Church

This morning we winched ourselves up out of bed, put our pants and our shoulder covering shirts on, and hopped the bus to the Vatican.  Since we are celebrities, we got to walk right to the front of the line and go in without waiting forever (jk, Laura and Blake are just good at planning).

Beautiful Angel in the Vatican

I'm glad I didn't have to lay on my back to paint/sculpt this

The hall of maps was probably my favorite

I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting out of the Vatican, but I got a lot more than I bargained for.  It made me wish I knew a little more about the history of the Catholic Church so that I would appreciate and understand the relics a little more. 

The end goal of the museum was really the Sistine chapel, and so we wound around and through the apartments, appreciating the ceilings and the art, surrounded by sweaty tourists, and feeling like we had jump into a pool ourselves.  We saw two Salvador Dali paintings, and then spilled out into the chapel and looked up for so long that our necks started to hurt. 

We realized that it would be entirely possible to spend an entire day looking around in the Vatican, but we had a line to skip at the Bailica as well, so we had to move on a little quicker than we would be liked. 

We made our way back to St. Peter's square and through the columns to the front of that line (👍🏽👍🏽) and up to the steps.

St, Peter's

Inside was even more incredible than outside.

Alter in St. Peter's

After we had looked our fill, we headed to he market where we had seen our potential souvenirs, made the necessary purchases, took in the views of one more incredible church, and headed back to the Airbnb to get ready for the transition to Florence. 

The bus almost let us down again, but this time w head a back up bus picked out, so we made it in plenty of time to catch the 5:50 to Florence.  The ride through the country side past fields of sunflowers and expansive vineyards was captivating, and the hour and a half slid past easily and comfortably on the train. 

From the Santa Maria Novella train station in Firenze we had a 20 minute walk to the Airbnb and then a trudge up to the 4th floor. We've walked so many steps... 

The place is neat, clean, spacious, and very comfortable.  It's nice to have the whole place to ourselves. Bonus: I can shower without hitting my elbows on the sides when I try to wash my hair. 

We needed food, so we worked up the courage to face the steps on the way home and went out to find a small hole in the wall place.  We had delicious homemade ravioli and tried limoncello as an after dinner liquor.  Blake and I liked it, Laura wasn't sure. 

Then it was back up the steps to sleep.  We have a more relaxed schedule here so we'll see what we want to do tomorrow after our bike tour. I think pedaling will be a nice change of pace from being on our feet all day. 

Buona notte. 

Piazzas and Piedi

Day 2 and we are already zonked.

We started off small with breakfast at the room and then headed off to Castel Sant'Angelo. We wandered up and down and around and saw the views from the top and learned a little about how everything at one point or another turned into a prison.

View from Castel S'Angelo

From there we headed southeast to Piazza Navona to observe fountains, tourists, stunning architecture, and to be hassled a little by artists on the street pushing their (or maybe someone else's) artwork. 

Piazza Navona

From there and on our way to Piazza Venezia, we stopped by Piazza Santa'Andrea Della Valle to be awed by the painting and detail within one of he smaller churches of Rome

Dome in S'Andrea Della Valle

Entry way ceiling in S'Andrea Della Valle

After being awed by the church and sitting quietly for a while to marvel (and to rest our tired feet and legs) we headed to Piazza Venezia and were stunned (and blinded) by the large, white, marble building that jumped up from the ground as we turned the corner into the square.

 

On the stairs at Piazza Venezia

Cuties.

Palazzo Venezio

Then it was time for the traditional sights - the Colosseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill. 

Pano view

Taking a decent picture in the crowd was hard

We're getting better at finding safe people to ask for picture taking. We mostly trade: we'll take yours if you take ours :) 

Palatine hills

Mostly I was overwhelmed with the detail and ornate work on everything.  Even the broken pieces were beautiful.  My favorites were the flowers 

Roman Forum runins

Still wishing i could remember the name for these

At this point we were all in love with anywhere we could sit down... :) 

Blake decided it was time for a nap... :)

It was finally time to take the metro home, and rest for a little while before heading back to the river market for dinner.  Of course we stopped for gelato on the way 😋

This was our favorite place

We meant to make it to the Trevi fountain afterward dinner to see it lit up at night, but we had too much fun sitting and talking and laughing so we didn't quite make it over there. 

