Month: July 2014

A fabulous day in paradise with clear water and blue sky. We had to buy groceries and outside the store the Ölandsost had parked their van and sold their cheese which is delicious. We always bring a few kilos back home to the city and since you buy a whole cheese it is sealed with paraffin so it lasts for months as long as you don’t open them. One whiskey- and one brandy flavoured one!

Me and my mother took a nice 2,5 km walk after lunch. It was quite windy but lovely and sunny. The scenery along the coast is really stunning!

I’m making a fish casserole with cod, salmon and shrimps tonight. Mmmm…

 

Sunsets in paradise.. an amazing show when they occur – if we are lucky several times per week.

They can look so different and I can never see enough of them. Good for the soul. Something to think back on during the fall and winter.

Today my sister had to return to the working life again after a couple of amazing weeks here. She still has more vacation to come but needs to work for a few weeks first. In a way she has time off now too – off from being a mom and a wife and able to just worry about herself for a bit.

Tonight we enjoyed very exclusive leftovers from the last couple of days but now the fridge is empty and we need to re-fill it again. I think fish will be on the menu now since the non-fish-eating person has left us..

In Sweden we have namedays as well as birthdays and it is Sara today. So my mother baked a cake for her and we enjoyed it outside in the sun. She also treated us a fantastic strawberry cake with whipped cream – who can resist?

Tonight we are having ostrich for dinner with oven baked potatoes.  Mmm. We live a couple of km away from an ostrich farm – one of few in Sweden.  The meat is delicious.  It tastes like fillet of beef – very tender and dark.

This is the only dinner during this entire summer that the whole family is here at the same time so we thought we’d make the most of it. The ostrich meat is quite expensive.. so it is definitely not something we treat ourselves more than once per summer.

A great day in paradise.  Had to go grocery shopping but other than that just a nice long day in the sun. Or in the shade in my chair. Overlooking the ocean. With a coffee. And a book. Life is pretty good some times.

The ocean finally cleared up from all the seaweed and the temperature is quite nice – around 20C. So no excuses to not enjoy the water!

We ran our mile this morning too. Fourth time this week. Resting day tomorrow. My body aches but it is a good pain – no more than I can handle. Just wish my reward of loosing some weight will come too.. but I feel better than I have in a long time!

A great day with sunshine and a bit windy – the signature weather for this island.

We started with a 2k run and our exercises. I was so proud I managed to run the whole distance even though we ran 500m longer than we usually do!

Then I spent an hour digging a hole for the plant we got yesterday.  The ground here has more rocks than soil so it is hard work. Hopefully it will like the place we chose and treat us lots of flowers next summer.

Tonight it is time for the yearly meeting with the community group. I will attend together with my dad and uncle as representatives for the property in case we need to vote on anything.

Let’s hope for a fantastic sunset to finish the day.

A very sunny windy day in paradise. I did good and painted three more walls. The ocean was very nice temperature wise today but with a lot of seaweed due to the wind.

We had a really nice visit during the afternoon – my parents in law and my husbands aunt and great aunt. We were able to sit outside in the sun to enjoy our coffee and the amazing “wienerbröd” they had brought with them.

Now dinner is almost ready – my mom’s fantastic “pannbiffar” – it is like a thick home made burger served with oven baked new potatoes and pan fried onions. And we will sit outside and have a nice long meal together. Life is pretty good.

My body is aching today but I made it through the mile jogging all the way. So proud of myself and also very proud of the three teenagers who accompanied me. Their biggest effort was not to run the mile but to do it at 8 am before breakfast..

The water temperature has risen to a lovely 18,5C so the dip in the ocean afterwards was quite nice.

A visit in town is on the schedule along with a visit to the circus who is here in paradise today. A yearly tradition since I don’t know how many years – but this is the 30th summer the same circus is here to entertain us.

Started the day with some pre breakfast exercise – situps and a 1,5k run with my niece and then a dip in the ocean (17C).

Me and my sis painted one side of the new room added on our house. After a great lunch we decided to challenge the weather Gods and took a 6,8k walk.  We had about 2k left when the rain caught us.. oh well.

A good day in paradise.

I assume you all have noticed that I am on vacation right now.. since the lovely sunny warm weather rapidly changed to cold rainy cloudy weather.. sorry about that..

The visit into town was changed to a visit to the grocery store due to endless lines and rainy weather. So now the home made lasagna is in the oven – the perfect dinner for this kind of weather – and I have a minute to myself before it is time to go back into the kitchen again.

We have bought a little treat for the game tonight – olives and serrano ham. Perfect with a glass of red while cheering on Germany!

Premiere swim in the ocean (15,7C) before breakfast as the tradition bids.  Brrrr. The day started out pretty good but in the afternoon the rain came along and it’s been raining ever since.  No sunset. No walk. But a shopping tour around the northern part of the island. I actually bought a few things.

Soccer tonight. Brazil – Holland. Orange is my color. (And – yeah – they did win the bronze 3-0!)