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10/6-12/6 2011: Weekend in Örebro

My sister and her fiancé live in Örebro, four hours away by car from Gothenburg. We went to visit them last weekend, as did my parents. The biggest reason to go to Örebro was that little Anton got baptized in a beautiful church, and I officially became his God Mother. I even got a piece of paper to prove it:)! The ceremony in the church was followed by a great party arranged by the happy couples' parents, and we had a lovely time. I love Anton!

It is a wonderful gift in life to be blessed with a lovely family and great friends. I feel very fortunate to have little Anton in my life, and I am so proud of being his God Mother. I will do all I can to support him in all stages in life; to always be there for him when he needs me.

 

/ Malin  

 

27/5 - 29/5: Weekend in Denmark

Kent and I took the boat from Gothenburg to Fredrikshavn, to spend at few days at the local camping site and enjoy the sun and the sand at Fredrikshavn's own Palm Beach. Well, the camping site was completely dead, the palm beach the sadest little one in the world and, upon that, it rained the whole time...

In picture: Malin at the Palm Beach in Fredrikshavn, Denmark...

To be honest, Fredrikshavn was not the most exciting place in the world. It was rather dull, so we combined our trip there with a train ride to Skagen. Well, now it rained there too, but at least it was a more lively place than Fredrikshavn and very, very pretty indeed. Except from exploring the town center, we also took a long walk on the beach to a light house. The ocean was evil, the sky was furious, the waves hit hard on the abandoned beach, but it was sort of beautiful in its own way. We also, unexpectedly, ran into some remants from the second world war. On the way to the light house, there were several of Hitler's bunkers, standing as sad reminders of awful times in the history of humanity.

The sea gods were on a bad mood...

Second World War Bunkers...

Shot misses goose on roof, police say - Calgary - CBC News

Shot misses goose on roof, police say - Calgary - CBC News.

Hey, that is our old address!  Good to see that the neighbourhood went downhill after we left. :)

Berlin: Day Four

I almost got happy to wake up to a grey Berlin sky, as we had devoted our last day here to museums. Berlin offers a great variety of museums, and one of these is the Pergamon Museum. The PM is one of the most important museums of ancient art, and we had already seen parts of it at the British Museum some years ago. Already impressed in London, we could not resist the chance to see the whole exhibition that includes Pergamon Altar, Market Gate of Miletus and Assyrian Palace. I will keep myself short: If you are in Berlin, do NOT miss the Pergamon Museum. Or do miss it, and regret it.

We also paid a visit to the Jewish Museum to learn more about the influence of Berlin's Jews and the holocaust. The museum exhibits 1000-years of German-jewish cultural history, and the building that hosts the exhibition is also interesting in itself. 

Despite the rain, we also took a walk around Kreuzberg and Schöneberg to see parts of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. It is almost unbelievable that a wall divided the city not long ago at all, that is, until 1989. To walk along what is left of the wall reminds you of how different things were for berliners just twenty years ago...

Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you about the most important event of the day. I had promised Kent that we would go to Dunkin Donuts at least once during our trip to Berlin, and on the fourth day it finally happened. Oh, I do love DD:s classy interior!

// MALIN

I love the fact that Kent always takes me out to such classy cafées...

Berlin: Day 3

On our third day in Berlin, we took a guided tour to Sachsenhausen. Sachsenhausen is a former concentration camp used during the 2nd WW by the Nazi Germans. More than 200 000 people were imprisoned here by the Nazis and about 50 000 murdered. Special camp No.7/1 was also used later under the Soviets until 1950, and during this time some 12,000 inmates died of various reasons such as disease and hunger. 

I am very interested in the 2nd WW as well as the holocaust, and I thought the guided tour was very interesting although horrifying. It is so hard to understand how these events could take place in such recent years in a democratic country. I think it is almost impossible to understand such evil and malice, and we can only pray that such a systematic genocide will never happen again. I think that it is very important to learn from our history and to never forget these events. 

This picture is taken during our concentration camp memorial tour to Sachsenhausen. We tour was operated by "The original Walks in English" and our guide Derek took us through the horrifying events that took place here with a huge insight and with deep respect for its victims. I can really recommend everyone to take part in a tour like this, as it is a deep reminder of a very dark and important part of Europe's history one should never ever forget...

