Heading West

After Wayne and Ellyn left us in Stockholm to fly back to the US, we were all sad. It seemed so quiet without them. Linnea complained that she didn't have anyone to talk to while riding in the car. We all felt a little lonely without them joining us on our adventures. The same day they left Stockholm we headed west towards Norway. We stopped to stay a couple of days at a cabin on the Northern tip of one of Sweden's largest lakes. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy so we didn't even get to go swimming. So sad. Instead we went hiking and hit the mother load when we discovered all of the wild blueberries everywhere! We packed up a few containers full and enjoyed them for days.

A bus we saw on the road

Out on a hike

Then it was time to move on again, but we were all eager to escaped the rainy weather. We took a half a day and kept on west to Norway. There we stayed with my very distant and very nice relatives Nils and Vesla on the family farm northwest of Oslo. They were so gracious and hospitable - great people! They are a retired couple that have moved out of the main farmhouse into a very cozy home on the property. One of their daughters, her husband and 3 children now live in the main farmhouse and run the farm. We also visited Ola (their son) who lives on another farm not too far away with his wife and daughter.

View from across the fjord

The girls loved playing with their "cousins" and the weather was just gorgeous. I had stayed there back in 1998 for a week after I completed my term in Germany. It was great to see everyone again, how the kids had grown and to meet the newest family members. While there, we also visited the glass factory and an old silver mine. Very fun. It felt so nice to stay in a home with great hosts after staying in cabins and hotels for the past few of weeks.

Annette, Linnea and Sonja

The two familys at Ola and Anna's house.

From there we set off for a week up to Flåm and then Bergen where we saw some absolutely amazing county. Stories and pictures to follow.

Farewell Already?

We can't believe it! We'll be leaving Sweden in just 11 days. Could it really be that soon? Of course we are really, really looking forward to getting home and seeing family. We are also sad to say "goodbye" to the good friends we have made over the past year. We hope that we will see them again someday! Perhaps they'll visit us in the US?

Our plans for the holidays are to spend 3 weeks in Massachusetts over Christmas, my birthday and New Year's, and then about 2.5 weeks in Washington. Then we will begin the long drive back to Minnesota. This time however, we will be making a stop for 4 days in Yellowstone! We are so excited, I've never been. There we hope to do some cross country skiing and hot tubbing. It'll be interesting to move back into our old apartment building in MN. Some friends are still there and we are very much looking forward to reconnecting with them. Of course, we'll have to get used to the extreme cold again, but I'm really looking forward to some snow.

We are trying to make the most of our remaining time in Sweden and participating in some Advent festivities. Next week Linnea has a Santa Lucia performance at her school at 7:00 AM while it is still dark. That'll be cold. Pictures to follow. Tomorrow we bake Christmas cookies with some friends. And we've done a little Christmas shopping here as well. The girls made a gingerbread house which was quickly devoured.

Hope to see some of you real soon!