Zetterlunden in Stockholm inaugurated

What's on my mind Facebook asks as soon as you open your account? Monica is on my mind. The great, fabolous Monica Zetterlund. musician, jazz vocalist with a broad repertoire. One of those grreat cultural personalities from the province of Värmland - my province ;-)

Monica died five years ago (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Zetterlund) Yesterday a park in her memory, Zetterlunden in Stockholm city, was inaugurated with music and speeches, and with a beautiful wooden 'singing sofa' with her songs playing as soon as someone sits in the sofa.- If you do not know her musci, go to youtube or to www.spotify.se to listen free of charge.

After the ceremony with music and a main speech by author, film director and 'stand up comedian' before we knew he was, in the bar of 18th century restaurant 'Claes på hörnet' I had an extremely interesting conversation with someone I did not meet for several decades. In Göteborg (Gothenborg).

I studied at the School of Economics and he at the theater school and was part of a generation of young, progressive and brilliant actors. We, som students belonging to Värmland-Dals Nation (a social organization for students coming from those two provinces, located in a nice cellar on Lorensbergsgatan close to Götaplatsen and Stadsteatern/ the City Theater) several times went to Stadsteatern together to see a play, and than we invited some of the actors or a dinner we had prepared in our cellar (the young ones, our age, and Harry Ahlin, a distinguished actor/gentleman in his late 60's I think).

And then we had food and wine or beer and aquavit and discussed theater and culture and academia - and politics! This was during the 'student revolution'! I had been as an exchange student in Paris i June-July 1966 - in May I was not allowed to enter France. The months in a factory and a main office south of Paris were fascinating and I learned a lot about life, work and politics - But that is another story...