 

In the evening, we left the horrors behind us and went to Charlottenburg to see our wonderful friends Kristina and Calle. They are our best friends here in Gothenburg, and just by chance they happened to book the exact same flight to Berlin as Kent and I did. It was great to catch up with them and hear their stories of what they had done during the day. We also had a wonderful tapas dinner at a lovely restaurant, and as usual, I ordered way too much food...

In Picture: Lovely tapas dinner with great friends at the gorgeous district of Charlottenburg in West Berlin...

Berlin: Day Two

Our second day in Berlin was just as good as our first day. We started off by doing some shopping, as we were staying at the heart of the shopping quarters of Berlin (Kurfurstendamm). After the shopping, we decided to embrace the lovely weather and took a boat tour on the river, allowing us to discover the hiddens secrets of Berlin from the water. We also paid a visit to the DDR-museum, there we learned more about life in former East Germany before the wall fell. We spent the evening in Charlottenburg eating schnitzel at very German restaurant, and got to know that size is king in this country...

// MALIN

 

 

In Picture: Eine BIG schnitzel, danke!

 

 

 

Berlin: Day One

We took a really early morning flight from Gothenburg to Berlin, and were able to leave our bags at the hotel and start to discover the city well before noon. Berlin greeted us with gorgeous weather and we started our trip here with a stroll in the park. We were amused to see people lying completely nude in the middle of the park, and we were later to learn that nudity was a political movement during the DDR-years.

After an hour in the park, we arrived to the Brandenburg Gate. This arch was incorporated into the Berlin Wall during the DDR-years, but was once a symbol of peace. Today it is probably one of Berlin's best known symbols and a big tourist attraction.

Lunch was followed by a jump on-off bus tour around Berlin. It was a great way to explore the city, as its sights are very spread out. Getting a tour by bus gives you a good idea of the size of Berlin, and the audio-guide that was included in the tour was a good source of information of important events that took place in Berlin. 

We spent the afternoon at a brewery by the river, eating german sausages and drinking beer. The sun was shining and we really enjoyed relaxing at the patio, looking at people and enjoying life.

The biggest surprise of the day happened when we were about to check in at the hotel. As you all know, I can be a bit of a cheap goat, and I got us a really good deal at a hotel called Sylter Hof through booking.com. As we were only to pay 59 euros a night for the hotel, we did not really expect anything particularly amazing out of the deal. And things like that doesn't really matter to much to us, having back-packed around the world under very simple conditions in the past. We were to get surprised though! When we checked in, the girl at the reception said that the "standard rooms" were fully booked, so they were going to upgrade us to the top suite. Malin, suspicious by nature, immediately started to think that they were going to charge us more money, but it turned out that we got the top suite for the same money as we would have paid for a normal standard room! What luck! We had a really lovely room with a marble bath tub and the best views one could ask for over Berlin! I am telling you, that was just the perfect end of a great day!

 

// MALIN

In picture: Kent is enjoying a beer at one of many cafées and pubs by the river...

In Picture: Malin is admiring the view from the hotel room at Sylter Hof, Berlin. 

29/4-2/4 2011: Four Days in Berlin

We recently came home from a long weekend in one of the most fascinating capitals in the world: Berlin. I must admit that my expectations before this trip was not exactly reaching the sky, but it turned out to be one of my favorite trips in recent years. We had three days with great weather and due to this we took the opportunity to do out-door-things, like a boat trip along the river and a jump on-off bus around the city. On the fourth day, we woke up to a grey Berlin-sky and were later greeted by rain, but as we had planned to spend most of this day on museums, it really did not matter that much. 

Berlin is a very interesting city to visit. Around 70 percent was wiped out during the second world war, so the city is more or less rebuilt from its grounds. It is a good idea to take a guided tour around the city, as a lot of important historical events took place here but are easy to miss if you don't know what you are looking for. And you'll need at least a week here to ensure that you do not miss any of Berlin's interesting sights. I thought that four days would give us plenty of time to discover German's capital, but boy, was I wrong! Kent and I have already decided that this is a place that we one day will be sure to return to. 

// Malin

 

In picture: Malin in front of the Processional Way that leads to Ishtar Gate; one of many interesting sights at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. 

