Papa has to do what Papa has to do - vacation

Both Anna and Solvi have Vacation, but papa did work this morning and even this evening. In the meantime, he had to do what a man have to do these days:
Beeing women's Chauffeur. They wanted to go to Sweden.Shopping of course. It’s not that far from the Summer House – let’s say around 75 minutes. Each way. Plus 2 hours Shopping.
Papa went hungry, so he bought a baguette ++.
When the women in question discovered that fact, what do you think happened?

 We agreed upon to find a nice place to have an open air luncheon.

10-15 minutes off the Motorway. Idyllic?

Here you see them - Open Air Lunch.

Mind you: A dangerous place - Sea cabel just beside. Woman and warning Signs?

Papa is just a driver...

Can you see the Fish?

Don't worry, papa could not see them either;-)

Papa went for a short walk, and enjoyed this house and garden

Is it a Summer House? Or do people live here year around?

The Ladies are enjoyoing their Shrimp Salad. Papa suspects it was some sweets in the plastic bag. Who knows. After all. the both of them were very pleased;-)

PS. When back in our Summer House 9 out of 10 sweet pastries were missing. Mysterious. LOL.

Saturday we are going to Istanbul. Hope my PC will work from there. For short reports.

Have a great time everybody.
PS 2: Will you join me at Paradise Beach, to learn how the History of Northern Europe Change around 1808?

A - Sunday - Papa take an A Challenge

Well, this is a challenge from Petunia in Norway. Our own Country.

This week it's A.

And I could not resist: 3x20 Anna

More A'¨s here. At Petunias blog (Norwegian language)

Papa goes Shopping - again

My dear bloggerfriends who have followed my modest blog in the past, do know that Papa from time to time goes shopping. Well, not shopping the "things" you need to "compensate" for what you forgot while doing the BIG SHOPPING for the week.
Please enjoy Papa's shopping on a TORsday. From Norway to Sweden and return.

We had a very special Guest- Shopper, to be picked up at the Railway Station nearby. Who could that person be?

Wow, It's Ingelin. Papa's daughter. (Papa had not seen her since Dec 26th last year)

Papa asked the ladies, Anna and Ingelin, to sit in the back seats.
Papa needed to listen to the Radio to avoid the "sound" from their talks (I did not say blah - blah - -- I mean: Do not disturb the driver. They talked without a pause (on in breath) - what they talked about? Don't shoot the Chauffeur, papa had to concentrate on the very special driving conditions: Heavy Snowing for 132 km (about 80 Miles) with heavy traffic- ok?)

Well we arrived in Sweden. 1hrs 15minutes.
We did shop.
What we bought is of no interest, but for us.

We did watch the Swans just outside the "Cold Bath"

Anna and Ingelin asked for something for Lunch.

Papa had to eat something as well.

Then we went for a walk in the small Town of Stömstad. A Summer Paradise Winter Dressed.

This small Town is a Nordic Summer Paradise.

But, as you see: It's Winter.

And there are small Boats to buy for what might be a good price (SEK)

Hope you enjoyed the trip. To a Nordic Summer Paradise for all of you that loves boating.
Here, on Feb 19 - 2009
Papa has once again gone shopping.
And - you - have not seen what we bought;))

Have a great end of the Week.

Hugs to all Papa's readers
from
Anna and Ingelin as well

Swimming in the Canal - Interlude from USA

Dear readers,
I'm gonna bring you to a swimming contest taking place in a Canal with Locks: The Sjötorp Canal Swimming Festival (July 27). Well, we are some weeks back in Time. With RennyBA and DianeCA.

From the Locks before the Competition

The Canal Swimming has long traditions and ends up just before the last/first Lock in the Gothen Canal at the shore of lake Vänern (See RennyBA about). This year 280 people did compete. Water temperature, according to the speaker: 24 C (75 F)

The competition has 4 classes or distances. All but the shortest had to pass the Locks. Actually, they only swim into the upper lock and then run down besides the three lower ones before diving/jumping/climbing into the water for the last 200 meters (220 yards) of swimming.

The first group swim a distance of 200 meters (220 yars). There are none winners or loosers in this Group. They all receive a diploma for their efforts.

Just before start. Group 1 - 200 meters ( 220 yards)
Enlarge and you will remark every competitor wears a white swimming cap with an individual number. Why? To be recognized of course. Not only to descide who won, but first of all Security Reasons. Each swimmer had their "lifeguard" following from land to keep an eye to prevent unexpected "disappearences" - something that unfortunally ended with a tragic drowning some years ago. Now Security has Priority one.

Started - at least half of group 1

In the water.
Group 1 consists of grandpa with grand daughter, kids with life jackets, young and old. Mixed with other words. I think it's fascinating that people all ages can compete and win their private victory by completing this run. Hurray. Two young kids followed their Grandpa from land and shouted:
Grandpa - Grandpa - man go on - we are proud of you - repeated the whole distance. They were really engaged.

