I'm overwhelmed with the events over the past few weeks. So many great things have happened and now I will try to capture it in this blog.....
It started on Thursday, February 20th when I received a notice that a package was waiting for me at the Daglivs. I wasn't expecting anything, so you can imagine my surprise when I was handed a large package from the U.S. with one of my oldest and dearest friend's name (Jacki) on the return address. I raced home so excited to open it! The letter inside brought me to tears.... not only because I miss her so much, but also because after all these years, living so far away from each other, we haven't missed a beat! The treats inside were so thoughtful, and so delicious! Jack.... I love you so much and I'm so thankful for our friendship! Now... please get a Facebook account so we can communicate a lot easier!
The letter reminded me of how truly blessed I am to still have that group of girlfriends that I've had since elementary school. We've been through so much over the past 35 years (wow... we are old) and we are still so close. Jacki wrote something in that letter that hit home....... all of us girls were always looking out for each other, lifting each other up, and never competing with or jealous of one another. It's a tough world out there... and I only hope my boys will find the type of friends that I was lucky enough to have. So... this is a shout out to my Levittown girls.... even though I'm across the world, you are in my heart, and in all of my childhood stories that I tell my kids.
Speaking of girlfriends, I've also been blessed with a wonderful group here in Stockholm. We've started a tradition of celebrating everyone's birthday and this month it was Heidi and Lori we were celebrating with a GIRLS NIGHT OUT. Early in February, I called Orangeriet to reserve a few couches and tables for the party. After speaking to many employees, I was able to convince them to give us a reservation even though their policy is not to reserve space. Since we were close to 20 people, I promised them that we would order a lot of drinks and food. The night turned out great! The waiter and bartender were so fun and very tolerant of us as we asked them to take photo after photo of us. The birthdays girls went home with beautiful gifts and it was an awesome way to spend our last night in Stockholm before everyone flew around the world for the "Sports Break". Wikipedia says it better..... "
Schools have a one-week break during February called sportlov ("sports break"). This break originated in the coke rationing of World War II, but today it is more of an incentive for exercise through winter sports. The break occurs between week 7 and 10 depending on county, to spread utilization of Swedish ski resorts."
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| Sara with her first drink of the night |
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| We are always laughing together |
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| a pre party picture |
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Heidi opening her presents
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The February break for the Payne family was spent in Barcelona with our very special Aunt Dee Dee. It was a week of hilarious stories, spanish speaking mistakes, touring, getting lost, and discovering that Barcelona is not the best city for young boys.... at least in the winter months. We did have a great time, despite some of the obstacles.
Chase and I arrived on Saturday night, while Steve and the boys stayed in Stockholm for Jake's soccer tournament and Smith's friend's birthday party. Dee arrived on Sunday morning where Chase and I were waiting to spend the day with her. She had a rough flight and wasn't feeling well, so she slept it off while Chase and I ventured the streets for some tapas. This picture was taken at La Tertulia, where we met some new friends and I enjoyed my lunch of seafood croquet and goat cheese salad while Chase enjoyed his eggs and bacon. The first thing I noticed about Spain was how friendly everyone was. It was so refreshing to be around people that look up when they walk, and smile at you while making eye contact. After lunch, we went back to pick up Dee Dee and all three of us walked to the beach which was only a few blocks from the apartment where we stayed.
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| beautiful day at the beach |
There was a playground at the beach so Chase was able to run and climb. We then walked to the metro station where we figured out how to buy the bus and train tickets. Of course we found time for some ice cream too.