20/3 - 25/3 2011: Five Days With Sister in Örebro

My sister recently gave birth to a little baby boy called Anton, and since I had five days off work, I took the opportunity to go and visit her for almost a week in Örebro. It was lovely to finally meet my god son, and Ida and her fiancé were very welcoming. We spent the days looking at Anton, admiring Anton and playing with Anton. Sounds exciting? Indeed, it was! He is such a great and cute little boy! And with big sister Malin by her side, Ida finally got the courage to take the kiddo with her on the bus to town for a quick (well, very quick, to be fair) lunch at a café.

Evenings were spent at their lovely two bedroom apartment, with cozy dinners and lots of pastries. We chatted while preparing salmon for dinner and together we managed to bake yummi cinnamon buns! That's a first for me, as I am a cook rather than a baker. I had a lovely time and I miss them so much already. Hope to see you soon, my darlings! // Malin

 

In picture: My darling sister with her gorgeous baby son

Rome 3/3-8/3 2011

I have always wanted to go to Italy, and a trip to the capital Rome seemed like a good start. Last Thursday, it was finally time to pack our bags and leave on a jet plane to this remarkable European metropolis. Rome met all our expectations, and although it rained two days while we were there, we were also able to enjoy three sunny days. Coming from cold Gothenburg, there the ground is still covered by a blanket of snow, it surely felt good to walk around in a spring coat and sipping cappuccinos at the patios of Romes picturesque coffee shops.

Rome is one of Europe's oldest cities and it was founded over 2700 years ago. The city has been of great importance to the world, and sights like Forum, Colosseum and the Pantheon stand like great reminders of the golden, Ancient days, when Rome was the capital of the world. In the city, you will find buildings from two decades and to walk around the streets of Roma is like walking back in history. I was swept of my feet when I first went to see Forum and the Palatino, which ruins still stand and date back to the antiquity. I was equally impressed by St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, which is the church of all churches and truly spectacular. The Vatican Museums hold an amazing amount of works of art, and not only were Kent and I impressed by the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo but also by Stanze di Raffaello.

We loved Rome and I am sure that we will return to this amazing city one day. To be sure of this, we throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, as to ensure that we will one day come back. Oh, and by the way, we stayed at a little hotel situated by Via de Boccacio, just a stone's throw from the Trevi, which is by all means the largest fountain in Rome!

Ciao! / Malin xox

In picture: Malin in front of the Trevi Fountain

Rome

I know we have not been good with updating this blog.  But we just got back from Rome and thought that this would be a good way to share the photos.

 

 

 

 

Prego!

Kent

 

 

Visit from Mum

Last weekend, we had a visitor from Kalmar here in Göteborg. My mum!
Kent spent Friday - Saturday in Copenhagen with his colleagues from work; having six course dinners, going to museums and breweries. So I took the opportunity to invite my mother here for a girlie weekend. Kent joined us for some fun on the Sunday, when he came back from his trip.

We were so lucky! The sun was shining from a clear blue sky, and the air was just perfectly brisk and just slightly nippy. I dragged mum all over Göteborg, and we both a had a great time! I think spring is on the way, after a hard and cold and very long winter.....

Love// Malin

 

With Love From Göteborg

As most of you know, Kent and I are currently living in Göteborg in Sweden. Kent stays here all days, but I still have to be in Växjö during the week-days because of my school. As soon as I am finished with my last semester at the University, I'll move to Göteborg permanently as well. As for now, I am spending more or less every weekend here in my favorite city in Sweden, and I am loving it. It feels so great to be back in a real city after a year and a half in Växjö. The biggest reason why we decided to move here was because Kent got a job here, and I am so delighted that we ended up here. I just hope that I will get a job here quickly as well as soon as I receive my degree in the end of June!

Göteborg is one of the biggest cities in Sweden, and it is situated by the west coast. It's kind of like a blue collar city, especially compared to Stockholm. I love the people here, and there is a great atmosphere in Göteborg, and a friendliness that you won't find as easily in Stockholm ( according to me, anyway). There are plenty of art galleries and museums here, and so many restaurants and coffe houses to choose from. The shopping is great, and there are many other activites here to get involved with.

It has been a hard and cold winter in all of Sweden - the worst one in 20 years! That counts for Göteborg too, of course. I can't remember last time I saw this much snow here in Sweden!

    

Stensjö By

Kent and I recently visited Stensjö By, north of Oskarshamn. This picturesque village is really worth a visit, surrounded by a very well kept landscape and with several different hikes to offer. The village, which is named after a farm from the 14th century, is situated in a stony landscape, and around the village is a forest, meadows and fields there cows are walking around lazily.

