Month: July 2018

We expected a delivery today which was announced to arrive between 07.00 AM – 05.00 PM .. so I took the first shift and got up at 06.45. It was a glorious morning so I didn’t mind at all. Sat in my chair and red my book and enjoyed the view. The window we had ordered arrived at 09.00 AM which gave us the day to do other things. Perfect.

We have worked outside today – me and my sister cut down the lilac bush under their window to prepare for the new window. We also went to buy some stuff we needed to put the window in place.

Other than that we have enjoyed the ocean which is now amazingly 25C. No rain today but a nice breeze to make it a bit more bearable. Going to bbq beef tonight. And the 15 grape-sized potatoes from our own garden. Haha. Fortunately we bought some more the other day.

Today it was time for my parents and Lennart to pack and head back to town. My parents have been down here for 6 weeks now and have a couple of track-and-field events they had promised to attend. But, the rest of us has another couple of weeks left to enjoy together. A very sunny day with 25C in the ocean – amazing. I can’t remember a summer like this – not for many many years any way. Met one of my childhood friends on the beach – her family owns a house very close to ours and we played together in the summers when we were down here at the same time. So nice to see her and chat for a bit.

Tonight they took away the ban of bbq in your own garden so finally we could cook the chicken outside again. Makes dinner so much easier! We re-organized the table since we were only eight of us left. No sunset tonight – a bit too cloudy. We played a new board-game – Ticket to Ride the Netherlands – and it was fun to try a new area to build railways through.

This morning it actually rained again – two days in a row. My sister and 3 of the youngsters played a game of “kubb” outside but had to give in when it rained more and more.

After lunch the sun came back and we could celebrate our aunt with coffee and cake in the garden. She had her birthday in June but we thought it would be nice to celebrate her here when we were all together since it was a special birthday.

In the evening me, my sister, our parents and Lennart went over to Föra Church to attend a guided tour and a chance to climb up to the church bells in the top of the tower. It was a great tour and well worth the many many steps up there. The church was built in the 12th century so it is quite old. But like many other churches here on Öland they have been re-modeled and altered over the years.

We took our morning dip in the ocean at 08.00 as every morning but it was a bit cloudy and a few hours later it actually rained quite heavily for a short while. Then it cleared up again and but the rest of the day was so humid it was awful.

We made a reservation at out new local restaurant that just opened with new owners a few weeks ago. They are focusing on a sort of tapas-menu but also offers 3-4 main courses. We also asked my aunt and uncle to join us so all 13 of us had dinner together.

I went for the tapas choice and picked one tuna dish and one langoustine dish. Both very tasty and well prepared and also nicely served. But, I should have picked a third one because it was quite small portions. So, room for some afters .. lol. Choose a cheesecake served with sea buckthorn and roasted hazelnuts which was delicious.

The warmest day so far and very humid. Very hard to sleep at night. But, lovely to sit outside for our dinner every day. All 11 of us now that L has joined us too. Tonight we could enjoy my sisters cooking – beef roulades filled with blue cheese and a cream sauce. Yum. I made the oven baked potatoes to go with.

Tonight there was a lunar eclipse and a phenomena called blood moon. But, it was a bit cloudy so we didn’t get a very good view. The ones that stayed up later than me got a better look at it since it rose above the clouds and the view got clearer.

Another very warm day and we have no energy to do any work. Taking the day as it comes. Today we had a couple of friends over for afternoon coffee and now after dinner L arrived too for a long weekend with us.

Today it’s been well over 30 C outside and about 23-24 C in the ocean. No algea but a lot of jelly fish (the friendly kind which doesn’t burn you). Two evenings in a row now with no sunset going  all the way down due to clouds. But still amazing evenings when we can breathe again for a while.

My mother noticed a bunch of sunflowers growing in their garden at home and dug them up and planted them here in our paradise instead. And now they are all in bloom! They are not very tall – probably due to the lack of rain – but look very pretty.

No plans today other than taking the day as it comes and enjoy time together. Lovely.

In our calendar in Sweden every day has 1-3 names connected to the date. July 24th it is Kristina and Kerstin’s day. In our family, we have always celebrated this day with a strawberry cake – and this year was no exception. My sister and her family arrived in time for dinner and we enjoyed the cake with coffee after dinner watching “Allsång på Skansen”. Our uncle joined us too.

It has been another very warm day and a bit less windy. 22-23 C in the ocean. I know we desperately need rain but I wish we have another week or two with this fantastic weather now when we finally have our vacation.

We contacted a few hairdressers in town before we left the city but they were fully booked so we decided to try the local hairdressers here on Öland instead. And I think they cleaned up the boys pretty good?! My handsome guys!

Tonight I have been to the annual meeting with the community association. My dad and uncle came along. Discussions about the fiber net, progress regarding the water and sewer development in the area, the maintenance of the roads and the parking problems along the coast line. 60 minutes later we were done. Check.

A perfect day in our paradise. Morning dip in the ocean before breakfast and it was amazing 22C in the water. Lovely. Quite windy all day. A quick run to the newly opened grocery store in Sandvik which actually had everything we wanted! Perfect! No need to drive all the way down to Borgholm anymore.

A lazy afternoon in the sun and going down for another couple of times in the water. And now a dinner consisting of “rödspätta” (plaice) in a tinfoil package filled with leeks, tomato, olives, lemon and butter. Yum. Served with boiled potatoes and veggies. And an ice cold IPA. It is 34 C outside and 29 C in the house. Crashed for a bit before it is time for the beautiful sunset of the day.