I am fascinated that you were a major part in creating content for the celebrations surrounding the Kalmar Union, well done!

For myself, one of my (minor) regrets is that I wasn't able to make it back to Stockholm last year for the 500th anniversary of the end of the Union and the birth of modern Sweden, when Kristian was ousted and Gustav Vasa rode into (what is now) Gamla Stan with lots of pomp and circumstance. I know there were plently of celebrations and re-enactments, although nothing official afaik.

Never mind, although Sweden and Denmark hold the world record of wars fought between any 2 countries - some of them unbelievably brutal - we're the best of friends now.

Google has an article they entitled

<<Chess Sets of Champions>

From Alekhine's gift to Kosteniuk's childhood treasure, explore the unique chess sets of legendary players.>

https://artsandculture.google.com/s...

Many thanks for this great link - very nice of you. A real joy to watch these quite peculiar sets which demonstrate the huge diversity in the design of these objects. I think it is for very good reasons that FIDE (?) at some time decided to make the Staunton model obligatory.

I recall that my compatriot Bent Larsen played with a very common and cheap set of pieces until he - and other participants - were gifted with a beautiful Staunton set at the Olympiads in Havana 1966. Perhaps elite players don't care much about the design of the pieces they use? :-)

Indeed. Trine Dyrholm who plays the Queen is amazing. THe opening scene when the future Queen witnesses, as an infant, the bloodshed at the Battle of Visby is harrowing.

Soren Malling, who seems to appear in every Danish tv series or movie I have ever seen is as good as always.

Trine Dyrholm is a fantastic actress of international format, but I have seen her playing numerous characters and although I do my best, I can't ignore that I feel I know her all too well!

I think American actors in long-running series experience the same when the series eventually stops and they have to play totally different persons in other series. Many of them can't make the transition from being one of the main cast in a series to bi-persons in a variety of others.

Similar problem in Sweden, although probably not as bad as in Denmark. I can't tell you the number of times one became exasperated at watching the likes of Mikael Persbrandt and the sadly late Mikael Nyqvist and others in movie after movie after movie, excellent actors as they are.

That's one of the reasons I was really happy to watch Noomi Rapace have her definitive international breakthrough in Ridley Scott's blockbuster <Prometheus>.

A very happy new year to you as well as to your loved ones.

Let's hope the world will get a bit better, so far unfortunately it doesn't look promising: probably a losing "peace" "deal" for Ukraine, the continuing wipeout of Gaza, civil wars in Africa, China expanding, etc. But we should hope, maybe it will improve progressively.

In the meanwhile we can focus on what we can control: the well-being and happiness of our family and close relatives. Let's at least aim for that.

My warm thanks for this post of yours. Very kind of you. I also wish you and yours a great 2025.

In a super market very close to our home, two younger women with Ukrainian origin have been employed since spring this year. I've had some conversations with one of them, Anna, 41, from Odesa. Very nice, both of them. Trying to cope with the situation, and the fact that they barely get by as shop assistants after having had good jobs in Ukraine. I doubt they'll ever return to their home country, and frankly I fear that Putin's evil will shall succeed eventually. In Denmark there is a huge awareness of the situation. We cannot let this gangster win this!

And you're right. On many levels the world is going the wrong way. Gloomy prospects - and yet, there are good people in the world, like you, Teyss, and my friend in the NL for 25 years, Edwin from Enschede, whom I have only met physically once, but still uphold a close connection. We must never give up hope, and yes, let's aim for the well-being of our loved ones.

Thanks for your kind reply. The fact you talked to the Ukrainian woman says something about you: friendly and open-minded. We sometimes see a few Ukrainian employees in shops or restaurants but never dare talk to them because of the bad news in their country. We feel they don't want to speak about it, but we're probably wrong and you are right, they might want not to feel like complete strangers.

Enschede, we stayed there once as we visited the region which is cute, laid back and off the beaten tracks.

It took some months of just exchanging a smile and a nod of recognition before I dared asking Anna the simple "How are you doin'?" - in English. It turned out her English was fine, her Danish not yet, so I guess she felt comfortable opening her mind to me, having seen me numerous times in the super market.

Now we exchange words, perhaps twice a week, and I have learned quite a bit of her life. It is my impression that she, at least, likes to share her fate with someone who is willing to listen and understand her situation - to a certain extend, of course.

Thus, in general, I'd say we shouldn't be shy of making contact with the Ukrainians, but do it with caution and respect. In my case I try to imagine myself as a fugitive standing in Odesa having to sell bread instead of executing my profession. I think I would like that someone SAW me and sort of acknowledged my existance. Ah, the little we can do about it all!!

Thanks for sharing your experience. You had a very respectful and appropriate approach. You're right about it, maybe I/we am/are just too shy ;)

That said, one thing that also prevents me from starting a conversation is the unknown political stance: what if they left Ukraine because they are pro-Putin? Apparently some of them emigrated. That would make an interesting discussion :o Or conversely start bashing Europe for not doing enough, which is partly true? Yes we can only find out by trying and cut the conversation if necessary.

As you say, the little we can do about it all, but it's still good to do a little.

Nuances, nuances. Before Putin's invasion we have watched Ukraine from afar and it has certainly not been pretty sight. Like most of the post Soviet states they have been heavily polluted by corruption, abuse of power, crooked leaders etc. The recent election in Georgia is typical. So, it's not that Ukrainians as a whole belong to a nation of innocent saints.