Canada 2008: The Swedish Invasion

I know this is a bit late, but Malins parents where in Canada for a visit.  We did a driving through the Rockies, Okanogan, and had a visit in Edmonton.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the trip. 

KENT  

  

Posted by at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Kent and I and my lovely friend Carolyn spent a day in Banff National Park. It was a gorgeous day, and we were ice skating on beautiful Lake Louise. We also took the opportunity to visit the hot springs near Banff Town. It's an amazing feeling to have a bath in your bikini only in the middle of the winter; soaking in the hot water while admiring the snow covered mountains in the background.

We had a great day!

We have spent the holidays with Malin's family in Kalmar, Sweden and had a great time.

Best Wishes, Everyone!

Kent and Malin

One of the most wonderful things that have happened since we moved to Canada is the birth of Jill and Cam's daughter Sydney Penner. This beautiful, little child was born June 29 2007 at 8.45 pm. Kent and I saw Sydney when she was only fifteen minutes old. The nurse was still washing her, and she was the most adorable, little thing I have ever seen. Her birth weight was as much as 9 pounds and 7 ounces, so she was pretty big at birth. When Kent and I looked into Sydney's big, blue eyes, we knew that we were going to love her forever.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD, SYDNEY!

I was all excited about our first vacation in Canada, when Kent exclaimed that "Malin, you can't have vacation from a vacation! If you don't have a job, you're not on holiday." Well, that makes some sense, but since I didn't have a visa at that time ( still haven't got one ) I simply couldn't work. So we took the opportunity to travel around Canada for a bit, since we had the time. Our first trip led us through northern Alberta to Fort Smith in the North West Territories and down back to Edmonton through Yukon and Northern British Columbia. We actually had a great time! I'll invite you to follow us through our short, but very interesting, road trip by giving you the chance to read extracts from the diary I kept at the time, and by uploading some of the best photos we took. Enjoy!

Thursday 24/5-2007

Campground 60th Parallel Territorial Park, NWT, Canada.

Here we are, in no man's land. We have been driving the whole day from Edmonton to 60th Parallel Territorial park. It feels like we are in the middle of nowhere; we have put up a tent and we are grilling sausages over open fire. They saw a bear just here in forest where we are going to spend the night earlier today; he was nonchalantly strolling around the campground, maybe to find something to eat or just out of curiosity. We can only hope that the smell of our hot dogs won't attract the bear to us! The mosquitoes here are big as bees! It's wonderful weather; it's actually much warmer here than it was in Edmonton. In Calgary and Red Deer, which is much more south, it's snowing right now! Well, it's lovely weather here. Kent is making the sausages over the fire while we are listening to all sorts of sounds from the forest...maybe it's an elk, maybe it's a grizzly...or maybe it's just a noisy, little squirrel...

Friday 25/5-2007

Fort Smith, NWT.

Kent and I arrived to Fort Smith early afternoon after many hours driving through forest. The whole area up to Fort Smith reminds me of Siberia in Russia...tree after tree. It has it's own beauty, I guess.
The biggest reason for us to come all the way up here is Joe and Erin Tomkins. Joe is one of Kent's oldest and best friends, and Erin is Joe's pregnant and very welcoming wife. They have been living here for a few years in their cozy and warm little house. Joe is flying air planes for living up here, and Erin is working in the school. They are both lovely people, and they welcomed us with great warmth.

Saturday 26/5- 2007                                                                                                                      

Fort Smith, NWT

Not only is Fort Smith famous as a gateway to Wood Buffalo NP; it also hosts some of the world's biggest rapids. Passionate kayakers come here in the summers to enjoy the Slave River and its world class rafting conditions. The fact that the river is the northernmost nesting colony for white pelicans impressed me more than the rapids; it was absolutely delightful to watch these beautiful birds dip and bob in the water!

Sunday 25/7-2007

Fort Smith, NWT

We're spending one last day here in Fort Smith. We went for a walk through the forest to another part of Slave River. We only saw a few white pelicans today, but it was an enjoyable hike with some very peaceful scenery.

