Finally few days where I’m free from the studies, work and internship ☺️. And today is the very first full day of Winter Holiday
After all I had planned nothing went like it 😅😅🤪🤪. But now 6pm am I outdoors and enjoying my new view 😍.
Saturday July 26th.
Friday 25th I had to do some changes on my trip. From having a plan to catch the bus-for-train and then train back home on Saturday 1pm,to receive an email with information that that specific train was cancelled because of some issues on the track. I just don’t do bus (because of my injury knee), so I cancelled the ticket and bought a new one for Sunday. And got more time to spend with my friend C and her family 😊😊.
So here comes Saturday 26th…I woke up 6 am 🤪 an okay day 🌡- vice, with only +21 at 9 am and nit more than +25 as the warmest 😊.
I went shopping with my friend C. Helping her to get “the perfect feeling” off the bathroom off hers. We went to eight stores to find thee basket 🤪😆, rectangular basket she had in mind.
She ended up with both round and rectangular and she just realised that’s how it is when the fashion changes and your brain don’t. We had good laugh at that 😆.
The evening past and closer to 5 pm we finally went for a swim in Nøklevann which is a lake in Oslo – Bøler suburb.
I swam approxy 200 meters (good for me) who hasn’t been swimming for at least 6 months and the last time I swam proper was in a pool with work.
I miss swimming, think I am gonna try that this year. Anyway.
Sunday 27th.
All day was medium hot with a temperature between +21 and +26°C. I catch the metro at 8.54 pm to get down to the track for bus-for-train in good time. More then 30 minutes until the bus would go.
But it actually went down to +24°C at 10 pm, when we stood in line of a que to get on the bus-for-train towards Kongsberg.
The bus-for-train arrived Kongsberg 11.15 pm and we were lucky to travel by train 😊 to Stavanger. It was freezing cold on the train. I think it’s okay to get the temperature to drop a bit. But almost every second person had warm clothes on or a light blanket to not freeze. And I have to that’s crazy!
We arrived 20 minutes earlier than planned, which was 07.05 am. It was raining and only +15°C outdoors 🥶🥶🥶. And offcourse it didn’t help I was tired, had slept bad and was cold from the train.
But I catch an earlier local bus home. Had coffee and breakfast at home 😊. And a blessed power-nap of 1 hour and 30 minutes 🤩. I had to come home latest Monday because I had an appointment.
The rest of the day I walked a lot to stay awake 😆. Had a chai latte with a friend I haven’t seen in a year in Sandnes 😊. In my favourite café of Espressohouse.
Wednesday July 23rd.
Starting later today but with breakfast and Coffee on the “balcony”. It’s a bit more grey clouds this morning but the around the same temperature (+23°C) 10 am.
Today’s goal is the botanical garden. Something the both of us love. I don’t have much that looks like a garden at home… but always dream of something I can make a garden in or off. And today we’ll walk in a huge garden and receive even more idea’s or just inspiration for a future garden 😉.
The weather forecast today is grey and cloudy but it’s predicted to be up to +28°C even today. A good day for this kind of adventure!
We past the gates 12pm. And stroll slowly through this magnificent garden. We had really good weather! A good combination of ⛅️🌤☀️ and wind and a temperature between +23° and +26°C.
And here are some of the flowers I liked…
Through the school garden and interesting tree garden…
… I had to stop to cool down my feet’s…
After the lunch we walked towards the Japanese garden.
And when we came to a fence we thought we would end up in an other smaller garden but we didn’t 😆. We walked through the Nature Reserve and ended up in a street with houses 😆😆 and had to walk back the to the garden once more.
And now it was time for 🚻 (toilet facility) and water to cool down, rest on the grass and ice cream. And a kind-of-power-nap in the grass.
While laying in the grass the wind got stronger and suddenly we heard the thunderstorm getting closer. (Around 3 – 3.30 pm). And had to walk faster to not get wet from the sudden 🌧 rain 😆.
Tram back into the city but not to Nordstan, but to Grønsakstorget (the vegitable square). Rain pooring down and yes we didn’t take our Rain jacket with us 😆. Grocery shopping and walking in the rain to the closest tram stop to get back to the hotel.
Late dinner out on our ” balcony ” and yatzy with wine in the chill breeze after the thunderstorm and rainbow 😊. A perfect evening!
Tuesday 22nd.
Our plan yesterday was to sleep in, but no I woke up 7 am and couldn’t sleep more 😆😆. Annica was awake maybe ten minutes later. We had an early breakfast and coffee. Took things like it came. No stress just relaxing.
Around 11 am we headed into the city. I had something I needed to do. The reason for this trip for me.
Had lunch at Deg_pizzeria …
…which was really good and tasty! Totally recommend if you visit Gothenburg .
