The Adventures of a Bike Ride

Rikard and I went out into the countryside on our bikes today. We cycled eastwards towards the town/village of Södra Sandby passing The King's Land (Kungsmarken), The Sularp Marsh (Sularpskärre) and the Valley of the Bird's Song (Fågelsongsdalen) all being natural reserves, then passing by Billbjer for a quick retreat home through rain and thunder.Vi hade mycket trevligt och det var underbart att vara ute i naturen denna sensommardag. The King's Land ¨was a bit of a dissapointment as the footpath hardly qualified as one due to it seldom being used. We missed it as we walked past since it was so overgrown. There were mostly golfers around. We started scetching plans of how to force nature and define the fotpath - just out of principle.

We didn't stop at the Sularp Marshes this time wanting to walk along the Vally of the Bird's Song. Unfortunately our sens of direction seemed to have been off on its holiday and we took a couple of wrong turns. It started fine and it was lovely walking along the brook and looking at geological profiles. Then something happened - we both thought it was possible to walk round the area in a circular way. It was possible but only if one didn't follow te footpaths properly... at all. We walk across steep pasture areas were I'm pretty sure only sheep tend to walk. There was high grass, there were nettles (that pricked) and droppings mostly. I wasn't really dressed for the terraine and my white canvas sneakers were somewhat battered from the experience and my calves were stinging from the nettles. Finially we found a way across the brook back to civilisation (i e muddy footpaths). Just before our wild adventure in the bush we stopped on a small wooden bridge and ate small, sweet plums I'd boughth at the market earlier. Lovely.

We had brought packed lunches (small ones) and decided on eating them by the small lake in Billebjer a short distance from where we were. It was wonderfully peaceful and we ate or tasty sandwiches and sipped on our hot beverages in the grass. Then we heard thunder. We couldn't be bothered to get stressed so we didn't hurry to leave until we feelt some rain. Fortunately I had brought my rain gear and a baseball cap som I hardly suffer (except for my shoes a bit). I did notice how long it's been since I bycicled regularelly - by bottom started hurting and feeling very stiff. Rikard had brought a blue rain poncho which wasn't really meent for cycling and helooked like a blue ghost as he speed forwrd home. A very nice day indeed despite (maybe slightly because) our small misadventures. The Swedish countryside is fantasticlly beatiful.

Home sweet home

Am sitting at my desk at home drinking tea and talk9ing to LInus on ICQ. Just as I always do or did. Feels somewhat wierd after having been gone for such a long time but also very comfortable. I have all my stuff close at hand and I start a new semester on Monday. I will be doing something proper. Ofcourse I will miss London and OUR home (and Linus naturally), but this is the start of my last year in Lund (if nothing unexpected happens facultywise). Will have to make something special of it. Will spend most of the weekend doing shores and running errands. At the moment I can enjoy the company of Anna's younger sister Sara in my home. Very nice.

Family weekend

Have been rather busy this last few days. Friday I got to go to the amusement park here in Stockholm (Gröna Lund) with my sister Maria, her boys and Linus and his brother Alfred. We had a very enjoyable day with sunshine, warmth, and not too much of a crowd. I rode both stuff like the catapult (upp 65m i 5 secs and then some bouncing up and down) and more contemplative like the ferris wheel. Olle and Alfred got along very well and iut was a very enjoyable day of introducing Linus to that part of my family. Afterwards we were knackered. We had dinner with my parents (dekicious) and watched some old family movies that have recently been converted to DVD-format. Alot of mee as very young swimming around. Extremely cute ;).

Saturday we went to Marias new house in Knivsta north of here to visite and spend the night. The house was lovely with great big windows and situated amidst the greenery so that sitting indoors was almost like beeing outside. We walked around the area which is very quaint with a nice variation of houses. They live very close to a lake and we went to their local beach and I finally got my summer swim in Sweden. Very refreshing. We had creyfish and quiches for dinner and played Trivial Pursuit. I didn't win :(.

Yesterday we celebrated my niece's 13th birthday with a big family party. Nice food and nice company. Stayed on afterwards and got to spend some time with my brothers and my other niece Sara.

Stockholm

Now I'm here and it's very nice. Woke up at six (five GMT!) and have been busy since then. I meet up with Anna in town and we walked through town some (which I haven't done in ages). We've just eaten and I'm starting to get a bit tired.

The flight yesterday wnet suprisingly smoothly. Extensive controlls (very thourough) but I didn't take more time than it usually does. We had to get our shoes scanned (bare feet in sneakers mmmm...) and they frisked us thouroughly. I found the staff professional and relatively quick. Intersetingly enough there were people who thought they could bring liquids or gel/paste through the check despite the extensive info on what you could NOT bring. Sigh! Quite a few were anoyed at us being allowed to buy stuff at the airport but not bring similar stuff through the security check. They didn't get it. I was happy to be able to by some Pimm's (2 for £15!) and lip balm. The flight was a little delayed and we had some trouble with the coach but we got home safe and sound.