Monday 28/5- 2007                                                                                                               

Campsite somewhere just outside Nahanni National Park, NWT

Time came to leave Fort Smith and say good bye to Erin and Joe. Although we have been driving most of the day, we have seen quite a lot. Wood Buffalo Park wasn't the most interesting park I ever been to, but the so called " waterfalls route " offered some pretty amazing views. We had a picnic just next to gigantic Alexandra Falls, but the most beautiful waterfall most have been Sambaa Den Falls, thanks to its dramatic surroundings. We have also seen a lot of wildlife, including my first bear sight! How exciting!

Tuesday 29/5-2007                                                                                                                

Muncho Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia

We're sitting here next to the campfire, roasting hot dogs over the fire; admiring the emerald green lake which is just next to our campsite. The mountains in the background are covered with a thin layer of snow; the forest around us smell like spring. It is SO beautiful here!                                                            

Our day has been great so far. We have seen a lot of wildlife: three black bears ( including one cub ), elk, moose, bison, mountain sheep. Almost unbelievable. I mean, I have never seen a bear in my whole life; now I've seen three in one day. Yea, it's the thought of these bears that are occupying my mind while I am sitting here, listening to the sound of the fire, drinking my tetra wine. What a fantastic day!

Wednesday 30/5-2007                                                                                                           

Boya Lake Park, British Columbia

Today was another great day driving around Canada. We have been driving from Muncho Lake Provincial Park ( BC ) through Watson Lake ( Yukon ) back into BC. We have seen small, rolling hills, small mountains, valleys, meadows, forests and lakes...and, surely, lots of wildlife. It sounds to amazing to be true, but I can acknowledge that we have seen eight bears today. In one day. And I met Canadians who never seen a bear in their whole life! Some of them weren't exactly shy, either, which might be a bad sign, I guess. We saw the most of the animals on Alaska Highway. The bears were luring almost everywhere around that highways - the cutest one was a black bear cub who sat on a hill, chewing on a flower.         

Now we're at beautiful Boya Lake Camping Ground...it's so nice and peaceful here. Boya Lake is shimmering all sorts of colours; from light turquoise to dark marine blue. The birches are soughing in the wind, the spruce forest surrounding the lake is shimmering in light green colours. Even though the tops of the mountains are covered in a light blanket of powder snow, it's really spring in the air. Let us never forget this moment.

                                                                                                                   

Thursday 31/5-2007 

Fraser Lake, British Columbia

Our last night in the woods and the mosquitoes are worse than ever! Big as bees and stubborn as...eh, Kent? Well, we are having a good time anyway, and we're praising whoever invented the mosquito repellent. For Deep Wood, please!

The most exciting thing we saw today was a fox who was walking around the highway. He walked in a very determined way, and we soon realized why. He had his whole mouth full of some kind of rodents; it was absolutely grotesque. We couldn't resist taking a photo, of course!

We're going home to Edmonton tomorrow after a week on the road. We have had a fantastic time, but right now, I'm looking forward for a long, hot shower!

                                             

Thank you for your interest!

MALIN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

What kind of animal do you buy to a kid which is allergic to both cats and dogs? An African Grey parrot? Well, that's what Art and Susan bought Kent when he was younger, and since they can become 60 years or older, Sly is still around! Apparently, Sly is Kent's bird, but Art is definitely Sly's primarily caregiver nowadays.

The African Grey Parrot is native to Africa and one of the most intelligent birds. This very affectionate companion is almost like a child, which requires both commitment and love. They can get quite shy around strangers if they spend most of their time with one person, and they tend to bond solely with their main caregiver if they don't see other people regularly. And Sly, a very intelligent and emotional little bird, loves Art Barry. It doesn't matter how much attention you give him, if Art's around, no one else matters. However, if Art's not around, both Kent and I validates as "good friends".

One of the most entertaining things about Sly is his capability to talk. He has quite a vocabulary, and he tends to sound like the person that spoke. He can mutter complete sentences when he wants attention! And if he's alone in his cage in the kitchen, he very often screams after "Kent" or "Susan". His voice is so similar to Art's that it's almost a bit eerie. He fooled me into believe that Art's around several time just by imitating his voice unbelievable well. Every once in a while, he cracks a joke, followed by a a laugh so similar to Art's that it's spooky! If he thinks that we are disturbing him at night, he informs us that it's "Time for Bed!", and if the phone calls, Sly answers with either "Hello" or "Pardon". And if he feels a bit hungry, he cries out for "Popcorn!", one of his favorite snacks.

