We arrived in Mariefred Tuesday night around 6pm. I was waiting for my mother-in-law to check in while Kristen slept in the car when I realized that I did not bring by camera along. I called Timothy as soon as I realized this (he left our house much later than we did), but he was too far away to turn back. I kicked myself many, many times during the trip for not bringing the camera.
The hotel itself was picture-worthy. At 400 years old, it is the oldest inn in Sweden, and it has more character than any places you can find in the US. Our room was the Vasa Suite, and it included a full bathroom and a half-bath as well as two rooms. It was nice to be able to be in a separate room from the kids. Since I didn't have my camera, here is the website so you can see some pictures of the place. http://www.gripsholms-vardshus.se/lang.asp?lang=eng
In the corner of our room was an old heating stove. When we visited the nearby castle, I saw many similar furnaces in the old royal chambers, but I am not sure which century they are from. All the other furniture was also antique, and the walls were hand-painted with various decorative styles. Antique rugs lay across the hardwood floors, and the ceilings were low enough to touch. In the room where the kids slept, there was also an old fireplace in the corner, which I am sure they used to heat the room in the early days of the inn.
We ate dinner in the dining room, an event that took hours (much too long with two young children). The menu was a four-course meal that consisted of glass-baked salmon in a salad (about 2-3 bites of food), wild boar with potatoes, a cheese board, and rhubarb ice cream served with what they called vanilla pudding (the texture, however was much different than pudding you find in the US).
After a decent night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast (I had a Swedish waffle, which is much different than American), we headed over to Gripsholm’s Castle, which is located right across the water from our hotel. We wound through the various rooms, and I kicked myself over and over for not bringing that camera! The castle is beautiful, and it contains many portraits of Swedish royalty throughout history. After we left the castle, we had a simple lunch, and I headed back to the hotel for a nap (hey, I was 35 weeks pregnant!). Then, I woke up and met Timo and the kids at the local playground, and we headed to the local train yard, where they run a narrow gauge train on the weekends during the warmer months of the year. We walked around for a little bit, and the children climbed onto the passenger cars, tried to manually throw the switches (unsuccessfully), and looked longingly at the engines.
Kristen was tired, so we once again headed back to the hotel for some rest, where AJ told us that Timothy’s name was “Timo Daddy Isaac.”
Dinner was at a restaurant along the water, and the service was much quicker than the night before. The kids played hide and go seek with Timothy’s dad while we waited for the food, and the whole meal went a lot smoother than the previous night.
Thursday, we headed out to Stockholm. We took the train into the city, and we walked from there toward Gamla Stan (the older part of Stockholm). We roamed the streets, and then we took a boat tour around the main waterways. Walking back toward the train station, we did some touristy shopping. Timothy and I bought the kids Sweden shirts and the traditional Swedish horses. After the train ride back, we ate a dinner of elk bratwurst wrapped with some sort of sauerkraut sauce in a tortilla. It was different, but very delicious. Kristen asked for wild boar again, but she ended up eating Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes.
The next morning, we decided to walk around Mariefred a little more since I had not had a chance to explore the streets. The downtown area was rather small, and it did not take us long to walk along the streets that were of any interest to us. We decided to go ahead and walk along the boardwalk so the kids could enjoy the different boats. When we were heading back to the hotel, we stopped to feed some ducks, and there was a random swan with them. I had never seen a swan so close. He was almost eating out of my hand.
Kristen said the best part of her trip was feeding the ducks – not exactly something exclusive to Sweden. J After lunch and naps, we went outside to the playground close by, and then the kids chased the ducks around the park. For some reason, the ducks weren’t flying off, and it was so funny to see them waddling as quickly as they could to get away from the crazy kids.
Saturday morning, we checked out and proceeded home. It was nice to be home, where we assumed our mundane responsibilities. Doing laundry and cleaning the house isn’t quite so bad when you have been away for a while. Kristen spent the afternoon playing outside while Timo mowed the lawn, cleaned out the car, and cleaned the gutters. While it was nice to be on vacation, I think we all slept so much better in our own beds. I know that I did.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Canvas of Tile
I opened my email, and to my surprise,
A picture of horror was before my eyes.
My husband had left AJ for a short while,
And AJ decided to color the tile.
The floor of the bathroom was covered with red,
As visions of artistry danced in his head.
"No, no!" I am sure that my husband told him.
"You cannot just color the floor on a whim!"
I hope it is not too hard to scrub all away
For we'd like to go back to visit some day.
A picture of horror was before my eyes.
My husband had left AJ for a short while,
And AJ decided to color the tile.
The floor of the bathroom was covered with red,
As visions of artistry danced in his head.