After the finnish of Group 1, I did walk back to the Locks.

Who but Anna did I meet at the Flea Market? (Diana and Anna went swimming out of Competion - Masters as they are)

Group 2 swim 650 meters (3/8 mile) and pass the Upper Lock, then running down 3 Locks.

Here is the leaders - they have a real competition. This year both number 1 and 2 beat the old record.

Different ways to enter the Canal after running down besides the Locks: (still group 2)


Have a closer look by enlarging, and you understand what I mean - and you also might have a good laugh.
Group 3 swim 1800 meters ( 1 1/10 mile) and Group 4 does 2800 meters (1 3/4 mile).
When they finnished, we had a trout dinner. Guess where?

Here you see the original canal swimmer. LOL.
YOU MUST ENLARGE THIS ONE

More to come...
from Sweden, USA and Norway, so stay tuned

PhotoHunt: Hanging - July 26 -2008

The most extreme "hanging" I've ever seen is this "Toilettes/WC/Latrine" hanging outside Lacko Castle. A Castle for the Kings, Dukes, Generals, the rich and famous in Sweden.
Can you believe it? Well, it was of course several hundreds of years ago, no plumbing etc.
May be they were used to smells most of us dislike these days. LOL.

More serious facts to come from the Castle. pls be patient. OK?
Photohunters

PhotoHunt - Saturday April 19 - 2008: 13

--- Baked with Seaweed. Very crispy and tasty. Only 13 calories, if you add butter. LOL.

More photohunters

Winter Vacation has come to an End

Our Winter Vacation in Mariestad with our wonderful friends Renny and Diane is over for now. It's a sentimental fact. We miss it allready. The journey home allways feels very long. Makes a distance to all the wonderful memories, moments, fun and food. Then thanks we can blog to share and remember.
Below is how our Saturday evening dinner ended. LOL. (Our quiz afterwords was very funny and challenging. But all the photos are blurry. The Champagne?)

To see the Dinner from the very beginning, you must visit RennyBA's Terella.

Wordless Wednesday - February 19 - 2007

We did have a Wordless Dinner when we arrived at RennyBA's leisure home in Mariestad, Sweden - after 5 1/2 hours driving from Oslo, Norway.

PS. Did you know when in Mariestad, the distance by helicopter to the 3 Scandinavian Capitals Copenhaguen, Oslo and Stockholm is the same. That was this weeks lesson.

Wordless Wednesday

Cybercuisers - on their way to meet the Captain

If you are looking for Photo Hunters: Music, Click here

Töcksfors, Sweden:
– Meeting the Natives in a Norwegien shopping Paradise.

--- and the raise and fall and raise again off a tiny Swedish border settlement

--- come back to life due to lack of oil in Sweden and currency changes

We went from Norway to Sweden on a Friday afternoon in July in the year of 2007.
Our purpose and goal was to meet a blogger friend and Captain at Faaroe in the Baltic Sea. A trip of about 7-9 hours – depending on the traffic – to the Car Ferries at the Mainland. ++ 3 hours on the Car-carrier to Gotland ++ n hours from Visby to Faaroe.

We left from Oslo (Norway about 4 pm) on E18 – or for US readers E18 - that might be similar to an Interstate-xx. Heading east for about 100 km (62 miles). 75 minutes. Lucky us. We were invited to non the less but Johs and Bettan. For dinner and stay overnight before our next leg in direction of Captain and Mr Lifecruiser.

Butt – where did we stop?
In Sweden. Only 10 km (6miles) from the border. In a tiny “village” named Töcksfors.

This is what met us

What the %#”%?&% is so interesting about such a place?

Going back in history a frontier settlement like this, the people that lived there, during centuries were trapped between the Kingdom of Sweden and /Denmark/Norway. They really did suffer. That’s from these period the name Toecksfors is originated ( popular translation: Put down place). They suffered because of the wars and hostility between the the two neighbouring countries for centuries. In reality, it was a question of power between Kings - not people in general.
Some hundred years ago. Iron was discovered, and the place blossomed, but it was suddenly time out for iron mining. Then it was timber, and the channel- Dalslands Kanal were opened in the early 1800. Bancrupcies and new industries came and left over the years. People moved away from the area.

To day it is very popular to sail/boating on this Channel (Dalslands kanal)during the summer. You can go for days at the channel and lakes. And cross the border in to Norway. It's also interesting to know that the local radio station do cooperate with local Norwegian radio stations. And that the sport club together with a sport club at the other side of the frontier has build a cross country ski track - ligthened in the evenings - that goes on both sides of the border. No customs or passports needed. And no security control.

