Walking

It's time to start visiting all the favorite places and seeing how much I'm going to miss the charm of the city.  I went for a nice long walk today around the city wall and I only cried a little twice.  Fall in Visby is just as beautiful as summer.  The smell of apples has replaced the smell of roses and the soft yellows and reds are coloring the green leaves.  Under a strong breeze and a bright blue sky it doesn't feel like a real place.

Fika i Hällarna

In Swedish schools there is something called "study days."  These are days when a certain class just is out of school for a day off.  They are universally not used for studying.

Today was Frida's study day, so we decided to go for a walk in Hällarna after the weather cleared up.  After I taught her how to make apple roses and we had fika we played cards.  It was a sweet afternoon before practice.

American Burgers

Tonight was a thank you dinner for the fam.  I made burgers, mango salsa, avocado fries, apple roses, and Arnold Palmers (very fitting since he passed so recently).

I knew I missed cooking with Jonathan, but tonight it was even more apparent.  I had fun in the kitchen, but it wasn't as nice as when we coordinate and make yummy dinners and have so much fun doing it.  It also takes FOREVER when you are doing all of it on your own...

It was a great night though.  We invited Farfar and Farmor and Lise and Ali and Jocke and had a very fun time.  Since I didn't have my grill master with me, Bobbo helped me get the burgers cooked.  Lise brought me sunflowers and we lit the candles and had a cozy time.

Sista Hemmamatchen

After a couple of tough losses it was nice to beat the stuffing out of a team - especially for the last home game.  It ended 12-1 and we were happy.

It was sad to think that it was the last home game.  I thought four months would be a lot longer than this, but I'm also ready to be home for a little while before the big move to Kingsport.

What an incredible adventure this has been.  I will always be grateful for everyone that encouraged to pursue the opportunity.

Två Veckor

I can't believe it's only two weeks left until I'm back in Tennessee!!

Sunday FaceTime dates with Momma and Dad and Jonathan will be a thing of the past and face to face conversations will replace them.  Ah.  How lovely that will be.

I will miss waking up and looking out at the ocean every morning during breakfast and watching the sunset every night at dinner time.  What a truly incredible place I got to call home and the sweetest host family that I possibly could've had!

Gotland is an incredible island with incredible people.  I hope I make it back to visit over the next years of my life.

Hammock

A perfect late summer day for reading outside means a great opportunity to lay in a hammock outside the city wall and read a good book.

I've been happy that I've been reading again.  I've also re-developed an appreciation for public libraries and I think that's a good thing too.  I've gotten to read some challenging and fun titles while I've been here and having that time after not reading for the last 4 or so years has been really incredible.   I hope that it's something that I carve out a little time for in the future when I'm back stateside and getting caught up in work and family and love again.

Västerås BK 30

Unfortunately the game today was nothing to write home about...

WE played the top team in our league, and they made it very apparently why they were the top team.  Very talented group and it was not handled well by us.

The next two games in a row are home and I am thankful for that even though traveling has begun to feel like a little routine now.  It's always fun to see Stockholm come into view under the plane's wing when we head over to the mainland to play.

Full day :)

Today was busy and very enjoyable.

I got up and read for a little while, worked on some Swedish vocabulary, went for a walk, and sent in an official application for an apartment in Kingsport! Eeeeekkkk.

After lunch I went down to the restaurant to help Anja set up for Boston's birthday party with his classmates.  It was a tiny little pink party round two because we had so much left over from her party, but there was also a mountain of candy so no one noticed really :)

After we pumped them all full of sugar, Boston, Bobbo, and I headed over to Villa Villekulla and dressed up in scary costumes.  As the kids came through the upstairs we popped out and startled them very sufficiently.  (I think we made one of the littlest girls cry... I felt a little bad, but Boston thought it was perfect.)

Soon I had to head back up to the house to change into my yellow Sweden shirt and head to Gutevallen for The U17 National Team game between Sweden and Norway.  What an incredible opportunity for Ebba not only to continue playing with the National team of her age group but also to play with them at home on Gotland.  

Front Row :)

It was a decent turnout and a fun time watching with all our teammates.  Sweden pulled out an awesome 1-0 victory, and Ebba impressed everyone again with how much she can run around the field and never seem to get tired.  We will miss her in our game tomorrow for sure.

Middag Med Ejla

Tonight we didn't have practice because the U17 Norwegian National team needed our field.  So instead I went over to Ejla's and had a sweet little dinner and watched a movie :)

Teammates are such an incredible thing to have in your life.  It was fun to get to talk to her and learn a little more about Sweden and her life.  We talked about her maybe coming and visiting sometime and going to the Smokies!  I hope sometime she and Björn can.