"No, no!" I am sure that my husband told him.
"You cannot just color the floor on a whim!"
I hope it is not too hard to scrub all away
For we'd like to go back to visit some day.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
A Trip to Denmark
We had scheduled a family trip to Legoland in Denmark a couple of months ago but, when Timo's grandfather died recently, our trip to Denmark started a little earlier than planned.
The Funeral
We left early Wednesday morning to catch the 9:30am ferry from Gothenburg to Frederickshavn. I felt like I had been hit and run over by a truck, and I wished I could have just stayed in bed all day long. At least I could rest in the car and on the boat. We arrived at our hotel in the middle of the afternoon, and I lay down while Timo entertained the kids until dinner-time.
Timo's sisters, Carin and Lisette, had flown in that day for the funeral as well, and we all ate a typical Danish dinner at Timo's Mormor's house with flæskesteg (I think that is how it is spelled), caramelled potatoes, red cabbage, and peas, followed, of course, by ice cream and fresh strawberries. Then, we headed back to the hotel, where Timo took the kids swimming and I went to bed.
The funeral was Thursday at about noon. Timo's grandmother had seemed fairly strong the day before, but her true emotions came through as we sat in the church, waiting for the funeral to start. The man she had loved for more than 70 years was gone. The service was entirely in Danish, so I understood very little of it. My Swedish did help me a little, though. Timo's mom gave the eulogy (something that I learned is not typical in Denmark). I knew some of what she was saying because she practiced it on us in English just after breakfast.
The most emotional part of the ceremony was when they put the casket in the hearse and it drove away. It was a final farewell for all, and, although I didn't really know Timo's grandfather well, I could not help but cry.
We all headed to a restaurant in Rebild for a nice lunch after the funeral. Timo and I sat by a friend of his who had lived by Timo's grandparents when growing up. It was nice to chat with him and his fiancé, who is also expecting a baby. They spoke very good English, and I enjoyed not having to worry about being understood.
Through all of this I still felt pretty miserable, and we headed back to the hotel after lunch, where I lay down for the remainder of the afternoon. Dinner was at Bilke (kind of like a Super-Walmart, but nicer), and sometime that night, I started to feel better. We shopped f
or a while after dinner, then we had some soft ice (Danish soft serve, which is a delight to your taste buds and a terror to your waistline). The kids wanted to go swimming again after dinner, and I went with Timo to take some pictures of the kids. AJ did great, furiously kicking his little legs to keep himself afloat. Kristen paddled around with her ring and life vest, but she had fun as well.
Being a Tourist
Friday was spent shopping with Timo's parents, sisters, and grandmother. I hadn't really had an opportunity to explore the area before, and it was fun to see more of Aalborg. We had dinner that night in an old hotel in Mariager. The street was an old cobblestone road, and the whole area had a lot of character.
Saturday, Timo's parents and sisters left, leaving us with a day to do as we pleased. We started off with a short visit to Timo's grandmother, and then headed off to a museum sporting old tanks, airplanes, motorcycles, etc., from various eras in Danish history. The kids had fun sitting in some of the old vehicles, and they even got an "airplane ride" where they were pulled around in a tiny old plane.
After we left the museum, we headed north to Skagen, where the Baltic and North Seas meet. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand, and I walked to the very tip of Denmark to put one foot in each sea. We stopped at an old lighthouse that was built in the 1850's on the way back, which offered beautiful views of the area.
That evening, we had dinner with Timothy's old friend, Kristian, and his fiancé, Anne, whom we had seen at the funeral. We stayed entirely too late, but the kids were good while we talked the night away.
On to Legoland
On Sunday we left for Legoland, but we first stopped at Timothy's Mormor's house to say goodbye. We spent the morning with her and stayed for lunch before we headed south to Billund. The kids made her laugh pretty hard, and it was good to see her face full of joy instead of sorrow.
We arrived in Billund in the mid-afternoon. It was raining, and I lay down for a nap while Timo donned the kids in their rain clothes and took them outside to play with the various playthings that Legoland Village (the family hostel where we stayed) had to offer. I must say that our accommodations, while not luxurious, were perfect because there was so much for the kids to do in the areas surrounding the hostel. As a warning, the food was mediocre, at best, though.
Monday morning, we saw some signs of sunshine, although it started raining while we were eating breakfast. We prayed that the rain wouldn't last, and, although it was cold, the rain we experienced at Legoland was light and short-lived.