We were served crab shells and shrimps and white wine
Johs and Bettan. They live in Töckfors. That’s their home. In Sweden. Natives so to speak. Butt they are Norwegians. 75 minutes drive to Oslo. Where they work. Crazy? Not at all. House prizes is about 40% of what it is in the Oslo area – and when only a few years from retiring; Very wise.

Having dinner outside in the evening Sun

Here are some pictures from their home and the food we had. Please enjoy. It was a very pleasant evening and stay. Excellent food. A mild, sunny summer evening. After the meal we went to the river and Lock. There is 2 Locks in Töcksfors and total height difference is 9 meters.

You want an egg? Not far to go here.
Back to the Village. Number of habitants were decreasing year after year. Until the Norwegian currency suddenly became more valuable than the Swedish. When I was young we in Norway had to pay NOK 1,20 for oneSEK,. Today we pay NOK 0.84. That has led to a blooming in Toecksfors. Serving Norwegians hunting for cheaper Meat, Pasta, Wine, Tobacco, Chicken and even light beer and sodas. And sweets.

They live close to the channel and river (just behind the trees)
Butt, the Swedes have neglected this small village. It’s so far from Stockholm (400 km - 250 miles). The Capital at the border of the Baltic Sea. So what do you think have happened?

From the Trumpet glasses, you can see we had come to the end of a fantastic meal. PS. We are sitting outdoor.

Norwegian retailers have build a large Shopping Mall. 30000 square meters. It's expected 3 million customers a year. Also new housing has been buildt. In that tiny village, last year the number of citiziens grew by 50 – to 1692. That’s much to be declared as a “non-place”. But this is only the beginning. In a short time new shopping Malls (60000 sq meters) will pop up. New houses (100 villas). And new hotels. Thanks to the strong Norwegian currency and relative low food prices in Sweden. Tobacco and Wine is also half price. For Norwegians it’s a shopping paradise. Only 6 miles from the frontier. Special busses goes from Oslo directly to the Shopping mall. All thanks to the Oil and Gas found in the North Sea, which have made Norway a very rich country - and the people too.
For us, it’s a canoeists paradise. On the Lakes and rivers. And Johs and Bettan.

Thanks Johs

Lifecruiser Cyber Cruise in Technorati

More cruises at Lifecruiser

Photo Hunters - August 11 - 2007

This week: Row - Here Boats in a row at Göta Channel in Sweden - We were invited to the channel by blogger friend RennyBA. And this photo is taken in the heartland of our CruiseCaptain Mrs. Lifecruiser - Have look at this one too - incredible.

Find more bloggers in a row

Leaving Gotland ain't easy

Tuesday afternoon we left Mrs and Mr Lifecruiser at Fårö and headed for Visby and the Ferry to the mainland.

- Two tickets to Nynäsham at 5.10 pm, I ordered at the ticket office.

- Do you have a Car?

- Yes, we do.

- Sorry, then the ferry is fully booked up

- When is the next availability?

- At half past twelve in the night

OMG - crossing to the mainland during the night an then 7 hours driving ahead. No way.

- Do you know if there is any hotel nearby?

- Just across the street.

We went there. All booked up. Then we went to the tourist information.

- No free room in Visby. But there is still some rooms at Lommelunda Youth Hostel

- How far is that?

- Well, about 20 minutes by car.

- OK, can you reserve for me?

- Yes, I will. Please write down this cellphone number, as the host might be around - and give me yours as well.

Then back to the Ferry's Ticket Office and bought tickets for next morning - 8.50 am.

Outside old Visby

Restaurant build into an old rampart tower

Anna studing the Backery

This gave us the opportunity to visit The Hanseatic Town - Old Visby - now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Read more on Captain Lifecruisers blog

Then we went up to the Youth Hostel - Lommelunda Vandrarhem. We were showed the Restrooms, the sleeping room and the Kitchen. The kitchen? We were free to use it for making our own dinner. How wonderful. We had no food. Only some wine and fruits.

We asked for the nearest resaturant. And went there - 10 minutes further North. Sat down. No reaction from the waiters. We left.

Another 10 minutes drive. Down to the coast. And had a very pleasant fish meal.

Maistang - Since many years the Swedes have danced around the Maistang on Midsummer nights.

View from the Restaurant - and the 5:10 pm ferry to the mainland.

Back to the Youth Hostel.

Went for a walk at the beachfront. And watched the old fisherman huts and boats

Found my Alarm Clock - dead. OMG - the only time we need that little thing, and it was completly dead. grrrrr. How would this end?

We have been out a winternight before - and arrived the Ferry Harbour before 8 am.

End of Ferry tour.

And in our Winterhome before 8 pm. Then, of course the Alarm Clock started it's alarming sound. Stupid gadget.

Gotland and Fårö are highly recomended vacation destinations.