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| Chase is a great travel companion |
That evening, Steve arrived with Jake and Smith. He still had to check in to
his hotel, so he left us fairly quickly. Steve was in Barcelona for Mobil World Congress and had very little free time to play with us. He did manage to have dinner with us twice though. The next morning, Jake and I ventured into town to buy a few groceries for our apartment. On the way, we walked past a fruit and veggie market, which you all know is my favorite thing about Europe. We bought all of our produce there and then headed to the grocery store for the rest of the things on our list. Shopping in Spain was a lot easier than Sweden because they carry more American products on the shelves, and also because I can read Spanish a lot better than Swedish. It was also very similar to Sweden in that we had to walk through the streets with heavy bags. We did make it back in time with breakfast, and then we all headed to the Hop on Hop Off bus tour for two days of exploring the city. We thought this was a better idea with the kids because they had no interest in walking the streets for eight hours a day. The tour took us by all the sites and we had the option of getting off, exploring, and then hopping back on to the next stop. The weather was perfect, sunny and 55ºF, so we were able to sit on the top where it was open. The city of Barcelona is very spread out.... it's not as easy to walk around as say Paris or Stockholm. So this tour was a perfect option for us. Our plan was to see Park Güell, a work of famous architect, Antonio Gaudi. His work is so unique and so amazing, that the only way to describe it is through photos. My pictures don't do it justice, so I've attached the website and you can explore on your own. http://www.parkguell.es/en/galeria-fotografias
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| The view of Barcelona from the top of Park Güell |
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| They climbed everything |
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| The outside of Park Güell |
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| The grounds were beautiful |
Our next destination was Tibidabo, a really pretty part of Barcelona that also has an amusement park. According to the tour guides, the next stop would take us there. This is where their lack of english and our lack of spanish was detrimental to our day. We jumped off the bus, the boys literally jumping up and down for the next excursion. We began walking in the direction of Tibidabo. We walked and walked and walked.... and then we asked three people along the way how much further. We got three different answers as to how far we still had to go... but all three pointed up, in the direction of this breath taking castle. The boys were getting really tired, but the anticipation of the amusement park kept them going. After about 45 minutes, Dee and I were doubting this adventure. We finally came across a man that spoke decent english and he informed us that we still had about 5 miles to go before reaching the top. The disappointment was on all of our faces but we all agreed that we needed to head back to the bus and plan to see Tibidabo another day when we had more time. So, we walked all the way back to the bus and decided to stay seated as the bus took us to another part of the city. Needless to say, the boys were not thrilled with this plan, and they let us all know it on the bus. But, one of the stops on the bus was Montjuic Castle, which I found pretty fascinating.
Not only was the view of the city unbelievable, but the boys were able to climb the canons and run around the grounds. Smith wanted to climb all the walls giving Jake, my non-heights boy, a small heart attack a few times. Because we arrived around 5:00pm, the sun was setting and the wind was blowing, so it made for a very cold adventure. Nothing that hot chocolate didn't fix though.
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| the gardens were amazing |
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| Jake got socked in the eye while trying to close the gates |
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| The enormous castle |
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| beautiful gardens |
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| view of Barcelona |
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| Smith was so tired of pictures |
We ended the day with the most delicious dinner at Lonja de Tapas, where Steve met us. We all enjoyed not only great food, but an amazing bottle of wine. Dee Dee and I needed this desperately after our very stressful day. Steve, also had a stressful day and the worst part of it for him was when he was stuck at the conference on a line about two hours long for a taxi. He lucked out and jumped in with some coworkers and was able to meet us at the restaurant.
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| one of the many tapas that were delicious |
The following day we awoke with the intention of taking a cab up to Tibidabo and spending the day at the amusement park. When we ordered the cab, he informed us that the amusement park was closed for renovations. The boys were so upset, they all had tears in their eyes. Dee and I were upset as well... we were looking forward to a day of fun. At that moment, we were thankful that we didn't continue walking yesterday.... because arriving to a closed park after hours of walking would have been horrible. Could you imagine the disappointment that would have been!!! Instead of the amusement park, we settled on Ciutadella Park. There was a playground, a beautiful lake where we canoed, and also a zoo.
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| This park was beautiful |
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| our canoe ride |
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| The weather was so warm |
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| Jake and Smith rowed most of the way |
One of the highlights for all of us were these statue looking people in the streets. They didn't move an inch until money dropped in their basket... then they allowed pictures. I'm amazed at how still and patient these people were. I couldn't stand still for more than a few minutes.
I wasn't planning on visiting a zoo while in Barcelona, but when you have three active boys in a city, the main goal.... keep them entertained. The zoo provided hours of entertainment.
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| to all my CU friends.... |
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| Rhino |
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| this peacock was definitely showing off for us |
My spanish improved as the week went on... of course it wasn't anywhere near Dee's skills. She was speaking to all the vendors, cab drivers, and locals about the hot spots. One of the locals told her that her spanish was
muy bueno. My skills weren't quite so strong, and when I tried to order Chase chicken and fries in the airport, he was served a giant hotdog.
