What I miss and don't miss

Just sailing gear

Beautiful sunset

Great cooking

Räksmörgås

Chicken game

Food, yummy!

Weber grill on my balcony

I sit in the sun on my balcony after having been sick and in bed most of the week, finally over the worst.
My balcony reminds me of the boat especially when the sun is out and I can enjoy the sunset. Martin got me the Weber grill that stands next to me that we had on the boat.

So I miss the water and ending up in a beautiful natural harbour with nature surrounding me. But I do not miss the responsibility to check the weather forecast at least 2-3 times a day and having to worry, if the wind shifts over night and is the boat safe.   A few times I set the alarm to check on the boat in the middle of the night, it was always all right, but could have been otherwise.

I miss the great company I always had on the boat, the camaraderie of cooking, doing dishes, going grocery shopping, playing games and sailing together. Here in Solothurn I am alone in my flat and it feels empty after months of company. What I do enjoy being back though is just going shopping, just tuning a DVD on to watch, having reception basically everywhere.

I do not miss the bathroom routine on the boat with pumping and plastic bags for the toilet paper. That is a relief being back and just being able to use the knob for flushing.

I do miss showering on deck with awsome views, swimming and having access to a sauna almost in every harbour. I think my average on going to the sauna was 3 times a week mostly with swimming, so that stopped now and feels like something is missing.

I start to miss Räksmörgås (shrimp sandwich) again, which I actually had had so much of that I started to avoid ordering it the last weeks. Usually that is one of the first dishes I try to order when I have crossed into Scandinavia.

I do miss the weekly routine with crew change on Saturday and washing my clothes and cleaning the boat. Here at home the flat seems so big and takes so much more time to tidy up. Also cleaning alone is very boring.

I do and also don't miss the simple dress code that I had on the boat. Just functional gear according to the weather forecast. I hardly ever looked in the mirror worrying how I looked. But functional clothes leave little room to express who you are and what mood you are in, so I like to have my wardrobe back. Only I notice now I have to check in the mirror if my hair sits right and if my earings match. So much more to think about!

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Reflections on June sailing: Worries and mishaps

Hailstorm Nynäshamn

My mom hurt

Now after one week of working and being back in Switzerland since Thursday evening of the 4th I start to reflect on all weeks and what happened.
Especially even if things went wrong how blessed I was that so little happened.

Week 1 (1.06.-7.06) Guest: My mom
My mum and I had an awesome week together cleaning the boat, getting it ready and sailing just a shorter stretches to familiarize ourselves with the vessel.

Since one of the first nights we tied up at a SXK buoy while we had a lot of wind over night my mom hardly got any sleep and dreamt that an elk was crying out loud! Thursday that week the big accident happened, she slipped so badly trying to jump on shore that she broke her left elbow. Both the sea rescue boat and an ambulance helicopter came to her rescue. Luckily she has recovered since then and participated at my Kräftskiva (party last week on the boat). That blog post still holds the record high!

Week 2 (7.06.-14.06) Guest: Dee

It was planned for Dee, my mom and myself that week, but now we were just 2. Even if it was cold the week started with really good weather, so we could get used to sailing and everything else.

At our first natural harbor Dee tried to step on shore and slipped, suddenly she was out of sight. I backed the boat and walked up to the front finding her legs in the water clinging frantically to the ladder to not make her new automatic life west go off. Quickly I got the dinghy to her and she was so determined not to get her west wet that in one swoop she was in the little boat and I could pull her to the back to get out and back on board. We were successful after that first challenge tying the boat up at another spot. During our second day sailing weather forecast predicted a big thunderstorm over Stockholm. We were heading south so we were safe, but saw it all day building up higher and higher. When we reached our very sheltered harbor Kyrkviken on Ornö suddenly even there we got some strong gusts while tied up at the pier. We learned later that it had hailed both in Stockholm and Uppsala massively with big storm gusts leading to power outs.Keeping a close watch on the weather forecast led us to having to seek up Nynäshamn on Thursday just after lunch to avoid similar thunderstorms with hail ourselves. Just after an hour of being tied up the hailstorm covered everything with a 5 cm thick layer of hail. We were so lucky to be safe.Both Friday and Saturday was really stormy but not a problem for us we were tied up safely in Nynshamns and even found a spa Havsbaded just 15 minutes walk from the harbor.

