Staycation

One of the perks with this move to Sweden is their generous vacation time.  The warm season is short, so Swedes know how to enjoy it while it lasts and generally take 3-4 weeks off of work.  After returning from the beach we had the usual post-vacation unpacking, 8 loads of laundry, and trips to three grocery stores, so I'll spare you further details and hit the highlights of vacation week 2: Staycation.

The largest and most international youth soccer tournament in the world is going on in Gothenburg this week, so the locals have left for their summer homes and thousands of kids (and their coaches and families) are here competing and doing the tourist thing.  It's strange to hear so many conversations in English.

Back in June after preschool drop-off I spent a morning walking home on the side streets and taking pictures along the way.  I found a cool playground, so this week I brought my family back to check it out.  There was a huge cloud that passed right by while they were playing, but the rain held off.  After the kids got their wiggles out we checked out the cafe across the street.  That's rhubarb/raspberry pie with meringue (the crunchy baked kind) and vanilla sauce, baked in a springform pan (read: tall).  They know how to do pie here, and desserts in general.

Bob Dylan was playing in Gothenburg on our usual Date Night, so we went out for Thai food and walked over to the concert at Trädgårdsföreningen (Horticultural Society Gardens), just a few blocks from our place.

Just outside Gothenburg is Delsjön, a pair of lakes where you can rent canoes or have a campfire.  This was our first visit so we hiked, picked wild raspberries, and inspected bugs and slugs.

On a different day we drove up to Marstrand.  It's a big island known for its boating community.  We walked around and people-watched, but thankfully this was not the week of the Match Cup.  This would be an exciting place to watch it, but it gets so crowded.  I loved all the nautical clothing and gear on Marstrand, and it was the first time I tried fish & chips and actually liked it.

On a different day Steve took Olivia to the "pool" at Mariaplan during Bowen's nap.  It's down the street from her preschool and she had been there on a field trip, but has been asking to go back ever since.

The vibe in Gothenburg has definitely changed this summer.  Locals (including my expat friends) are gone, tourists are here in droves, construction reroutes public transportation, and shops and restaurants are often closed.  I am thankful for the awesome weather (sunny with highs in the upper 70s) and getting to see some friends this week. Florence, who is moving back to France, Jackie, who lives right down the street, and Fran (who actually was on Marstrand at the same time and took our picture above).  She also brought her guitar over and secured rockstar status at our house.

So...  It sounds like we did a lot this week, but we also did a lot of relaxing at home.

"American" pancakes and bagels at Egg & Milk