I am very proud to… just kidding. That is not how I write. As you might know, I usually choose something from my work as an author, consultant or from a private trip for a monthly recap. But this month I am suffering from idea overload!
Here are a couple of examples why.
I met my colleagues at ESCI – the European Science Communication Institute – on a team-building trip to Berlin. In the group picture we are waiting for a guided tour at Tegel, the former international airport. It is being transformed, but for now, our two-hour tour mostly involved walking 5,000 steps on a former airstrip taking pictures of the weeds.
Speaking of airplanes, the Swedish Air Force celebrated its 100th anniversary in Linköping. I was among the 230,000 people who enjoyed Europe’s largest airshow this year. The Gripen is the latest of several Swedish aircraft that have been groundbreaking in their time. It has finally received the attention it deserves because of the current world situation. Relatively inexpensive by fighter jet standards and built for quick refuelling by conscripts, it is more attractive than aircraft from the big country in the west. Not being American has become a USP. Quite a change from the country once seen as the guardian of democracy.
I walked past so many reminders of the changing tides of history in Berlin. My memory card got pictures of everything from fancy castles to solemn memorials, as well as the famous fossil of a link between dinosaurs and birds. (Some pictures in my travel feature in Swedish).
August is also the month when everyone wants to squeeze the last out of summer. On two different weekends I had drinks at Slussen in Stockholm and Ringön in Gothenburg. One a prestigious urban renewal project, the other born out of underground club culture. Both with packed outdoor seating in the sunshine. Different origins, same result.
I also revisited a couple of other places. At Sundsby säteri parts of the groundwork for the Norwegian Constitution were prepared once. Today it is a lovely place to have lunch. I’ve also returned to a mill where there used to be a popular café that attracted people from far away. Now weeds are growing where people once sat drinking coffee.
In media there is a lot of focus on the problem of overtourism. Less is written about the enthusiasts who make places attractive in the first place, and what happens when they retire. And by the way, the reason we are seeing more tourism is that more people have time and money to travel. That is worth celebrating!
Speaking of celebration, it is time for my monthly champagne count. This month: one. At author Sofia Jarlo’s ten-year anniversary celebration. It was the first time we actually met. She invited me because I had been a source of inspiration for her when she was starting out.
Science communicator and project manager based in Sweden, working internationally. Montly recaps in English.
- Franska utsikter: utsikt mot Mercantour - 1 september 2026
- Augusti 2026: Meeting my ESCI colleagues & exploring change on a city scale - 31 augusti 2026
- Franska utsikter: poeternas park i Antibes - 1 augusti 2026