My Last Day

Today, Aunt Bit, the boys and I went to Tuve and Gunilla's house for lunch, and we spent the rest of the day there.

Aina invited me to bake some cupcakes with her, but what really happened was she did all the work and Jakob and I sat more or less doing nothing...

I did help a little, though. Everyone (and I mean everyone, Petter, Tuve and Gunilla, Ola and Pella, the whole gang) just played games and hung out all afternoon until dinner, which was delicious. We had...moose!

After that, we all played more games until late into the evening. And, although tonight was actually Pontus' birthday party, Jakob and Aina were soooo nice... they got me Nutella as a going away gift! They are my best friends forever.

Then came the goodbyes. *sniff* I'm really gonna miss everyone here, they've all been so wonderful and they've made me feel like I've lived here forever, as part of the family. This month has been so incredible. I'm so grateful to everyone who played a part in my coming here, both the family that sent me and the family that has so graciously welcomed me into their home. I love you all, goodbye to some of you, and some of you I'll see soon.

Another Relaxing Day

Today it rained from morning on, so everyone hung around the house and relaxed until dinner at Tuve and Gunilla's. Since Aunt Bit felt that I had not been introduced to enough Schnaps songs at Midsommar, the family sang several at dinner, which was delicious! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures today, but I will tomorrow, since tomorrow is my last day here, and I want to get pictures of the whole family.

Hanging Out with the Family

Today after lunch, Aunt Bit, the boys, Jakob and I went to the golf course for some driving and putting, or rather, the boys drove and putted and Aunt Bit and I just watched. (I figured having a club in my hands and expecting me to not put someone in the hospital was too much to ask.) After that, we headed over to Tuve and Gunilla's house, but rushed back to our house so we could move some firewood so it wouldn't get rained on. Then we went back to Tuve and Gunilla's for some soccer and swimming. Yes, I went in the water. I'm still not sure why. Anyway, after that, we all came back to the house where there was more merrymaking and soccer. We rode back to our house with a beautiful sunset.

A Second Attempt, and Singing

Today after lunch, Aunt Bit, the boys, Jakob, and I went into Helsingborg in a second attempt to see Kärnan, which we tried to see my second day here. It was closed again, but it just so happened that there was an ice cream kiosk so conveniently placed right next to it, so all was well. Then, after dinner, Aunt Bit and I went to a performance by the a capella group called "The Real Group", and they were amazing! The lead tenor's voice was sooo amazing, and I must admit, I never thought I would hear Britney Spears sung in Basso Profundo, the lowest male voice. They were just electrifying!

July 11, The Royal Palace

Today Aunt Bit and I went to the Royal Palace. When we arrived, the changing of the guard was happening. We didn't see a lot of it, because we were trying to get to the palace for a tour of the treasury, which was really cool. So many sparkleys... Anyway, later we took a tour of the Royal Apartments, then explored the Gustaf III's antiquity museum, which consisted of a few dozen statues. To end the day, we took a tour of the Tre Kronor Museum, which was in the basement of the palace, and showed some of the palace's history. Then we made our way back to the apartment, got our luggage, and jumped on a plane back to Viken.

July 10, Museum Day

Today Aunt Bit and I headed over to the Vasa Museum, which is built around a huge ship that sank in the water surrounding Stockholm on its maiden voyage. (Oops.) It was amazingly preserved, considering it spent 333 years in the mud! After that, we had lunch and went to the Nordic Museum. This museum showed different aspects of Sweden over time, from the clothes to the table settings to men's swimsuits. After that, we ate in a nice Italian cafe, and went home to rest up for our last day in Stockholm!

July 9, Lots of Tours

Today was another busy but fun day! After more relaxing (ok, napping) in the morning, we headed down to the Opera House for a tour. It was so beautiful! We even got to stand onstage and in the king's foyer. After that, we headed over to another park to have lunch, and then went to the National Museum, which is another art museum. I saw part of a beautiful collection of tapestries that was made in Denmark, but was later stolen by the Swedes. (It's so funny...I've heard so much about "those thieving Swedes" and "those murdering Danes.") After that, we walked around the Old Town a bit. A dinner of pizza finished off the day!