It has been a part of the rhetorical mobilization to call Ukraine a part of Europe, a neighbor to us, but I have to admit that I never regarded that country as a part of Europe, although geography speaks against my notion.

When Putin annected the Crimea peninsula we protested, but would we really have gone into enemy mode, if he had stopped by doing that? I doubt it. It is also a part of nuances that we in the so-called western hemisphere practice a good deal of double standards and hypocracy. Experts in Russian politics have told us for years - and we could have seen it for ourselves - that Putin was obsessed with restoring the zaristic Russia to former glory and that he saw the disintegration of the Soviet Union as a huge mistake. Let's also not forget that good old capitalism always was ready to make profit in the deregulated Russia and a China with cheap working power, thereby telling politicians not to fare to harshly against their regimes.

Now, that this no longer is possible, and the world trade and good order is threatened, we have suddenly become brothers and sisters to the suffering Ukrainian people.

That said, however, they are human beings like the rest of us, seeking shelter when it rains with drone bombs and an invation by a draconic regime is a likely possibity. Therefore, my friend, we shouldn't hesitate helping the individual in need since we would highly appreciate that help if we were in their shoes. Done with the utmost respect, of course.

I totally agree with you, or rather 95% as you once said ;) Ukraine was not and is still not a fully democratic regime by our standards, so I'm not much in favour of a quick integration to EU since there should be minimum standards to respect. Yet indeed when a country and people suffer so much from an unjust war, we must know where our values and priorities stand.

Europe has not done enough against Putin from the start. First Chechnya (which was even worse than Ukraine but nobody cared), then Georgia, Syria, and finally Crimea. We had been warned and didn't doo much. Only a few sanctions and then it was business as usual: Nord Stream 2, heads of States going to the 2018 Football Cup, friendly contacts, etc. Of course Putin felt it was open bar.

Going back further, imposing a shock "therapy" in the 1990s after USSR disintegrated was probably the original sin: huge recession, increasing poverty, dwindling democracy with a coup, all paved the way for a autocrat to take power in 2000.

Regarding the first point (prioritising business over values), we're doing the same mistake with China, with a massive trade deficit and currency transfer that allows the regime to build up their army and nuclear power, preparing for an invasion of Taiwan before 2049.

On top of this lack of vision the Western world practice double standards as you say where we pity Ukraine (without doing much) and don't really care about other places like Gaza or even worse, provide weapons to destroy it. Yes there are other wars (Sudan, Yemen, etc.) but there none of the regimes involved pretend to be paragons of integrity and we do have leviers on Israel that we don't use.

Anyhow, don't want to sound too pessimistic (although it just feels factual). At least in Western Europe we have built democracies with some values left around respect, well-being and environment. Let's try to keep this going.

A quick and very brief reply: I think I am at 99% in agreement on what you wrote! :-) I shall return later on this, but we are definitely on the same page.

"Let's try to keep this going." Absolutely, just because prospects look gloomy, we cannot give up - on the contrary. I am proud to say that Denmark is one of the biggest contributors to the defence of Ukraine (relative to the population size), and there is a huge awareness of the danger, Russia respresents. It was a main issue in the New Year's speeches of both our king and the PM Mette Frederiksen.

Geographically, Denmark is at the other end of the Baltic Sea opposite to Russia, and we have to let very questionable Russian and Chinese ships pass our inner waters every day, so we feel we are sort of at the front here. Of course that is much worse for the Baltic countries who in them have many citizens of Russian origin, people they are sure, Putin would mobilize to bring their governments to the test.

But we cannot despair - we have to unite in Europe and set aside old differences and pompeous nationalism. There are movements working in the opposite direction (AfD in Germany, Le Pen in France and so forth), but the more we have to stick to our cause. IMHO, of course! :-)

Have a nice Sunday. Here in Copenhagen it's cold, windy and foggy. So we shall stay indoors and later open a nice bottle of Pinot Noir.

I fully understand Danemark is more aware and concerned than we are, and rightfully so. Since the beginning, your country has actually donated more than any other in % of GDP, even the Baltic states: https://www.statista.com/statistics...

Congrats! Now TBH I didn't look at the details behind the numbers (there can always be different definitions of aid and the end of 2024 is missing), but for sure you're in the top 5. Whilst France is... 23rd. What a shame.

I am appalled by Le Pen in France, Wilders in Netherlands (my partner is Dutch) and other extreme right or fascist movements in Europe. Nonetheless so far Europe is a huge asset for our democracies, let's preserve it.

Here it's quite grey too. Enjoy the pinot noir! You know what, we'll open one of the same too and drink to Denmark, Europe, Chess, conviviality and the friendly members of this site of whom naturally you.

Perhaps we are now at a stage where it would be nice to email instead of posting here? Ideas how to exchange addresses without compromising?

Now to some the subjects of our exchange:

1) France 23rd. The French love to announce and declare their support, but they don't follow the saying, "put your money where your mouth is".

2) Wilders. We have our own Wilders here in DK. Right now we have a government across the center, i.e. with middle/right and middle/left parties. In principle something that suits Danes, but the PM is very unpopular and while excluding the radical parties they don't really convince their own followers.

3) Pinot Noir. I have seen Sideways, twice! It's a great movie except for the silly rant against the Merlot grape, causing Merlot sales in the US to decrease. Apparently, some Americans take fictionous statements in a movie as professional facts. :-) We love Pinot Noir wines - but also the other grapes - it all depends on the specific wine, evidently. I assume you and your partner feels something similar about this.