Sunday

Sunday afternoons I think are my favorite time of week.  It's sleepy.  And it's quiet.

Today I felt a little restless, so I took my bike and set off on the bike trails through Hällarna with no real destination.  I ended up going all the way into town and crisscrossing my way through the upper stad, taking in views and appreciating the last roses of the season.  The majority of the blooms have faded, but some are still holding on and the bright spots and the pleasant smell made this Sunday even better.

I am content.

Vinst! 6-1

I don't understand any of the trash-talk that gets posted in the papers since it's all in Svenska, but apparently Värmbol did some before the game today.  So beating them 6-1 felt nice.  :)

I almost put one away today, too.  Dinged it off the crossbar on a free kick.  Bummer.  At least I got an assist (maybe two?).

Walk On

Another beautiful day, another nice adventure through Hällarna.  It's bigger than I thought with enough trails to get a little lost.  But I know that if the water is by my right should I'm heading towards home.

Berså, Gnisvärd, Tofta

The adventure of the day started with fika at Berså, a sweet little boutique and cafe south of Kneippbyn.  The weather is incredible, so we dropped the top on the car and let the wind mess up our hair.

So far it was the best fika I've had: the chocolate, coconut, hazelnut half-baked lump of deliciousness was a perfect blend of the three ingredients that left me wanting to go back inside and eat the whole platter of them.

Fika

After fika we went for some sightseeing. I hadn't been to Gnisvärd or Tofta yet, so we cruised over and checked out the areas.  At Gnisvärd we watched from the harbor as a couple attempted windsurfing. At Tofta we strolled down the windy beach and listened to the waves noisily crash on the shore.  We took our shoes off and found out how cold the water was (VERY) and let the sand get in between our toes.

Gnisvärd

Tofta

It was a soft, easy afternoon with good company and good laughter.

Temporary resident's card!

It came in the mail already today! I'm so impressed. The picture is terrible, but I officially get to stay for the whole season.  I'll be home in early October - then it will be time to start the new adventure with work!!

I'd put up a picture, but since it's kinda like a drivers license that could be bad...

Migrationsverket

I saw my first really truly rainy day in Sweden.  This morning I woke up to an actual torrential downpour.

I swam my way to the train and dripped all the way up to the Migration Agency in Solna.  I got there about 30 minutes early, checked in for my appointment, and was surprised when my number got called 5 minutes later.  I was done before my actual appointment time even rolled around.  It was incredible.  It seemed like I could expect a pretty good outcome so I headed to the Mall of Scandinavia to see what it was like.  The answer to that was HUGE.  There was a Tesla store (not a dealership - there was only 2 cars in there) which was unique, and two full grocery stores in the basement.

After trying to eat some lunch, I decided to head back to the house to take a nap and pack my bags before heading down to the ferry.

It's nice to travel by train because you get to read, or just watch the countryside flash past.  I enjoy it.

After napping and packing and saying my goodbyes to the Steffensson Family and heading out again on my way home.  I was feeling pretty under the weather by then and not so excited about the possibility of seasickness from the windy conditions...

I made it in plenty of time to the terminal and after a fitful ride back to Visby I'm so happy to at least be miserable in my own bedroom.  Right now I have an upset stomach and a fever of 101.  Tomorrow I think I'll be staying home from practice and hopefully sleeping most of the day...

Saltsjöbaden

Not only was I incredibly lucky to have an incredibly gracious and loving host family on the island, I also have been adopted into the extended family so lovingly.

Today I spent the late morning getting a walking tour of Saltsjöbaden, where Cattis and her family live.  Elsa took her bike and patiently waited for Jonas, Cattis, and me to keep up with her.  Ludvig had a soccer game today, so he opted to rest this morning so he'd be ready for that.

The area around here is absolutely spectacular.  Most of the houses are beautifully restored homes from the 1800s, and it seems like everyone has apple trees in their yards.  Today is overcast, but the views are still magnificent.  I don't know how much we walked, but I know my legs are heavy from the game yesterday and they aren't feeling any fresher now... I think I might be starting to get a little ill.  The fatigue seems deeper than just muscles.

The grand old hotel :)

We finished up our tour and headed back to the house for a moment to get extra coats before setting out again for lunch.  We took the boat (hence the jackets) to a beautiful museum called Artipelag (a play on words mixing art and arkipelag (archipelago in Svenska)) nestled in the archipelago that creates the outer reaches of Stockholm.  The lunch was delicious and we spent a happy few hours wondering around an Andy Warhol exhibit and then the walking trails around the museum grounds.  When it started threatening rain, we rushed to the boat and got home as quickly as we could.

