In the winter of 1979, after having lived in Sweden for just over a year, I joined a hundred or so fellow students from my high school on a long train trip to the ancient village of Bad Gastein in the Austrian alps.

I’ve subsequently been to several other ski resorts across Europe and even a couple in the US. But it was here in Bad Gastein where I had my very first alpine experience. So, after 43 years, I’ve finally returned to the Bad Gastein Valley for a week of walks, crisp, fresh air and to once again appreciate the sheer beauty the majestic scenery here provides..

The above view is what Charlotte and I woke up to early this morning.

In addition to all the amazing nature experiences, meeting up with old friends, and just “charging my batteries”, my visit to Lapland was also to initiate a detoxification process which included a caffeine-free, low-carbohydrate diet and teetotalism.  Along with getting plenty of fresh air and exercising through daily hikes, staying away from sugar was surprisingly easy. I’m a firm believer in that there is an underestimated advantage of changing environments when doing a detox. Eliminating temptation is key. At least for me. And after yet another summer of indulgence, I needed detoxification.

Found this colorful shroom, aka Amanita Muscaria, aka Magic Mushroom, during yesterday’s 15k roundtrip hike between Katterjåkk and Vassijaure in Swedish Lapland. It was some 30 years ago since I was last on that hilly path and I’d forgotten how beautiful it is. There were plenty of mushrooms, in a dozen or so varieties, and no shortage of blueberries along the way. Periodically, it got pretty hot during the walk and I cooled off a little by splashing my face with handfuls of chilly water from one of the many streams I crossed. An amazing experience I can’t recommend enough.

#swedishlapland #vassijaura #kiruna #katterjåkk #mushrooms #magicmushrooms #sweden

From yesterday’s live concert with Toto at Sofiero, the gorgeous park in Helsingborg where the band 10cc warmed up and Steve Lukather – with a mostly new set of memebers – took us on a sweet musical nostalgia trip that lasted well into the beautiful, late summer evening (about 11:00 p.m.).

I noticed that the majority of the audience was around my age (59) and that there were probably about the same amount of he, she, and hen at the lush park. In a few days, Toto will play at Partille Arena in a suburb of Gothenburg. What a contrast!

I’ve seen Toto live a few times at different venues and although the sound could have been better, yesterday’s concert was still a worthwhile experience. I rarely listen to them these days, but Toto has clearly played a significant role in my musical life. Especially as the band’s original troupe appears as instrumentalists and producers on hundreds of other artists’ records. The fact is, Lukather, for example, has contributed his talent on albums recorded by Barbra Streisand, Michael McDonald, John Mayall, Ted Gärdestad, Elton John, Alice Cooper, Warren Zevon, Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell. Spinal Tap, Roger Waters and Eric Clapton.

Back in the 1980s, a group of friends and I often got together before a night out in Gothenburg, and not too infrequently, we’d play air instruments to “99”, “English Eyes”, and “You are the Flower”. And even if our lives developed in different directions and we individually discovered new musical inspiration and genres to devour, to this today, Toto’s earliest songs and other artists from the “Westcoast” genre are a recurring topic in our WhatsApp group.

Yesterday it was fun to hear a really funky iteration of George Porgy, in my opinion, one of the band’s grooviest tunes. Last night’s playlist was sprawling and offered many Toto classics, but also some surprises, including a slightly weird tribute to former members and a somewhat oddball tribute to…James Brown. Sadly, there were no tracks from the band’s third LP “Turn Back” and only White Sister from Hydra made the show’s setlist.

Presumably, many of us fans were at Sofiero to see and listen to Steve “Luke” Lukather and to a lesser extent hear if Joseph Williams’ pipes still held up. And both delivered as they always have. Lukather with his typical sound, delicious licks, heavy riffs, and stylish solos. I think Lukather is just as sharp, energetic, and humorous as a 64-year-old as I remember him on October 1st, 1982 at the Johanneshov ice stadium when he as a 25-year old was on tour with Toto for the record Toto IV with Bobby Kimball on lead vocals. Incidentally, Kimball had broken his foot or leg before the gig and sat at the piano during the entire performance. In some strange way, it feels comforting that Toto is still touring. It was like Steve Lukather said yesterday just before the band’s encore if they don’t go on tour, who the hell is going to play their songs?

Admittedly, Toto has produced a lot of turkeys, tunes that don’t move me in the slightest. But that’s normal. It’s part of the creative process – regardless of what you do. You just have to give birth to a few turkeys to allow a shiny pearl or two to bubble up to the surface – if I may mix metaphors wildly.

But the musical skill, the “craftsmanship” and the ability to create beautiful written and performed melodic pop and “rock” cannot be taken away from the members of Toto. Neither in the current incarnation nor the original 1977 set with Jeff Porcaro, David Hungate, Steve Porcaro, Bobby Kimball, and Steve Lukather.

#toto #stevelukatherofficial #stevelukather #jeffporcaro #josephwilliams #rosanna #holdtheline #georgyporgy #youarethflower #africa #sofiero #liveconcert #totoafrica #guitarheroes #totohydra #totoiv #tototurnback #totofanclub #westcoastmusic #yachtmusic

Shot this night photograph above Västra Hamnen in Malmö last night. I still find it amazing how enabling technology can be for visual artists. The drone’s ridiculously tiny sensor, let alone its ability to fly stable enough to capture an image at 1/8th of a second at f1.7 and ISO 1260. Mindboggling.
#dronephotography #malmö #turningtorso #santiagocalatrava #sweden2022 #summer

Our pal Kerstin, a full-time prosecutor, and part-time farmer, hosted our annual crayfish fest last night here in Vejbystrand. Pleasant as it was, this year’s party will fortunately not be recorded as an evening overflowing with excessiveness in the annals of history. A half dozen of the usual suspects and I sat outdoors in Kerstin’s idyllic garden with her three beautiful horses prancing about nearby – all the while entertaining ourselves with one or two herb-infused snaps and other adult beverages – as well as an abundance of crayfish, pies, and cheeses. And while possibly an embarrassment for both an onlooking Viking and a Teetotaller, today, I’m certain we’re all thankful for last night’s measured consumption.