Our Swedish Adventure takes a detour...

I guess I've been waiting about a month to make this news "official"...maybe because part of me has been in denial that this change in our lives is actually happening or maybe I've just been lazy.   So here it is...our family, after living in Sweden for just over one and a half years, will soon be moving to Norway.  Yes, the girl who had never moved more than a couple of hours away from where she was born, is now moving to country #2 in Scandinavia.

At least the red, white and blue are familiar

So how do I feel about this move?  Honestly, it depends on when you ask me.  Some days I am excited and grateful for the opportunities ahead.   Other days I find myself a little nervous and frustrated.  It took some time to get settled here in Sweden, to make friends, find a job, learn my way around the grocery store, etc. so I can't say I am thrilled to start those processes all over again.  

Does this phrase exist in Swedish?  or Norwegian?

At least moving to Norway from Sweden will not be quite as much of a culture shock as moving from the States to Sweden!  So, let's summarize the good and the possibly not-so-good stuff surrounding our move to Norway (I understand I may be making a few assumptions or generalizations here...just humor me).

GOOD STUFF-

• The Norwegians seem to be very active and outdoors-y
• I have heard that it may be a bit easier to make friends in Norway (I'm excited about this possibility, but don't want to get my hopes up).  Don't get me wrong, the Swedes are nice people...but it can take a bit of time for them to "open up"
• Our house will be quite close to the sea 
• Our girls already speak Swedish fluently, so learning Norwegian shouldn't be horribly difficult for them.  They are also excited about moving to Norway- which is good.
• My husband (who has Norwegian ancestors) is really excited to be moving to the "homeland"

Our cute house in Norway

NOT SO GOOD OR UNKNOWN STUFF 

• That cute house?  I have not yet seen it in person (only some pictures)...a little scary!
• Pretty much everything in Norway is crazy expensive (I have heard people actually leave the country to buy booze and food....WOW!)
• I will need to start the job and friend seeking process all over again
• The thought of leaving my friends in Sweden is starting to make me feel sad (and of course I still miss my friends and family in the U.S.)
• My Swedish is not very good and now I will be trying to learn Norwegian (at least a little)
• I have been told that "everyone" skis in Norway...and I have never skied before in my life (I guess learning to ski could be on the "good" list, but I'm a bit afraid of breaking a leg)

I think I'm seeing my future!

I'm sure there are things on both lists that I am forgetting...hopefully I can add more to the "GOOD" list as our moving date quickly approaches.  For now, I have a few more weeks to sort through our belongings and determine which of our things will not be needed (or will not fit) in our new home.  Wish me luck!

Road Trip to Italy

It's been a while since my last post....I guess that's what happens when you are on vacation for three weeks (yes, really, three weeks!).  There is a lot to cover, and I will not be overly offended if you decide to skip my narrative and just scan through the many photos.  This year we decided to take a "proper" summer vacation.  When I say proper, I mean enjoying summer like those in Sweden and escaping from work for at least a few weeks.  The hubby created our detailed road trip itinerary which included a few days in Munich and the remainder of the trip in Italy.   Here are the highlights....

Munich
I'll be honest, I didn't really know much about Germany before this trip.  When thinking of Germany,   "efficiency and beer" come to mind (interesting combination, if you ask me).   After a long day of driving, we arrived in Munich, ready for the sightseeing to commence.

The girls and I were looking forward to seeing a few of the castles in Bavaria.   Our first excursion was to Neuschwanstein Castle which is just amazing!  From what I understand, Kind Ludwig II (who was a bit crazy) had this castle built as his personal refuge.  Over one million people visit this castle annually, and it was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty's castle (and probably others).   For more history on this castle and it's interesting history, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Near Neuschwanstein is another castle which was the childhood home of the crazy King Ludwig.  Also beautiful, but not as impressive as the other...in my opinion.

Hohenschwangau Castle 

On the second day, we wandered through the city and saw several churches, the city hall, etc.  I have to admit that the highlight of the day (at least for me) was our visit to Hofbräuhaus....and I don't even like beer!  Since we arrived early in the day, the restaurant was relatively empty.  We found a good seat where we could relax, enjoy some schnitzel and listen to the oom-pah music!

The hubby is especially happy!

Pretzels as big as your head!

We stopped at one last castle on the way out of Germany.

Linderhof Castle

On to Italy...
Our next seven days were spent in beautiful Tuscany.  We stayed at an Agriturismo called Il Piastrino.  For those of you unfamiliar (as I was) with an Agriturismo, it is basically an independently owned farm that the owners use partly for accommodations.  We ate breakfast there every morning and dinner with the other guests every couple of evening which consisted of fantastic homemade food and, of course, lots of wine, made with their very own grapes.

