LearnSweden Blog

The Fabrik Furillen

By Per Svangren

 

The third White guide recommendation in Rute is the design hotel The Fabrik Furillen. On an island which was a former military base in a former limestone factory, a new modern hotel and restaurant have been built. The old factory and the whole factory area have been used when forming the new hotel. Iron, brick, limestone have been renovated and used, together with new modern material.

 

 

Here you can stop for a coffee, homemade bread, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Or you can rent a bike, stay a night  either in the hotel or in a caravan that is placed around the island.

 or the very popular, eremitkoja. That is a small house with one bed, one table, one chair and a small fireplace placed all around the island with a sea view or in the middle of the forest. Here you can enjoy the silence and just be by yourself for a day or so. Every morning you will be served breakfast in your house, coffee, fresh baked bread and so on. A very wonderful place to come and retreat.

 

 

 

Wild strawberries

      

Except for being one of Ingmar Bergman's best films, "Wild Strawberries" also is a fantastic berry in many ways. It is so tastey and so sweet, but it is also difficult to find, as it is so small and truly depends on the weather. Too much rain and it will not get red, too much sun and it will get very dry and small.

This year was a perfect year on Gotland for wild strawberries, so we managed to pick enough for a couple of desserts. But as the berries are so small, it takes a long time to pick enough for a plate, And the berries are difficult to see from above so you better lay down in the grass, to see them.

     

     

Then you put them on a straw, bring them home and serve with a panacotta, cream, ice-cream or just eat them as they are.

I thought about the name one day when I was out picking them and put them on a straw. Maybe these wild berries got their name from this, berries put on a straw, Strawberry and then people get them bigger and bigger and we got just strawberries. Big, red and lovely to eat. Not as tasteful and sweet as wild strawberries, but anyway.

                           

         

Carl von Linné also found out that wild strawberries were good for one's health and he said that you should eat at least one bowl of them each day, for keeping your body in a better shape.

Spruce it up!!!!!

      

Spring is here and we are back out in the forest. Everywhere you look there are light green spruce needles sprouting out on the trees. Did you know that you can eat these ? My father has always told me how healthy they are. They contain so many vitamins and nutrients that one needs to be healthy.

I always eat these needles in the spring time and of course I am very healthy.......

     

While canoeing with my students last week, I tried to get them to have a taste of the little needles but alas without success. "Eating trees?" they said in a worried voice. But I must tell you that my own children love them so I have good company while eating trees.

       

If you have the chance to find some spruce near you please just give it a try and enjoy it....this sour, and healthy snack completely chocked full of vitamins.

     

Today's blog and photos brought to you by Per Svangren.