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Blogging course in Zürich

View over Shil in Zürich

Long German words

Such cool campaign

I have become a big fan of Frauenzentrale Zürich with all their cool campaigns and fight for equal rights. So about a month ago when I learned they were giving a course on blogging I immediately applied.

Frauenzentrale Zürich 

Today started far to early and tired after an afternoon and evening event yesterday with my new work and an overnight at Thanya. Anyway I managed to arrived at 9 o'clock for the course.
We were 9 women attending and most had not started a blog yet. Our instructor had a beauty products testing blog and is texter as a profession, she was really good. I learned particularly much about how to make a blog post more appealing and what to avoid while writing.
Very inspiring morning that ended with lunch with 2 of the other participants.
Weather has also cleared up and now I enjoy riding back to Solothurn.

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Want to learn more about Sweden? And Swedish cooking recipes in English

I knew I had found a few great classics of Swedish food some place before on the web and here it is:
Sweden - Sverige

An overview of Swedish kitchen / food
Welcome to the Swedish kitchen!

Here are a few of the recipes I had in German before in my last post:
Janssons frestelse (Janssons Temptation)
Toast Skagen
Köttbullar (Meatballs)
Biff à la Lindström (Hamburgers with beets and capers) A side note to this recipe: I use milk with breadcrums instead of 2 cooked potatoes as stated in the ingrediants list.
Wallenbergare (Wallenberg burgers)
Gravad Lax (Salmon)
Kanelbullar (Cinnamon buns)
Lussekatter och Pepparkakor (Saffran buns and ?)

Hope you enjoy trying things out? If you need help, do not hesitate to contact me, I have cooked or baked all of these at least a few times.

Cardamom-Cinnamon buns in Swedish (Kardemumma- Kanel bullar) 

Schwedische Kochrezepte gescannt (Swedish cooking recipes)

Dear friends this post will be in Swedish German since the cookbook I have scanned is in German full of Swedish dishes. I will follow up with some links to most of the recipes in English later.

Ich habe mein Schwedisches Kochbuch in Deutsch teilweise für Euch gescannt, ihr findet in dem PDF auch zugänglich über nachfolgendem Link diese Rezepte, siehe Auflistung.

PDF Schwedische Kochrezepte

1. Räksmörgås (Belegtes Brot mit Garnelen / Shrimps) S. 47
2. Sillsallad (Heringssalat) S.52
3. Janssons frestelse (Janssons Versuchung- Anschovis Kartoffelauflauf) S.71
4. Biff à la Lindström (Hackbeefsteak à la Lindström) S. 86 Kurze Ergänzung, mein Schwedisches Rezept verwendet statt der 2 kalte gekochten Kartoffeln, Milch mit Semmelbröseln gequollen in der gleichen Menge, so haben wir das auf dem Boot gemacht.
5. Kåldormar (Kohlrouladen) S. 86
6. Vetebröd / Kanelbullar (Süsses Hefegebäck / Zimtschnecken) S. 107
7. Lussekatter / Saffransbröd (Safransgebäck für 13. Dezember St. Lucia) S. 108
8. Havreflarn (Haferflockenplätzchen die IKEA auch verkauft) S. 114
9. Prinsesstårta (Prinzessinnentorte, Scan etwas abgeschnitten) S. 115

Ihr seht das Kochbuch hat ganz viel mehr anzubieten, aber dies waren die Gerichte die wir entweder auf dem Boot gekocht haben oder die Erwähnung fanden als auch ausswärts viel gegessen wurde.

Viel Spass beim kochen und backen!

