My Family in Sweden

A Few Weeks after the Canoeing Trip we again meet for a joint Rotary Trip between Districts 2400 and 2390. This time we met in Kristianstad and travelled to a local Rotarians farm where we camped, bush-walked, played games, went shooting and axe throwing.

(Sarah the Texan scoring 10 for 10 on the riffle range. I scored 10 also)

(Alexis the Canadian)

The owner of the farm was a professional axe thrower and gave us all a go at competing against each other. I was the only one who managed a bullseye on my first go and scored 3 more.

That night we had a campfire and the next morning played some games before heading home in time for waterpolo practice.

Later that week I was invited to a concert in the towns library where Hans Pålsson (Sweden's best concert pianist) performed. It was a great night.

Two weeks later my parents arrived in Copenhagen, where I made my way by train to meet them.

The first night together was spent catching up and for them to get over jetlag so we woke early next morning and started a walking tour of Copenhagen city.

(City's Church)

(Typical Scandinavian architecture with quirky danish colours)

(Denmark and Sweden's cities are quite flat so almost everyone owns and uses their bike for transport)

We made our way through Rosenborg Palace Gardens where we took in the wet Danish autumn.

(Rosenborg Palace and Treasury)

We made our way to the Kastellet, a star-shaped fortress north of the city centre.

Just by the water of the Kastellet is Copenhagens most recognisable landmark, the Little Mermaid.

(Copenhagen's Anglican Church)

(Don't mess with Miss Hannah)

(Swedish, Danish and Icelandic Flags)

(Alex and Hannah at the Lego Outlet in Copenhagens Strøget/Storgaten/Main Street)

The next day dad and I walked up and collected the hire-car and we piled in and drove north to the Louisiana Museum where we spent the majority of the morning before having a late lunch in Helsingør.  After boarding the ferry to Sweden, we took the opportunity to take some final photos of Denmark, including some of Kronborg Slot (Hamlet's Castle).

(Hamlet's Castle)

Unfortunately is was very wet when we arrived in Helsingborg but we had a quick walk around and I showed my family the locals sights.

(Alex and Hannah on the Arch in Helsingborg)

We quickly moved on to Ängelholm where I introduced them to the Sandbergs. We enjoyed a meal and talked late into the night.

The next morning we woke early and made our way into the town centre where I showed my family where I have been living this year. We shared a family-sized kebab pizza at my favorite pizzeria before Driving to Björkhagen where we had fika with Ann and Anders Svensson.

The next day we toured the Ängelholm area, First driving through the farmland to Torekov, a popular summer destination for Stockholmers.

(Hannah and Mr. Crab)

We then drove to Båstad where we bought some food supplies for lunch which we ate in Svanshall on the southern shore of Skälderviken bay.

(our hire-car)

(Lachlan, Alex and Hannah out on the small harbour wall. Ängelholm is on the shore in the distance)

After Lunch we made our way out to Kullaberg, one of the highest points in Skåne and the one of the most western points of Sweden.

(The view of Mölle on the was down the mountain)

We then made our way back into Ängelholm for Fika with the Ekvalls.

That night we packed up and I gave my family the presents i had collected for them around europe.

(Alex liked his Birthday present I bought for him at Check Point Charlie in Berlin)

On Saturday morning we drove to Göteborg (Gothenborg), stopping off in Varberg to look at the fortress there.

Arriving in Göteborg we had lunch at the Universeum, followed by a quick look through the desplays.

After looking around Göteborg we drove on to a Youth Hostel in Vänersborg, a beautiful Högskola (Pre-University school) on top of a hill overlooking a lake.

Sunday was a long drive, Stopping in Karlstad and Örebro, with our final destination the Långholmen Youth Hostel in Stockholm. This island was once an old prison that has been converted into a conference center and Hostel.

We woke early on Monday morning to enter the city; first stop Gamlastan (the "Old City"). Gamlastan is a small island in the centre of Stockholm, home to the Royal Palace and shops.

(Hannah in a Tintin shop)

We watched the midday changing of the guards at the Palace.

(Swedish Government building)

After our morning in Gamlastan and the Palace we did a canal tour around the Stockholm archipelagoes.

After the canal tour we caught the tram to Djurgårdenö where we quickly visited Skansen; a Zoo/museum designed to display scandinavian culture and animals.

(Skansen is the best place in the south of Sweden to see Raindeer and Moose in the same place)

After Skansen we made out way to the Vasa Museum where we saw the giant navel vesel and surrounding displays.

The next day, we started by going to the top of the kaknästornet (a TV tower; the third tallest structure in scandinavia)

(It was wet)

Followed by a visit to the Swedish National History Museum where we looked at Vikings and Gold.

We finished the day by returning to the Palace where we visited the Treasury and Royal Apartments before we drove to Norrköping for the night.

From Norrköping we drove to Kalmar, across the 6km bridge onto Öland; a long island running parallel with the east coast of Sweden. Öland has one main town of Borgholm where we stopped for coffee.

Öland is home to over 400 windmills so naturally we found a picnic spot amongst a few of them to have lunch.

(Piglet driving)

That afternoon we visited the Glass factories of Kosta Boda and Orrefors before spending our final night in Växjö. The next morning we drove to Lund where we had a quick look around and one last Fika before I caught a train back to Ängelholm and my family drove to Copenhagen Airport on to Paris where they stayed for 8 days.