On the way home from Artipelag

We rested for a while, and then it was time to think about dinner.  Anja had said so many good things about the guberburgers Jonathan and I had made for them while he was visiting, that everyone in the family wants to try them, so we decided that we would make them for dinner.  It was fun and successful and I was happy that I was able to pull it off without my master burger maker here to help me.

It was a full day and I am very ready for sleep.  Tomorrow is a big appointment so I will have to be up and leave early to I am sure no to be late.

Another win!

Today I am tired after the game...

It was hard fought and a little dirty.  They hit Ejla and I particularly hard very many times because we wouldn't let them score.  I guess they didn't like that.

We came out bruised and with a 2-0 win.  It felt good to get the 3 points.

Smiling through the pain

Cattis and Elsa came to pick me up from Gullmarsplan and drove me out to their place in Saltsjöbaden.  Cattis and Jonas are so sweet to offer to host me while I stay in Stockholm to get my visitor's permit extended for the rest of the season.

Their house is beautiful and dinner was delicious and it was fun to sit and talk for a few hours after with them.  They are both really successful, really intelligent people, and it's always interesting to hear different points of view from people about what's happening in the world.

Now bed and I am happy for it.

Hällarna

When it's nice in the morning I like to go for walks in Hällarna.  It's this awesome park right beside Kneippbyn - just to the north, toward Visby.  I can wander through pines trees draped with green ivy, or through scrubby brush growing out of broken limestone, or over the pebbled beach beside the water.  Right now the salmbär and wild bluberries and in season and you always see someone out gathering them for homemade jams and pies.

Högklint in the distance

Somedays I take Messi with me, but it's more pleasant to go alone.  It's a good time to think and jsut appreciate how beautiful it is here.

Lauter

It was a PERFECT day to go out on the boat, and Mormor wanted to go and Bobbo was going to take her and I was invited to go along.  I'm so glad I did.  The scenery was spectacular, and then we all spent a few hours laying around and reading in a beautiful little harbor.  I even got in the water for a brief, chilly second.

Raukar from the boat

Nice day, nice view

Then it was time to rush to practice and afterwards to celebrate coach's birthday.  We had pizza from Gute Pizzeria homemade apple pie that Palle made for everyone.  It was casual and fun.

Almedalen

Today was a perfect day to sit outside and read a book at Almedalen.  It's a sweet little park and it's a quiet place to relax.

Vendela joined me there for a little while in between saying bye to friends before she heads to London on Wednesday.

Vanessa is in the air and on her way to her adventure in the Big Apple.

Hej då, Vanessa!

Today Vanessa and I went for our last lunch together before she heads to NY.  It was a tasty one at the Visby Salluhall of fish soup and fresh baked bread.

Fish Soup!

The last few days we've spent running around and getting last minute things that both Vanessa and Vendela need for traveling.  Shopping is exhausting to me, but at least I get to spent a little longer with them both :)

It will be weird in a few days when they are both gone.

last Krogshow (and poor number 3)

Tonight was the last Krogshow of the summer season.  I saw it so many times, but I was so impressed every time with the energy and talent of the group.  It was fun to know I saw the first and the last one this year.

After the show ended, Vanessa and I joined MJ and Ejla at the Lindvall residence to watch Sweden take on Germany in the Olympic gold match for women's soccer.  It's hard to lose on an own goal...

We had a good time and good laughs after the game.  When we left at 1am, MJ informed us that she still hadn't started packing. So she will have a long night ahead of her.  I am glad that we all got to hang out again and have some fun before she heads back!!

Hej då, MJ!

Surgery

Today was a little tough.  I have to go to sleep now before dad's surgery actually starts.  It was supposed to start hours ago, but they are still waiting. I kept my self busy walking around in town and hanging out with the girls before they go, but I have still been a bit on edge.

Tonight we had a team dinner to say good bye to MJ.  We went to Craperie (since she's French and we are funny).

Chevré Kyckling Crepe. Yum.

She heads back to Canada Saturday morning for her school team's preseason.  It was good to have everyone together outside of practice.  She's been incredible to have around and I will miss her personality and character.  It would have been fun for our time to have overlapped a little more :(

Djupvik

Today we headed south toward Djupvik.  Mormor (Anja's mother) is visiting, so Vanessa, Anja, and I went with her for lunch by the sea (everywhere here is almost by the sea).