My last day

Yesterday was my last whole day in London for this time, and for a while. Feels a bit wierd, sad and well I'm a bit ambivalent. It's going to be great to get back to my life, my stuff, my home and my friends (and family) but at the same time I'm leaving our everyday life when we're together, not a part as a rule. I've got used to being ONE household, to planning our week-ends together, to waking up together and now that won't be the case for a long time, more then sporadically. I don't like. But hopefully next year (if my studies work out as I wish) I'll be here permanently (sort of, we're not going to live in London forever). I spent the day altrenatevely cleaning, packing and watching telly. A good sort of life. After work I meet up with Linus at Canary Wharf to do some last minute shopping and to have dinner. We ate at Chili's and I had baby back ribs (Not a morcel of meat left on those babies when I was done with them). Back home I chilled while Linus packed. At tenish we went to Hubbub with James and Sian, Matt and Gloria. I had a lovely Irish Coffee (Thanx James) and we chatted and had a nice time until we had to leave (closing time).

Today I have some cleaning and packing to do before I head to Liverpool Street and then the airport with Linus. I keep eying th ryanair website to confirm our flight hasn't been cancelled. Tonight we should be in Stockholm, knock on wood.

THE END

(Well, not quite, but of this summer's adventures. I believe I'll be back and I'll try to write regularelly, but maby not as often as I have - I will have other things to do now - maby once a week or when something interresting happens. It's my ambition at least.)

Drinks and anxiety

Meet up with my mate Anna's uni friends, Adrain (my fellow toast master at Anna's wedding) and Chris, yesterday eve for some drinks. We had a very nice time - or at least I did - and regret not making plans earlier during the summer. Such is life. But I'll be back to pester them. WE started off on the Hispaniola by Embankment and then found a quaint pub in Soho (The Lemon Tree?) that served reasonabely priced Thai food. The cook was really funny and came out to talk to us (a real thai lady) adn Chris described her as a Thai Julie Walters. Really good evening.

Right now my biggest concern is our flight tomorrow. Will it get cancelled? On top of that they're recommending passangers to only bring ONE bag to check in at the same time as hand bagage dimensions have shrunk (and they seem to mean it). I will have a hard time following those recommendations. I am going home after almost three months. I don't want to leave anything behind either. Well I will have to, but I want to restrict the amount. Keep your fingers crossed.

To eat - not to eat is out of the question!

Well. Here I go again. A entry about food and eating. Have realised this summer hhow much my life and well being centres around what I'm eating, what I will eat and what I have eaten - and digesting it all anturally. Today we were very good, at least to start of with. Had a fruit sallad brunch with cottege cheese and a nut mix. Dinner consisted of a lovely steak and grilled veggies. All in accordance to GI principles. Then we moved on to thin ice: chocolate fondue. Of course dark chocolate and fruit is very close to GI as far as puddings go. But still. I'm stuffed with chocolate and am feeling a bit queasy, but it was worth it!

Easy Saturday

Today we were in Greenwich and strolled through the market, checked out some stores and Linus bought movies at a CD/DVD slae by the church. We had a great noodle lunch before going to Canary Wharf and took advantage of the last days of the summer sale. Linus got loads of clothes and we bought dinner at Waitrose (I like Waitrose). Yet another riviting day. :) ooo yeah. Finally managed to find satisfactory item to put in our four frames bought at IKEA. So now they have finally been mounted above the bed and look very nice.

To over eat

Just woke up. Had slightly ambitious plans for yesterday. We were going to eat Lebanese at Edware Road and then catch "Walk the Line" at Prince Charle's Cinema. It almost worked out. I came in early to buy the tickets (£1 each!) and then walked from Leicester Square to Linus' office on London Wall. Good walk, enjoyed seeing streets I haven't seen before and was very proud to have found my way spot on without having used a map. Could have walked a faster route, but I didn't and I got there with plenty of time to spare.

Edgeware Road was interresting. Hadn't quite realkised it realy is a sort of arabic centre just from the corner of Marbel Arch. But nice with lots of tempting food. Nonetheless we had been recommended one restaurant in particular by Linus' lebanes collegue so that was our goal. The restaurant (Maroush) was conforting in it not trying to dress up as a middle-eastern restaurant. The interior (which felt very mid 1990's) was complemented by pictures of Hollywwood stars (some posters with chinese text eg Pulp Fiction) and by the soft Julio Inglesia-like music comeing from the loud-speakers. Those dining there were predomiatedly of Middle Eastern origin (at least that was what it looked like). These facts together seemed to promise a genuine culinary experience. We shared a set menue for two in order to sample as much as possible. ANd that we did: 7 mezes -starters, olives, bread, one main course and pudding. I enjoyed the mezes the most: hommus, aubergine paste, spicy sausages, lemony chicken wings, deadly soicy potatoes and taboulleh (which I didn't eat). The combination of the main course of braised lamb (melted in our mouths), spiced rice tasting of X-mas, pine kernels and minced lamb and the pudding of 7 pieces of baklava and a plated loaded with watermelon made sure we did not leave the place hungry. Quite the opposite. We ate, and ate, and ate and never managed to finish all the food, howevermuch we tried. I was so stuffed by the end of the meal it's a wonder I didn't reprise Monty Python's "The Meaning of Life" - you know which scene I'm referring to.