Walked around in the city…
Continued to explore. I found and bought a shell jacket on sale 😊🤩. Got some necessary things you need during a stay on holiday. And last stop was the liquidstore (which is a special store just for alcoholic liquid and where you have to be 20 years old both in Sweden and Norway) where we got each bottle if wine. Me white wine and a new ale and Annica red wine.
Dinner around 7 pm and… movie time.
Today is it Sunday the 20th July. I am finishing up with my packing. Can’t say I am looking forward to travel in this temperature… (picture below).
But I have to. The tickets are already booked. The heat wave Norway is under came last week and have only got stronger and warmer each day. 🥵.
First ” stop ” is Church 6pm.
From the Church I got ride with a friend from latest House Church I catch to the train station.
At 04.20 am I just couldn’t sleep anymore 😔. Too cold and hungry.
… on our way to Kongsberg in about 15 min (06:10 am) where we have to switch to bus-for-train, to Oslo.
Tuesday 8th of July. 10.45 am.
Towards Kvitsøy island… but first two busses 😉.
The stone cross is about 4 meter high, you find it at leiasundet, on the far east side of the island. It’s been there for a long time. No one knows how old it us but at least 1000 years.
We have had a great adventure and exploring the island as much as we had energy for. We are pleased and a bit sun burned 😆. Seen as many 🐑’s as 🏠-es I think. It was perfect to rent a bicycle to get around! And the ferry is for free if you have a monthly card for bus in Nord-Jæren.
This picture shows how we were bicycling on the island ;
Finally on the 🚆 night train with the end station Stavanger 😍 tomorrow morning July 18th. A distance of 550 km along the coast.
I hope I’ll be able to sleep more on this train then I did going on holiday. 🤞.
00:18 am good night for now.
Somewhere along the way (trail)
For some reason I can’t just walk into my appointment when I arrive 😆😆 , I always check my flowers.
Now coffee and breakfast… 😆
And unpacking, watering my indoor flowers, do laundry and relax. It’s so nice to be back home!
Those two days of traveling was and became shorter in time, more direct even though I was blessed with space between the stop. I think I used 16,6 hours compared to when I went to Sweden when it took more than 21 hours.
My goal with those posts from my holiday is to inspire you who read to explore places/ a country you kind of know but travel different to how you normally do it 😉. Have faith in the Lord that he will open up the right doors for you along the way you travel.
My day started 08.00 am when I couldn’t sleep more. Made coffee and placed the clean kitchen things from the dishwasher where it belonging. Had breakfast outside while it was raining 😊, very cozy!
Got packed into the car and a 25 min drive,by my brother, to Borlänge. Where I had to try my bank again while my brother and my nephew got on the train towards Danmark.
Finally done with the bank, yet not totally finished with them 🤪🤬. Walked fast to catch up with my sister-in-law and my backpacker (600 meters).
Had some waiting at the train station in Borlänge (an hour). 14:06 pm I found a seat in the train (the train departure time 14:40 pm). Took the elevator the coolest I’ve seen in a long time! )
On the train it started to rain after one train stop.
We will arrive Kristinehamn 17:05 pm and then the next train departure 17:51 pm.
The first travel way…
Next stop Oslo, Norway. Arriving time shall be 21:24 pm lucky me we arrived 22:15 pm 😍😍😍 happy happy happy! And even more lucky that the train arrived on track 15 so I didn’t need to stress walk through the train station 😊😅.
On the bus-for-train 22:00 pm – 23:11 pm and 23:43 pm is the departure time for the night train home to Stavanger.
The goal for today was four things.
The first thing was to try to fix my Swedish bank account, it went kind of good but not totally 🤪🤐🤬.
The second was to try to open up a new account in an other bank. That didn’t go as planned 🤬. Back to square one 🤬.
The third thing was to meet my childhood best friend Annica and spend time with her. Catch up the last & past ten years. That went well 😊.
I am happy with a new backpacker, it’s an 65 liter and the one I have at home is 60 liter. (1 liter = 0,26 gal (U.S.)
Walking in streets I’ve walked many times before…
Got back to my families house and it felt like I was sweated, but I can’t. So resting my foot a bit and then took I my very last dip and short swim in Runn (the lake here).
Time for packing and making dinner with my niece 😊.
This morning started with the normal coffee and breakfast. And to drive with a rental car (spaceship) from Falun
Between Rättvik and Mora went it slow! But forward.
I took a small break in a village called Garsås.
Continued to Mora and Orsa, drove the old road also called the turist road to be able to take a picture of the stunning view, but it was to much tree’s in the way to see anything 😔. And then towards to my father in Våmhus.
My only reason for this trip was to pick up my mother’s sewing machine 😆😊. Which is heavier than I remember 😆😅🤪. ( And this sewing machine will bring back to Norway 🤪 craziness!! )
My conclusion from this trip is that, it’s boring to drive alone! Even if I had the radio on.
