Ystad - Cloister Garden, Preserved Homes,

Gamla Stan, the old town, still boasts hundreds of historic half-timbered houses, some 300 scattered, and many on Ostergatan (gatan means "street" we concluded). Some sag here, but are buttressed up there, and look well-preserved. The oldest is said to date from 1630, but most are 1700's says an old Frommer.

Half-timber house, Ystad, Sweden

Prince Carl lived here, the Crown Prince - he was born in 1826, and stayed until he became king in 1859.  He is better known as King Charles XV.

Ystad, Sweden: Museum, Crown Prince Carl (crowned  King Charles XV in 1856)

Crown Prince Carl, residence as a child, Ystad, Sweden

St. Maria's Church.  This was a cloister until the 16th Century, then came the Reformation. 

St. Maria's Church, Ystad, Sweden

Many buildings have the stair-step roof, but they vary in pitch, how many steps up, and the design of windows and patterns below.  This one, to the right of the Church, is not the Grayfriars' Monastery, but also looks too small to be the Latin School, or the Brahehuset. Could be the Latin School.

Cloister Garden, St. Maria's Church, Ystad, Sweden

Birdbath indentation, Cloister Garden seating, St. Maria's Church, Ystad, Sweden

Ystad - Canal, pastries, half-timber, facade faces, brickwork

Ystad


Off the ferry at Trelleborg, and Ystad is only 30-40 miles east, on the coast.

Ystad, canal, Sweden

For a first pastry, choose one where you can get a car-picnic sandwich at the same time, for later. A recurrent sandwich theme, all open-faced, is a large hunk of great bread beneath, lettuce, tomato, them come the large shrimp just spilling over, and cucumber, etc etc. 

Ystad, pastries and open-faced sandwiches (not a smorgasbrod)

Be sure to read at least one Henning Mankell mystery before arriving.
Ystad's residential and commercial streets: Haunts of Detective Kurt Wallander, mystery series by Henning Mankell. 

Ystad residence, half-timber, angled brick fill, Sweden

This may look like the same house (no wonder you can't find the car), but look closer.  There are little faces up there, above the windows on this one. It is never enough to remember half-timber house on corner, because too many are. And the colors of the brickwork and half-timber -- remember those as well.

Ystad corner house. Half-timber.

Can't see them yet? Get closer.

Ystad house, faces along the coursework above and between the windows, half-timber

The faces go all around the house.  Then  find the intricate doorway.

More faces on the wall, and by the doorway, Ystad house

Ta-Da! Worth waiting for. Each one different.

Ystad, surprised window divider face, Sweden

Oh, no!  It's Wallander! He found us out!

Ystad, horrified window-divider face, Sweden

The streets combine commercial with residential still. This small slaughterhouse appears abandoned for that purpose, though

Facade, old butchery, stock entryway below, Ystad, Sweden

Now, where was the car?