Afterwards we really did try to make the movie. We even got off at the tube station we planned. But since we were pressed for time and the only position of my body I could imagine enduring for the next two hours was standing up or lieing down (no pressure on the tummy) we decided to head home. And ther we didn't do much but digest our food.

Bah

Am a bit concerned about the consequences of the new security procedures at UK airports. I can live with not carrying hand lugage myself but I worry about how Ryan AIr will handel the new rules. I suspect the passanges will pay. Having packed for three months I really, really need the extra wieght allowed by hand lugae. 10kg is a lot of stuff. But I'm afraid they might a) not allowe us to Check in the hand lugage as such but as over-weight that is the kind you haveto pay A LOT for. b) that we'll have to pay the extra charge they've started with for checked in lugage. Maybe both. Hopefully we'll no before we're at the airport. Am also worried that you can't check in laptops. I really need my computer when school starts.

Have receiveda nasty letter from university as a respons to my query of whether they have received my speical application (to study extra credits this term so I can get my degree faster). Have responded with indignation and am awaiting their reaction.

Best laid schemes of mice and men

About my exercising frenzy... it didn't quite work out as planned. I did follow my plan quite well during the week (I couldn't possibly have exercised on Thursday - my body was ACHING). But the weekend was a bit of a problem. We were busy and I unlike Sian could not muster up the dicipline to go to the gym BEFORE going to Windsor. So my planned 10 sessions ended up being five. On the other hand that's not to bad even so.

Nortward bound

After feeling sorry for myself yesterday and meeting up Linus at work (with a hope of finally finding the kind of trousers we've been looking for all summer (for him)) we went to Tufnell park to visite a friend of mine from Secondary School. Jenny and her boyfriend live in a nice flat a couple of minutes walk from the tube station. Nice neighbourhood and walking distance to Hampstead Heath (lucky bastards). We had a lovely Maroccean inspired dinner and fruit sallad for pudding. We spent a couple of hours in pleasant conversation before our Sunday adventure, Jenny's need to pack (she's leaving for her vacation soon) and Nils' 12h working day invited us to head home. Great evening.

Having done the grocery shopping I will now spend a couple of hours in the sun on the balcony reading and lounging about. Lucky me.

Creyfish Party

Today I'm beat, and admitedly slightly hung over. And I have no one to blame but my self. And perhaps those who should be suffering from the same fate as me today: Linus, Sian and James. We had a traditionally (sort of) Swedish Creyfish party yesterday at our place and It was great fun. We consumed a couple of creyfish each and a massive amount of "snapps" and more. I'm very impressed nby the way Sian and James both tucked into the creyfish and mastered the fine art of cracking them open and eating them. Well done! I think they liked them - of cours it could have been the tast numbing "snapps"... Good thing (for our livers) that all SUndays are not like that - but I'm glad a couple are. Thanks for great company yesterday!

I'm haveing trouble with my computer today but will try to upload pics asap to Flickr. Just not today.

A day at the races

Went to Windsor and enjoyed the races and quite a lot of Pimm's as well. Great fun but am knackered. Found Windsor very quaint and picturesque with a winding Themse full of swan (sly evil creatures) and bordered by Weeping Willows. Was inspired by those vacationing on river boats but found the mooring fees (£400 a day) rather daunting. I'd like to go back some time and visite the Castle.

Coup de boule

Hysterically funny. The Zidane-sång written as a cheer-up activity and the sent to friends, that was aired on radio shows and that has been sold for 100.000 euro is great. If you want to have a listen check out the writers home page and if you fancy a visual treat there is a video on this page.

Smoothielicious

Did my second session of aquatic-aerobics today. I'm going to be dead-exhausted a the end of this week. But atleast I hade a delicious home made mango and passionfruit smoothie on the way home fron the gym.

With a lot of time on my hands

I was given a one week free membership at Holmes Place at Canary Riverside and a planning on using it to its fullest. I started yesterday, and have been twice already. Tonight I'm doing aqua-aerobics - should be fun. If my plan is not abandoned on the way I will go to the gym 10 times this week and (since my transportation there and home is walking) I will get an extra hours worth of exercise walking. It's a pity one has to keep up exercising and that one weeks intense work dosn't last for atleast three months. But I am planning on continuing once back in Lund. The problem is my local gym isn't QUITE as attractive and nice. C'est la vie.

On the way home I passed the part of the docks where the sailing school has its hunting grounds. Something was either up with the wind or the pupils because I saw three boths turn over, one of them twice. Quite entertaining. Noone got hurt, but the water isn't quite as tempting now as a few days ago. Haha!

Birthday Cake

After eating a wonderful Indian meal which was delivered home (I practically licked the inside of the containers) we relaxed for a while before SIan and James showed up. We had birthday cake and talked for a while. Very nice indeed.