The final day that the boys were with us, Steve was able to hang with us too. We went to the much awaited, Camp Nou. This was the day the boys were most excited about. Camp Nou is where Barcelona's pro team plays. We were able to tour the facility and walk out to the field.
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| The three of them were mesmerized |
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| Smitty's favorite team is Barcelona |
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| Dee and I learned a lot about soccer |
Dee and I used Trip Advisor to research a good restaurant near our apartment to celebrate her birthday and Smith's birthday. El 58 got rave reviews so we headed over around 6:00, which is very early for dinner in Spain. Dee and I were very confident with our find, until we walked in and it was empty. The entire menu was written on a blackboard in catalan, in very small letters. We didn't understand one word on the menu and our waiter did not speak one word of english. Thankfully, the owner came to the table, read the entire menu for us, recommended his favorite tapas, and we all enjoyed the best meal of the week. The boys ate clams and octopus.... something they would not normally order. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone staying in Barcelona. The service was amazing!
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| check out the photo bomb |
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| my favorite salad of the week |
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| Happy Birthday to two very special people |
Steve and the boys flew back to Stockholm the next morning and Dee and I were ready to tackle the city through adult eyes. We said goodbye to the little monkeys.....
and moved into the Cathedral district which was not only beautiful, but also walking distance to many of the sites we planned to see. Our first stop was La Boqueria, the most amazing outdoor market. There were so many vendors with meat, fish, candy, and the most beautiful fruits and veggies you've ever seen. The fresh juices were amazing, but my favorite was the fresh coconut. Delicious!!!
Christina, Dee's friend, recommended (insisted) that we eat at El Quim. It was a small restaurant located in the market. It was jam packed, but we were able to find a place at the bar to eat lunch. Not only was it delicious, but it was really fun to meet the chef and get a picture with him.
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| waiting for our meal with a glass of cava |
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| Dee in front of El Quim |
We strolled through the market in awe of the food. Check out this candy. It was way too pretty to eat.
The fruit vendors were everywhere and we sampled a lot of fruit throughout the weekend.
Our next destination was Sagrada Familia... we saw this on the bus tour, however, we wanted to tour the inside. After walking there and realizing their was a two hour wait to get in, we decided to come back on Saturday. By the time we went on line that night to order the tickets, the tour was sold out. So, we were only able to view this from the outside. We did, however, see the Barcelona Cathedral, which was very beautiful too.
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| on the roof of the cathedral |
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This greeted us on the steps of the cathedral....hmmmm
Our next stop, Casa Botlla. Instead of trying to explain this, the Barcelona Tourist Guide is a better description. "The building was designed by Gaudí for Josep Batlló, a wealthy aristocrat, as an upmarket home. Señor Batlló lived in the lower two floors with his family and the upper floors were rented out as apartments. Gaudí used colours and shapes found in marine life as inspiration for his creativity in this building e.g. the colours chosen for the façade are those found in natural coral." We spent a few hours touring this beautiful home.
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| back patio |
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| room inside |
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| even the chimney was beautiful |
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| perfect timing with this rainbow |
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| this wall gave the illusion of being underwater |
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| the beautiful roof |
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| stairwell |
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| I love this picture |
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| lighter colors towards the bottom |
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| darker colors up top looking down stairwell |
We worked up an appetite after this tour, so we stopped at Tenorio for some cava and salad. This held us over until dinner later that evening. But first we had to do some shopping. Disiguel is on every corner in Barcelona, and since it happens to be one of my favorite stores, I couldn't leave without a purchase or two. I also discovered some other stores that I really like too. A highlight of our shopping experience was when I walked into the wrong fitting room, thinking it was my sister changing, and proceeded to sit down, talk to her, and actually tug on a skirt she was trying on... only to eventually look up and see this completely shocked face staring back at me was not my sister, but a complete stranger who thought I was insane. We had a good laugh about that for a while (my sister and I.... not the girl).
