Mmm, mmm, good!

I can think of plenty of people in my family who would love some of this stuff – you know who you are!

image: inewidea.com/

First time ever!

My adorable niece Allie is going to be able to tell her grandchildren that the very first time she went to the beach was in Gothenburg, Sweden. How cool is that?  There is a fantastic picture of the family Wrenn over on Jon’s blog, along with the story of how they spent their first jet-lagged night tormented by our rude neighbors. Welcome to Sweden, guys!

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Weird, huh?

Tonight at 6:30 I am going to the train station to pick up my sister Beth Wrenn and her family for their much anticipated, albeit short, visit to Europe. Because Beth and I both have husbands named Jon (he’s actually a John), we’ve been unable to lose the habit of referring to Beth’s John as Johnwrenn.  It must be me. When Sara was little, I worked with a group of people with multiple Johns, and one of my favorites was a guy named John Bivens. He became Johnbivens to Sara, a frequent visitor, who never called him anything else. My sister worked there too, so she’s also an early adopter of this naming convention.  So anyway, Beth and Johnwrenn wanted to be sure that our exchange house would have some of baby gear they need for their daughter Allie who’s 18 months old. I checked with our exchangers before we left to make sure they had a crib and car seat (they do), and it turns out that their little boy is also 18 months old. In fact, he and Allie are exactly the same age. They were born on the same day, in the same year. The exact same day. Weird, huh?

I can’t help myself…

All this silly talk about these idiots is starting to get to me. I really have lost it, I think. I might have even started to obsess. Check it out:

 

Well-a well-a well-a huh…

I love pools and adore the ocean, but I really don’t love swimming. I like to get in the water to cool off, not to swim all around like some kind of crazy person. Now that we’re having regular summer weather here in Sweden – or at least what passes for summer in Scandinavia – we had to get a small inflatable pool for Sam. It has taken 4 days of sitting outside for the water to warm to acceptable levels, even for Sam, and today was the first day that I even considered getting in. A baby pool is right up my alley – not much commitment is required and it lasts until I get bored with it and move on to something more interesting. Usually that’s the day that it sprouts it’s second leak, the day that I consider it tainted and pronounce it ready for the trash. One leak is manageable, unnoticeable even when it’s in the side wall, but two leaks are just too much to handle. Then the pool starts to stress me out and I can’t enjoy it anymore. Who wants to lean against the side of the pool when it could collapse at that very moment? And nobody wants to sit in a baby pool with non-functional side walls, having to sit up straight like a schoolmarm…come on, that’s just ridiculous. So we’re on day 5 of our new Swedish pool and to date it’s been a smashing success, so much so that the kids spent the rest of the afternoon lying down and trying on my sunglasses. Ah, summer.

More mini houses to love

Of course you already know hat I’m a fan of all things mini (as discussed here, here, here, and here ). I especially love the efficiency that goes into small space design, and can spend hours in the little houses inside my local Ikea. Go, you’ll see.  I’ve been in love with the Tumbleweed Tiny Houses forever, but they’re out of my budget. So when I saw these amazing Sweetwater Bungalows over at Apartment Therapy, I immediately thought of my sister. She definitely could use one of these bad boys in her back yard, maybe even two. They are basically tents that get built atop a platform and become little cabins which can then be customized for the purpose and the climate (yes, heat, electric, and indoor plumbing are possible!!). The price runs around $25/square foot, which is very, very cheap, but doesn’t include the platform of shipping. So, you’re talking less than $10,000 for any of the 3 models, upgraded a bit, and shipped to you.  Consider what you can do: an art studio, a guest room, a playhouse, a pool cabana, a writer’s retreat, a massage/facials studio…the possibilities are endless! They use that as their slogan, so it must be true!

 

 

 

Images 1, 2 from tinyhouseblog.com, 3,4,5 from apartmenttherapy.com

Still mad? Who me??

I was just thinking a little more about Sara and graffiti. Doesn’t this make you think of her, too?

image from michael.jr’s Flikr

How do you say “Oops!” in Swedish??

Today Sara took me to the mall in downtown Gothenburg for a girls’ day.  Sara and Grace, our visitor from Florida, had taken the bus many time so this was Sara’s turn to teach me the route.  As we were waiting for the bus to arrive, I noticed that some idiots had tagged the interior walls of the bus stop with gold graffiti. In English. With the F word and something even worse. So there I am, waiting for the bus, when it hits me. My daughter has the same initials of the person who wrote this graffiti. Her friend Grace has the same initials of the other person. Yep, busted.  We know what Sara will be cleaning tomorrow – too bad Grace has already gone home.

Old Dutch, new Benjamins?

Have you enjoyed reading about our adventures in home exchange? Do you look forward to new postings and adorable pictures from abroad? Do you smirk – even laugh sometimes – at our European misadventures? And how! (Sorry, I’ve been devouring the show Mad Men and my 1950’s slang is in full effect).

