So where did I last leave off...it has been forever since I last wrote...
28 July 2009 Tuesday
David took me to the museum where he wanted to show me the history of his city...too bad the city decided to nix their exhibit and put in two new ones for the duration of my stay. Oh well, it was a textile exhibit and a womens awareness one. I thought of TWU during that one it was very well put together and was a current issue.
29 July 2009
On Wednesday we walked around town a little just enjoying the day enjoyed the docks and sun and people sitting everywhere. Very pleasant day.
30 Juli 2009
A movie day just chilling at home taking it easy before our big weekend in Umeå
Friday
So Maria and her parents picked us up and took us to Umeå for a big fair on Saturday, we stayed at Maria´s apartment and had a wonderful chicken dinner...it was chicken with a pinkish sauce, very tasty and we just talked throughout the evening.
11 Augusti 2009
It is the first of August...my stay is drawing nearer to its end...very sad indeed. Today we went to Nolia mässan....a huge fair with 8 different parts and plenty for all to see. The food tent was the best but I was told smaller than previous years. We had deep fried cheese with cloudberry jam and let me tell you it was absolutely amazing. I also had like a reindeer pita for lunch...it was yummy. After we got done with the fair it was dinner time so we headed to a O´Learys...which produced a menu of five options so we quickly threw out that idea and set off to find another.
We passed by this place called All Stars and it looked good so we sat down and looked at the menu...let me mention there was Texas Smokehouse Sauce...lol. So we ordered, I had the best chicken pasta it was amazingly tasty and David was kind enough to let me try his steak...melt in your mouth goodness. I also had a Murphy´s Red Beer which was so good. We then went back to Maria´s, with the addition of Anton (Maria´s boyfriend) and watched a movie just chilling.
Sunday
Home movie day and kingdom hearts
3 Augsti 2009
David took me to a shop where I found a few gifts for my parents and Jennie and Michael and something for myself. I like the Art Noveau movement and I found a gorgeous ring that I couldnt pass up getting.
Tuesday
More walking around and chilling
Wednesday
David had a meeting down in the library complex so I tagged along to keep him company and I wanted to of course. So we went down and after he was done checked on some visa things and then decided to pay his farmor a visit (father´s mother). So she was home and we had a good visit, I got to see where she volunteers and we talked and of course had fika.
Thursday
David treated me to a picnic outside in the cool evening, he is the best chef if I havent mentioned that already...never hurts to again lol. We took it easy watching clouds and we started reading the sixth Harry Potter book...since we saw the movie now we want to read the book lol. It was a lovely evening.
Friday
Dun dun duh....tried to watch Event Horizon...dvd played temporarily died so we played Kingdom Hearts and Dofus.
8 Augusti 2009 Saturday
David received, as a birthday present, a trip to an island called Ulvön (wolf island...no, no wolves there). At 8 in the morning Maria, Jocke, David and I headed for the ferry, it is a 2 hour ferry ride to get there it is one of the biggest islands around here and beyond that island is open ocean until you hit Finland. The ferry was nice we got to be up on top with fresh air which was very nice rather than being down and stuffy. Once we got to the island we headed up to the hotel for a buffet that was part of his present...we got there and the man told us that we would have to come back for second seating because there was another ferry that took the first seating. No worries. So we walked back down the stretch of road (btw. no cars can drive after 10 p.m....they want to keep the quiet little village quiet). We headed to the store because Jocke and David were hungry and then headed back up to the middle where there is the first church in Sweden I believe...or maybe that region...idk first something.
Inside this little wooden building where painted murals of the saints and other important stories from the bible. I took a few pictures then we sat on the tables outside to wait for lunch. Lunch was fun...there was potato salad, raw salmon, cooked salmon, smoked some other fish, fish in lasagna, fish in a tomato sauce roll...fish fish fish. Wasnt my favorite buffet but wasnt bad dessert was amazing. Blackberry and another type of berry cobbler with creme. Amazing, and of course coffee. After that we headed back down the road to catch the ferry to come home. I am getting a tan. Quite nice.
9 August 2009 Sunday
Christina and Micke invited us out to the summer home for the day to wait for Evelina to come home (Evelina is David´s sister who is a year older than me...she is very delighted at this fact...once again I am the youngest in the group lol.) So we went to the summer home and I actually took a swim, it was fairly warm and it was a warm day so the water felt nice. After our swim I was told it was time for me to try surströmming....fermented herring...I will let you keep with those thoughts...
Survival Guide... 1. Cannot eat this inside (the smell is too potent and needs a breeze to take some of it away) 2. Wish you have a good solid cold (so you cannot smell the can of fish) Sound yummy yet? How to eat it....Tunnbröd like a semi hard bread, red onion, potato, and sour cream, butter, and another piece of Tunnbröd.
Basically they cut off the herrings head and throw it in a can add some brime I think and let it sit for a year...you have to eat it after a certain date printed on the can and before another date when it expires. Sound yummy now? My thoughts exactly. Christina kindly fixed a fish for me...removed the entrails, roe, and bones and David, thank goodness, put a tiny tiny tiny bit of fish on my bread. Pretty sure Micke took pictures. I ate it all to say I did...never to again. Halfway through our meal Maria, and Evelina stopped by so Christina could give her some real food and I got to meet her, she is so sweet. They didnt stay to eat (wonder why lol) and thankfully Christina provided Swedish meatballs in the off chance I didnt like the fish. It was still a good meal.
After supper and a short nap all four of us went out fishing on the lake...Christina I think caught two perch, Micke and David caught 1 and I caught two bait fish. We smoked a fish and then came back to the apartment where Evelina was already there. We had of course a fika and then we talked til about 2 I think and went to bed.
Monday
Today we got up and went to Christina´s fathers home for lunch. It is in a little town outside Övik called Bjästa, this is also the town where David was baptized and his mother married in the same church. A lot of history it was nice to see and hear it. We had a good lunch and even better company, Evelina had her boyfriend Robert along so we got to meet him and David´s grandfather is absolutely precious. He welcomed me to the family and I found out later that he was worried about meeting me because the language barrier but we both said it went well. It was such a nice visit and a wonderful day outside. After we left we went by the summer home so Robert could see it and then back to the apartment.
After dinner we went up to play laser tag, up up and up got there got dressed and got our guns and then hiked up some more up and up til we got to the spot. The team was David, me, Robert and Evelina against Christina, Micke, Jocke, and Maria. The terrain was rough I must say I am not conditioned for it but it was a lot of fun. We had face paint and the whole 9 yards and our team won all three games. The last game Robert hit me on accident then Jocke and I stood up thinking I was dead then proceeded to remember I still had hits...then died. Alas haha. We hiked back washed our faces in the lake and had fika of blueberry muffins sooooo yummy. Then went home.
We started a shower procession and Robert started playing the guitar which led to singing and led to Micke printing the lyrics to songs and we sang them. It was a lot of fun, I think we are gonna take the show on the road lol. After that we had yet another fika and talked til about 2ish when Evelina and Robert had to leave to go back to Umeå. We said goodbye and then we talked a little more and went to bed
Tuesday
Im writing my blog. Chilling. Yeah.