The Borne district was an area that Steve kept telling me about, but we weren't sure where it was. After some searching, we realized it was a five minute walk from our hotel. We discovered this really cool area on our last day, and we only wish we had another day to spend exploring it's streets. As we walked, we stumbled across a flamenco dancing club. Since Dee had me searching every street, all week, to see flamenco guitar and dancing, we bought tickets for that evening's show It was interesting to say the least. I am really glad we did it though.
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| waiting for flamenco to start |
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| the whole cast |
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| dancers |
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| waiting for the show to start |
Dee and I loved these stores with the most beautiful plates, platters, pitchers and decor. I wanted to buy some many things, but unfortunately we couldn't figure out a way to get them home. I still think about how I am going to get some of these in my home one day.
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| one of our many stops in the Borne district |
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| A fun street in Borne |
We walked back to the hotel to get changed for the show, but not before we stopped for a quick hot Chocolate con churros. Delicious!
After the show, we walked around in hopes of finding the perfect restaurant for our last night in Barcelona.... and that is exactly what we found! The food was all organic, and so unique. We both had organic lamb for our main entree, and then bean and mushroom salad and artichoke and bean salad for appetizers. Everything was amazing. Our waitress was so helpful and really fun to talk to.
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| the menu |
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| artichoke and bean salad |
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| me.. dancing for joy after that yummy meal |
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| one last stop in the pottery shop |
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| front of the restaurants |
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| we will not forget you... Origens |
Throughout the course of the week I would see people dressed in costumes. It was so random and quite strange. It was both kids and adults and there never seemed to be a reason for the strange attire. I asked our waitress why and she told me that this week was the equivalent to our Halloween. Well, that explains it!
The restaurant below is where Dee and I went for breakfast. We love Gaudi's work, so whenever we had opportunity to see it, we took advantage of it. The food wasn't great, but the walls were beautiful.
So, if you plan to visit Barcelona, here's my two scents.... for what it's worth. #1Barcelona in the winter, is not a place I recommend for three active boys. As a matter of fact, I'm rethinking city tours with the boys. I love to visit cities and just experience the unique culture in each one, but this is not the way my kids want to vacation... so we are rethinking our upcoming trips. #2.... travel in and out of Barcelona on Sunday. Stores are all closed on Sundays and the roads are empty. It makes for an easy drive to and from the airport, and you won't waste a day with nothing to do. And finally, #3 you must bring me back a ceramic pitcher.
Saying goodbye to Dee was hard, but now we are looking forward to seeing her and Jimmy in June when they come visit us in Stockholm.
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| big comfy couch in our hotel |
The week after a trip is always hard. There's not only a lot of cleaning and laundry to do, but it's also hard getting back into the reality of life. My week was a bit easier to slide into though. Monday I stayed home and caught up. The rest of the week was fun. I had movie club with the girls and we saw August: Osage County. I loved it, but it's not a feel good movie. Those of you that know me well, know that I hate happy ending, feel good movies... so this was a good flick for me. My favorite day of the week was Thursday when Chase played hooky from school and spent the day with his mommy at Junibacken. It's a museum and children's theatre dedicated to Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. We in America know her for Pippi Longstocking, but she wrote a number of other stories for children. Chase loves to come here, located in Djurgården, a beautiful part of Stockholm.
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| view from inside of Junibacken |
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| the stories come to life |
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| this felt so real |
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| of course the slide was a hit |
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| I think this was Pippi's house |
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| peek a boo |
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| can you find Chase |
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| here I am |
After Junibacken, it was time for a haircut. Chase sat down in the chair and said, "I want a haircut like my daddy's". Since Robert cuts Steve's hair, this was an easy request. Now I think Chase looks exactly like his daddy!
Friday, Steve took Chase and Jake up to Sundsvall, four hours north of Stockholm for Jake's soccer tournament. They left at noon on Friday and came home Sunday evening at 10:00 with the championship trophy. It was a great weekend, that I'm sorry I missed.
