Saturday, June 27

Flea Market Saturday #2: Valkemmen (Welcome)

The thrill of flea markets and garage sales is not knowing what you'll find. And so it was when I began writing this week's FMS post.

I was going to tell you it's such a relief not to have to know several languages in order to read "foreign" blogs these days. That for instance, you don't have to know Swedish to enjoy Maria Berg's Allt kan grönska (Everything Can Be Green) because a Google Gadget like the one here will translate her words into 35 of the most common languages. That the translation may not be grammatically perfect for your particular language, but good enough. And to be aware the Follow widget only works in a page's original language.

After that, I was going to tell you about a delightful blog in Hampshire, England, and another in Provence, France.

But first I wanted a little something to dress up the paragraph about Maria's blog. Something with "Valkemmen", a word learned not from my American-born Swedish grandmother, but from seeing it everywhere within 10 miles of Lindsborg, Kansas. (One King of Sweden said Lindsborg was "more Swedish than Sweden", and I tend to agree.)

So I typed valkemenn into Google Images, and the City of Lindsborg medallion came up.

It wasn't what I was looking for, but being the curious sort I clicked on it anyway and landed on The Lope's "Valkomenn, Dalalope", the first of a series of articles about Lindsborg.

Dalalope, btw, is a play on Dala horse, wooden horse-like figures like the one on the medallion, and jackalope, a mythical rabbit with antlers.

So much for Hampshire and Provence until next Saturday...

The Lope has traveled all over the world from his home base of Hutchinson KS, and takes fabulous photos wherever he goes.

After visually feasting on images of Lindsborg, I was next enchanted by The Lope's in-depth tour of London's Sherlock Holmes Museum that rivals, and in some aspects even bests, most of the "official" Holmes sites.

But the piece de resistance was the breath-taking photos of the little-known full-size church hidden inside Via Christi Hospital (formerly St. Francis Hospital) in Wichita, Kansas.

Be forewarned if you go to The Lope, take a lunch. You'll be there awhile.

Oh, about the mailbox at the beginning of this post.

Back in 1981 or '82, a friend and I were driving around west of Bridgeport KS. We thought the mailbox was charming, so I snapped a pic. And another of the other side, which shows it belonged to Charles and Maxine MAGNUSON. I learned later that Charles is a cousin of some degree on Grandma Emma's side.

Just another example of 'never know what you'll find'!
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8 comments:

Cal said...

Thank you for letting us know about the translation gadget.

Cal :>

Unknown said...

all I got from this was Lindsborg Kansas-- but my curiosity is definitely whetted-- wish I spoke Swedish:-)

Frieda Babbley said...

Way cool. The title caught my eye because velcomen is Norweigen for your welcome. (My step father was from Norway.)
I'm going to have to pack a lunch, and perhaps at this point a dinner as well and check out that blog.
By the way, I double check my french with translators, not as simple as the click kind you have offered. I can translate my now gone with the wind French so I can make at least a bit of sense when I'm commenting. I've tried to get one of those on my own blog, but to no avail. I think I'm retarded because it's such a simple insert I'm sure. I'll keep trying.

JamaGenie said...

Frieda, I had a problem getting it to "take" here too, but I figured out the glitch, and as you see, it works like a charm. I'll have a look at your blog and email you.

Norwegian and Swedish are two Germanic languages. Some words are the same or quite similar in all three.

PPR, English>other language dictionaries are useless. The translator is a great learning tool in that seeing one's own words in another language makes that language less "foreign".

Frieda Babbley said...

The more I study languages, the more similarities I see. I do wish I had expanded beyond the romance. The more languages you learn, the more similarities you take in. It's fascinating. Maybe in another lifetime for me, or when I have nothing else to do (right, huh?). The translator is a wonderful learning tool. I'm so glad you mentioned it.

Maria Berg said...

You made my day!!!
I have been smiling for an hour since I fist saw your site today (then I had to take grandpa to the bus, with one child in the pram and one almost on a bike - she is learning)

Well thank you again, for linking to my post.
I have not yet made up my mind how my blog should look like and if to write in Swedish or English.
For me moment I usually use Swedish on the posts I link to Swedish photo competitions and English for the one I link in English competitions.

Flea market - me to love going to them and like you said - you never know what you will find.
I have planed two big one next weekend.

Well I think I'm of for lunch now before more looping.

take care,
MB

PS. Cassata is not Swedish it is only the name of the ice-cream and Riccardo is the name of the company making the ice-cream (the one on the photo is lime and orange-taste.

JamaGenie said...

Happy to do it, Maria! My way of saying "thank you" for having the the translator gadget. Your blog was where I first saw and used it. I intended to link to your Unika Foto (Unique Photo) too (and still might), but for now let me just say your photos are absolutely gorgeous!

B.T. Evilpants said...

Thanks for bringing the Lope to my attention! I haven't seen him in ages. I'm thinking we must be cousins!