
addition IKEA, the Småland region of south-eastern Sweden (assuming that there are an "eastern" and "Western" in a country oblong), has given the world other industries, obviously not huge, but a certain interest and quite popular.
In this area, in fact - especially in the three towns of Kosta , Boda and Orrefors - there are some excellent local crystal and glassware are a tourist attraction and a pride for every good citizen of Sweden.
Arriving at any of three locations, it is impossible not to notice the huge signs that invite you to stop and buy products in glass or simply to look to the factories. Returning dall'isoletta Öland, Ilana and I so we stopped in one of these charming little villages. Each of them contains more than a factory.
We have entered a store, asking to see the workplace. An icy woman, without saying a word, there was then taken to a dimly lit back room where several people decorate the glasses in a deathly silence and in an environment far from the tourist or healthy. Realizing
gives some hints have been wrong destination, we went to the shop on the sly, under the eyes firm and stern of the woman, who apparently thought we were getting out of the workers who work at the right time. But, from a large Swedish, said nothing.
At that point, we took a route to the largest factory, finally finding what they were looking for. The 'factory', although it seems to define it so bad, looks like a big open warehouse space - roughly divided areas through the placement of the massive furnaces and lathes - which was visited by a walkway with balustrade that ran up all around the building.
We were thus able to follow all his expectations in the processing of plates, glasses, Piattoni a centerpiece, pitchers and all that you can do with glass.

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Will that I was enchanted by the visit made in Murano when I was 7 years old, but I must admit that the blowing and shaping glass still exert a fascination on me incredible.

Among other things break and you can buy everything you want, because if you look in the first photo is the 2-year warranty on the glass! : D PS
even Linnaeus was born in Småland, in case you cared ...