Quality Luleå

... over the last Kanelbullar :) Kicki, Sofia and Sanna are actually visiting Minnesota in April/May with Sofia's orchestra.

I'll be so excited to see them when they arrive!

We live in a very cute and cozy town home. I feel so incredibly at home here. I love it!

Well time to go to bed. It's been a long day here in Lulea, Sweden!

I know, i know. I lead a rough life.

On a completely different tangent, how amazing would it be if UWP came to Montevideo ...

... and over a massive body of water.

I was so scared.

AND I LOVED IT!

Seriously, it was such a great flight. Great food (though many think I have a very low tolerance for food... and it's probably true), great movies to watch on the plane (The Proposal, Star Trek, My Sister's Keeper, The Sound of the Music, and all of the Harry Potter movies) and gossip magazines! In English!

We arrived in Stockholm, Sweden at 7:00 a.m. and took a tour ...

... each building was. People were dressed in old clothes and carrying out manual jobs there, it seemes so real I couldn't figure out if they actually lived/worked there or not. I enjoyed a nice sandwich there filled with something delicious but unidentifiable.

For dinner I couldn't find a supermarket on my way back to the hostel so ended up having just a packet of crisps!! I had to get the 5.40 train to Norway the next day so I slept early.

... sillalle katsomaan kuinka kovaa iso joki oikein voi virrata voimakkaimmillaan, ja kyllähän siinä voimaa riitti! Saltstraumen on siis maailman voimakkain vuorovesivirta, jossa joka kuudes tunti lähes 400 miljoonaa kuutiota vettä virtaa 3km pitkän ja 150 metriä leveän salmen läpi jopa 20 solmun nopeudella. Eli ihan mistään pikkupurosta ei ole kyse. Sattui olemaan vielä uusi kuu, jolloin se on voimakkaimmillaan (kuten myös täydenkuun aikaan ...

... me. They simply turned and left. I wandered around for an hour or more. Few locked hotels but posted prices forbidding. Finally went to bus staion and waited for first bus to Haparanda, around 8 20 AM. Still north of Artic circle so 24 hours daylight. Caught a brief chilly sleep.

... a cross with two wreaths hanging from the ends. We helped by adding greenery and wildflowers. A group of violinists marched through the crowd summoning the beginning of dancing and the raising of the pole. We held hands and danced in circles following the lead of the locals. It was fun, we laughed and pretended to know the words to the songs. Other than Gammelstad, most of Lulea was closed for the weekend. We noticed an ...

... had to settle on EuroShopper frozen strawberries from Belgium. Not bad, in fact...good. I also had to buy the round slices of pound cake pre-made, because it didn't make sense to buy big bags of flour and sugar this late in our stay. And for the cream, I bought Coolwhip....Not! I bought 2 little cartons of cream and whisked my way into creamy peaks of happiness phased with delusion...and stage one of carpal tunnel syndrome. But then I had to add sugar, so I crushed some ...

... ferry through Lulea's archipelago, a multitude of pine smothered islands in the gulf. It was breezy, kind of gray, but still I found it irresistible. We stopped at several docks to pick up or drop off people on remote islands, and at one island we were able to get off and walk around. Many of the islands housed cabins and small sandy beaches, perfect for summer get-a-ways. Our trip lasted about 4 hours, and now it's Monday. Enjoy the photos and videos from this past week!

... in western Sweden located in the mountains...recommended by someone. Should have some nice hiking. Also very close to a Norway boarder city that is apparently a must see. To get there, we will pass the Arctic Circle, which has been marked by the locals with white stones. I've gotta see this. Oh. Hello 10:51 PM, it must be time for bed. Good night moon...and sun. ***Okay, it's Sunday evening now. Haven't had internet to post. We had a fun weekend in Norway! Will post about it soon.

... some water but couldn't face eating any breakfast. Dan was probably the only one who looked like hadn't had anything to drink. That morning in the car was quite a silent one. We drove to a nearby village called Gammelstads Kyrkstad (The Church Town of Gammelstad), which is a UNESCO world heritage area. There is a church in this village which built in 1496. We tried to go inside the church the first time, but heard there was a ceremony, so thought ...