Back in Switzerland

My sweetheart surprised at the airport

He got his lakrits pipe

Beautiful Solothurn - home

Enjoying the evening sun

Meeting Thanya again at Gassbar

IKEA almost like Sweden

3 months post opened

Matjessill Ikea style

After a serious shopping spree at the airport in Copenhagen (Kastrup), probably because I finally was back in civilization I needed to get it out of my system, I boarded the plane to Zürich. Just as my 3 marked heavy sailing bags arrived on the belt in Zürich I received a phone call from Martin telling him I arrived safely and cutting him short so I could get my bags. Through customs I thought they would pick me out with 3 bags, but I got through with just a nod from them. Relieved I walked out into the entrance hall and suddenly somebody yelled: "Zappo! "(one of many nicknames I have in our relationship) and then I was in Martin's arms, my sweetheart had come to surprise me and welcome me back!
He stayed until Sunday late afternoon, so my first days back in Solothurn were really sweet and on top of that warm and full of sunshine.
After a well needed haircut (just me) on Saturday we had dinner with Thanya and reminisced about sailing memories from summer in Åland.

First thing I cleaned in my flat was all that could fit into the washing machine and was textile, curtains, sheets, towels...
Then the balcony needed a make over especially since Martin had given me exactly the same grill as I had had on the boat as a memory of the summer sailing as a birthday present. So some rearranging was needed to make space for it and then all my balcony plants were picked up at my neighbor, who had had them in her garden.
We got some nice hours on the balcony in the sun that reminds me of the boat.
After Martin left I have met friends and continued unpacking and arranging. Today I got all my letters and mail that I had sent to Swissbox, who digitally scanned my letters. Now all is opened, last bills payed and most post sorted away.
For dinner I had Matjessill in memory of Swedish summer and midsummer. That is a meal that always brings me back to Sweden and I can enjoy as holiday.

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Last days in Skåne

Birches next to Helge å

Helge å

More Helge å

Naturum in the distance

Somebody left the life ring in the water

Looks almost like a castle

Gardening an institution since long

Student initiation Kristianstad style

Fort and canons

Battalion in Kristanstad

Just pretty

Nice lawyer sign

Ready to leave

Last shot with my wonderful sister

Leaving Sweden over the bridge to Denmark

Arrived at Kastrup

Christoph and Jack

Fredrik behind the syrup jar

After leaving Stockholm Monday afternoon my first stop was Malmö. There I was to finally meet Jack again and his husband Christoph, that I have only had digital contact with. Jack is one of Lovisa's study buddies and on her 40th birthday 4 years ago I got to meet Jack and we hit it off and got along very well. But since then we haven't had the chance to meet again. Knowing that I would spend my last days in Sweden visiting my sister, we had agreed on Monday 1. September in April to meet all of us. Lovisa couldn't join but at least Jack, Christoph, who had not been at Lovisa's party then and I had dinner together. Time was to short and we definitely need to build the friendship and meet again.
Looking forward to seeing them was a highlight that I had been looking forward to knowing that after my adventure that cool thing would happen.

Monday evening shortly before 22 hours I finally arrived in Kristanstad and my sister picked me up. Fredrik just having started school was awake again when we arrived, so I got to say goodnight.
The next 2 days were filled with getting Manda and Fredrik up on time for school and my sister to work. In-between she had a few hours to spare that we could spend together. Neither Manda nor Fredrik like to be photographed so that is why this post doesn't contain their pictures.
I had the honor to pick Fredrik up from school Thursday afternoon. Wonderful experience!
When I had time to spare I enjoyed the small town and the creek called Helge å with it's nature reserve building Naturum.
Staying a few more days with my family was a nice way to say goodbye to Sweden.

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Wallenbergare (food dish) and the Wallenberg family dynasty

Naturum, Kristianstad

Kristianstad centrum

Autumn approaching

 After a stroll through the small but nice town in the sun I enjoy one of Swedens national dishes: Wallenbergare - veal hamburger with cream, coated with breadcrumbs served with mashed potatoes, pees and lingon berries - very heavy but good!
So if you travel or live in Sweden the name Wallenberg is a constant.
Below the Wiki that explains why!

