Rita had never witnessed a change of guard. The Swedish royal guard makes quite a show of it. Marching band, pike hats and all but no horses eventhough the unit was from the cavalry. The day turned out to be fully packed. The investment in the Stockholm card paid off when we packed in a canal tour round Djurgården in the evening.
Enroute to Stockholm we stopped at Norrköping to the joy of the kids. The area is reknowned for its petroglyphs. The field at Himmelstalund has 1660 carvings of ships, hunters, wild boar, foot prints and what not. Amazing in amount and detail and nearly 3000 years old although Rita insisted that we don't know if a spaceship just dumped them there in the middle of the night sometime.
The hot potatoe is on the stove top. Yummy!
Axel's German alarm clock went for some reason off at midnight. According to Axel it was a spooky display to look at bright early on his birthday. I believe he had a fine day. We could not find prebaked cake for the layer cake so Rita and I made it from scratch. Humbly we must admit it probably was the best layer cake we've ever made. (Oh btw die=Dienstag=Tuesday).
Farmor has had cut down a bunch if trees on the Swedish lot. Someone got the job of chopping it all up. 2 cubic meters are stacked so far but there is lots to go.
Visits Ales Stena every year. I don't believe I've ever seen such a large stone ship. It never cedes to amaze me how clever people of earlier times has been to identify the world corners. In this case how the sun at solstice moves over two certain stones. However, the paragliders flying over our heads seemed to catch a lot more attention than the ring of stones.
It was a cosy quiet visit by Mr. Hedgehog until Luna noticed him on the patio. She went completely ballistic. Turned around herself a 1000 times and was very frustrated we didn't let her out. I wonder why.
The kids rolled their eyes at driving 1 hour for some rocks - again! Our destination was Ivö where they for more than 100 years quarried for caolin used for ceramics and origin in name for the toilet factory. The quarry was long abondoned but we found it and the rocks were remarkable in color. It brought memories of certain rolling hills in Death Valley.
The weather has been ok but never more than an hour of sun. But today it was plenty enough to swim, sail, relax and ICECREAM.
I suppose I will not be awarded the scout medal of piling firewood.
It's almost a tradition to bake danishes in the summerhouse. At least that's what Rita said. With a steady and experienced hand she rolled these up. Boy they were good!
The Swedes just are more American than the Americans. Bigger is better. Ellen had come up on fist size marshmallows. That is adult size fists. They were enourmous. So big you had to be a child to enjoy them.
Cecilia, David and Axel may look professional but not like the couple on the neighbouring lane with custom made golf clubs and expert balls. I never realised mini golf was a professional sport.
6 jars homemade blueberry jelly a memory to enjoy when winter comes.
Rita, Ida and Axel enjoying themselves.
A Swanish tradition or may be just the Q adaption of the Swedish tradition of a crawfish party.
Rita is back home again. It weighs 51 pounds was her words of welcome. Sounds like she's had a fantastic trip.
