Reading in the park

Finnished another book today laying in the sun in the park. It's gonna rain tomorrow though but that's alright because i'm gonna work my first day at the Lapland hotell. Starting at 7am and there's a 25min walk to get there so i should get to bed early tonight.

Different dinner

Bought a 6 kilos watermelon today and ate a whole bowl of it for dinner. Great thing about being a grown-up is that no one can tell you what to do; if i want to eat watermelon for dinner i can. Yum!

Sunday

at the mine

drinking wine and eating strawberrys while watching soccer

eating at Ansia restaurant

The weather wasn't great today so we took the car to Chris mine. He showed us his work and drove us to different places which contained gold or might conatin gold. We also visited Pauträsk so my parents gor an idea of where he used to live. My dad was concerned about getting home in time for the England - Germany game which turned out to be a really great one, even though none of us really cheered for neither team. We went out eating to celebrate my parents 25 years wedding anniversary before we headed back for the next game. My parents are leaving tomorrow for a couple of days of tracking in the mountains but they'll return here for a night before heading back to Strömstad.

Midsummer celebrations

Tons and tons of good food

the salmon and herring table was popular

The baltic sea the next morning

We had a fantastic midsummer gathering at one of Moa's familly's friends garden. Moas mum and two other women had made fantastic food, so nice. After dinner they played guitarr, accordion and sang while the rest of us was dancing around the midsummer pole. God i wish i could have captured Chris face when he (and the rest of us) had to dance "small frogs" which is a traditional midsummer song where you jump around as frogs singing waving your hands as ears and tale. Good times. My photos aren't great as i remembered to take some when the sun had set and the food had been eaten. At least it give you an idea of how nice we had.

Little road trip

Midsummer pole in Lycksele

We're gonna leave in a couple of hours for midsummer celebrations south of Umeå. My friend Moa from Strömstad and her familly has a summer house there and they have invited us to a midsummer party. It's beautiful sunshine and we just finnished our herring lunch. The midsummer pole is standing in the middle of Lycksele and all the shops are closed for the holiday. It will take us about 2,5h to drive and i'm looking forward to drive through the country side on a day like this.

Preparing for midsummer

living room

kitchen

My parents are coming in about an hour and i've been cleaning every little bit of the apartment and doing tons of laundry the whole day. Just got home from a long walk were i picked some midsummer flowers aswell. Chris is buying some beer and wine and my parents are going to bring smoked salmon from the westcoast. Lovely.

Nostalgia

Yesterday when Chris and his friends were climbing i kind of wondered off on my own and found a track and field court. I basicly spend all my summers on these courts (and everything else i did was designed to suit the training) until 5 years ago. Haven't even put my foot on such material since. I loved the warm summer evening; training with spike shoes, barefoot in the grass or jumping over hurdles lined up after eachother. There is a certain smell to a track and field court. A smell which makes me remember great things, happy moments and a light heart. I don't miss it or am sad that i quit. I'm just very happy that i have these memories and choosed to really go for something even though it turned out that my joints and tendons coulnd't handle it. When my 15-year old friends startade partying and drinking i went training. God i'm glad for that today.

Summer evening activities

Chris and his climbing friend

Found a nice area very close to our apartment. Chris can go climbing and i can go running around the lake. Love free summer activites in beautiful nature!

Wall-E

Pixar's Wall-E from 2008 is really great! I wasn't to impressed by Disney's the Princess and the frog even if it was cute and partly funny. Pixar dare being political something i couldn't see Disney do. Showing how the Earth (and the people) would look like if we continue consuming as we're doing now is extremely up to date and a very important issue. A thump up for Wall-E!

Wedding all day long

Victoria and Daniel

Our crown princess (princess which will be queen when the king die) got married today and it's been wedding hysteria in Sweden for the last couple of weeks. Special food items in the supermarket, stamps, songs and shows. Half a million people saw it live in Stockholm and many more folowed it on TV. Chris wasn't to intrested so we've been going to flee markets and watched football aswell. Good day to watch it though as the rain has been pooring down here the whole day. I used to say that i never wanted to get married but have definitely changed my mind. To bad i'm not a princess and can have a wedding like this!

