The Land of the Midnight Sun - Sweden. First stop: Koping

So, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm now home (arrived in PA on August 26), but I'm going to finish my story (or at least work towards finishing it).  I'd like to have a written journal of our travels so that I can remember this amazing journey...plus, our trip would just seem unfinished without it.

From Eckernforde, we drove to Luebeck where we caught a 4pm flight to Stockholm.  This was on Monday, August 9.  We flew Ryan Air for a mere $38 per person...but, there's a catch.  Ryan Air is super low budget so amenities like checked luggage, seat assignments, and priority boarding are all extras.  Plus, they are very strict about their weight restrictions on luggage.  So, whether you're carrying on your luggage or checking, you must stay within a certain weight requirement or you are charged.  Well, as you can imagine, we had been collecting a few items during our journey and were a bit worried about the weight of our luggage.  Karsten had a handy tool that weighed each bag, so after some adjusting and shifting of some items from one bag to another, we managed to get all seven of our bags under (some by a hair) the 15 kilogram weight limit.

Ryan Air flies into a small airport south of Stockholm (Skavsta) near a town called Nykoping.  Johanna Zetterlund and her mother Christina (Stina, for short) were so kind to meet us at the airport (a good 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive from their town of Koping) even though we were renting a car.  It was great to see Johanna again...for the first time in maybe three years.

The Swedish coast was beautiful from above - dotted with many, many small islands.

More tiny islands as we approached Stockholm.

We drove to Johanna's home where her father, Bjorn (sorry to all my Swedish friends -- I don't have a Swedish keyboard to make all your special letters!) had champagne and dinner ready for us.  As had become the norm with the boys (not so much for Hannah), they were very shy during the first day or so, and our first night in Koping was no exception.  Bjorn, however, was terrific with the boys and did his best to draw them out a bit.

The Zetterlund home in Koping.  If a Swedish home isn't red (see photo of cottage at lake below), it is this color yellow.

We enjoyed a champagne toast upon our arrival. Yes, the non-Swedes in the photo are the really short people!

Johanna and Hannah - happy to be together again.

Daniel and Bjorn were goofing around and exchanged glasses.  They both look pretty good!

After a good night's sleep, we left late in the morning for Stockholm.  I was very excited to see this city - I had heard so many wonderful things about it.  Stockholm is about 1 1/2 hours east of Koping.  Stina drove with Terry and my mom and Johanna drove with me and the kids.

Johanna and Dan after arriving in Stockholm.  We stopped to get a drink and a small snack.

Our first stop (after getting a coffee and a snack for the kids) was the Vasa Museum (click here for website for Vasa Museum).  The Vasa is a huge ship built by King Gustav II Adolph and sailed for a mere 20 minutes before sinking on August 10, 1628 (coincidentally 382 years to the day of our visit).  The ship was pulled from the sea off the coast of Stockholm in 1961 and now sits in a museum.  You can view the ship from several levels, see personal items found in the ship, walk inside a replica of the inside of the ship (very tight quarters!), AND view skeletons of some of those who perished (my boys' personal favorite).  We had planned to stop for an hour tops, but the kids absolutely LOVED the museum, and I ended up pulling them out after 2 plus hours so that we could see more of Stockholm.  Definitely worth another visit!

The Vasa.  This photo was taken from one of the many open "loft-like" levels surrounding the ship.

We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a "hotdog" stand outside the museum before walking along the Strandvagen (a main street along the waterfront) and made our way to the old city -- Gamla Stan.

Dan found a comfy spot along the Strandvagen -- perfect place for a happy hour drink!

A view from the Strandvagen to another area of the city.  Stockholm is many areas of land surrounded by water.

We passed the royal palace enroute to the old city -- by the way, the kids were on their scooters once again, so the walking was absolutely no problem.

Once we entered the old city, which was incredibly cute with small, narrow streets lined with shops, I was forced to stop at the first souvenir shop on the street -- only feet after entering.  The kids were determined to purchase items from just about every place we visited.  If it weren't for Terry and my mom, who offered to help the kids navigate their purchases, I wouldn't have seen anything more than two tourist shops.  I had ten minutes to myself to stroll through the streets, stop into a few shops here and there, and enjoy the ambiance of the city.

A lovely little street in the Gamla Stan - the old city.

Our gang with Johanna and Stina in the old city of Stockholm.

The building behind Hannah is representative of architecture in Stockholm - onion-shaped domes
and light colored (often yellow or cream - sometimes sienna or burnt orange) buildings.

The scooters were key!

Stina and Johanna along the water in Stockholm.

...speaking of mothers and daughters...my mom and me.

