Day 243

Ebba has found a way to fold her self down into the rather smallish dog-bed. Looks kind of funny, but I guess she likes it. =)

Day 242

The camping site was a little windy, so we raised the tent in front of the caravan yesterday. Today we was very happy to see that it hadn't rained on it during the night. Some morning dew, but that dried as soon as the sun warmed the place up.

Daniels parents arrived on their motorcycle in the morning to have coffee. They live about halfway between our home and Västervik, and we stopped by there later to have dinner.

Day 241

We went for a short outing to Västervik, a city not so far away and situated by the Batic Sea. At lunch we checked in at the camping and made lunch, then we took the car to the city center. While walking from the parking-lot we came across this ship. It was very beautiful, and its name is "Linnéa", which is a little funny as that is my first name too.



The view from the pier toward the town square. We had an ice cream there in the sunshine.



Linus playing on one of the many concrete seals that was placed everywhere. I think the seals has something to do with the city of Västervik, maybe there are lots of seals living by the coast line.

Day 240

This is the e-tickets for our New Year trip! =) We have booked flights for San Fransisco, to visit our friends that lives in San José right now (those who we went out with earlier this summer when they visited Sweden). It will be so much fun!

We talked about visiting them, but then again the flights from Sweden to California is rather expensive. The other day however I got an e-mail from KLM saying they had great prices on tickets all over the world. I looked for the San Fransisco tickets and found them for SEK4472 (about $630) round-trip per person inclusive of all taxes and fees. That is fantastic! We booked for Daniel and I, and also another mutual friend from work.



A picture from my last visit to US and San Fransisco. I'm the little one, standing next to my mother. The other two women are my grandmother and her sister.

Day 239

A night out with some friends from work. It was a beautiful evening, and we sat outside until very late. A little too late, maybe. I could have slept much longer when the alarm sounded the morning after.

But it was very fun, and we visited a pub I've never been to. Turns out their food is really good, but their beer is a little expensive.

Day 238

Zoey eating her food on the countertop, with some drying cook-ware in front of her. The cats have to have their food where Ebba the dog can't reach it, otherwise there wouldn't be anything left for them when they're hungry.

Day 237

I was trying to take a picture of the nice weather we have had, but forgot it until it was rather late and the sky had clouded up. Oh well.

This picture is taken from our courtyard towards the forest. Closest is our driveway to the garage, then the little road beneath our house. Next is the bike- and walkway, and behind the little hill is the main road and the bridge we cross to get out into the nature.

And there are the sheep. Not very far away at all. This summer we have heard the sheep at night when we sleep with the window open. I really love this view, and to be living so close to the greens.

Day 236

Tomorrow is pay day, but that also means time to pay bills. I've done that tonight, and always get a little exhausted trying to get it all right. I'm pretty pedantic about it too, and saves all papers in binders, so it should be easy to backtrack if something isn't right. Daniel has happily handed all this over to me.

Day 235

We slept in the morning after "Kräftskivan" (see yesterdays post), and decided it was too late for breakfast. So we had brunch instead. American pancakes with maple syrup! Yum!

I've tried making the pancake batter myself several times, without getting it right. Must be some ingredients we don't have here. But now we have found this pancake batter on a can; you just add milk, shake it and cook. They turns out so nice.

Besides the pancake can is a milk carton. This milk is from farms close by, and only sold in our area. I think it is nice that it hasn't traveled long distances to get to us.

Day 234

"Kräftskiva" (Crayfish party). We got together with our neighbors in our kitchen, and set the table in crayfish-mode. That is a table cloth made of paper and lots and lots of napkins, preferably decorated with crayfishes



Here is the bowl with cooked but cold crayfishes. Remember the little black fellow from Thursday? He's somewhere in here now.



Here are two fine ones, and I'm ready to start getting to the food. I only eat what's in the claws and the tail, but some people even find more stuff under the shield. In the middle of the table is a bowl where we throw all the stuff that isn't edible. It will get gooey!



Daniel in the middle of the eating.



Here is my crayfish sandwich. I usually eat the claws, but save the tails for last, and put them on a toasted bread with aged, strong cheese and citrus mayonnaise. Yum!

Crayfish are traditionally eaten in August in Sweden. Today we can eat them year round, but it is in August when the dill blooms that it is possible to cook them. A lot of dill flowers are used in the cooking process.

I talked a little about the Swedish "snaps" (seasoned aquavit) during our midsummer celebration in June. Snaps is also important to have to the crayfishes, and every now and then we propose a toast and drink a small amount. Tastes great with the salty fish.

Now you know what a "Kräftskiva" is! =)

Day 233

The crawfish tomorrow needs beer to go with them, so we went to Systembolaget today. That is the Swedish monopoly liquer-store, and their selection of different alcoholic beverage are rather large. I found this little can on one shelf among the beers. It is a Belgian wheat-beer, with raspberry flavour.