He might be a bit unpredictable at times, but Sly is a charming, affectionate and intelligent African Grey Parrot. And some of us love him like a child...

MALIN

Ice Skating on Lake Louise

Kent and I and my lovely friend Carolyn spent a day in Banff National Park. It was a gorgeous day, and we were ice skating on beautiful Lake Louise. We also took the opportunity to visit the hot springs near Banff Town. It's an amazing feeling to have a bath in your bikini only in the middle of the winter; soaking in the hot water while admiring the snow covered mountains in the background.

We had a great day!

Happy New Years!

We have spent the holidays with Malin's family in Kalmar, Sweden and had a great time.

Best Wishes, Everyone!

Kent and Malin

Sydney

One of the most wonderful things that have happened since we moved to Canada is the birth of Jill and Cam's daughter Sydney Penner. This beautiful, little child was born June 29 2007 at 8.45 pm. Kent and I saw Sydney when she was only fifteen minutes old. The nurse was still washing her, and she was the most adorable, little thing I have ever seen. Her birth weight was as much as 9 pounds and 7 ounces, so she was pretty big at birth. When Kent and I looked into Sydney's big, blue eyes, we knew that we were going to love her forever.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD, SYDNEY!

Our First Vacation In Canada

I was all excited about our first vacation in Canada, when Kent exclaimed that "Malin, you can't have vacation from a vacation! If you don't have a job, you're not on holiday." Well, that makes some sense, but since I didn't have a visa at that time ( still haven't got one ) I simply couldn't work. So we took the opportunity to travel around Canada for a bit, since we had the time. Our first trip led us through northern Alberta to Fort Smith in the North West Territories and down back to Edmonton through Yukon and Northern British Columbia. We actually had a great time! I'll invite you to follow us through our short, but very interesting, road trip by giving you the chance to read extracts from the diary I kept at the time, and by uploading some of the best photos we took. Enjoy!

Thursday 24/5-2007

Campground 60th Parallel Territorial Park, NWT, Canada.

Here we are, in no man's land. We have been driving the whole day from Edmonton to 60th Parallel Territorial park. It feels like we are in the middle of nowhere; we have put up a tent and we are grilling sausages over open fire. They saw a bear just here in forest where we are going to spend the night earlier today; he was nonchalantly strolling around the campground, maybe to find something to eat or just out of curiosity. We can only hope that the smell of our hot dogs won't attract the bear to us! The mosquitoes here are big as bees! It's wonderful weather; it's actually much warmer here than it was in Edmonton. In Calgary and Red Deer, which is much more south, it's snowing right now! Well, it's lovely weather here. Kent is making the sausages over the fire while we are listening to all sorts of sounds from the forest...maybe it's an elk, maybe it's a grizzly...or maybe it's just a noisy, little squirrel...

Friday 25/5-2007

Fort Smith, NWT.

Kent and I arrived to Fort Smith early afternoon after many hours driving through forest. The whole area up to Fort Smith reminds me of Siberia in Russia...tree after tree. It has it's own beauty, I guess.
The biggest reason for us to come all the way up here is Joe and Erin Tomkins. Joe is one of Kent's oldest and best friends, and Erin is Joe's pregnant and very welcoming wife. They have been living here for a few years in their cozy and warm little house. Joe is flying air planes for living up here, and Erin is working in the school. They are both lovely people, and they welcomed us with great warmth.

Saturday 26/5- 2007                                                                                                                      

Fort Smith, NWT

Not only is Fort Smith famous as a gateway to Wood Buffalo NP; it also hosts some of the world's biggest rapids. Passionate kayakers come here in the summers to enjoy the Slave River and its world class rafting conditions. The fact that the river is the northernmost nesting colony for white pelicans impressed me more than the rapids; it was absolutely delightful to watch these beautiful birds dip and bob in the water!

Sunday 25/7-2007

Fort Smith, NWT

We're spending one last day here in Fort Smith. We went for a walk through the forest to another part of Slave River. We only saw a few white pelicans today, but it was an enjoyable hike with some very peaceful scenery.

Monday 28/5- 2007                                                                                                               

Campsite somewhere just outside Nahanni National Park, NWT

Time came to leave Fort Smith and say good bye to Erin and Joe. Although we have been driving most of the day, we have seen quite a lot. Wood Buffalo Park wasn't the most interesting park I ever been to, but the so called " waterfalls route " offered some pretty amazing views. We had a picnic just next to gigantic Alexandra Falls, but the most beautiful waterfall most have been Sambaa Den Falls, thanks to its dramatic surroundings. We have also seen a lot of wildlife, including my first bear sight! How exciting!