Indoor seating for breakfast and dinner

An aerial view of "Il Piastrino"

We did a significant amount of sightseeing during these seven days (while still managing to get some time in at our quiet swimming pool).  To be honest, many of these places blend together in my mind...Vinci, Florence, Pisa (ok- I can recognize THOSE pics), Sienna, Volterra, San Gimignano, etc.  Here are a few of my favorites...

The girls in Vinci

The youngest practicing her photography skills

A necessary tourist stop!

Pretend that you like each other...

One of many gelato stops- yum!

How long do I have to pose like this??

Beautiful view in Tuscany

Girls in Florence at Il Duomo

Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence

After a whirlwind of sightseeing...and a LOT of walking, we headed north for the last ten days of our trip.  We stayed near Venice at Ca' Savio....a campground offering a range of accommodations from "bring your own tent" to air conditioned cabins.  Our cabin was not air conditioned, but had a bathroom and small kitchenette...it certainly had a "rustic" feel to it.

Cabin Sweet Cabin

The campground was a few minutes walk to the beach and also had great swimming pools and fun activities for the kids...all of which make life pretty simple for mom and dad.

About halfway through our stay, I was shocked to see one of my best friends from the Chicago 'burbs walking up to our cabin.   She and the hubby had secretly arranged for her to fly to Italy and meet us...needless to say I was thrilled to have her join us for the next few days!

Our sightseeing in Venice was limited to one day...we were enjoying the beach and the pool and simply didn't have much energy left for excursions.

Mixed reactions to the vaporetto ride on the Grand Canal

More ice cream??  Yippee!!

Basilica at Piazza San Marco

The family "plus one" at Piazza San Marco

"the girls" at Piazza San Marco

Whew!  That was quite a trip!   I now understand why people say that they need a vacation after their vacation.  All in all, this was wonderful journey for our family with beautiful sights, amazing food (for me, that means pizza nearly every day), great wine and a surprise visit from a friend.  Ciao!

My "Excursion" to Ven

For my friends and family with a short attention span, this post is for you.   Not too long and lots of pictures!

Yes, I know it sounds cliche', but I was in need of a little "me" time.  The weekdays are filled with work, kids, a few activities and the normal requirements for maintaining a household.  The weekends are generally spent as a family...often getting together with friends and their kids.  I'm not complaining...I love that we tend to have more "family time" here in Sweden.  However, I really haven't made much time for myself to explore, shop or whatever.   Now that I have attempted to adequately defend my need for a day (or part of a day) on my own, I will get down to business and tell you a little about my trip.

A friend of mine suggested that I travel to a small island called Ven (FYI it sounds less like "vehn" and more like a person from the south saying "van").  Ven is located between Denmark and Sweden and the area of the island is just under 3 square miles.

The island of Ven

To get there I drove about 35 minutes to the ferry and then had a 30 minute ferry ride to the island.   I got there extra early for the first ferry which departed at 8:30am...I wasn't sure how this whole thing worked, so I wanted to make sure I didn't miss it.

Ticket and map....check and check!

Although many people bike around the island (cars are few and far between), I had decided to explore on foot this time.   There is a bike rental place with tons of bikes....adult and kid bikes, tandem bikes as well as various bikes with kid seats, etc.).  I think a bike will be necessary on the next trip.

Do you have something in yellow?

I walked past several shops and a few bed and breakfasts to an old, small church on the west side of the island.   I found a nice patch of grass and had a little picnic lunch.  

St. Ibbs church, built in the 1200s

Beautiful view from my picnic spot

Ven really is a peaceful place....I enjoyed simply wandering around the island, checking out the views and the "wildlife" (mainly pheasants and wild, aka "giant", rabbits).   I was hoping to buy some cheese at one of the small shops, but sadly it wasn't open when I passed by.   The goats, however, were available for a photo.

Say "goat cheese"!!

My understanding is that Ven gets quite busy once the children are out of school, so I'm happy to have had the opportunity to check it out on a slow day.   I'm looking forward to the next visit when the hubby and kids will join in and we can bike around the entire island, see the shops and have some locally made ice cream!

Goodbye for now

Trip to Gran Canaria

If you're looking for a post that's heavy on photos and light on text, this one is for you!   The girls recently had a week off from school for a winter break called "Sportlov".  Some Swedes take the name seriously and do something active....like skiing.  Our family opted to find a location with less, not more, snow and warmer temperatures where we could be predominantly in-active!

