Excursion with job offer (14.07.2018)

Weekend. Free time.

This morning, breakfast was served at nine o'clock since it's the weekend. During breakfast, I discussed with my host family what we could visit nearby. We thought about castles, as there are several of them here in Skåne. They listed a number of castles in the area that I could visit. I decided to visit Bosjökloster and Skarhult Castle.

Bosjökloster is situated by Lake Ringsjön. The area around the former convent is very picturesque and peaceful. As a student, I was able to visit the monastery and its park for 50 kronor (about 5€). Today, the church of the monastery was also open because there was a wedding held in the morning.

In the monastery, I received some information about how the nuns used to live here and what their daily life was like. This was very interesting and informative. After that, I continued to the park of the monastery, where they keep animals such as goats and ponies. I think this is especially nice if you're traveling with children as a family. In the park, there is also a thousand-year-old oak tree, which is already halfway open.

On the other side of the monastery, you'll find the rose garden of the former order. Here, different types of roses in many different colors grow. Behind that, you'll find the former stables of the monastery. In one of the houses, there is an exhibition about the food culture of the Sami people. You can also see pictures of a Sami family wearing the traditional attire of the people. This exhibition was very interesting because the people have a completely different food culture than what is present in southern Sweden.

On the way back to the parking lot, I wanted to visit the church of the monastery. So, I went to a small gate, thinking it was the right way. However, you were actually only allowed to pass through there with a guided tour. Just as I was about to turn around, a group arrived and the tour guide kindly let me through the gate. He asked where I was from and I said that I was from Germany. To my surprise, he replied in German. He was currently giving a tour in German and invited me to join. However, since I had already seen everything, I thanked him and wanted to continue. The elderly gentleman asked me what I was doing in Sweden, and I told him about my road trip. In response, he asked if I would like to start working at the monastery from next year. I was initially surprised and thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. He mentioned that they don't have enough staff who can give tours in German and they are looking for people. (So, if anyone is interested... :D) I was somewhat caught off guard. He gave me his card and said that if I'm interested, I can send him an email. However, he had to continue his tour. I thanked him and went to the church.

Even later in the evening, I was still surprised by this offer.

After visiting the church, I went back to my car and drove to Skarhult Castle.

Since the castle looked very nice from the outside, I thought it might be nice to see the inside and learn more about it. So, I went inside and had to pay 100 kronor (about 10€) for the discounted entrance fee. I thought that for the money, I should get to see quite a bit. I went into the first room, only to realize that the information boards were only available in Swedish. I think they could have provided some in English as well, considering that they should expect international visitors. But no such luck...

Nevertheless, I read the boards in Swedish, hoping to understand something. I understood about half of the information provided. Apart from the boards, you could only visit five rooms. I don't think it's worth the 10€. The money can definitely be better invested.

Next to the castle, there was a church that I visited. Additionally, there is also an exhibition in a former stable of the castle. The exhibition 'Swedish Dads' shows pictures of Swedish fathers and their children. Next to it, a brief history is explained and how long the fathers take parental leave. That was quite interesting, and luckily, it was also in English.

And so, the beautiful day was almost over, and I drove back home.

Distance driven today: 93 kilometers