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| the winning team |
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| victory |
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| my handsome man |
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| Nina and Chase were the mascots |
Jake's team wasn't the only one to bring home the trophy. Smith's team won all their games in the tourney as well, and Smith scored the goal to tie the second game. It was his birthday goal! After his tournament we all sang happy birthday to Smith and ate chocolate cupcakes. We raced home in time to for his party. Smith planned a sleepove with a few of his friends. What started out as three friends, turned into seven. Eight year old boys have a lot of energy, but when they are cooped up in an apartment, it is crazy. Thank God for the park across the street, we spent many hours there during the party. The boys were a great group. There was no fighting, no drama, just lots of laughs and running around. We had six different nationalities represented at this party. I love listening to all of their cute accents. The weather was perfect, spring crept in for a few days. I loved spending the weekend alone with Smith and spoiling him as the "only child". My favorite quote from Smith this weekend, "Mom, I don't like living in the city". Me: "Why?" Smith: "Everyone is always rushing to catch a train or bus and knocking me over."
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| brownie/cookie cake from U.S.A (thanks Claudette for the mix) |
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| crazy boys having fun |
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| playing soccer the next day |
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| Sweet Smitty is now 8 |
This past week has been dedicated to finding a new gym. My perfect gym, below my apartment, was too good to be true. They closed their doors on March 1st. The girls and I have moved outside for circuits in the park. The weather last week was perfect. We all thought spring was here, until we woke up Saturday morning to snow and freezing temperatures. Even though the sun is shining, the temperatures will remain in the 30ºF all week. I haven't been able to find the right gym yet, and I'm still searching for a class or two to teach, so for now, we will workout in the park and I will continue running outside.
I volunteer in 2nd grade every Wednesday and Friday morning. After reading to Chase's class, I had an hour to kill, so I walked to Saturnas for tea. I brought my book and it was so nice to sit in a comfy chair and read while enjoying my favorite tea. We as a culture do not slow down enough to enjoy the simple things in life. This was a reminder that I need to take time every now and again to sit quietly and do something just for me. That evening I spoke to two of my favorite girls back in Atlanta. Meghann and I chatted in between Andrew, Jake, Will and Smith's catching up. Steve and I (and Smith) were lucky enough to see Jon and Will Holland and say a quick hello to them. After that conversation, I spoke to Marci and the girls for a while. We are not only planning our summer trip, but we had a lot of catching up to do. Marci just returned from Mexico so I was hearing about that, as I was telling her about Barcelona. The time difference makes it so difficult to connect with friends and family. The best times for me to talk are while the kids are in school, but everyone in America is sleeping or getting their kiddos to school. Then when it's mid morning afternoon in America, it's dinner time and bedtime here.
I've mentioned many times how difficult it is to watch American t.v. in Sweden. Without going into the details, because honestly I am not tech savvy enough to even have a clue how it works, it's a very frustrating event in our lives. Steve says all the time, "I left Atlanta, with it's traffic conditions, to come here and now have this t.v. buffering nonsense to deal with". My hubby's stress levels were supposed to go down here, not go up due to leisure activities.
The week flew by and it's now Sunday. We were quite busy with fun activities all weekend. Friday after work, I met Steve at the Scandic for a drink before going to a farewell party for our friends AJ and Claudia. They are relocating back to America. That's the nature of this new world I live in. People are constantly coming and going. Poor Smith will be losing three of his close friends at the end of the school year because their families are relocated to another part of the world. I know this will build character in my boys. They are learning how to meet new friends and also how to stay connected to those people that don't live near us anymore. It's teaching all of us to be flexible, adapt to change, and be vulnerable enough to come out of our comfort zones and try to new things.
Saturday, Smith slept at a friend's house and then Steve and I played tennis at the club. After tennis, we walked to our favorite street and tried a new restaurant Paus. It was fabulous! We stumbled across a good one! So here we are on Sunday afternoon, the sun is shining in a very blue sky , and I'm about to go for a run in the brisk temperatures. Life is great!! I have a very exciting week ahead. Tomorrow is St. Patty's Day and my cooking group will be meeting at Meg's house for a Swedish lunch with the girls. Tuesday the boys are off from school because it's Parent/Teacher/Student conferences. We will head to a park with friends in the afternoon. On Thursday, the boys and I are flying to London to meet Steve (he's there on business all week) where we will enjoy a few days together. We will be touring for a day, then watching soccer on Saturday.
I came across this site and thought I would attach it into my blog. It's a quick read and a fun site to visit. You will understand so much more of what I write in my blog after reading this.....
http://sweden.se/society/20-things-to-know-before-moving-to-sweden/
Have a great week......