Good news!

I am now accepting donations!

Just click the Donate button on the top left of this page to get started, or click here.

If you enjoy HomeRoamers, you could be really swell and support my Batavus bicycle fund. I’ve set my sights on the least expensive model from Batavus, the Old Dutch,  and you can now support me with just a click of your mouse. I hope to be made in the shade really soon.

My dear Batavus, how I miss you…

OK, so you know how I love the European design aesthetic and I’m especially enamored with the love of cycling and cycle accessories. I’ve been trying to find a bicycle in the States that somehow comes close to my beloved Batavus Personal bike that I used while in Holland. It’s a true Dutch work bike, and is the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden by a huge margin. Plus, with a couple of accessories it can easily become our family station wagon. The cheapest price I’ve found for my Batavus is around $1100, not including a few hundred for delivery, so that’s out. Way out. So I am looking for the full upright seating style of the Batavus, along with the easy step-through, and a heavy duty frame that can hold my favorite passenger and our groceries. In the meantime, I’ve been looking around for something similar and although there are now lots of choices for beach cruise bikes in the US, they are really not the same as Dutch bikes so I’m a bit stymied. My maximum budget – maximum!! – is $500, including accessories, so I’m really looking for something of quality in the $300 range.  So far I like a few of the Trek Cruiser models (click here if you’re curious) or this Raleigh or maybe I can find a used one from the bike shop. But I am definitely not compromising on the accessories. Check it out:

News from Norway

So we’ve stayed in touch with our exchange partners from Norway (click here for some back story), as the guys really developed a good friendship while we were exchanging. Sounds strange, but they chatted just about every day and found a mutual interest in cultural observations. Anyway, last night Jon got a message from him. Apparently there is a new house being built next to theirs, and the builders are blasting some rocks to clear the home site.  Their daughter had wanted to go outside to play, but her Dad said no, he hadn’t remembered hearing the all clear signal. All was definitely not clear. The builders set off a final blast that sent huge pieces of rock – boulders – into their yard and into the neighbors’ yards, missing their car by mere centimeters. Look:

Those big ass rocks that look like landscaping are actually the “debris” from the blast. Holy crap!

But wait a second…that’s not the car that we were using, the one with 468,000,000,000,000 kilometers on it, built in 1927 or thereabouts. That looks like our car that they were using at our house, the brand new 2009 we bought before our exchange.  Did they steal it???

Not funny!

You know how much I love the Dutch bicycle culture and all of the cool ways that Dutch families without cars transport their children, pets, and gear. I am a huge fan of the bakfiets (cargo bikes) and I especially love the clever ways people adapt them for their needs. But this is taking it a bit too far.

image: http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/

Ice, Ice, baby…

It seems that the one hot day we’ve had here in Gothenburg was a bit out of the ordinary, and the weather’s been cool to very cool (OK, it was cold, but I like to sound rugged). So when the temps peaked at 16 degrees yesterday, I was ready to go to the beach. Oh, that’s 60 degrees Fahrenheit for those of you playing along at home.  We packed a picnic lunch and headed to our favorite beach in Hovås where there were a few families, but mostly teenagers happy to be done with school and not caring much about anything else. Sam loves the big rocks that remind him of Norway and doesn’t care that there really isn’t much sand to play on. The water would have been great were it not for the whipping wind, but I could lie in a grassy crevice on the rock and be shielded enough for some sunning. The beautiful scenery reminds me a bit of coastal Maine or even Norway, and I am happy just to sit and watch the water flow by.

They’re not all 6 foot tall models? Really?

I had imagined that all the women in Sweden would be blond, 6 feet tall, skinny, and gorgeous. They would all look like Elsa Sylvan (yeah, that’s her in the picture). Well, after spending a day at Liseberg amusement park, I’m no longer so worried about getting into my bathing suit.  You know those carnival games where you try to hit a target and win a huge stuffed animal?   Well in Sweden, you don’t win stuffed animals, you win…get this…enormous candy bars! People were carrying around giant Toblerone bars and Sara’s favorite Kex bars, and I thought it was so weird. These ultra-skinny Swedes surely aren’t going to be eating all this chocolate…are they?

 

image: theworldsbestever.com

How not to ride a Dalahest

On Sunday we took Sam and the girls to Gothenburg’s Liseberg amusement park. It was great that the entrance fee didn’t include the ride pass, so Jon and I only had to pay a few dollars to get in (more money for beer!).  Just kidding. So toward the end of the day, we found this gigantic dalahest that Sara of course wanted to climb. Except she couldn’t get up. At all. After multiple tries. And onlookers were laughing. And pointing. It’s not that tall, so it wasn’t unreasonable that we adopted the U Like It, U Climb It policy and didn’t give her a boost. Or get down on all fours next to it and make like a step stool. So after about 5 minutes (yes, really) of trying to get on, she finally managed it, but not before a Swedish family had a pretty good view of London, France, and all of the arrondissements. Good thing the Swedes love to travel.