Tomorrow it up early for the Borghese, and then another good list of things in the afternoon. Trevi will definitely happen. Probably twice. 

Guardia Medico

About 30 minutes after I was expecting them, they wandered up to the door and pathetically rang the bell. I had no idea how to use the intercom so I leaned out the window and yelled for Laura and heard an enthusiastic "Teni?!"

So I went down and let in two sweaty, red faced travelers each carrying a backpack that was bigger than me. 

I showed them the room, and then we headed to St. Peter's to pick up our bus/metro passes and get a little more acquainted with the city.

Our first picture in Rome

I'm so excited to have them in my timezone for a little while. 😇

After a lunch of pizza (we did the cliche thing) we headed toward Plaza de Spanglo to see the Spainish steps.  They were under renovation, so we didn't walk on them, but we saw them. So I guess we checked that off the list. 

Pizza for lunch

Then we wandered around some more and found ourselves in the high end shopping district. Talk about out of place 😂 There were brand names every where we looked: Prada, Tiffany & Co., Gucci... 

After a brief stop back at the room, he headed over to Trastevere to meet up with Kayla (she's been here studying for the past six weeks).  

We found her :)

She and her friends took us to the Jewish Ghetto (not my term... Everyone here calls it that) for some fried artichokes. They were delicious. 

Fried Artichoke.  Actually really tasty. 

Then gelato (of course...) 

Blake obviously didn't like hers

Then came the EXCITING part. We went to the hospital... Everyone is fine! But Blake and Laura had some kind of rash on their legs and we didn't want that to haunt the whole trip, so we decided to go to hospital. After two shots of cortisone and antihistamine in the butt, we are back at the Airbnb for cold showers and bed. Tomorrow is a big day. 

We survived our first day. Just barely. 

Di Mattina

The good news is I look like a local. The bad news is when people ask me for directions I have very little idea what they are saying.  Then I'm forced to tell them "inglese" and they always look surprised. This was less of a problem in Spain...

This morning I decided to explore the neighborhood a little while I was waiting for Blake and Laura to arrive.  There's another little (but bigger) supermarket just around the corner which will be handy for breakfast things. They a slightly larger selection of items and also some good snacks that will be good for keeping our energy up as we explore. Right now I'm playing the waiting game 😌  every bus I hear I run over to the window, but they haven't gotten off yet. The 781 buses are the least disappointing because as soon as I see it I know they won't be disembarking from it.  But the 83 and 170 build hope and then let it come crashing down. It's brutal ☺️  there goes another 170 as we speak... 

Later I think it's the Spanish steps and looking for some good gelato to let them get over jet lag.  The problem with traveling in Europe is the balancing act of staying hydrated while simultaneously never needing to pee (bathrooms are hard to find and usually cost money).  Today is going to be HOT too ☀️

I'll keep waiting to yell 'ciao bella' at them from the window 🇮🇹 💃🏽

PS the Google Translate app is wonderful, and I miss Amazon.com a lot. 

ARN to FCO - The city of pickpockets

Don't worry I haven't been robbed yet. But I will admit I've been on edge since I left Visby this morning. 🇸🇪 ➡️ 🇮🇹

Anja was impressed that I was going to go 10 days traveling with just my little red backpack. I'll admit I wanted to bring more, but it felt better to have my hands freer and not have to deal with any rolling bags dragging around behind me. 

My first impression of Rome was a bathroom that smelled like they mopped the floors with urine instead of water.  That and the rush of tourists that looked as alarmed and wary as I felt on the inside. Even the kiosk where I bought my train ticket advised me (in an automated voice of a women with a choppy Italian accent) to "beware of pickpockets."  I'll be happy when I'm reunited with Blake and Laura and we will be able to watch each others' backs. 

Finding the train was easy enough, and not checking any luggage proved to be the right course of action. The ride toward the city center through the countryside from the airport was pleasant despite every travelers' shifty eyes and overall distrust of everyone around them. A happy group of Argentinians chatted up a storm next to me all the way to Roma Trastevere, and then it was time for almost everyone to lift off.  I had fun exercising my Spanish skills for a little while on the trip.  Have I mentioned that I think my Spanish is getting better while I'm in Sweden?  Every time I want to say anything I'm always caught in the realization that I can say it in two languages, but not the one that would be the best.  I'm fortunate that everyone in Sweden speaks English better than I speak Spanish. :) 

My walking path carried me across the Tiber River on a pleasant evening toward our Airbnb. There were just enough people to keep me from feeling lonely, and few enough people to make it a pleasant and uneventful journey. 