It was a really beautiful day, and a beautiful setting.  I tried Lammbergare (yum) with lingonberries (of course) and boiled potatoes (surprise!).

Lammbergare

I forgot to take a picture of the view, but if you want to see pictures google it up.  It's really a breathtaking place.

Practice is going well.  We played small sided today which I think is my favorite :)

Fårö

Today was a road trip up to the north island Fårö with Vendela and MJ.  We got off to a slow start because we took the electric car, and I'm not so familiar with those.  It took me a while to be convinced that it was actually on and I could go, and Vendela wasn't so much help :)

We finally pulled out of Kneippbyn and headed to pick up MJ on the way north.  It was a pretty and familiar drive (same roads up to Blå Lagunen), and when we got to Fårösund we got on the car ferry over.  I've done it once before, but it's still a weird experience being in a car on a boat moving across water.

Our first stop was Lauter, to see Raukar - the large oddly shaped rock formations on the beach there.  It was windy windy windy but the view was beautiful so we stuck around as long as we could stand it.

Pretty beach, pretty sky

Me and MJ sheltering from the wind behind the Rauk 

It kinda looks like a hand but really I just wanted to show off my Gotlands Ring :) 

Then it was fika time so we went to the best bakery on the island: Sylvis Drötter.  I had kladkaka (basically a deliciously undercooked brownie muffin), and a part of a cinnamon roll that was actually made with cardamom. Both very good.

Since we made the trip as a "beach trip" for Vendela before she heads to London, we turned to Sudersand and found a sandy hole in the grass to shelter in against the wind and pretend to tan.  MJ and I had our sweaters on the whole time, but we tried.  Then it was time for a warm lunch and back in the car to get to practice on time.

The landscape of Fårö, especially at Lauter, reminded me some of the scrubby, low vegetation of Iceland.  Still it was evergreen instead of mossy.

Practice was the standard Monday weight session with Stillman.  I'm enjoying it because I'm getting stronger at my own pace, and without feeling like I have to push to hard and mess up my back again.  It's nice.

Shutout!

Today was a long day starting at 8:30 at the Visby Airport and ending at midnight at the ferry terminal.  But we got a 3-0 shutout and sent MJ out on our best game so far in the season!

Starting Line-ups

Success!

I was very excited about how we played.  It was very cohesive and calm.

Playing soccer has brought so many opportunities into my life and I can't imagine what I would have done if I didn't continue playing despite the set backs and the annoyances and the injuries and the hard times.

I'm so thankful for the sport and the people and the opportunities that this crazy journey has brought into my life.

Tornerspel

It's fun to go adventuring on your own.  It's nice to have your own schedule and be able to come and go as you please.

I finally went and bought the shoes I have been eyeing for work, I got a gift for Vendela, found a cafe that I really loved, explored through medeltidsveckan a little more...

Part of the medieval market 

Today was a good day for that.

The biggest adventure was to go to the Tornerspel.  It was the second of the week and is held in a little wooden stadium put up outside the north city wall for the week.  There is jousting, medieval armed combat, an archery competition, and entertaining announcers.

They divide the ring in half so that it's the farmers vs the city dwellers (which is actually why the city wall was constructed initially - so that all trade could be taxed by the city when it came to and from the port).  It was all in good fun and of course it was rigged so that the farmers lost (they lost the civil war hundreds of years ago too sadly).

The knights getting the crowd to cheer

Medieval armed combat 

The horses were incredible and the knights were having more fun than anyone else.  I'm so glad I went despite the chilly weather.  It was a bummer to watch USA lose to Sweden on PKs in the olympics right before, but that's soccer.

Looking forward to the game tomorrow!

Supper

Tonight was a HUGE family meal at a Latin American inspired restaurant in town called Supper.  It was probably one of my favorite meals so far because it was tapas and that means, with a huge group like we had, that you try a bite of pretty much everything on the menu.  Wine glasses are magical around the Werkelin clan.  You can't empty one successfully - it just keeps getting refilled.  After a while you just have to stop trying and let it sit :)

The first round of food.  There were three. 

Dinner is always a long affair, and tonight was no exception.  We got there at 8 and got home around 12:30.  It was an enjoyable evening filled with lots of laughter and happiness but I am ready for bed.

Anja's cousin and family are still stranded here but they finally found a spot on the ferry for their car at 3am Saturday morning.  The kids are happy to stay of course, but Suzy and Jonas are starting to stress about the jobs I'm sure.

Night time.

Pink Party in Review

Wow.  That was a serious bash.