Apparently this family owns about one third of Swedens Gross National Income by influencing and owning industries.

Wallenberg family Wiki  

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Last night on the boat and meeting relatives

Fog morning after the party at 7

Uppsala Domkyrka

Gustavianum Uppsala with my aunt Marie

Exhibition on ear magnification images

Packing

Cleaning up

Returning the boat to Hans

Visit at Anna and Alex

Me, Alex and Anna

Gorgeous flat

View out of their living room

View on birches in the kitchen at breakfast

Beautiful Stockholm

Söder street view

On top of a rock in Stockholm

Many stairs in Söder

Locking up at central station

The morning after the Kräftskiva (Krayfish party) started foggy when I was up at 7, but when all my guests finally were awake and we had breakfast outside the sun was out. Just a wonderful morning!
We were Dirk, Antje, Olle, my mom and I enjoying the second last breakfast on the boat together.
I get a bit sentimental about the last and second last events repeating myself a bit.
For me these last moments of my creation were emotional. My intention with my adventure was to create a mix of friends and relatives as well as languages and that caused all these people to meet, because I and the boat are the crossroad of different paths. In a way this represents who I am influenced by so many cultures and languages, but still one person!
I loved this last big breakfast that whether wise made me want to go sailing a bit again too!
But the plan was to go and visit my aunt Marie in Uppsala and see the exhibition she organized at Gustavianum.
 Gustavianum, Uppsala  
Marie is the oldest of my mom's younger sisters.

After cleaning up after breakfast we packed up and all got a ride into town, Central Station, with Dirk and Antje. Very cool and handy!
At the train station Olle went home and my mom and I wanted to buy tickets for the train to Uppsala and find out when the next one left.
At the info counter we learned that instead of trains, because of construction of the tracks, we had to take a bus. That meant longer travel!
We got great seats and just talked and talked until suddenly we arrived in Uppsala. Here my GPS guided us to Gustavianum,  which we probably could have found without technology, since it was right next to the Domkyrkan (cathedral) which was visible with it's high towers from across town.
After peeking into the cathedral we headed to Gustavianum and took the elevator to the top floor, where Marie's exhibition was held. Wonderful location the anatomical theater as you can see on the pictures, a round room with steep stairs and standing room for viewing!
We had not had lunch yet so after greeting Marie my mom and I first grabbed a bite to eat next door and returned strengthened to enjoy the exhibition in detail.
Details it was what the big pictures on the wall was about mostly nerves, proteins and really small details in the cochlea with it's hairs and different skins and tubing. Things I basically know nothing about, but so artistically presented and beautiful compositions both in color or in arrangements. Especially with my knowledgeable aunt explaining what we saw and how the pictures had come about with which processes gave the exhibits another dimension to be viewed. Very fun!
We wanted to take the bus back to Stockholm at 17 o'clock, so we decided there was enough time to have tea at Marie's place before that. There I finally met Allan her boyfriend that I had heard about.
Seeing other exhibits from previous exhibitions my aunt has organized was fun, especially her feeling for color and composition is something I can relate to. I think dealing with color material surface and composition thereof is something my grandmother did very well and my mom as well as her siblings seem all to have that talent. I and my sisters all have it too it just comes natural to us.
It was great to discuss those things with my aunt and mom, since we speak the same "language".
After a cup of tea and another bulle we had to catch our bus back to Stockholm and from there bus back to Bullandö.
We had leftovers from the party so after some krayfish I started packing and my mom cleaned up and went to bed. I continued until after 1 and saw a crystal clear sky full of stars when going to brush my teeth.
Sunday at 10 I had agreed to return the boat. So after an early breakfast with great talking my mom and I finished cleaning and packing. Hans luckily was a bit late and Thomas who was coming to pick me up I could inform to come later too.
Hans was very pleased with how I returned the boat and told me I can rent it anytime I want again!
Now with Thomas help we were off to Stockholm first to let my mom off at the station then going visiting Anna and her boyfriend Alex.
Anna is Thomas and Anna-Maria's daughter who just has finished her studies to become an engineer.
So we celebrated her start into work life with cake, bulle, tea and coffee in their gorgeous flat in one of the best districts of Stockholm. How they got there is a fun family story on Alex side to long to tell here!
Now Thomas took me to his house in Saltsjöbaden. It felt good to be there since it is a place I have been to repeatedly probably over the last 20 years. Very homely which was good for the first night without a boat.