It’s approxy 105 km one way from Falun to Våmhus, Mora.
When I arrived in the Bojsenburg suburb the sky opened up and the rain bounced off the asphalt.
Then I had about 35 minutes to leave the sewing machine with my brother and then drive and return the rental car.
I was back in Falun 4.31 pm and drove back the rental car and parked it and handed in the key 4:57 pm 😅. And then was the rain over 😊.
It feels like I have been driving much longer and much more than I actually have 😅😆. But I’m pleased with the day and even more I now ca breath normal 😆 .
Today I woke up 08.45 am was out of the place I mostly just sleep 10.10 am. Catch a citybus. Bought a protein shake with the taste of childhood ice cream 😆 pear and vanilla.
The temperature was now already +22 °C. Catched the next citybus towards my family.
Swimming with my niece. I would say the water temperature was around +20°C (the same lake as the day before).
Around 2.30 pm a friend of mine Ferdinand (that I got to know back in the time I lived here in 2002 – 2005) picked me up. We drove into the city centre to pick up an other friend before we drove to a place called Djurås – also a place I’ve lived. But we went to Ferdinand summer house.
BBQ and swimming in a smaller lake, here was the water temp maybe +21 in the evening. Really nice!
Falun.
To be able to enjoy visiting a city I have lived in, even if it’s more than twenty-three years ago (gosh is it that long time ago?!)? The time runs too fast!
I went down to the city only to see if I could find a bikini top because I lost one already 🤪. I found two on sale 😍😍 in about 30 minutes.
Needed food b4 doing anything else 1.30 pm. Walked to MAX burger a Swedish burger brand since 1968.
Ate and walked back to the bus hub.
Between 3.30 pm and 6.30 pm I went down to the lake twice 😍. After dinner my oldest brother challenged me to learn the sup. So hard! And I am stubborn and I don’t give up easily! I did fall off and landed in the water 😆😆😆 but I didn’t give up!
I even managed to get around the “floating island” for the first time on a sup 😊😊 it’sapproxy 100 meters away from the beach. After I went for my third swim today.
A perfect 4th day of my holiday 😊
It’s Wednesday the 10th. I enjoy it’s my first day of my holiday.
It’s 11:40ish and the temperature is +19°C some sun most clouds. Just perfect! My friends I am visiting are at work and I enjoying there house and garden 😊
My bonus-bonus baby sister came visiting me while I was in Frövi. We haven’t seen each since 2018 because of corona and closed borders.
We did everything we could to spend time together 😊❤️.
We spent approxy nine hours together, coffee, swimming, dinner and table games with my friends, before she had to drive back home.
July 11th;
10:43am, train railway issues… waiting on a station to go forward to the next station. I don’t mind I have a ticket for the bus but the bus departure time is not until 12:25 pm which I really hope I make. This train arrival time was expected to be 12:09 pm. Let’s hope we make it 🤞🙏. We arrived 12:40 pm still good time to catch a bus towards Falun 😊 after a short walk from the train station to the bus hub.
Walked 5 minutes from the train station in Borlänge to the bus hub and waited on bus 152 towards Falun 1:10 pm
In Falun it’s a tiny walk, straight ahead from the bus hub to the pedestrian street. I arrived 1:35 pm.
Approxy 1:40 – 1:50 pm. In this square, in one one the shopping mall it’s a farmacy and there I was going to meet my friend (this friend, I got to know when I was living here back in 2001 – 2004). I am staying in her place despite the fact that she won’t be home this weekend 😆😆, approxy 1:50 pm I was picked up by my oldest brother and heading towards their home.
It was +18,9°C in the water/lake 😊. Swimming temperature 😊.
This view is Summer for me! I have spent many Summer holidays here when the kids (my niece and nephews) were small 💜😍. Now two of them are young adults and the third is a teenager. It’s here I love to swim and hang out 😍. And today it was them, a family of five, and my 2nd brother and his wife there too (they live in Trøndelag Norway). And later on this evening friends of one of my nephew came. On top of that my head started to ‘boil’ and spinning – to much impressions for me 😔🤪. The positive side is that I know I will sleep heavy tonight 😊
The holiday started with an accident while walking Saga 😔.
And instead of waiting to catch a city bus 9.15pm I choose to catch a bus 8.15pm so I could go to the farmacy and buy things to clean my sore elbows before my night train departure 10.15pm
On the train
Arriving Kristiansand approxy 01:45am and leaving about 02:15am.
Slept approxy 3,5 hours on the train 🤪. Wok up 06:03am. Out in the morning sunshine but chill morning!
Arriving Kongsberg 06:12am, here it was bus for train departure 06:19am. Now on the bus towards Oslo my first destination on this holiday.
It’s a distance of 550km, from Stavanger to Oslo (north east).