It was only about a 1.5 km walk and I found the place with ease (again, thank goodness for google maps and my amazing boyfriend).  

Our host and his roommate are fantastic.  They have an entire collection of maps for us to use while we are here all ready for us to carry around with us. The place is really safe feeling too. Street gate, building gate, floor gate, a lock on the front door, and a pad lock to my room if I want it.  That also means I have to carry around a set of 5 keys, but that's ok.  There are also 3 different bus lines that run from POIs around the city almost literally to our front door.  Laura picked well 😊

I just got back from the little market on the corner with some yogurt and crackers for dinner and maybe breakfast depending on how I'm feeling tomorrow. I think it might be bed time now. Blake and Laura will be here around 11 tomorrow morning, so maybe I'll run out and scout a good lunch place for us in the morning so even if they are tired, maybe they won't be too hungry. 

NOTE: I didn't bring my computer so I have no idea what these posts will come out looking like... Forgive me my formatting and spelling errors for a while 🙃 

Ciao 🙌🏽

ett till tre :(

Today's game was a bummer... 3-1 loss courtesy of a really terrible first half.  The second half was something to be proud of, but the first was dismal.  

Unfortunate though it was, finishing Spring season at fourth in the league is not shabby.  Finishing second would have been better, but we'll survive.  

After the game, we headed back to the house and down to the restaurant in Kneippbyn for a quick lunch.  Then it was time to shower and start thinking about packing for the Rome, Florence, Stockholm adventure that starts tomorrow(!!!).  I can't believe it's already time!

I have to confess I'm a little nervous about traveling to Rome and being on my own for a little while before Blake and Laura arrive.  Fritsl did her part to assuage my worries earlier this week, and today Jonathan taught me how to download portions of GoogleMaps to your phone so that when you are offline you can still look things up and get directions from a point A to a point B (thank goodness for technology and boyfriends).  I'm excited for the adventure and seeing some pieces of history in Rome.  I have no idea what to expect from Florence, really, but I am lucky that Laura and Blake have taken care of the planning portion for the most part.  It's been a nice change of role for me, and I'm very grateful for them.  

Tonight we piled into one of the 9 passenger Kneippbyn vans and headed into the city for a nice family dinner before I hit the road for 10 days.  We went to a new-to-Viby restuarant called Pinchos.  It is a tapas (pinchos=tapas in Basque - the language spoken in the north of Spain, especially Pamplona.  I was excited about that.) style restaurant with the distinction of being the world's first app restaurant.  They provide WiFi and you download the restaurant's app with the menus, and then you order through that and you get a notification when your food/drink is ready and you go and pick it up.  It's a good business model if you are looking to cut down on service staff, but it was a little odd.  I think I didn't like that it encouraged everyone to have their phones out the whole time at dinner.  The food was very good though, and we all had a good time.  I really enjoy how the Swedes find a way to incorporate rhubarb, strawberries, and licorice in all possible places. 

Tomorrow Anja will drop me off at the airport for my flight, and then I'll ride the ferry back with Jonathan on the 8th of July after we wander around in Stockholm for a few days.  

I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE HIM.  8 days.  But who's counting?

Good night.  

Östersjön

We fought off the sun until around 10 this morning, but we had to get up eventually.  Then it was breakfast time and a decision had to be made about what to do with the rest of the daylight we had. 

The family decided it was a good day for boating, and they were very right.  We made the hour long drive to Fårosund Marina (we don't remember much of that since we were all passed out in the back), readied the boat and headed out on to Östersjön (the Baltic Sea aka "East Lake). It was an incredible day to be out and I didn't have to get into the water so I was happy. 

At the marina

We were already as far north as you could get just by car, so we hopped on the boat and turned east along the coast of Gotland for a small harbor off of Bungenäs - a neat little area that used to be a limestone mining fabrik and concrete producer.