LOTR - NZ memories

Isengard - Glenorchy (it's acctually water were the tower stands)

Poeple of Rohan leaving for Helm's Deep - Deer park heights, Queenstown

Where Frodo hide for the Dark Rider - Mt Victoria in Wellington

Pillars of the king - Shotover river, Queenstown

Mordor - Mt Ngauruhoein, the Tongariro national park (i climbed to the top of the volcano)

Chris just bought the lord of the rings on blue ray so we've been watching Peter Jackson's amazing movies every night. I remember that these movies was one of the reasons i choosed to travel to New Zealand 4 years ago. After hearing that every set was filmed in that one country i just had to see it with my own eyes. And it was even better. I think New Zealand is sooo amazing. It will always have a special place in my heart. Standing on top of one of the mountains, sourrounded by snow covered alps, is one of the greatest feelings ever and i think i almost always cryed by the impressive sight. I've visited all the places above, hiking, yet boating, rafting, horse riding... I still cry when i see the movies - out of joy for the amazing landscape of a little country far away.

Break the fast

yum...

Living next door to supermarkets, bakerys and candy shops has it (dis-) advantages!

What to do?

Starting the day with a run

Then watching some world cup football

Went food shopping and bought some crazy nail colour on the way back (don't know how much i really will use it)

Went to another flee market were i got this rug + blue vases

I also got this board were i can write what food i'm planing to make during the week

Chilling in the window with kiwi music and my latest book

Preparing dinner; fish in coconut sauce

I start work in about a week and people keep asking me what i will do while Chris is working. I don't like to do nothing so this is what i've been keeping myself occupied with... (My big camera is still in Strömstad so i've been taking photos with my old small camera).

Summer break luxury

I love reading books, i really do. Summer breaks are just the right time for cuddling up inside with a book while the rain is poring down outside or just bring out to lay in the grass while the sun is shining. I never really read while going to school. After being in school the whole day i turn on the TV when i get home. Somehow i kind of think that the TV works like a brain-switch-off, that i don't have to think and that the brain needs a rest after being in school, before all the studying. It's probably pretty stupid. Anyway I'm on my 4th book so far. I recommend all 4 of them especially the kite runner, though i think a thousand splendid suns from the same author was better. All of these for books teach me about different countries. I know alot more now about Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iran and Egypt.

Loppis and soccer

Empty walls so far

New coffee table - only 75 SEK!

New lamp

world cup snack

We spent the day going to different loppis (flee markets) around the city. We made some really good buys like the coffee table for only 10 USD. We bought a couple of lamps (new), rugs and a shoe stand. The sofa (from IKEA) is arriving on Friday along with the guest bed (for all you guys to come and visit us!). We've bought some wine and nice cheeses and are now waiting for the American - England soccer game to start!

First day in Lycksele

I left Strömstad 8pm on Thursday night, took 4 buses to Stockholm, a bus to Arlanda and then a flight to Lycksele at 9 am Friday morning. Chris got in at 8 pm after spending the week in England on a geology course. I spend the day cleaning in the apartement, which was far from tidy and unpacked, and catcing up on my sleep. Chris apartment's location is just perfect; in the middle of the city, 5 min from the closest supermarket. It was a concert just right outside our window yesterday and one of the artists was Brolle which is pretty big in Sweden.

Congrats Marc!

Marc just after leaving the school for the last time

Together with siblings and cousins

With his friend Marc

With his class on top of a truck

Back of the truck

Mum's delicous food

Chicken, pork and meat balls

Bread and dips

Marc toasting in the garden

People came during the whole evening...

Marc got a really nice graduation day! Great weather, amazing food and good company. I let the pictures speaks for themselves. Only 2 hours left until i will leave Strömstad for Lycksele. Can't wait to see Chris!