Monday I got a ride with all my 3 big bags to the station and looked them up before my train left for Malmö at 13.21 o'clock.
After a nice walk across Söder on the heights looking over Stockholm I grabbed a Knäckis at the "Nyströmming" stand at Slussen and then met up with my aunt Lotta. She is my mom's youngest sister married to Bjarne who helped sailing to Åland and Olles mother.
We had a nice last hour before my train went. She helped getting all my bags to my track and waved me off.

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"Allt på sjön" fair in Gustavsberg

Fair entrance

Lunch at bakery

Gustavsberg harbour

Linjett 34

Friday morning after Hans and I had lifted up Sofia II to check for possible damages and all was good he gave me a lift to Gustavsberg. At the bus stop I jumped out I only needed to take 4 stops until the boat fair.
 Allt på sjön  
Knowning that I had preloaded a daypass that should not be activated, I pressed the button of 2 coupons to pay for myself the short distance to the harbour. Minutes later I strolled between all the stands finding all the suppliers for boat stuff. So the first I asked were the Furlex roll Genoa supplier what to do about the last bit of unrolling that often got stuck on Sofia II. Apparently only a small block mounted just before the roll to lead the line towards the middle of the opening would solve the problem. Another improvement could be to shorten the line to just what is needed to roll the Genoa up.
The next question I wanted answered was how to read out my downloaded track from the Raymarin GPS plotter without having a Raymarin device. It turns out that can be done with a PC program that costs around 30 Euro and can be downloaded.
Then I saw a Spinlock stand and had a great chat with one of the reps. After that I was interested in binoculars, because those on the boat had been inferior and without a compass. Here I found a great deal with good magnification, waterproof, floating neck belt and lit up compass. Additionally the bright orange rubber coating was very much to my liking. So I treated myself to that as a farwell gift, but decided to pick it up just before I wanted to leave the fair.
Now I was ready for the sailboats especially interesting were all sizes between 32-38 since Sofia II was 37 feet long.
I liked the Bavaria 33, but the kitchen is not longside as was so practical on Sofia II also a Bavaria by the way. Also the chart table is crammed in the corner sitting backwards and surface is too small. Apart from that a very cool boat for a fair price!
Almost all other dealers solutions I did not like, one exception was Linjett sailboats. I liked both the 34 as well as the 37.
 Linjett sailboats  
Only fault I could find with them was their high price and their deep keel of almost 2m. I have to say with the layout as well as the design I was falling in love. I will take the reps up hopefully next year and test sail one or two of their boats at their shipyard in Rosättra west of Arholma.
Definitely something to dream about!
Finally I had gone through all the boats and went to have lunch and buy fresh bread for the party at the nearby bakery Delselius.
 Bakery Delselius  
Then I wanted to head back to Bullandö to prepare for the party in the evening.
On the bus I was shocked to learn that somehow in the morning I had activated my daypass anyway even if I had pressed the coupon button to avoid that. I felt betrayed by the stupid system that had hard rules that were hard to abide to and when I tried I failed anyway. Very unkind and non human behavior of the system. Now I could ride back on my daypass to Bullandö, but the next day when I wanted to use it to travel to Uppsala with my mom it would be invalid and force me to buy separate coupons since a daypass could only be purchased at the Pressbyrån and not on the bus itself.
Felt whipped by the Stockholm public transportation!

Side note: My mom, Olle and I all got a ride into town the next day with Dirk and Antje the morning after the krayfish party, so we saved both hassle and coupons. I actually did not need the daypass after that anymore!

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