Several houseboats are docked along the Strandvagen in Stockholm.  If you look closely,
you'll see this one is equipped with a grill.

Johanna and the kids.  The bridge behind them goes to the Vasa Museum.

A view of the Nordiska Museum - the Swedish cultural history museum - from the Strandvagen.  It's across from the Vasa Museum.

We didn't see nearly what we wanted to see -- again, I need to return to Stockholm someday -- but it was time to work our way back to the car and return to Koping for dinner.

The next day I celebrated my birthday -- Swedish style!  When I came downstairs in the morning, I was greeted by Johanna, Stina, and Bjorn who began to sing at least three different versions of "Happy Birthday" to me in Swedish.  It seems the Swedes don't stick to one song -- they have an entire playlist!  Also, in Swedish tradition, the breakfast table was set with a napkin that had a tulip printed on it.  In Sweden (and perhaps other countries), tulips are a sign of good luck and are often given (either fresh or in the form of a picture) on one's birthday.

My table setting on the morning of my birthday.

My birthday was just perfect -- mostly because it was very relaxing.  I went for a walk, which felt great because I had some time to myself and I got a bit of exercise.  Then, we went to a nearby lake for a swim.  Sweden is dotted with thousands of lakes.  I can now understand why the Swedes settled in Minnesota -- land of 10,000 lakes! -- when they emigrated to the US!  It must have felt like home.  The kids swam while the adults relaxed with magazines, books, and some coffee (yes, it was cool - the kids didn't care, they swam anyway).

Swimming on a cloudy day in a COLD Swedish lake.

Johanna and Hannah sitting on the dock.  The red building in the background is very typical for a Swedish home.

Don't I look relaxed?

Hannah, Johanna, and Daniel enjoying the lake.

That evening the Zetterlunds treated me to a dinner that began with a seasonal specialty - crawfish.  We sat outside on their covered patio.  The Zetterlunds showed us how to open them (very similar to eating lobster, but much smaller.  Less meat than a lobster, but more than a crab).  We moved inside for dinner and dessert -- my birthday "cake!"  The cake was vanilla ice cream, meringues, and strawberries all piled on top of a plate. It was topped with little Swedish flags and a big candle (not 46, thank you!) -- so festive!

Johanna preparing my birthday dinner - THANK YOU Johanna!

The Zetterlund's back patio where we ate our crawfish.

The crawfish!

My mom and Terry dressed for a special birthday dinner.

Stina and Bjorn popped another bottle of champagne for me!

Sina and my mom at the dinner table.

My Swedish birthday cake!

I need to include one other story that is worth relaying, because I think it is good example of why this trip was so incredibly unique and special.  While the adults were busy cleaning crawfish and drinking champagne, the boys (and later Hannah) were outside playing.  The front of Johanna's home sits on a private circular road, and in the center of this road is a grassy area with a swing set and play area for kids.  The boys went outside to play on the swings and two little girls (ironically 8 and 10 years old - like the boys!) and a couple of boys came to play too.  Well, despite the huge language barrier -- the girls spoke very little English - they had just begun studying it in school -- they were able to communicate.  The girls own two pet rabbits that they brought to the playground.  It was remarkable watching the kids interact -- even without the benefit of spoken language.  For my kids, the experience was one that they probably would not have had if we had toured Sweden by staying in hotels.  Sadly, our schedule and the neighborhood kids' schedule did not coincide again during our stay.  But, Johanna told us after we left that the girls had been coming by her home looking for the boys.  They must have enjoyed meeting the Americans as much as my kids enjoyed meeting them.

Johanna and Hannah saying hello to the rabbits.

Adam showing one of the neighborhood girls a worm he found.

On our final full day with the Zetterlunds, we travelled to Uppsala, a university town located north of Stockholm and about an hour away from Koping.  After arriving in the city, which, by the way, is where Johanna's sister attends university, we went directly to the cathedral.  It's a large, impressive building that sits on a hill and towers over the city.  It is sort of Uppsala's beacon because one can see it as you approach the city, giving direction to the center of town.

Uppsala Cathedral sits high above the city.

Johanna and the kids walking (well, the kids were scooting!) up the hill to the Cathedral.

This cathedral is not a typical Swedish church (well, not typical for what we saw).  Many of the churches we saw in Sweden have rounded domes -- not pointed spires as seen here.

After seeing the cathedral and having a snack and coffee just outside at a little cafe, we walked to the pedestrian shopping area in town.  Hannah wanted to check out the H&M (which is a Swedish-based chain - if you don't know it, it's a low-priced but fashionable/trendy clothing store with locations throughout Europe and in some US cities) and the boys were interested in doing some souvenir shopping.  So, rather than touring the town, Johanna, my mom and I stayed with the kids and shopped while Terry and Stina went to find the university's main library.  From the limited view I had of the city, it seemed to be a lovely old university town -- definitely worth another visit.