Our destination was Hotel Orquidea, a family friendly resort in lovely Gran Canaria, the second most populous island of the Canary Islands (I admit I had to check a map when we booked the trip...the Canary Islands are just off the west coast of Africa).  If nothing else, this move to Sweden is improving my knowledge of world geography.

An evening view...pretty peaceful without those crazy kids!

One of the benefits of this resort was the organized kid activities.  Each morning, the girls enjoyed two hours of "camp".   The camp leaders kept the kids busy with fun activities.  

The girls in their camp "uniforms"

While the girls were at their respective camps, I enjoyed two hours of laziness by the pool.   I realized that I can be a really fantastic "relaxer" if I put my mind to it!   The hubby couldn't sit still for too long, so he spent some time taking pictures and trying out the hotel gym.

On the girls day off from camp (I guess they needed a break from all that fun), we booked an excursion which was perfect for families who wanted a sampling of island activities.   The eager participants were picked up from the hotel in Jeeps and driven to our first activity.....camel rides!

This is going to be fun....right???

Before we got there, they girls were very excited about the idea of riding on a camel.  However, the process of getting the camels off the ground (back legs first) and starting the journey (CeCe got nose-to-nose with one of these one-humped beasts) proved a bit daunting.  However, once we got going, everyone enjoyed the ride.  They put the hubby and I on the camel right behind the girls (you probably figured that out from the photos).

Now everyone is  happy!

After the ride, the girls had a chance to feed some of the other camels.   

What big eyes you have!

And what big lips you have!

Next we got back into the Jeeps and headed for a scenic overlook where we could take some pictures.  I'm not a big fan of heights, but I have to admit these views were amazing.

Daddy and his girls

Next was a stop for lunch, but there was one more camel that needed a little snack first.

That's my girl (and yes, I had to bribe her to do this!)

After lunch, we took a trip into a (very) small town where we were able to wander around and take more pictures.   Like I said, this excursion had a bit of something for everyone and if you didn't like one part there was comfort in knowing it would soon be over.

Not a bad place to live!

Favorite pose from the trip...rock on!

The final phase of the excursion was taking the Jeeps "off roading" through the mountains.  Basically this involved riding on dusty, rocky roads that were (in my opinion) too close to the edge.  For all I know this could have been our driver's first day on the job....but I was too afraid to ask.   Of course, we purchased the video of this trip so I could appreciate all of the scenery from the comfort and safety of my own couch!

The oldest enjoying the view

Our fun filled field trip was followed by two more days of sun and relaxation.  It was a much needed break from the dreary Swedish winter.

Say "cheese"!

Now that we are back in Sweden, the hours of daylight are noticeable greater which gives me some hope that spring is not too far away.   For now, we will just have to savor the memories of the warm sun.

To the U.S. and back (home?) to Sweden

First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I started writing this post from the comfort of my parents' couch...a place I had not been since moving to Sweden more than eight months ago.  Our family was able to enjoy three weeks in the states, catching up with friends and family (gotta love the 6+ weeks of vacation that you get here).  I must admit that I had a bit of anxiety as I geared up for the trip, wondering how I could possibly make time to see everyone.   Luckily, I followed the advice of a dear friend who moved to the Chicago 'burbs from Philly years ago...she advised me to stay in one place (for the most part) and said that people would come to me (and she was mostly right).  It was great seeing friends who were in town and catching up on all the things I have missed....new jobs, new babies, etc.  Of course with time constraints and holiday travel, I missed a few folks, but I guess that is to be expected.

Of course, seeing friends and family during this visit was the first priority.  But I must be honest...I was looking forward to catching up on a couple of other things as well.

First we should talk about the shopping.  We landed on a Friday night and by Saturday morning I had made my return to Target (big surprise, right?) and it was glorious....there were angels singing, bands playing, etc.  Perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I truly missed the convenience of purchasing nearly everything I might need to exist from one store (food, clothing, medicine, electronics, makeup- you get the idea).  I stocked up on several items that we can't get in Sweden (or perhaps these are just things that I can't find or things that I perceive as crazy expensive).

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

As excited as I was about my first (and certainly not my last) visit to Target, I did notice that I was a bit overwhelmed by a couple of trips to the grocery store.   After living in a (relatively) small city in Sweden where I have had limited choices of many food items, I was surprised to find myself a bit flustered while in a big Meijer store.   Believe me, I LOVE having choices....but do I really need to pick from 200 kinds of spaghetti sauce??