Harbor at Bungenäs

We ate at the restaurant there right at the base of the two remaining kilns from long ago.  Today was the first day it opened for the summer.  So many things here are only in the summer.  It's crazy to me. 

The restaurang

Since we were there at middag, we missed the lunch menu (only by 30 mins...bummer) and had a much smaller selection of dishes to choose from.  I ordered a well presented salmon dish, that came with seaweed salad. I'm happy to say that I actually really enjoyed the seaweed.  I wasn't sure how that would be. 

Laxsashimi

After lunch we walked around the area and enjoyed the scenery while Bobbo and Vanessa went for groceries and gas. 

The hotel where you can get a room and stay. 

Waiting for the boat with Anja and looking at the blue and yellow flowers :)

Once they got back we loaded up and headed to a sweet little island called Fjaugen where we met up with two other families and cooked out by the sea. 

The spread at Fjaugen

Bobbo and the other guys worked the grill while Vanessa helped get the salad and watermelon and potato salad prepared. Vendela and I mostly just got in the way :) 

Grilling out :) 

After we had eaten our fill and cleaned up the island, it was time to start the journey home.  We watched an incredible sunset along the way, and made it safely back to Fårosund just in time for the sun to slip down over the horizon. 

Sunset on the way into the harbor

Made it!

Then it was time for the drive back home. We listened to Spain play Portugal on the radio (all Swedish), and dozed lazily, worn out from the relaxing, perfect summer day. 

It has been so incredible to be welcomed so fully into the Werkelin Family over the last two weeks.  They have been so gracious and loving, and even though I am excited to travel to Italy and Stockholm soon, I know I will be excited to be back as well.  Just like I am excited for this adventure of living on Gotland for a while, but knowing I'll be coming home in the end. 

On a sentimental, mushy, cheesy, sappy note - my head and heart are bursting with gratitude for everything in life right now.  Not just the things and experiences I am having here, but everything from the very beginning that has lead to here and the last . Because from the beginning I was born into a family that was strong and loving and guided me so well to make choices that improved me.  Through that example I learned to seek out mentors that challenged me and shaped me.  I learned that not all mentors realize that they are mentoring you, and that lots of life mentors are the people that piss you off and inadvertently teach you about your self and how to deal with this messed up world.  And because of all of this, because of the good and the not so good, I somehow managed to carve a path that has always put me somewhere that I needed to be.  

I don't know what it was about watching the sunset over the sea while shivering under a blanket because I didn't want to miss a second of the colors splayed across the sky while we sped back to Fårosund.  Vendela and Boston were snuggled beside me sleeping, and everyone was quietly content.  I felt calm in the middle of all that water (which isn't a usual feeling for me when big water is involved), and in that calmness, I found a more profound respect for the way life chugs on and on.  For the way the sun rises and sets whether or not Britain is part of the EU.  For the way people are able to take adversity into stride and come out stronger.  It was nice. 

Glad Midsommar!

It's a weird feeling walking out of a dark dance club at 3am and watching the sunrise.  

Also Brexit happened.  But today is Midsommar.  There are too many other things to do than dwell on the implications of Britain's leaving the EU.  The Swedes will consider that tomorrow.  

This morning the strawberry cake was topped and flowers were put out.  When it was time, we donned our white dresses and headed down to the field to dress the maypole and make our flower crowns.

Our strawberry cake :)

Then the rain came.  Which is apparently expected on Midsommar.  What I didn't expect was the sharp temperature drop and the strong wind that came with it.  We were all shivering, but we stuck it out, and finally it was time to raise the Midsommar pole and dance and sing the traditional Swedish Midsommar songs (I didn't sing for obvious reasons).  The main one is små grodorna (small frogs).  In Svenska: 

Små grodorna, små grodorna är lutiga att se. Små grodorna, små grodorna är lutiga att se. Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de. Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de.  Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack ack kaa. Kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack, kou ack ack ack ack kaa.

Which translates to in Engleska... 

Small frogs, small frogs, they are funny to see
Small frogs, small frogs, they are funny to see
No ears, no ears, no tails have they.
No ears, no ears, no tails have they.

Kou oh oh oh, kou oh oh oh,
kou oh oh oh oh kaa.
Kou oh oh oh, kou oh oh oh,
kou oh oh oh oh kaa.

