A Swedish Odyssey......

Friday 29th June. It rained very heavily again overnight but we got up early and finally left Louise's very comfortable home just after 6.00am heading for Manchester Airport. Heavy rain all the way up the motorway but not a bad run and returned the car at 8.20am having traveled a total of 3374 miles while in England. I'm sure it would have been a lot more if we hadn't been crook.
No problems at the airport until I got pulled over for having two bottles of scotch in my hand luggage!! I just forgot about them. Had to go back and send them through as baggage.
We arrived in Sweden, at Arlanda airport, and were met by Jim. A very easy airport to get through, we just seemed to walk out, doors opened and there was Jim. A short walk of about 100m within the terminal, doors opened and we were on a train that looked and felt more like a plane. Actually it was more comfortable and lots more room than a plane!


It sure is faster than the trains into Sydney.


It looks like lovely countryside, even if it is going passed very fast.
We got off the train in the centre of Stockholm and got a taxi to Elin and Jim's apartment. They have arranged for us to have an apartment in the same block for the next couple of weeks. They put a notice on the board in the hallway to the block and found a young lady who was going on holiday and who was prepared to rent her apartment. Lovely looking city and their apartment is in a nice area.


This is the view from our windows, overlooking the local kindergarten. After moving in and doing a bit of unpacking we were taken on a quick tour of the area down to the water front, one block away. Very nice area with lots of very modern apartments.






After our walk we showered and changed before going around the corner on the same floor to Elin and Jim's to meet.....

P-G, Elin's father and his partner Agneta. Its strange to finally meet part of Elin's family. Jim had arranged for all the family to meet up but P-G and Agneta where going away to their summerhouse up country.

Elin and Jim had arranged a Swedish welcome dinner and we finally met Elin's Mom, Mia and her Grand Mother, Matia, who had travelled many hours to meet us.

Also Mia's partner Ulf and David, although we had met David before when he came to stay with us in Sydney.



Lots of good food, many toasts with Schnapps and very good company. Jim could always get a job as a chef. The night seemed to go on for ever as we didn't realise that it stayed light so late. From memory it was about 10.30pm before it started to get dark, and it was a slow process, not like here where the twilight is very short.