the year 2009
This was the year with great opposites! The year started in Tanzania with temperatures well above 30°C. The Tanzanian weather was wonderfully nice, the beaches were white and the water clear blue. We spent a beautiful day on our own island, swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and relaxing. Now to the opposite; the year ended in Sweden with approximately 40 cm of snow and with a temperature between -8°C and -20°C for two weeks. We visited family both in Stockholm and at Pilhult and met friends in the Linköping area. We saw the snow pile up around us wherever we went. J
The spring was full of trips. This year´s ski trip went to France and Avoriaz. We had so much snow that it felt like we spent more time in our apartment playing board games than being outside in the slopes skiing. During the Easter break we were in Sweden, enjoying caving, collecting sap from birch and a big bonfire. In May we spent three beautiful days in Marina Albisola and Genoa, Italy, visiting friends. Mats younger brother Joachim married his Emma in Småland and we were there, of course! We visited London, and met Jim Carrey, Albert Einstein and the Spiderman at Madame Tussaud´s.
Just before the summer holidays, Simon went on a school trip to Salzburg, and Åsa “managed” to get a flat tire twice in one week. “Midsommar” was celebrated in a traditional way, with visiting friends from Sweden. We ate herring and drank schnapps. Filip spent a lot of time with his best friend Alexander before he moved back to the US. They made plans for Filip to come and live with Alexander and go to High School a year. Åsa, Filip and Simon took the car train to Sweden, spending a total of three weeks in the southern part of Sweden. A go-kart race with friends ends the visit.
In the summer we were sailing an ELAN42 in the Croatian archipelago with friends from Sweden. It was a wonderful week with warm, sunny days and star sparkling nights. The water was warm and the sailing was easy since there are no reefs or underwater rocks to consider in Croatia. If you ever sailed in the Stockholm archipelago you know what we mean.
We visited a beautiful national park with nice trails and astonishing waterfalls. We then drove through Slovenia and spent an afternoon in its cozy capital city, Ljubljana.
We also had time to visit Salzburg and Simon was our guide to the salt mines, the water castle, the old town and of course at the Mozart dinner concert! We continued to explore Austria and spent four lovely days hiking in the Alps. On our way home to Lörrach we decided to visit the castle Neuschwanstein. It was definitely worth the detour.
Back to work and school, Simon started the year with an orientation camp – and a lot of new school mates. Filip got a totally new class, since the school split four classes and made five new ones. They both made new friends, and keeps in contact with their old ones as well. Filip is working towards the US-trip and was accepted for a year at High School. The planning continues and that adventure will hopefully start in August 2010.
In October we went to Essen to visit the Game Fair SPIEL 2009 along with some 140’000 other visitors. There were games everywhere and of course we played some games and bought a game or two (or three...).
With these short highlights from the year 2009, we all would like to wish you a happy continuation of year 2010!
Mats & Åsa Filip & Simon