We headed to Legoland shortly before the opening time of 10am, and the kids were delighted with everything. We started on the boat rides toward the entrance, where you can see various famous landmarks built out of Legos. Then we headed to the train that goes around the park, and we went on from there. Timo took the kids on most of the rides, as there were many that a pregnant woman
(especially one almost 33 weeks along) would not be allowed to ride. This year both AJ and Kristen were able to ride more rides, as they were both taller than the minimum requirement for various attractions. This made the Legoland experience more fun for all.
After lunch, AJ fell asleep for about an hour or so while Timo took Kristen on various attractions that AJ would have been too small for. I sat on a bench and enjoyed the rest. After he woke up and we visited more attractions, we ended our day with some soft ice. I must say that the soft ice at Legoland is even better than that at Bilke. It was soooo good, but I limited myself to "helping" the kids with theirs. We headed out after all the rides were closed, and we decided on a local pizzeria for dinner. Then, the kids spent the remaining hours before bedtime playing on the playground associated with the hostel.
Tuesday was much of the same, but AJ didn't take a nap until we walked back to the hostel after the park closed. I think this was better as he didn't have to "miss out" on anything because he fell asleep. We visited a different restaurant for dinner, and the kids had to settle for playing in the room (which had duplo Lego tables) while we packed up to leave the following day.
Wednesday, we headed back to Sweden. We stopped at some ruins of a castle that experienced a fire in the 1700s on the way back. It was a nice chance to stretch our legs and see something interesting at the same time. I think we were all glad to be back in our own beds that night. I started dinner, then laundry when we got back. Timo and AJ were leaving again in two days to go to the US, so I had no time to waste in getting their clothes from the week washed and repacked.
The Funeral
We left early Wednesday morning to catch the 9:30am ferry from Gothenburg to Frederickshavn. I felt like I had been hit and run over by a truck, and I wished I could have just stayed in bed all day long. At least I could rest in the car and on the boat. We arrived at our hotel in the middle of the afternoon, and I lay down while Timo entertained the kids until dinner-time.
Timo's sisters, Carin and Lisette, had flown in that day for the funeral as well, and we all ate a typical Danish dinner at Timo's Mormor's house with flæskesteg (I think that is how it is spelled), caramelled potatoes, red cabbage, and peas, followed, of course, by ice cream and fresh strawberries. Then, we headed back to the hotel, where Timo took the kids swimming and I went to bed.
The funeral was Thursday at about noon. Timo's grandmother had seemed fairly strong the day before, but her true emotions came through as we sat in the church, waiting for the funeral to start. The man she had loved for more than 70 years was gone. The service was entirely in Danish, so I understood very little of it. My Swedish did help me a little, though. Timo's mom gave the eulogy (something that I learned is not typical in Denmark). I knew some of what she was saying because she practiced it on us in English just after breakfast.
The most emotional part of the ceremony was when they put the casket in the hearse and it drove away. It was a final farewell for all, and, although I didn't really know Timo's grandfather well, I could not help but cry.
We all headed to a restaurant in Rebild for a nice lunch after the funeral. Timo and I sat by a friend of his who had lived by Timo's grandparents when growing up. It was nice to chat with him and his fiancé, who is also expecting a baby. They spoke very good English, and I enjoyed not having to worry about being understood.
Through all of this I still felt pretty miserable, and we headed back to the hotel after lunch, where I lay down for the remainder of the afternoon. Dinner was at Bilke (kind of like a Super-Walmart, but nicer), and sometime that night, I started to feel better. We shopped f
or a while after dinner, then we had some soft ice (Danish soft serve, which is a delight to your taste buds and a terror to your waistline). The kids wanted to go swimming again after dinner, and I went with Timo to take some pictures of the kids. AJ did great, furiously kicking his little legs to keep himself afloat. Kristen paddled around with her ring and life vest, but she had fun as well.Being a Tourist
Friday was spent shopping with Timo's parents, sisters, and grandmother. I hadn't really had an opportunity to explore the area before, and it was fun to see more of Aalborg. We had dinner that night in an old hotel in Mariager. The street was an old cobblestone road, and the whole area had a lot of character.
Saturday, Timo's parents and sisters left, leaving us with a day to do as we pleased. We started off with a short visit to Timo's grandmother, and then headed off to a museum sporting old tanks, airplanes, motorcycles, etc., from various eras in Danish history. The kids had fun sitting in some of the old vehicles, and they even got an "airplane ride" where they were pulled around in a tiny old plane.
After we left the museum, we headed north to Skagen, where the Baltic and North Seas meet. The kids enjoyed playing in the sand, and I walked to the very tip of Denmark to put one foot in each sea. We stopped at an old lighthouse that was built in the 1850's on the way back, which offered beautiful views of the area.