A coffee break outside the Uppsala Cathedral.

A street in Uppsala.

Johanna and Hannah on our walk back to the car.

The kids and me -- and a scooter!

Another nice view of the Uppsala waterfront.

That evening the Zetterlunds treated us to another Swedish delicacy....pickled herring, or sill as it's called in Sweden, washed down with aquavit.  Sill is traditionally eaten at Christmas, Easter, and Midsummer (a celebration of the summer solstice in June).  We were offered about three different varieties of sill and at least as many varieties of aquavit.  I've had pickled herring before but only in a sour cream sauce.  This time I tried it in a clear pickling liquid -- sort of a sweet/sour flavor -- and one in a light red tomato sauce (plus one or two other varieties).  They were all tasty, and I think I liked it more this time than when I had eaten it before -- I think because I've come to enjoy sushi.  The idea of eating pickled fish was appealing to me.

As for the aquavit, each had a different flavor -- some of them herbal -- but they were all quite strong and burned going down...and kept on burning for some time!  Again, our Swedish hosts had several fun songs to sing for us -- songs traditionally sung when drinking aquavit.  I suspect the more one drinks, the more one sings.  It was a great way to spend our last night in Koping.

Our selection of Swedish sill.  It tastes better than it looks!

Bjorn serving the aquivit, which is served with beer as a chaser.

Hannah and Johanna with their matching (almost) H&M shirts!

The next morning we packed our bags -- amazing how our suitcases seemed to completely explode when we arrived somewhere and opened them -- and began the 4 1/2 hour drive to visit Asa in Gemla.

A group photo just before leaving Koping for Gemla.

Last Stop in Germany -- Eckernforde

Well, I'm really behind updating the blog.  We've been through Germany, spent eleven days in Sweden, and we are now in Paris for the final leg of our journey.  But, I'll backtrack a bit (in a few separate postings) and describe our experiences the past few weeks.

Where was I?  Oh, yes, we were in Wasbuttel, Germany with Johanna Finke.  We left her home on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 4 and drove about 5 hours north into the very northern area of Germany. We had arranged to stay with Frauke and her family in her very small village of Windeby - very close to Eckernforde on the Baltic Sea.

The back of the Fabel home.

The journey was fine -- I've become quite comfortable driving on the uber fast autobahns in Germany.  What we've all heard about those roads is true -- there are areas with not posted speed limits.  So, I stayed primarily in the right lane driving 120-130 kilometers (a snail's pace at 75-80 mph) while being passed by speeding Audis, Mercedes, and BMWs.

We ran into our first traffic jam on this drive -- something that seems to be well controlled on European highways with little construction (the highways are in very good condition, so they must do road work at some point), a very structured system of driving on the right while passing on the left, and a series of roundabouts on the secondary roads to keep traffic moving by not using stop lights or stop signs.  We were warned about the tunnel under the Elbe River in Hamburg, which is exactly where we were delayed by an extra 45 minutes to an hour.

With our trusty GPS (truly amazing technology -- it accurately leads us to even the most remote addresses!), we arrived in Windeby in the early evening just in time for dinner.

Our plan at this stop was to stay in Frauke's neighbor's guesthouse, but there was a miscommunication and the place was being used.  Frauke's family were wonderful and managed to fit all of us in their home -- Frauke (who no longer lives at home) slept on a mattress in the living area!  We all had the second floor to ourselves -- and two of the kids were pumped to sleep in a loft above Frauke's room.  In the end, the accommodations worked out just fine.  My only concern was that we had arranged to stay for five nights thinking that we would not be a huge burden on the Fabel's, but now that we were actually in their home, I felt as if we were staying a tad longer than I would have otherwise.  But, we were there, the family was incredibly welcoming (we had another American flag upon our arrival and a bottle of celebratory champagne), and we had a flight to Sweden on the back end of our stay, so there was no leaving earlier than planned.

The view from our bedroom at the Fabel home.

The front yard of the Fabel's and the neighbor's thatched roof home.

Daniel with the American flag.

I have to describe dinner.  The food on this journey seems to be a main focus for us.  It may be, in part, because I'm a foodie, but it's also because each of our host families has gone all out to show us the best of their world and that almost always involves the local foods, flavors, and culinary customs.  The Fabel's introduced us to Danish hotdogs -- Eckernforde is only about a half hour drive from the Danish boarder, so there is a great deal of influence between the two countries.

