Gamla Uppsala

Great church day today! Accompanied by a crew of lovely new friends, I made my way by bus about four and a half kilometers out to Gamla Uppsala, or old Uppsala, one of the most important pre- and early- Christian sites in medieval Scandinavia. Before the city and the archbishopric moved to its present day location in the 13th century, Gamla Uppsala was a center for both religious and political life in medieval Sweden. Contemporary sources including (but not limited to) Adam of Bremen, tell us that this was a site of the annual thing, or political meeting, as well as a site of cult practice.

The Romanesque church was the original Uppsala cathedral, and inside it is wonderfully light and airy, with the remains of wall paintings and a number of medieval objects. It smelled amazing inside, and of course I loved it more than the new gothic cathedral in town. My favorite object was an 11th c chest made from the limb of a tree kept whole. Don't quote me on this, but Gamla Uppsala was originally a cult site with a very important sacred tree. Interesting that they left this limb as a chest, so you can still see its original form ... hmmm ...

After walking around the church and its timber bell tower (locked, darn it), we climbed the nearby burial mounds, which survive from the 5th and 6th centuries. They were very impressive, and the view from the top was satisfying. The surrounding countryside seemed quite flat from the manmade hills, and I could see all the way to Uppsala.

We then headed over to the picturesque Odinsborg Cafe for Fika! (teatime in Sweden). I had a blueberry tart and a much-appreciated coffee. A wonderful Sunday adventure!