Sooo

What is really happening over here...

Soccer world championship is one thing, and another thing is SWEDISH SUMMER!!! It has been 20+ since last Thursday at least and will continue over the coming weekend as well. I have heard rumors that it will be 30+ on the weekend. See, it is not all rain and polar bears over here =)

Stephen has bet a few dollars on Spain to win over Portugal and is quite vocal about the game, while I am looking at wedding photographers. I have found another Australian I wouldnt mind flying over here but that will be a bit too costly I think. Here is a link to her blog, Shona Henderson. She is a friend of some of our friends in Adelaide and took some great photos at a hens night I went to once. Absolutely stunning images and I wish I could take photos like her.

Anyway, it is just over two weeks till we move to our new apartment. We get the keys on a Friday, Stephen goes to Stockholm Sunday night, the next day we get the container delivered and then I have until the Friday to get all our stuff out of this place and clean it. But I have to be ready by Thursday lunch cause then I am driving to Stockholm to meet Stephen and some friends from Adelaide for dinner. On Friday night we are going on over to the Baltic states for a weeks holiday, driving through Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, and then to Poland and back on a ferry.

Stephen is very excited and has been planning the whole trip, I really look forward to go too. Hopefully, by the time we get back, I will have a job to go to! Otherwise I will have an apartment to organise with all my stuff that I haven't seen for almost 5 years, I wonder what I will find...

Some more photos

I cant leave without some midsummer photos! They are back to front so the first photo should be last, I dont understand why it doesnt put them the other way... First uploaded should be on the top I think.

Anyway, here is dad with some of his friends that he grew up with in Dörarp, to the untrained eye they might all look the same and dad is the one with his back to the camera.


The next photo is Jonas and his friend that he grew up with =) I havent seen him for God knows how long.

This is the lunch Smörgåsbord with herring and potatoes and meatballs for the one who doesnt eat herring. And of course the traditional Snaps.
Fighting for the snaps =) You can buy it as one big bottle or a "taste pack" with a few different ones in small bottles.

Dad adding some seats for aunt Kerstin, it is easy to have smörgåsbord with your neighbours, if something is missing you just go and get it.

Here is the table before we started eating, Ulla, mums cousin, getting the last bits organised.

Thank you Youtube!

I have figured it out, of course I will use youtube to upload videos and then embed them here, I am such a genius =) The first two videos are mainly for Pauline but the rest of you are allowed to watch them as well. It is from our trip to Öland and I shot some videos from the car while driving to show what it looks like in Sweden.

Swedish mid summer traditions

I am not sure if it is a good or a bad thing to upload these videos but anyway here they are...

Movie time!

Damn it, the movies can only be max 100 mb to be uploaded and mine are more than that... I will have to fiddle a bit with them to make them smaller and there is no time now as I am leaving in 20 mins to go wedding dress shopping with mum! So have a look at some photos instead. I think I have made a couple of candidates to the beech forest shot of the year.

And now, at least 10 minutes later, the software Picasa where I manage all my photos have decided to shut down on me and I have run out of time so there wont be any photos either I am afraid.

I am sorry for any inconvenience caused and promise to be back tmrw with a useful update instead of this cr*p.

Booo Germany!

This weekend we went to Öland with Marie and her sister and niece. I am gonna start using another software to manage my photos so they will have to wait. It was a rainy but nice weekend with nice food and wine, especially the privately imported Italian bottle. On the way back we stopped at a brand outlet and Stephen did some more shopping, 3rd time since we got here which must be personal best for him. I got myself a few things as well in case I get a job soon and need to look professional =)

They have started playing the German euro-vision song contest winner from this year on the radio quite a lit and it is number 1 on the radio hit list at the moment, and the more I hear it the more I like it. She has got a funny accent and Stephen and I are having a bit of fun imitating her. (And I am very proud that I managed to embed the video!)



Stephen will be away for another 2 days, he leaves tomorrow morning and comes back Tues night so there will be plenty of time for me to edit photos and upload. There will also be a video or two this time...

Now back to Germany's unfortunate flogging of Australia in the world cup. Maybe the German song isn't that good after all...

More photos

The first two photos was taken on a restaurant by the lake of Möckeln which is the lake next to Älmhult. We went there for a meal and the sunset was beautiful, one might also think I was a bit tipsy cause the photo is on the piss but I forgot to change it so here it is anyway.



These two were taken outside with no flash and "normal" exposure at 10 pm coming home after the dinner. I thought I'd try to give you an idea how bright it is and Stephen didnt want to be a model so here is the tree outside our unit. Look at the blue sky and all the details in the darker areas.



There are beaches in Sweden too... This is on the west coast, pretty much straigh west from Älmhult.




Here are some photos from my uncles farm again. It was Ellens 5th birthday and I took some photos of Nora and Blues, this time outside. And of Jonas, very happy in a traktor =) He is practicing to become a farmer =)






They also have kittens in the stable, little cuddly fluffy cuties. This one sat on the sunny spot on the floor and I discovered how cool the lighting looked afterwards, lucky shot! Maybe I should try it in black and white...

Svartvit kisse

Another week and a bit has passed, Stephen is in Italy and I am at my parents place in Dörarp. Last Sunday, 6th of June, was Swedens national day, the Swedish equivalent to Australia day. I have taken a few photos lately but they are at home on the computer and I am at mum and dads so you will have to wait a bit longer to see them.

This weekend Stephen and Marie and I are going to Öland, an island on the east side of Sweden, quite far down. It is a summer holiday place for many swedes and I dont think there are many people living there all year around. I am not sure what we will do the whole weekend but taking photos is quite high on at least my list =)