The table as it looked when we arrived!

The kids were thrilled to actually see a hotdog on a bun that resembled an American hotdog roll.  In other parts of Germany and even Switzerland, they became accustomed to eating hotdogs in a hollowed out length of French bread (baguette).  But, what makes a Danish hotdog unique are the toppings.  I'll try and list them in the exact order (because there IS an exact order) -- ketchup, mustard (more dark than our yellow French's mustard but not super strong), remoulade (sort of a mayonnaise with some pickle -- a little like 1000 Island salad dressing but without the ketchup, so it's more creamy looking), crispy fried onions (little bits that are purchased and are not in any way like our purchased fried onions....they are very lightly battered and fried and so good that I wanted to eat them by the handful!), and bread and butter pickle slices (or sweet pickled cucumbers).  It may sound like an odd combination of flavors, but let me tell you, they are fabulous!

We had a terrific night's sleep, woke to a full German breakfast (hard boiled eggs in egg cups, meats, cheeses, fresh rolls and breads from the local bakery, homemade jams, Danish yoghurt - yoghurt is poured from a liter size carton in northern Europe, muesli, Nutella - the kids were THRILLED to see that on the table once again!!!!, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes and sometimes peppers, etc.)  We also made great use of our host's washing machine -- always great to have clean clothing.

Our daily breakfast spread!

Irmi with a locally smoked trout that we enjoyed for dinner one night.

Karsten, Frauke's dad, went to work in the morning while Frauke and her mother, Irmi (short for Irmtraude -- I hope I have that spelling correct!!) took us to the beach in Eckernforde for a little tour and to see Trudi.  Trudi (the German spelling may be with an "e" instead of an "i") is a seal that has found her way to the beach in Eckernforde and has parked herself there for the summer.  She most likely came from the North Sea -- on the opposite side of northern Germany.  No one knows why she is there or how long she will stay.  She is on the beach most of the time in a roped off area to protect her.  She goes into the water sometimes (although she was on the beach while we were there) during the day and almost always in the evening and at night to fish.  The kids loved her, and she seems to love kids -- in fact, she almost poses when she has camera-wielding visitors.

Trudi the seal with cabanas in the background.

The kids had a great time playing on the rocks that jutted out into the sea -- well, until the boys fell into the water and emerged wet with a few scrapes and bruises.  The town also has a zip line in the beach playground area, so that was a huge attraction.

Dan on the zipline.

Oh, one other cool tidbit about the beach.  Local families place personal cabanas on the beach (pictured below).  They are small wicker half shell structures that have a bench that seats about two adults.  A gate folds up and locks to keep them secure when the owners aren't on the beach and, in Irmi and Karsten's case, they store a small table and other items they need for a sunset drink or a day on the beach.  I'm sure the cabanas are found in other European beaches, but this is the first time we've seen them.

The kids in the Fabel's beach cabana.

While we were at the beach, Karsten called and offered up some ideas for the afternoon (well, I should say later in the afternoon -- our days begin late and end late!).  One was to meet with friends of theirs on their boat that was docked north of Eckernforde in a small harbor on the Baltic Sea.  We would go for cake and coffee and perhaps a short cruise.  It sounded like a great idea.  So, we met Karsten back at the house for a quick lunch and headed out.  On the way, we made a few stops to see some manor houses/small castles and a few other local sites.

We had a personal tour of an old manor house.

When we arrived in Kappeln -- a sweet fishing town on the Baltic Sea -- late in the afternoon.  We met Johan and his wife Anika at their boat.  By this time it was raining quite heavily, but Johan had a big umbrella that kept us somewhat dry.  I don't know much about sailing or boats, but I think it was about 40 feet long.  It had a lower deck with a small kitchen, a two bedrooms (one of which was very small), a bathroom, a small powder room -- really a WC, and a table with seating.  Irmi had brought a homemade strawberry tart and Anika and Johan had other goodies.  We had tea with our cake, and Johan and Anika showed us a special Danish way of drinking tea.  I can't recall the name of the tea, but it was a strong black tea.  We each had a small cup to which a rock of sugar was added -- about the size of a chocolate truffle.  Then, the hot tea was poured over the sugar rock causing the rock to crackle and pop (yes, sort of like the cereal).  Cream (or heavy milk but it looked like cream to me) was poured onto the top so it swirled into the tea.  I stirred my tea, but the idea is that you should drink the tea without stirring.

Our special Danish tea.

Terry, Dan and Hannah before cake was served on the boat.

