, Ludimila and her husband Dominic. 

 This french/brasilian couple moved to Figueira da Foz in Portugal a year ago from Penedo, Brazil. They picked us up at the airport around 11 at night and drove us the two hours from Lisbon to Figueira da Foz by the sea. 

Figurera from Fig-tree and Foz coming from the latin word fouces, meaning river mouth/flood mynning,  because the river Mondego meets the Atlantic here in Figueira da Foz. That is at least one of the explanations to the name of this city  by the Atlantic ocean in Portugal, because historians don't really agree on this point. 

We eat a late dinner and have a glass of Portuguese wine and the two friends get to live chat after a year of adventures told over WhatsApp. Marcello in Sweden with me and Ludimila with her french husband here in Portugal. 

Shoes in hand walking on the beach in the sunset in March is dreamy for a Swede. 

Sunday morning brunch in the sun on the balcony overlooking the Atlantic. 

Ludimila has two Japanese Akitas, Saori and Yoshi. Yoshi, the male and Marcello has a true&close relationship that is evident. They have known each other since Yoshi was a puppy.  

Figueira da Foz was considered Vila (small town) already the 12th of March 1771 and turned Cidade (city) on the 20 September 1882 This is a city with with a long history of immense port movement, ship building and cod drying industry.  

Two good friends that finally can have a café con leite together in the sun. 

Our mission after brunch is to find the right seafood for lunch, this gorgeous 20+ sunny and warm winds Sunday. 

Going to the regular  supermarket does not let you down in the seafood department. Impressive how much fantastic "frutos do mar" is offered here.  

We decide to grill squid, lula grelhada,  which I never have done before and I must say I will gladly do again. It tastes great and was really fast to prepare. 

Loving the multitude of fish offered at the local supermarket. 

Tiles in interiors and as facade cover has a long history in Portugal. The antique Azulejos/tiles were decorated in a simple palate, dominated by blues and whites. 

It was and still is typical for the Portuguese to tell stories about their history, religion and culture through this decorative ceramics  dating as far back as the 13th century when the Moors invaded Portugal, which then belonged to Spain. 

The word Azulejo stems from Arabic root meaning "small polished stone". 

Portugal has so many unique culinary specialities that offer taste sensations like the sweet Ovos Moles we were invited to try  by Marisa, Ludimila´s friend that came with boxes of this for me totally new and rich taste. I really recommend you to taste Ovos Moles if you like eggs. 

Tile and pattern inspiration is found everywhere. 

The long and rich history and multi cultural influence of this harbor city is reflected in the buildings, street decoration and everyday life.  

Figueira da Foz offers inviting restaurants and cafés on every corner. 

Traditional restaurants as well as new cross over cuisine. Above you see us at Wine Bar Christal that has covered the walls with the wooden lid of the wine boxes. 

Wine here is excellent at at a much(!)lower price than in Sweden. 

Walking around in the beautiful city of Figueira is total inspiration for me. 

This door!

Check out the tiles and mosaic of the beach walk of Figueira which is the type that has made Copacabana and Ipanema in Rio famous has its origin from Portugal and Praça Do Rocio in Lisbon.

  

I will tell you more about this 

when we reach Rio de Janeiro. 

Marcello had a meeting with this theatre group in Figueira da Foz introducing one of his plays . 

Both Marcello and me had our hair cut at the local Barbearia and the owner telling the story for Marcello of his last 50(!)years as a hairdresser and barber in Figueira da Foz. 

The first Casino in Figueira da foz looks this amazing. The new huge casino is not this gorgeous of a building but offers the biggest playground for Casinos on the Iberian Peninsula.

 Letting this amazing Strelitzia blooming outside be the last photo since it is flora found in both Brazil and Portugal and a true favorite for me. Figueira da Foz is in the Coimbra region and the city of Coimbra is where we are going next. If you are a Harry Potter fan you might know of this unique university. 



Stay in touch



Jimmy

Strelitzia or parrotflower/papegojblomma as it is named in Sweden. 

Suprisingly Sophisticated Sofia

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Having a new idea on this travel guide. 

The fast version : 

If you before you read my text scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the photos. 

If you are interested in knowing more after that, then i recommend you read the text. 

Take your time. Slow down and read it all.  

Because I must tell you that what I have seen in Sofia, Bulgaria is unique for me. First timer & lovin it. This is a place I would like to revisit for sure. 

We are actually here both Marcello and I to record a commercial were we both got a part in, but  we can not tell you about that right now,  because it has not been aired yet and we can not say anything until it has premiered in Norway later in spring. 

So we came to Sofia with no expectation and checked in to Grand Hotel Sofia on Saturday afternoon we just took our jackets off and went out in the sunshine in our T shirts and around the corner from the hotel we enjoyed the clarinet street musician in the park in front of the National Theatre this warm summer evening wile the Sofians take their evening  spring stroll while the trees slowly go into clorophyl mode. 

Amazing is the mix of the old and the new. The old renovated buildings and the new unfinished or dilapidated houses left to themselves right next to new restaurant. 

A gorgeous renovated russian orthodox masterpiece right next to a sign that has been filled with a mild protest. 

Laid out like a architectural Master pastry is the Grand Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and walking inside takes your breath away. The first photo on top of this post is taken inside this three throne cathedral that was built in the 1880´s. 

If you stay in the center like we did, we only walked out of the hotel in different directions each day and felt totally free to just discover Sofia by foot. That a meal is a third of the price compared to Stockholm and a good wine to your dinner is even less. Beer is really cheap compared to Scandinavia.  

There are many amazing buildings and churches to marvel at in this easy access city of Sofa. 

As perfect as some parts are others are totally taken over by 

impatient and intricate public scribble and bad graffitti. 

In front of the National Theatre is where to meet on a saturday afternoon. 

Many good cafés and restaurants are found within 5 min walkway in diameter from here. 

Sprayed and left to fall apart. 

Architectural grandeur. 

Great company is always a + on every trip. Marcello in shorts and his Sox.se 

was loving walking around in Sofia just like me. 

Spring in the air. Sun is out. LOVE!

Grand hotel Sofia offered a new carpet in the elevator each day. Impressive service and good food. Both breakfast and roomservice was as you expect a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ hotel. 

Sofia is full of fun restaurants of all kinds from cheap to luxurious and from 

traditional to world cuisine. 

Fun when you feel like you learn a little bit of this not easy to understand Slavic language family of cyrilic writing system that as a swede I see as graphically exotic. 

The interior of Grand Hotel Sofia is that of a wanna be american president type of green wall to wall carpeting White House Style wanting to be the Four Season but not really making it. 

What i mostly appreciate at the hotel was what we in Sweden almost has forgotten. 

The porcelain piece for the bathroom that I see as somewhat of a necessity if you want to stay a clean individual in regards to reaching those regions that we tend want to hide and forget until we want to have intimacy.... 

Do you want a bidé in your bathroom if you have the room ? I do! 

Stay in touch and tell me if you have been to  Sofia or if you want to go. 

Jimmy