Holiday: Sweden, part 2

Your next installment of the Cash Family Summer 2014 photo album...

2nd Day in Stockholm

Oscar and Camilla took us to the older part of Stockholm.  The main place we visited was the Palace - with a stop at a lovely candy shop on the way (word to the wise:  giving samples works).   After a bit of touring we got on a train and headed to Kumla (the Borjesson's hometown) - we dropped some of our luggage off, reloaded into cars and headed to their summer house for a couple of days.

The Candy Shop

 The Palace

One of the best parts of the palace was a children's area -- complete with armor and other "royal outfits" they could put on and play in.  Horses were ridden...princesses were guarded...crowns were worn...carriages were sat in...such a fun place!

 Changing of the Palace Guard

A picture of our photographer...she had the best view

 Look kids, Parliament

After a few hours of touring, we got on a train and headed to Kumla (the Borjesson's hometown) - we dropped some of our luggage off, reloaded into cars and headed to their summer house for a couple of days.  We had an incredible time...so many lovely moments.

Train ride to Kumla

 The Borjesson's Summer House

The view from the back steps

"Making Soup"

Nick doing one of his most favorite activities: chopping wood

Drawing on wood and carving 

Caroline "whittled" quite a bit

One of Emma's favorite parts: "blowing the horn" 

Edvin was gracious to let the girls hang out in his loft room

Taking a break from their knights to eat icecream with strawberries

Hours later...still whittling

Path down to the fire pit

Dinner!  Hotdogs cooked over a fire.

So many beautiful moments....only a few were actually captured on camera.

Favorite Moments from Sweden:

• Nick: the summer house. Skansen. Wonderful time with the Borjesson family! 
• Dianna: watching & hearing Eli laugh so much with Alex.  Fika! being outside. meaningful conversations.
• Eli: playing with Alex
• Caroline: the candy shop. carving. firepit/marshmallows, running races with Edvin
• Emma: plying the trumpet. running races with Edvin

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, Oscar will drive us to Stockholm where we'll catch a plane to Edinburgh. So thankful to have had this time with this special family in their lovely country....

Surely there will be more to come.

Holiday: Sweden, part 1

The conversation between Nick and Eli went something like this:

"What would you like to do in Europe this summer, Eli?"

"See Alex."

"Alright...I'll see what I can do."

And see Alex we have! (Alex was Eli's Grade 2 classmate....his family served on the Africa Mercy during our first year on the ship) 

Once we decided that we were going to do a bit of traveling in Europe this summer, Sweden has been at the top of the priority list of places we wanted to visit.  We arrived yesterday and the Borjesson's have been the most excellent of hosts.  

We spent today exploring Stockholm -- we visited Skansen (for you Columbus types, think "Westville"), a small zoo, the Vasa Museum and then ended the day with a delicious meal at McDonald's (seriously, a really good meal!).  

You never know who you might see walking the streets of Stockholm

The kids got to "help deliver the mail" -- there was horn blowing as part of the process...

Camilla was really good on the stilts!

Long row of benches...not sure why but it was captivating

One of our favorite memories of the Borjesson's from their time on the Africa Mercy was the day they invited us to their cabin for a "Swedish Fika" (coffee break!).  We had a Fika today...complete with homemade cinnamon rolls (see the 5th picture from the top) and coffee (they were even thoughtful enough to provide milk and sugar for those of us that can't handle "real" coffee!)

 In other news, the Cash kids touched a boa constrictor and a tarantula today...

All in all, a terrific day!  We'll do a little more sight seeing tomorrow morning and then we're off to the country side for a couple of days....

So very grateful for the experiences we're having...so very grateful for a change of pace and a change of scenery (multiple changes of scenery....).

Surely there will be more to come.