Up it goes

There it is

No one is sure exactly where this song came from.  But everyone young and old knows the lyrics and jumps around the midsommar pole like little frogs.  Traditions are incredible.  

We headed back up the hill for a late lunch of sill (it's ok but not my favorite - really unique, fishy, vinagery, weird taste.  It's pickled Herring), potatoes (of course), salmon, watermelon (they have yellow watermelon here)...  My favorite part of lunch was the three desserts.  All of them with jorgubbar (strawberries).  I love strawberries.  

We sat at a loooong table outside (everyone had gone to get their sweaters), and as we were eating the sun decided to break out from the clouds and honor the weatherman's predictions of 28°C and sunny for midsommar.  We all took our sweaters back off.  

I somehow was talked into trying Swedish snaps (another singing tradition followed by taking a shot of very very strong liquor).  Anja and I took maybe a quarter of the actual amount, and it nearly knocked me out of my seat.  I spent the next 2 minutes eating potatoes  panickedly and drinking bubbly water to try and lift the taste out of my mouth.  Everyone was very entertained because they finally got an expected reaction from me when trying something "typical Swedish."

Vanessa, Vendela, and I with our flower crowns after lunch

Lunch was a long affair that lasted until it was dinner time, and then it was time to head to the Kneippbyn Krogshow and Swedish dinner buffet.  I tried some little bites of everything, but I couldn't put much more food in my body. 

The show was spectacularly entertaining.  Though it was mostly in Swedish (really hard for me to follow lol), the 6 entertainers were so engaging that sometimes I felt like I knew what was going on.  They put on several different acts (I was too busy watching to remember to take pictures of each costume change) over the course of the evening and worked from about 7 until 10:30.  Their stamina was incredible.  There were so many people there to watch that the hall felt a bit like a sauna and I was sweating.  I can't imagine how they felt. 

After the show ended, we sat out on the porch of the restaurant and watched the sunset (kinda - there was a little bit of an orange glow in the sky all night I'm pretty sure).  Then Vanessa decided it was time to head to town and take me to the club.  

After the show off the back porch of Restaurang Solsidan (Sunny side)

Now, many of you know that is not typically my preferred scene, but it was interesting and Vanessa had fun with one of her last days off before she starts work.  So I'll say it was worth it.  We danced (I mostly bobbed) our way through all 3 floors, each with a different "theme": the first floor was top 40, the second was hiphop and rap, and the top floor was an odd mix between techno and both the other categories.  Each had too many strobe lights and too many people.

At 3am, when all the bars closed we joined the melee of Midsommar celebrators that spilled out into storatorget (the main square) to wait for cabs home.  The sun is up now, and it's hard to go to bed, but I'll be useless tomorrow if I don't at least try.  

Outside of Gutekällaren (the club we went to) at 3am

God morgan :) 

Eve

Today is Midsommar Eve.  The grocery and liquor stores are slowly being emptied by the inhabitants of Gotland, strawberries are in high demand, and wildflower blooms are in full force. 

I started off the morning with a little bit of a rehab session.  My left quad is feeling a little strained from shooting practice, but I have my bio-freeze, a foam roller, my quad sleeve, and lot of experience nursing little knocks like this.  Some good stretching and I'll be ready for Sunday :) 

In anticipation of the shopping we needed to do for Midsommar, Vendela, Vanessa, Anja, and I headed into the city.  The first stop was lunch at a beautiful little spot called Rosengården (The Rose Garden) right at the base of S:ta Karins Ruin.  Outside is the place to sit at this time of year, so we found a table under a big umbrella canopy and settled in. 

Rosengården

At the base of S:ta Karins

I tried another traditional Swedish dish called Köttfärslimpa (meat loaf) served with potatismos, lingon, and ättiksgurka (pickles).  It was delicious. 

Köttfarslimpa

After lunch it was time to head to Systembolaget - the only place to buy alcohol in Sweden.  This alcohol monopoly was started in the 1800s to minimize alcohol related problems by selling it responsibly and without profit motive.  This system works very well for Sweden, and confuses me some.  Other than in restaurants, this is literally the only place you can buy alcohol as a customer.  Fascinating.  

It was busy in there and lots of the shelves were much lighter than I think they normally are.  It isn't open tomorrow (Midsommar is a national holiday), so everyone was in town today to get everything they could need. 