That evening, we had dinner with Timothy's old friend, Kristian, and his fiancé, Anne, whom we had seen at the funeral. We stayed entirely too late, but the kids were good while we talked the night away.
On to Legoland
On Sunday we left for Legoland, but we first stopped at Timothy's Mormor's house to say goodbye. We spent the morning with her and stayed for lunch before we headed south to Billund. The kids made her laugh pretty hard, and it was good to see her face full of joy instead of sorrow.
We arrived in Billund in the mid-afternoon. It was raining, and I lay down for a nap while Timo donned the kids in their rain clothes and took them outside to play with the various playthings that Legoland Village (the family hostel where we stayed) had to offer. I must say that our accommodations, while not luxurious, were perfect because there was so much for the kids to do in the areas surrounding the hostel. As a warning, the food was mediocre, at best, though.
Monday morning, we saw some signs of sunshine, although it started raining while we were eating breakfast. We prayed that the rain wouldn't last, and, although it was cold, the rain we experienced at Legoland was light and short-lived.
We headed to Legoland shortly before the opening time of 10am, and the kids were delighted with everything. We started on the boat rides toward the entrance, where you can see various famous landmarks built out of Legos. Then we headed to the train that goes around the park, and we went on from there. Timo took the kids on most of the rides, as there were many that a pregnant woman
(especially one almost 33 weeks along) would not be allowed to ride. This year both AJ and Kristen were able to ride more rides, as they were both taller than the minimum requirement for various attractions. This made the Legoland experience more fun for all.After lunch, AJ fell asleep for about an hour or so while Timo took Kristen on various attractions that AJ would have been too small for. I sat on a bench and enjoyed the rest. After he woke up and we visited more attractions, we ended our day with some soft ice. I must say that the soft ice at Legoland is even better than that at Bilke. It was soooo good, but I limited myself to "helping" the kids with theirs. We headed out after all the rides were closed, and we decided on a local pizzeria for dinner. Then, the kids spent the remaining hours before bedtime playing on the playground associated with the hostel.
Tuesday was much of the same, but AJ didn't take a nap until we walked back to the hostel after the park closed. I think this was better as he didn't have to "miss out" on anything because he fell asleep. We visited a different restaurant for dinner, and the kids had to settle for playing in the room (which had duplo Lego tables) while we packed up to leave the following day.
Wednesday, we headed back to Sweden. We stopped at some ruins of a castle that experienced a fire in the 1700s on the way back. It was a nice chance to stretch our legs and see something interesting at the same time. I think we were all glad to be back in our own beds that night. I started dinner, then laundry when we got back. Timo and AJ were leaving again in two days to go to the US, so I had no time to waste in getting their clothes from the week washed and repacked.
Overall, it was a great trip. There was a lot packed into a short amount of time, and it didn't help that I was sick and pregnant. We will probably plan a different trip for next year, but I feel that I experienced more of Denmark than I have had a privilege to experience before. The drives through the countryside were beautiful, with yellow fields of mustard and green fields of various other crops. The kids enjoyed Legoland, and I enjoyed the other touristy activities -- okay, I admit I liked Legoland, too. :)
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Name Bugs
This afternoon, Timothy left to play soccer with some people from church. The skies had turned cloudy and gray, and the kids were restless when I sat down to read to them. I thought something needed to be done. So, I got out some paper and crayons, and we set out to make name bugs.
I had never done these with the kids (although I don't know why K and I had never done them). For those who don't know what I am talking about, you take a piece of paper, fold it in half lengthwise, and then write the person's name along the fold. Then, yo
u cut around the letters. When you open up the paper, you have a shape unique to the name. I showed them a "Mommy" bug, and then Kristen wrote out her name and colored it. I wrote AJ's name for him, and they insisted that we needed a "Daddy" bug, too. So, I did one for him. I took a picture of the results. AJ was still coloring his, but the picture shows the Mommy, Daddy, and Kristen bugs (from left to right). Kristen had accidentally written her name along the outside of the paper instead of the crease, so hers looks a little different than it would otherwise.
u cut around the letters. When you open up the paper, you have a shape unique to the name. I showed them a "Mommy" bug, and then Kristen wrote out her name and colored it. I wrote AJ's name for him, and they insisted that we needed a "Daddy" bug, too. So, I did one for him. I took a picture of the results. AJ was still coloring his, but the picture shows the Mommy, Daddy, and Kristen bugs (from left to right). Kristen had accidentally written her name along the outside of the paper instead of the crease, so hers looks a little different than it would otherwise. This kept them entertained for a (short) while, and they seemed to enjoy themselves. Now to think of something else for next time....
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