Maybe I should just make my own sauce...

More than once, I stood in the aisle and found myself unable to make a decision on something seemingly simple.  I once even had to call my mom to clarify her paper plate needs....regular or small sized? round or square?  plain white or fancy patterned?  cheap or Chinet?  OMG!  I'm sure I will miss the vast selection of items when I return to Sweden...you always want what you can't have, right?

I must admit that I was a bit happier (and less overwhelmed) while shopping for clothes.  I had returned to the U.S. with a half empty suitcase and planned to pick up a few pairs of jeans, some sweaters and a new pair of boots.  It was comforting to know the best places to shop and it was easy to find some good deals!  I thought I wouldn't need it, but was ultimately thankful for the extra suitcase we had left behind when we moved. The combination of "mandatory" shopping, Christmas gifts, and a few items that had been requested by friends really adds up quickly.  Upon our return, our family was quite a sight walking out of the airport in Copenhagen with 6 big suitcases plus numerous carry-ons...even the girls were not exempt from schlepping bags!

Friends, shopping and...oh yes...food!  Before the trip, I had compiled a thorough list of all the restaurants and types of food that I had been deprived of for eight months-and that I would have to have during our visit.  By the end of it all, I had crossed numerous things off of my "to eat" list... pizza (more than once), Chipotle (yum), Thai food, a trip to Capital Grill and sushi.  I also had my fair share of large Diet Cokes from McDonald's...they don't taste quite the same in Sweden and they certainly aren't on the dollar menu (so I had to "splurge" while I had the chance).  Believe me, I didn't exactly starve during this trip, but I found that I didn't have the sense of urgency I had expected with regard to my food requirements.   Perhaps I was merely more focused on catching up with people and if the visit happened to involve a favorite restaurant....then it was a bonus.  Or maybe I was simply shell shocked upon my return to the land of GIANT portions and that caused me to be slightly less excited (and maybe a little grossed out) when contemplating a three week food orgy.   I must admit that people in Sweden are a bit...um...smaller...on average than folks in the U.S. and it probably has something to do with fewer drive-thru options and, in general, smaller portions of everything.  All that being said, I'm sure I will regret a few restaurants that I missed!

Is this for the whole family?

Anyway, we had a wonderful trip back to the states...visiting, eating and shopping.  For me, getting on a plane and heading back to Sweden felt bittersweet.  We have been back for several days, and although it seems strange to say, it does feel like home here...at least for now.   We will continue to make the most of our Swedish adventure!

Road Trip to Paris!

We had been talking about taking another summer trip (and the hubby had been scolded by the Swedes for not taking more vacation aka "holiday" time) and had thought driving to Paris might be an option.  The thought of a road trip was a bit scary....the drive time from Lund to Paris, not including stops, was over 13 hours- that's a lot of quality time with the family!  However, Paris was definitely on our "to see" list, so we decided to make the most of our opportunity to travel and take the trip.   (FYI- This is going to be a bit lengthy, so if you're thinking of reading it all in one sitting, I will suggest grabbing a drink or a snack before getting too comfortable)

We loaded up the Audi wagon last Monday morning and headed out.  It was a a tad bit crowded in the car...suitcases, stroller, cooler, etc.   Not to mention that CeCe (sitting behind her dad) barely had room for her little feet.

Here we go!

Our plan was to drive to Cologne, Germany (over halfway to Paris) where we would stay for the night.  The girls did pretty well considering they have limited means of entertainment.  Past experience has shown that reading and even watching DVDs in the car can result in some motion sickness for both of them...bleh!  So we took no chances, and they were left with music and audio books!

With my (extremely) limited European travel, this was my first experience with "Sanifair" at the German rest stops (so of course I have to share).  Essentially you pay 70 Euro cents to use the rest room (kids are free if they aren't tall enough to reach the coin slot!).  Then you get a voucher (for 50 Euro cents) to use for snacks, drinks, etc. in the shop.  I'll admit that the bathroom was quite clean...although I'm not sure that I would have trashed the place if it had been free....

I hope you brought Euro coins!

The drive to Cologne should have taken about 8 hours (maybe 9 with pit stops).  Unfortunately, with necessary potty stops, construction traffic (just like home), and some crazy weather....it was about an 11 hour trip.  Ugh!  We unloaded, had a quick bite to eat, and then crashed.   We had just a few hours for sight seeing the next morning before we got back in the car.  Of course it was raining (I think it followed us) but we managed to make the most of it..and checked out a beautiful cathedral.

