:: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 :: Victoria 05

Are you a teacher of the heart? Yes, but not for thee

Victoria 05
Posted by: ceruleaneyes.

Crown Princess Victoria at the Falun copper mine.

Yesterday one of my dreams was fulfilled when H.K.H. Kronprinsessan Victoria (aka Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria) of Sweden visited Falun to open the new Världsarvshuset at the Kopparberget copper mine. The copper mine is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Världsarvshuset is a new vistors' center for the mine. The mine is considered quite a big deal in Sweden, and especially here in Dalarna, as the mine at one time produced 3/4 of the world's supply of copper and enabled Sweden (for a short time, anyway) to become a Great Power on the European stage. Important enough that they sent the Crown Princess to officially open the new building, at least.

It began with her arrival in a horse-drawn carriage, greeted by people (including me) waving Swedish flags thoughtfully handed out for the occasion, and she passed within 10 feet of me as she rode by. We were then treated to speeches by Ingrid Dahlberg, landshövding or County Governor of Dalarna, and Bo Berggren, ordförande or Chairman of Stiftelsen Stora Kopparberget, the organization that runs the copper mine. We hoped that Victoria would give a speech as well, but she only received a key which she used to open the doors to the new Världsarvshuset and went inside, followed by various VIPs and members of the press for a private tour and presumably other official duties. Those of us peons left outside were entertained by the band Gränslöst and a mob of costumed peasants.

Then we waited around for Victoria to leave, unfortunately via motorcade rather than carriage this time. She hung around a few minutes, signing autographs and receiving flowers from children, before she finally departed, leaving nothing of her visit but her autograph on a stone inside the new Världsarvshuset.

More pictures of the princess's visit can be seen on my photoblog.

Now it's no secret that I came to Sweden to meet the princess, marry her, and settle into my new life as the future king of Sweden. And here I had the perfect opportunity to meet the woman of my dreams and dazzle her with my sexy American accent and irresistible slacker charm as a permanent thirty- twenty-something student. Sadly, however, she breezed in and out in the span of about an hour, with but a glance in my direction and nary a word spoken to me, leaving me standing alone and still not royal. Cruel fate, you say? Not at all, because fortunately I have already met my very own Polka dot in Falun, the Princess Marpi, who is more beautiful, more fun, and much more accepting of my aforementioned American sexiness and slacker charm than Victoria would be, and possessed of no small amount of Polish sexiness and charm herself. A choice well made, methinks.



Swedish word of the day: kronprinsessa, which means "crown princess"
Polish word of the day: księżniczka, which means "princess"

:: posted by Rob 2:43 AM [+] ::

1 Comments:

We are even already crowned, not as Vivtoria. And you're the king of my heart :)

By  Anonymous, at 10:40 PM  

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