I had to buy one just to try it out, and opened it after dinner. Yum! It was a little sweet and made up a perfect dessert for a Friday night. The can is rather small (25cl/8.45oz), even though it looks big in my pic, but it was just the right amount. And the color on the beer itself is so beautiful. Do I have to add that I'm very fond of anything pink.. =)

Day 232

Here's the dinner for Saturday; crayfish.

Daniel and our neighbor has been to the house by the lake tonight and fished for crayfish, and they are about to cook them right now. To cook them we use lots of salty water, flowers from the dill plant, beer and a little sugar. After that they are placed in the fridge and stored for a day or two in the salty, dilly water to get the perfect taste.

I'll show you after Saturday what the dish looks like. =)

Day 231

I've been to the physical therapist today, as I've had a soar back for a while (connected to this post). He did some test (oh, well... I DID them, he just told me how) and decided there are some problems with my intervertebral disc's. So I got a paper describing a couple of exercises to do, and he guessed I would be fine by the weekend. The picture shows me doing one of the exercises. It feels pretty good, and I hope he is right on this one.

The action used on this pic is from Pioneer Woman. She gives away two different action packs for free, and they are really good! And go check out her cooking section, it is yummy!!

Day 230

Today's been very sunny, but also very windy. We have a lot of rowan pomes this year, and according to old sayings that means a long, cold winter. We'll see about that. But I hope we at least get a lot of snow, winter with only mud and rain is really no fun.



I took the photo of the rowan on my walk with Ebba this afternoon. Suddenly while walking in the forest i saw a strange stick on the ground. I've been terribly scared of snakes earlier, and would probably had run off screaming if this had been two or three years ago.

But I've overcomed that somewhat, and today I had to turn back and have a look at the stick. Yes, like I suspected, it was a snake. Not really a snake, the slow-worm is actually a lizard without legs, but in my mind it count as a snake. I show you the pic if you click on the darked one above. Don't want to scare anyone, but I know Daniel and his mother likes to see it. =)

UPDATE: Zoey is back home again! She got back tonight to Linus mother's house, where she was during our Norway trip. We left on Friday, Zoey disapeared on Tuesday and have since then been gone four weeks. But tonight she sat on the poarch and told loud and clearly that she was back. They called immediately and I went there to pick her up. She lays besides me right now, in deep sleep. I think she will stay inside for a couple of days now! =)

Day 229

Monday again. After work we got home and went out for a walk with Ebba. It does begin to look like late summer or even fall outside. The ripe fields and white hay-bales all over. It is kind of beautiful, but at the same time a little sad. I'm really happy that we have the distinct seasons here, but that also means constant changes.

Day 228

Lazy Sunday afternoon, and Zelda helped me at the computer.

Day 227

Another day at the cottage by the lake. I love doing cross-stitches, but never find enough time at home. But at the cottage there are plenty of free time. Oh, well... I've been working on this one for a couple of years now, but it will be ready for Christmas. If not this year, maybe next! =)

Day 226

After work we packed up our stuff, hooked on the caravan to the car and went to the cottage by the lake with Linus and Ebba. As Daniels parents also were there we thought it would be nice to have the caravan to have our "own" space.

Linus roamed around the place all evening and just sat still for a moment digging in the sand.

Day 225

I've almost forgot to take a photo today. Ouch!

We had our friends the neighbors over for dinner, and they had made the most delicious stuff to go with the grilled meat we had prepared. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of it, but we had so much fun round the table that it totally slipped my mind. We then looked at photos from our vacations until late in the night, and it was just when they went home that I realized that no photo had been taken during all day. So I took one of our phone with the clock showing my perfect timing. =)

Day 224

In the nearby village Söderköping, that is situated alongside the channel Göta kanal (which runs through Sweden), there is a very nice ice-cream café. On sunny days the queue outside is very long, and the times we went there earlier we have always had ice-cream on another place.

But today was rainy, and we needed a little outing, so we went to Söderköping after work. There were no line at all, and we soon got our ice-creams. Mine, above, is called Napa Valley and consists of three different kind of ice-cream, whipped cream, peaches, raspberry sauce and cookie-crumbles. Yum!

Day 223

Strolling around with Ebba in our forest we came across a hazel, full of not-yet-ripe hazel-nuts. Hopefully we remember to go there and pick them before they fall down from the tree. The sheep lives beneath them, and I wouldn't wanna pick them from the ground after a heard of sheep has passed by! ;-)

Day 222

Zelda (the cat) was trying to get into one of Linus' rain-boots head-first. She was very persistent and we was wondering what she was doing. It all revealed when I picked up the boot and shook it a little.... a mouse inside it! Gaaah...