After our cake and tea (which was unfortunately interrupted by little scare with Adam and his nut allergies -- long story, but Adam has some mild to moderate nut allergies and nuts are in virtually ALL baked good in Europe.  He had a bite of some cake and announced that his mouth felt funny...of course, I could not find the Benadryl that I vowed to carry with me everywhere!  I had an epipen, but the condition wasn't that severe.  My mom had left her bag in the car, which contained a Benadryl, and Karsten offered to walk back to the car in the teaming rain to fetch it for her.  All was well...just a little scare (well, a BIG scare for me) and Adam felt fine after taking the meds.

Johan offered to take us all for a short ride, and we gladly accepted.  We cruised around the harbor -- beautiful northern German countryside with a stormy sky as a backdrop -- and into the Baltic Sea before turning around and returning to port.  Johan was terrific with the kids and gave each of them a chance to steer the boat.  It was a great day -- yet another day that was so much more special because we were given a more local view of life in Europe.

Dan learning the ropes!

Hannah, Johan and Karsten readying the boat for departure.

Johan and Daniel steering the boat out of the harbor.

Adam taking his turn.

Hannah

A few thatched roof houses along the banks of the Baltic Sea inlet.

A passing boat.

A German flag on a boat and a lighthouse at the area where the harbor meets the Baltic Sea.

Friday morning (August 6) Frauke and the kids went for a swim/walk on the beach and a round of minigolf.  Irmi escorted Terry, my mom, and me into downtown Eckernforde for a little tour and a bit of shopping.  The city is really a village that is situated directly on the water.  The streets are cobblestone, church steeples are the highest point of the skyline, and fishing boats dock along the harbor area.  It's a summertime tourist destination and, because of this special role, the grocery stores and shops are opened on Sundays, which is not the case throughout most of Germany.

Eckernforde is a lovely seaside town.

An Eckernforde street.

We met Karsten at home in the afternoon and decided to take a trip to the North Sea -- about an hour drive from Eckernforde.  The North Sea coastline is dotted with small islands.  Some are protected by rising waters from levees while others lose part of their land when the tide comes in.  We drove out to an island -- I'm embarrassed I don't remember the name -- that was covered with grazing sheep.  The sheep roamed wildly and often walked into the one-lane road preventing the cars from moving any further.  One other note about northern Germany (and much of Germany for that matter) -- they have cornered the market on wind energy.  As we drove through the countryside, we saw fields and fields of HUGE windmills, pictured below.

A windmill field taken from our moving car.

Hannah saying hello to one of the sheep.

I think the sheep are posing for Frauke.

About halfway into the drive down the island road, we stopped at a small cottage that was used as a birding station.  It was closed, but Irmi (unbeknownst to us) brought along a thermos of coffee and cookies.  We found a bench on the sunny side of the cottage and Irmi found a small folding table on the porch of the cottage that she carried around to use as a serving area.  We sat for a bit and drank our hot coffee (the day was sunny but cool) and ate our butter cookies.

Our coffee break - thanks to Irmi!!

Irmi and Terry walking towards the Sea.

At the end of the island, we parked the car and walked towards the water, which was just beginning to rise from the incoming tide.  The bottom of the sea (set below a tall sea wall of stone) was a muddy sand, but the kids, Karsten, Irmi, and I removed our shoes and walked into the sea.  A father and his children were way out into the water, which was quite shallow way out into the sea.  Hannah and Adam walked out quite a distance, but I had them come back in since the tide was rising.  We sat on the steps to the sea and timed how long it took for the water to rise from one step to the next.  Each step was about 1 foot high and the water rose about 3 inches in 7 minutes.  The kids had fun watching the water rise so quickly, and Hannah caught a small North Sea shrimp.

Standing in the North Sea mud before the tide came in.

Hannah's North Sea shrimp.

On Saturday we travelled to Hamburg where we split into two groups.  Frauke and I took the kids to the zoo while my mom, Terry, Karsten, and Irmi went to the Emigration Museum.  I can't speak about the museum but the zoo was fabulous.  It's situated in the city but once inside the gates, you're surrounded by trees and greenery.  All the animals live in incredibly natural settings.  We all met near the harbor area later that evening for one of our few restaurant meals.

Daniel and Frauke at the zoo.

Hannah and Frauke in front of the elephants.

The kids enjoying some popcorn at the zoo.

Scooting along the harbor in Hamburg.

Waiting for the boys along the Hamburg harbor.

Hamburg

We spent Sunday (a rainy day) finishing up some laundry, catching up on e-mails, and repacking our suitcases.  The next day, Monday the 9th, was departure day.  We flew from Lubeck, Germany to Stockholm, Sweden to see the final two au pairs on our journey.  So, after a very teary goodbye to Frauke and her family, we were off...

Hercules, the big, FAT cat.