Oct 14, 2018 - Cruising the European rivers!

29th September An uneventful flight today from Budapest to Amsterdam, but sitting around for flights then standing around waiting for our luggage is getting a bit old. At least this is our last internal flight! Arrived in Amsterdam about 5pm to board our river ship, the "AMA Venita" which should have been the "AMA Reina" but she is stuck in Budapest due to the low water levels on the Danube so we will have to swap ships about half way. Even a week without changing beds etc. will be heaven! Once on board we made ourselves comfortable with...

Sep 28, 2018 - Croatia to Hungary

22nd September Today we travelled from Mostar back into Croatia to Split. Going from country to country involves border crossings, with passport control; changes in currency, which is a bit of a pain as we finish up with coins that can't be exchanged and different languages - can't understand them anyway but we seem to be able to work out what some of the signs in the streets mean, then we move on and we're back to having to work it out again. Arriving in Split just after lunch we were met by our local guide who took us through Diocletian's...

Sep 17, 2018 - More jaunting around Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England

2nd September A lovely day today along the road to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, the home of the McRaes (which is my maiden name)! Crossing the Firth of Forth, the estuary of a number of Scottish rivers, our first stop was at St Andrews, and we all know who met who there. A stroll along the High Street took me past the university and the cafe where Wills and Kate used to canoodle, to the ruins of the cathedral. It obviously was very impressive in it's heyday, as the ruins are even today. I came across a couple of Aussies along...

Sep 10, 2018 - In the city

Started the morning by walking Ella to her kindergarten which is run on the Reggio Emilia design. She starts here at 7:30 with breakfast and today was very eager to get there as her group would all go after breakfast to the nearby school for a gym session. The area in which Lars and Kristina live is organised so that you can walk or ride to schools etc without ever crossing a road. I was made welcome and looked around at the learning equipment and watched the children settle in to eat breakfast. Kristina does not work on Monday so we had a...

Sep 9, 2018 - Sunday in Stockholm

Today is Election Day in Sweden and many people are worried by the rise of the far right party - the Swedish Democrats and I noticed an article in The Age in which they were referred to as a Neo-Nazi party. I went with Lars and Kristina who had previously been sent their authority to vote in the mail, then they must show I.D. As well. Unlike our elections there were no how to vote cards being handed out outside; instead inside was a stand holding the voting directions for many candidates for the three levels of government and so people...

Sep 8, 2018 - Stockholm

Kristina was working this orning and Ella was off with a friend so Lars and I had a very long breakfast and lingered over the table talking about many things - family, politics, plans for future ....... We set off to visit the house of an old artist in an area between here, Jarfalla, and Stockholm but while we saw the house it was not open today so we couldn't see the art work. The house, along with a couple of others of the same era, is surrounded by high rise apartments. The artist refused to sell but was so impacted he stopped painting....

Sep 8, 2018 - Day 14 of the trip, day 5 in stocholm, today we go to Finland

8 September Good morning! Up at 0700 and suitcases to the lobby at 0800 then off to breakfast. Breakfasts have all been buffets. I did not realize the Scandinavians like pork and beans for breakfast! In Copenhagen and Oslo we had chocolate and/or Nutella options for breakfast; in Oslo we had pickled beets and brown cheese. Unique for Stockholm is a juicer for our orange juice! Took the subway to city hall and saw where the Nobel peace prize is awarded; where the banquet is held, etc. Saw where the Stockholm town council meets; it was quite...

Sep 7, 2018 - Into Stockholm

Sad to farewell Kajsa today as I caught the bus from Karlskoga into Stockholm. The bus terminal is close to the roundabout which features large cut out prancing horses. I had thought the horses were to do with Nobel whose Will was proved in Sweden as that was where he stabled his horses, but Kajsa set me right. Many years ago a circus was based in Karlskoga and the woman owner was very devoted to one of the fine horses on which she performed. On the death of the horse she asked for it to be buried in the cemetery but permission was refused....

Sep 7, 2018 - Day 13 of the trip, day 4 in Stockholm

Up at 0700 and out caching at 0730. Joy did not want to go caching this morning. Found 2 and then went to breakfast Today we are going to the Skansen open air museum/market for a lecture and a tour. Planning to come back to the hotel and meet Joy's friends at 1230 to go to one of the oldest caches in Europe. After the costume lecture (NEED TO TYPE UP THOSE NOTES) joy and I got 2 caches and then took the bus (67) back to the hotel. About 1230, met Matt and Camillia (EMC2+2) and went caching with them. Had a wonderful picnic at a lake. Came...

Sep 6, 2018 - Day 12 of the trip, day 3 in Stockholm

Alarm off at 0700 and to breakfast about 0730. Out for a walk to get 2 caches. Then to the lecture. Seems like a lot of the participants are still ill; 3 are missing from the lecture and others have coughs, sneezes, etc. Hope I don't get sick. Day 3 in Stockholm Lecture Alfred Nobel maybe the most famous swede! Stockholm 1833; san Remo Italy 1896; Educated in St Petersburg/Paris; 90 factories in over 20 countries. Knew multiple languages. Registered 355 patents; dynamite 1967. In 1896 had 183 million $$ Not married; no family. Nobel:...

Sep 6, 2018 - An active day

Thursday and sky a little overcast and there had been some rain overnight. Kajsa and I set off soon after 9 to drive to Loka which is a spa resort in Varmland. It has many old buildings, well maintained, housing guests many who come for conferences or special,occasions such as weddings. It was here that we celebrated Horalds special birthday so many years back with an overnight stay, a formal dinner and then entertainment and dancing. We didn't use the spa facilities then but have since and today Kajsa and I spent a couple of hours in the...

Sep 5, 2018 - Day 11 of the trip, day 2 in Stockholm

Day 2 in Stockholm (5 September) First Lecture Sweden by Caroline “How Sweden came to be….” Abba, Ikea, lingonberries, ginger cookies, volvos, skiing, open attitude, meatballs, etc 3-point safety belts (invented in Sweden) Almost the size of California; 10 million in this country Can have 3 seasons at the same time; several climate zones; have a gulf stream so not as cold as Alaska Nordland: north 2/3 of people live in the southern part of Sweden 60% consists of forests; forest industry and steel industry are 2 biggest Many buildings are...