Pardon the scaffolding!

And we're off again!   Day two of driving was much less painful...we stopped north of Paris and wanted to get a good night's sleep in preparation for (dare I say) Disneyland Paris!  The girls had not been to either Disney park in the states so we thought this would be a great surprise (or perhaps it was more of a "let's get this Disney thing over with" situation).  Either way, the girls were very excited to see the Disney castle.

I brought their princess dresses from home!

Soon after entering the park, the girls patiently waited...and waited....to have their picture taken with a princess.   Sadly, CeCe's reaction to Cinderella was similar to her reaction to Santa Claus (she's very excited until she's actually face to face with this strange character).  At least we got her in the photo!

One sister is a little more excited than the other!

We spent a few more hours at Disney, successfully finding a few activities that did not involve waiting in lines for an hour or more.   We finished the day with a train ride around the park.

Mom and CeCe on the train!

Buh-bye Disney!  I think that should be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, don't you???

The next day was a whirlwind overview of the must-see attractions (or at least a few of them) in Paris.   Because we were traveling with a four and six year old,  we were content to view these landmarks from the outside.  Making a child stand in line for hours to see inside a church or art museum is just mean (even if they are REALLY nice churches and museums!).   So be prepared to see a bunch of pictures from the periphery, without a whole lot of narration (I will include a few links or blurbs from Wikipedia for a little added culture).

First stop, the Notre Dame cathedral.   It was beautiful!  Construction on the cathedral started in 1163...wow!  So we stopped...took a few photos...and kept on walking.  For more historical info, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris

Love the pics of the whole family!

Next we started our trek to the Eiffel tower....stopping for a bite to eat and to take a few photos.  We realized that when searching for a place to eat in Paris, you should just be prepared to spend a fortune.  If your food is cheap, your diet Coke will cost at least $5.  Sorry for the tangent...let's keep going.

So much beautiful architecture

As we are walking, I am so grateful that we brought the stroller (only the small one, though...the two seater wouldn't fit in the car!).  The girls put on a lot of miles and were happy to take turns "resting" while I got plenty of exercise by pushing around an extra 40 or 50 pounds.  It seemed like it took us forever....but we finally made to the Eiffel tower and it was impressive!  The pictures don't do it justice, but I will (of course) share a couple anyway!

Still smiling after walking for miles!

A slightly different perspective

We made one more stop before calling it a day....at the Arc de Triomphe which "honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces"  (thank you, Wikipedia!).

Our second, and final, day of sightseeing was much more relaxed.   We found a beautiful place called Le Jardin des Plantes which was a large botanical garden (if you hadn't gotten that from its name).  While walking through the garden we found a cute carousel....with no line!

Lions, giraffes and ostriches...Oh my!

Near the garden we found a zoo and thought the girls might enjoy that more than shlepping through some other historical sights...I think we were right.  I have to admit that I also enjoyed the zoo and saw a few animals that I had never seen before!

A King Vulture...a face only a mother could love!

The rest of the afternoon consisted of lunch at cafe' Hugo (named for the famous French poet and writer....best known for the novel Les Misérables) and a leisurely walk through an "artsy" area to check out a few galleries.

The hubby showing his photography skills at the restaurant!

One of the other highlights of visiting Paris was spending time with our friends (more friends that I have met through the Hubby) Mette and Kim...and their dog, Luna.   We were able to have a couple of relaxing evenings on their deck, drinking wine and relaxing after a busy day of sightseeing.  The girls really enjoyed their time with our new friends...mom and dad might as well have been invisible.  Sigh!

Much love for Mette!

Now it was time to head "home" to Sweden (saying that still seems a bit strange).  As we were driving, I could tell that the hubby wanted to make the drive in one day... he kept a close eye on any fluctuation of our ETA on the GPS.  I just sat quietly in my co-pilot seat...praying for no rain, no traffic and no campers on the autobahn.  We stopped briefly a couple of times for food (the Kid Meals in Germany are remarkably similar to those in the U.S.) and let the girls play at the rest stop playgrounds.

Ready for a long nap in the car??

I knew once we left Germany that any chance of a hotel stay and a second day of driving had been eliminated.   Luckily, CeCe fell asleep (after only a minor meltdown) and Malena was content listening to my iPod (I was too tired to care that she had switched from Kids Bop to Lady Gaga).  After a measly fifteen hours in the car, we made it home safe and sound (and exhausted!).

It was quite an exciting week...I would definitely go back (at least to Paris...not so sure about Disney).

Just had to sneak in one more photo!