Ode to WCW

This is just to say that I have eaten a large lunch that I made for myself, which you probably wanted a bite of. Forgive me, it was delicious; but now I must nap.

Isn’t the internet grand?

Remember that singer James O’Reilly that I loved so much in Copenhagen? And when I say loved, I mean in a musical way, not in a romantic way, although he is good looking and if I were 20 years younger…well, you get the idea. Ha. Anyway, I found him on Facebook, and then went to his website where he has a bunch of original tracks. I really, really like this guy and I am telling you, he is going to be big. Maybe even huge.

Check out James and Giovanni (yes, the same Giovanni from Copenhagen) covering Wonderwall by Oasis. That's some amazing busking (look it up).

Hippo Birdie Two Ewes

Miss Sara is 14 years old today!! Despite all the trials and tribulations of raising a daughter, I wouldn’t change a thing. Happy birthday to my wonderful daughter.

In case you missed what Sara has been up to this year, click here for a review of her adventures in Europe while attending Florida Virtual School.

Wonderful Copenhagen

We spent a fun day sightseeing in the lovely (but freezing!) city of Copenhagen and I was thrilled to see tons and tons of my favorite bicycles (click here if you’ve forgotten), especially around the entrance of Tivoli Gardens amusement park that dates back to the 1890’s. After the requisite ice cream cones, we walked along the famous Strøget and window shopped and then stumbled onto an amazing street performer who was singing and playing guitar. He drew this huge crowd and was really great, so I wanted to buy one of the CDs that were in front by the donation box. Well, it seems that this guy was just the friend of the real singer and guitarist, and he was playing alone while the real guy took a break. He wasn’t even on the CDs, and he just stole the show right out from under his poor friend Giovanni. Poor bastard. Anyway, you should check out Giovanni here and wait for his buddy James O’Reilly from Dublin to be the breakout artist of 2010. You read it here first.

The people in Copenhagen are just gorgeous, especially the men. They have beautiful, chiseled features and such an easy sense of style.

See what I mean??

Check out a few more pictures from our fun day in wonderful Copenhagen.

Watch a short clip of Giovanni and James playing:

Soon we will be Graced

Tomorrow we are leaving for Copenhagen where we’ll be spending the night in order to collect Sara’s best friend Grace from the airport. International flights typically arrive early in the morning, and the train from here takes 3 hours, so we can’t get a morning train early enough to make it. Oh, well, it gives us an excuse to spend some time in what is supposed to be a very enticing city. Anyway, our little mermaid Sara is very excited to see Grace, and she’s been a guest of ours before when we rented a condo in Cape San Blas, Florida last summer. The girls enjoy their independence, and here they can make use of the vast public transportation system that will take them into downtown Gothenburg as well as to the local shopping mall, and we’re working on fixing the bikes to fit us better. Once we find the tools we need (who knew it would be so hard to find the right size Alan wrench here in Ikea Heaven??), there will be 2 bikes that the girls can use to ride to any of the beautiful local beaches. So, I’ve set up an extra bed in the (extremely) small bedroom Sara uses, and am washing the duvet and making a shopping list of Grace’s favorite treats. I’ll be ready  - but Sara still isn’t! She hasn’t finished 3 of her classes and unless she gets the work done by tomorrow morning, she’ll be doing school work while we go hang out in Gothenburg with Grace. Hurry up, Sara – we really will leave you at home!

Sweet Sverige!

So Sara literally had tears in her eyes as our plane descended into Gothenburg Central airport. Tears, I tell you! It was amazing to think that for two years she has been so devoted to all things Swedish and we’re finally here.  We were met at the airport by Roland, the father of our exchange guy, and he drove us to the house and gave us a thorough tour and overview of how everything works. He was delighted to learn that Sara was here to further her Swedish education, and told us the story about His Sarah, the exchange student he cared for many years ago who came from Ohio.  Apparently he and his family took such pains to teach Swedish to His Sarah that she was the only one in her group to have actually learned the language while she was here. It can be tough, as so many Swedes speak English so well and want to practice, so he advised Sara to be steadfast and to tell everyone that she is trying to learn and prefers to speak Swedish. Either way, the two of them were chatting away in the car, and we were all quite impressed with Sara’s proficiency.

We went to the local bathing place near the house and found the water to be surprisingly warm, and Sam actually swam for about 30 minutes. The next day, Roland came back to drive us for a tour of the local attractions, which included a lovely nature preserve where we got to snuggle with a newborn foal (!!) and take a long walk through the woods. Roland also showed us a few of the local bad platser that we can bike to, including this cool spot with big climbing rocks and a sandy inlet for shallow swimming and a few docks to jump off. Sam keeps asking us to take us back there. But Momma, it’s PUBLIC! They have a SIGN! Ah, the simplicity of youth.