West African reminder of a dark side of the Swedish history

Ghana in West Africa has the single largest collection of medieval forts and castles in the world built by the Europeans who traded initially in gold and later slaves in the gold coast. French, Portuguese, Danes, Dutch, Germans, Swedes and British built approximately 80 trading forts and castles on the shores of Ghana between 1383 and 1870.

Christiansborg Castle in Accra, is unique among the castles and forts as it served as Government House during various periods in the 19th and 20th centuries and continues to play that role today. The building of the first lodge in the 17th century at Ursu or Osu is attributed to the Swedish African Company.



The Swedes, led by Krusenstjerna, built a permanent fort in 1653, and called it Carolusburg Castel after King Charles X of Sweden. In 1657, the Swedish headquarters at Carolusburg, Cape Coast was captured by the Danish Guinea Company.

Laura Busch and we in Petra October 2007

As a last effort before her hip operation, Sheila made several kilometers at the famous Petra in Jordan on her feet, on horses, and on a donkey.

Birthday party on the Caribbean shore in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

In addition to a work period in the capital San José, we spent a week-end at the Caribbean coast, near the boarder to Panama, in the little village Puerto Viejo.

Vienna in April, August and November 2007

Vienna will be on the top of host cities for my traveling 2007. Three visits to the same city the same year are not the usual pattern.

Sydney January 2007

As part of the "flying circus" created by ISO to develop an international guidance standard on Social Responsibility (ISO 26000), a Working Group consisting of nearly 400 participants from 75 countries were having its 4th meeting in Sydney, with Standards Australia as host.

Travelling around the globe 2007

The Snickars family seem to be a nomad family. Tom has his heart in the East, lost during his tour Europe to Asia by Bike. Sheila does not like to miss any tropical country and Folke is sometimes visiting countries no-one else would go to, without a very good reason. 2007 only differed from other years, that Tom was guarding our home, when Sheila and I were in orbit with stop overs in Sydney, Australia; Vienna, Austria; San José, Costa Rica and Amman, Jordan. Folke was then in addition staying over in Dakar, Senegal; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; and three times in Chisinau, Moldova. Then leaving out several trips to Brussels and Geneva, to the cottage in Idre, Dalecarlia and to Norrnäs, Finland.