Tuesday 29/5-2007                                                                                                                

Muncho Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia

We're sitting here next to the campfire, roasting hot dogs over the fire; admiring the emerald green lake which is just next to our campsite. The mountains in the background are covered with a thin layer of snow; the forest around us smell like spring. It is SO beautiful here!                                                            

Our day has been great so far. We have seen a lot of wildlife: three black bears ( including one cub ), elk, moose, bison, mountain sheep. Almost unbelievable. I mean, I have never seen a bear in my whole life; now I've seen three in one day. Yea, it's the thought of these bears that are occupying my mind while I am sitting here, listening to the sound of the fire, drinking my tetra wine. What a fantastic day!

Wednesday 30/5-2007                                                                                                           

Boya Lake Park, British Columbia

Today was another great day driving around Canada. We have been driving from Muncho Lake Provincial Park ( BC ) through Watson Lake ( Yukon ) back into BC. We have seen small, rolling hills, small mountains, valleys, meadows, forests and lakes...and, surely, lots of wildlife. It sounds to amazing to be true, but I can acknowledge that we have seen eight bears today. In one day. And I met Canadians who never seen a bear in their whole life! Some of them weren't exactly shy, either, which might be a bad sign, I guess. We saw the most of the animals on Alaska Highway. The bears were luring almost everywhere around that highways - the cutest one was a black bear cub who sat on a hill, chewing on a flower.         

Now we're at beautiful Boya Lake Camping Ground...it's so nice and peaceful here. Boya Lake is shimmering all sorts of colours; from light turquoise to dark marine blue. The birches are soughing in the wind, the spruce forest surrounding the lake is shimmering in light green colours. Even though the tops of the mountains are covered in a light blanket of powder snow, it's really spring in the air. Let us never forget this moment.

                                                                                                                   

Thursday 31/5-2007 

Fraser Lake, British Columbia

Our last night in the woods and the mosquitoes are worse than ever! Big as bees and stubborn as...eh, Kent? Well, we are having a good time anyway, and we're praising whoever invented the mosquito repellent. For Deep Wood, please!

The most exciting thing we saw today was a fox who was walking around the highway. He walked in a very determined way, and we soon realized why. He had his whole mouth full of some kind of rodents; it was absolutely grotesque. We couldn't resist taking a photo, of course!

We're going home to Edmonton tomorrow after a week on the road. We have had a fantastic time, but right now, I'm looking forward for a long, hot shower!

                                             

Thank you for your interest!

MALIN                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sly

What kind of animal do you buy to a kid which is allergic to both cats and dogs? An African Grey parrot? Well, that's what Art and Susan bought Kent when he was younger, and since they can become 60 years or older, Sly is still around! Apparently, Sly is Kent's bird, but Art is definitely Sly's primarily caregiver nowadays.

The African Grey Parrot is native to Africa and one of the most intelligent birds. This very affectionate companion is almost like a child, which requires both commitment and love. They can get quite shy around strangers if they spend most of their time with one person, and they tend to bond solely with their main caregiver if they don't see other people regularly. And Sly, a very intelligent and emotional little bird, loves Art Barry. It doesn't matter how much attention you give him, if Art's around, no one else matters. However, if Art's not around, both Kent and I validates as "good friends".

One of the most entertaining things about Sly is his capability to talk. He has quite a vocabulary, and he tends to sound like the person that spoke. He can mutter complete sentences when he wants attention! And if he's alone in his cage in the kitchen, he very often screams after "Kent" or "Susan". His voice is so similar to Art's that it's almost a bit eerie. He fooled me into believe that Art's around several time just by imitating his voice unbelievable well. Every once in a while, he cracks a joke, followed by a a laugh so similar to Art's that it's spooky! If he thinks that we are disturbing him at night, he informs us that it's "Time for Bed!", and if the phone calls, Sly answers with either "Hello" or "Pardon". And if he feels a bit hungry, he cries out for "Popcorn!", one of his favorite snacks.

He might be a bit unpredictable at times, but Sly is a charming, affectionate and intelligent African Grey Parrot. And some of us love him like a child...

MALIN