It started at 4pm at Kallis - voted the best European beach club for years apparently.

Vanessa, me, and Vendela at Kallis

At 5pm it was time to take all the champagne drinkers and celebrators back to Kneippbyn.  So we took tour busses rented expressly for the purpose of making sure no one had to drive back.  Anja had a private car give her a lift back to the house, and it turns out that the private car actually was her new car. Happy Birthday.

When we got to Solsidan it was more wine and champagne and crawfish cocktails while listening to a live performer before toasts and time to move inside for dinner.

The show hall was decorated in everything PINK.  And everyone was wearing pink.  Every shade you could think of.  And there was a seating chart.  It was like a huge pink wedding celebration.  There was dinner and cake and Anja's favorite parts of the Krogshow and then dancing and trampoline jumping and it was so fun.

The Dinner Spread 

Of course the after party was up at the house, so I didn't sleep until around 4am, but I'm going to say that it was very worth it.  Today it is nice to have some time to recovery.  Medieval week is just now getting underway, so perhaps dinner later and then a little bit of exploring.

loss

Today we lost the game 2-1.  That's probably one of the most frustrating scores in soccer.  We had more chances and all of that, but they put the two they had away.

Tonight is the Pink Party for Anja's birthday.  I'll write more about that tomorrow.  I think it will be a late night :)

Grattis 50 Års, Anja

Today was Anja's 50th Birthday! The whole family sang this morning and Vanessa took her breakfast in bed.

Then of course there was Birthday Fika after lunch with cake and coffee and watermelon and strawberries.

After practice Ali picked us up and took us to Italianen (one of Anja's favorite restaurants), where the whole family shared a candlelit and cozy dinner in a private upstairs dinning room.

Dinner at Italianen

I realized that wine is more potent after practice, and found the spiral staircase a little more challenging to navigate at the end of the meal than I did at the beginning. :)

Inatt är jag din

Tonight we rushed home from practice to head to the Krogshow and buffet.  It was enjoyable as usual :)

I think I'm starting to understand some of the songs these days.  I even know some of the words!

Jag kan prata lite Svenska!

Rödräv

Tonight for dinner we made our way down into Södra Hällarna Naturereservat to grill hamburgers and relax near the water.

At the grill by the sea 

It was a perfect evening for it and we had some fun company when a little family of 5 red foxes (rödräv) decided to sniff around.

Lite röda räven

ONE OF THEM NIBBLED ON MY SHOE.  I have never been so close to foxes before and they are pretty awesome.

After dinner we decided to go check out Hemmakväll for a movie night, and settled on London Has Fallen since Vendela is heading there so soon... It was the typical action movie full of tense moments that are less tense because you know in the end the good guys are going to win.  We all enjoyed it and headed off to bed much happier than when we watched Cut Bank.

I'm not sure what tomorrow has in store for us but Anja's birthday is right around the corner!

Hej då, Momma

And they are off. :(

We almost missed the boat this morning... but fortunately we made it JUST in time.  We were apparently confused about the time of departure and so we showed up thinking we had all kinds of time, but really the boat left in 15 minutes.  Oops.

I think I'll spend the rest of the day relaxing and catching up on sleeping.

Kräftor

Today was mom and dad's last on the island before they head back toward the States :(

They got to see another 4-1 victory over another top team in our league, and then we went into the city for lunch and last minute souvenir shopping.

We had a great cookout on the back porch for dinner with chicken and corn and asparagus and potatoes and salad and wine and snaps and laughs and great company and Swedish Kräftor (also called Norwegian Lobster - it's salt water, HUGE crawfish.  Delicious.)

We all stayed up too late, and mom and dad still had to pack, but they will be able to sleep on the boat tomorrow.

Lickershamn

Today we went on a bus adventure to Lickershamn!

It's a pretty little port up toward the north of Gotland with some interesting rock formations and a pretty pebble beach.  We hiked around and visited an awesome little pottery shop.  Adventuring with mom and dad is always fun.

Me and Momma :) 

Two of my favs <3

Regn

Rainy days mean museum time and popping in and out of stores all day.  Not much to report.  It cleared up and got pretty later in the day so we walked around the town some more :)

Visby and Picnics

When we finally got motivated to head to the city, we took the but to town at 11 and went on a ruins hunt!

Walking up and down cobblestone streets all day is pleasant but also tiring.  We built salads at ICA and headed to the Botanical Garden gazebo for lunch and looked off the tower at the corner of the city wall.

In some of the ruins you can still climb around in the old staircases and get up inside the walls!

At Drottens Ruin

At Drottens Ruin