The grocery store was no different, and our list was long.

We also wandered into H&M and I found a sweet little white summer dress (the traditional Midsommar outfit) to wear with the flower crowns that we will make tomorrow afternoon.

Practice was and hour and a half earlier than usual and was light.  We discussed the game this coming Sunday after while eating ice cream (because Midsommar).  It's an important game - they are the 2nd team in our league and we are the fourth.  A win would be huge.  Ice cream anyway. It's Midsommar.   

Then it was time to head home, clean up around the house, make dinner, and start on the food for tomorrow.  Vendela and I are in charge of the strawberry cake (one of the staples), and vacuuming the main floor.  We'll finished the topping for the cake tomorrow.  

One of the cousins is in town for Midsommar, so she joined us for dinner, and after we watched the new(er) Steve Jobs movie.  It was very well done.  His is such an interesting story.  Now bed time to rest up for a long day tomorrow.  I fully expect that we will watch the sun rise on Saturday.  

Bra Midsommar! 

Wisby Strand

Sales are just as disappointing in Sweden as they are in the States.  

Today we (Vanessa, Vendela, and I) went to InterSport with high hopes of finding nice athletic clothes at deep rebates of up to 70%.  As usual, nothing that we actually wanted was on the 70% off racks... typical.  

We picked up Salladsbar from ICA for lunch on the way home and sat out on the porch to eat.  Then I spent some time with the newly strung classical guitar (classical guitarists would probably be offended by the way I play it...).  Despite doing my best to stretch the new nylon strings before and during the stringing process, they still have some give, and the guitar doesn't stay in tune much longer than a song (or sometimes two).  

Messi is wary of the guitar for some reason, and runs off every time we get it out.  Once it is played he'll consent to being in the same room as it, but as long as it's just sitting there, he lowers his head and yaps at it.  Goofy pup.  

While we were home, Vendela and I dug around in the tool cabinet until we found the right one for adjusting the seat height on my bike.  Hopefully it will be a little easier of a ride to and from practice now (my knees were staying almost at 90 degrees before and it did make pedaling quite difficult.  

It was a beautiful day for some fotboll, and after a much more successful practice than yesterday's, Vanessa and I sped home to clean up and don our yellow and blue before heading to the Wisby Strand (Visby Beach) for dinner and a large screen viewing of Sverige vs. Belgium. 

On the ride home from practice 

At Wisby Strand at half time 

My kyckling grillespat with garlic sauce and Sriracha was delicious. Bummer of a result though... 

Kyckling Grillspat 

Now time for bed.  Midsommar is just around the corner so I better rest up :) 

The gift of giving

Tonight before dinner I decided to overcome my awkward tendency to avoid giving a gift directly to a person.  Five times.  

I had packed away gifts for my host family to give them when I got here to thank them for welcoming me into their home for the next few months.  It took over a week, but I finally came to terms with the fact that there was no way to gift them without simply giving them.  So, I did.  And it was good.  

First I had to get everyone into the kitchen.  Then I clumsily dropped the gifts I was holding behind my back on the floor while mumbling something about wanting to thank them for hosting me and scrambling to pick everything back up.  It was much more fun for them to watch than I was having gathering everything back up I'm sure.  :)

For Bobbo and Vendela I gave Arkansas Soccer t-shirts.  For Vanessa, an Arkansas running top.  For Boston, and Razorback Soccer scarf from last season, and for Anja a (slightly squished) box of MoonPies from Chattanooga (so that we can have Fika (you'll have to look this one up, there is no one word translation) together someday.  

Boston's reaction to his gift was maybe my favorite, but I think all of them liked their gifts.  Mostly I think they just appreciated the gesture.  Then it was a family hug, followed by hugs from everyone individually (and Boston about 4 times).  I'm glad I thought of it before hand.  It was one of the few things I was really able to prepare before I came.  

Not much else to report here today.  The weather was fair, thought slightly on the windy side.  I went on a short bike adventure this afternoon just to make sure I could find the field on my own, and looked over plans for the upcoming trip to Rome, Florence, and Stockholm.  
Practice this afternoon was rough for everyone... I don't know exactly what it was, but there was a certain frustration that always seems to follow a long game, a day off, and then weights.  Tomorrow is another day.