It is not visible on the picture (unfortunately/fortunately), hiding very scared in the toes. Daniel let it out, and we will again keep better eyes on what friends Zelda brings in!

Today was first day at work after the vacation. I prefer vacation. ;-)

Day 221

Last day of the vacation, but we are trying to ignore it as hard as we can. As the weather was lovely today too, we had breakfast and then packed our stuff and went to the country house by the lake. Daniels parents were away for the weekend, so we were all alone there. Just Daniel, I, Ebba the dog and Zelda the cat.

Daniel went on a stroll in the woods looking for chantarells while I read morning-papers from the last couple of weeks. Then we bbq:ed lunch and afterward fell asleep on the porch. Soooo nice! A bath in the lake made us awake again. :)

Day 220

We were invited to brunch at my brother and his wife, but before that we did a little sightseeing in Örebro (they live right outside Örebro, that is about 120 kilometers from Linköping where Daniel and I live, and halfway to Fagersta where mum and dad lives).

This picture is taken at Wadköping in the center of Örebro. It is an open air museum with old buildings. Kind of nice. We had ice cream and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Day 219

Today, on August 7th 2009 (09-08-07 with Swedish date format), my dearest little brother got married to his wonderful woman. It was a wonderful day with bright sunshine and it was altogether a very happy moment. And they were both so beautiful.



Close-up on her bouquet. The black strings are actually liquorice strings.



Here are the photographer out in the boat with the wedding couple to get pictures. The place where they got married is a restaurant by the sea. The wedding were inside, but with the view over the sea, and then we had dinner in the garden.



And of course there were a cake! =D

Day 218

Time to go home again. I had an appointment at the hairdresser this afternoon, so we had to leave Öland before lunch. We packed up our stuff and went south on the island to the bridge. There are lots of windmills on Öland, and I tried to capture them with a cat on my lap while Daniel was driving. This was one of the better pictures.

Misola asked why only one cat came with us to Öland. The other one is kind of missing. While we were in Norway, both cats stayed with Linus mother (as they did when we went to Mexico this spring). Zoey really likes to be outside, she's almost impossible to keep indoors during the warm summer months, so she went out and hadn't came back when we went there to get them. So only Zelda came with us home, while Zoey, according to the neighbors, still roams the forest around Linus mothers house. I'm not too worried yet, she was away 3 weeks last summer, only in our forest.



Here is a picture of the bridge connecting mainland Sweden with the island Öland. The high part is closest to the mainland.

The weather was fantastic today too, and I hope it will be as good tomorrow. We will be visiting my little brothers wedding. :D Hope he and his wife-to-be gets a wonderful day!

Day 217

The sun was shining from a clear blue sky today, lovely! We took a walk from the camping-site to central Borgholm, about 5 minutes. It was very pitoresque and not too much people. At the end of the pedestrian street is the harbour. There were some very fancy boats there, but also an oppertunity for Ebba to have a bath.

After this we had home-made ice cream at a nice café with garden. We ate dinner at the restaurant to the right in the picture, with view over the sunset.



All day in-between the stroll to the city and the dinner we just hung out at the caravan, lounging in the sun. It was really vacation!

Day 216

We ended up on Öland, the second largest island of Sweden, and easily accessible via a bridge. It is about 250 kilometers from home, so we got there right after lunch. The camping site is situated right next to Borgholm, the largest city on the island.

We got our caravan just 20 meters from the ocean, so the view is beautiful, but it also made our spot a little windy. At night when we sat outside Ebba got cold and decided that she is in fact a lap dog and climbed up in Daniels lap.



The view over the ocean. In the horizon is the Swedish mainland. Yes, it is pretty far away, but the bridge is more than 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long!

Day 215

This is our last week with vacation and Linus is staying at his mother. We really liked the camping last weeks, so we decided to go away for a couple of days more, just Daniel and I. Of course Ebba comes along, and this time we also brought Zelda.

As it is Daniels fathers birthday today we started our little trip by going to the summer house to visit and eat some cake. It was a wonderful sunny day, and Zelda really enjoyed being out in the "wild".

Tomorrow we will continue south, maybe Västervik or Öland, we'll see. :)

Day 214

Sunday wasn't very active. We slept to late, and then we just sat on the patio of our friends and relaxed, and waited for us to be able to drive again. :) In the afternoon we had pizza, although neither I nor Daniel likes the bought ones. I don't know, but they sort of make you so full and stuffed. The ones we make at home are a lot more delicious.

Day 213

We've been invited to a party at friends from work that live right out of town. We even brought the caravan, as it was at home and ready. It is so nice to sleep in ones own bed!