A really good breakfast at the train station in Oslo with a friend from my church network from when I lived here.
Fancinated that it took me three years to get here again! After I moved away. And even if I am not really in Oslo, I just had breakfast and changed buses 😉 here. I’m here for a short while.
Off to Örebro, 4 hours drive with the bus and I am gonna sleep what I didn’t sleep on the night train! A distance of 340km east from Oslo.
Two more hours on the bus from Karlstad to arrive to my second destination (but first where I’ll stay for 48 hours) 15 hours later from when my journey began 🤪😆🙈.
I arrived 2:25pm to Örebro. Been very careful with my elbows all this journey! Managed anyway to hit the right elbow 😔 and then I tryed to lock my suitcase in a locker but oh no that didn’t work 🤬🤬🤬. I have than the second time today been a customer to Espressohouse 😆😆.
The very fiber rich sandwich actually worked 😊
But my journey isn’t done yet 🙈😆. I will meet with my friend I’m staying with 4:30 pm, catch the last train for today towards Frövi a smaller village 200km north of Örebro.
After dinner and catch up time with the family I visit (which I haven’t seen in ten years! ) we played some table games.
I just need to clear my brain with you. The preaching is about how God is repeating himself to get us to respond. Really interesting from Elevation Church with Steven Furtick.
Pictures a long my walk…
A lovely walk path around a small country side lake in Norway.
How I love this view, half way around this lake. Time to blog. Share “my nature” with you.
Thank you Lord for peace for whatever comes in the way in my life. Thank you Lord for your love and protection for my life. Thank you Lord for letting me see and understand warning signs. Thank you Lord for life no matter what it looks like. Thank you Lord for you repeating yourself for me to respond. Thank you Lord for whatever job you can see me doing and where you can use me and my knowledge.
I trust you Lord cause I know you will provide what I need and no more.
Thank you Lord for protection. Thank you Lord for you surroding me with your love. Thank you Lord for resturaction. Thank you Lord for that you repeat yourself. Again and again. ✝️.
Left home 09:40am, bus 09:52am towards Sandnes bus & train hub. To catch a new bus at 10:13am.
Today I’ve been exploring 😊, walked in residential areas I never been b4. I’ve taken busses I just seen in Sandnes or Stavanger bushub. Seen where, e.g. Forus Arena is located (where most major concerts for Stavanger and nearby municipalities take place). And I haven’t been stressed just smiling.
The rain or wind wasn’t a bad thing. If I weren’t on a bus I found shelter 😉
I did all this both becauce I have been wanting this since I moved back but also becauce I found cheap books online (via a website here in Norway where you can buy used things, a common website for the whole of Norway) for my upcoming studies which start in mid-August.
When I got off the bus I knew I had to eat b4 I headed home-over.
PizzaBakeren (the pizza chain that started here in Rogaland) is my favorite and today it was a pizza with a thin crust.
I catched an other bus back in to Stavanger train station (13:05pm) waited maybe 20 min at the train station (13:20ish pm) and sat on the train home to Ganddal. On the train it was raining but my walk home were not 😊.
So I’ve got to see and explore and buy non-fiction / subject literature during 4.5 hours 😊😊😊 .
I recived an interview request on a job I actually applyed to (!) I had to decline it.
Which was so wired 🤪 , becauce I never been in that situation before, but I already had a job. 😊🙏✝️.
I had to share it with my nearest friends, before here.
The Lords way isn’t ours!
He showing us which way to walk if we trust Him.
My testimony is in my blog, how my rollercoaster Spring went from chaos to prayeranswers.
One after the other. How the Lord showed me love by trusting Him even the day’s when everything felt nothing but chaotic.
My testimony is real. It’s my life.
The Lord literally is a part of my life and Faith.
He challenges me to do things his way when some, non Christian some Christian, who don’t understand how I dare to just jump into something so unsure future.
It’s all about Faith.
You need to have faith and believe in what you doing even during the doubting!
I’ll be in my city Oslo this Christmas too but this Christmas will I both do things and afford to do things. 😍 Last year I had to stay in Oslo because I didn’t afford to go away for X-mas. I made it and survived.
I have a plan.
I will go on a day trip to Sweden and by typical Christmas food I like and grow up with, before the Christmas weekend. It will be nice to “get away” just for a day too. I am already looking forward that and planing. But first I have to finish for the Christmas Holiday in the Hotel. I have Holiday from the 18th of December until the 2nd of January. I don’t think I have had such long Holiday since school-time, ten years ago or longer! 😍
The smartphone was a early X-mas gift to myself but I will also finally by a kitchen machine I have been wanting for at least the last 3 years and not been able to by. Looking forward to be able to bake more again! (Not the most expensive but it’s a start). I ordered it yesterday (the 5th of December). 😍😍
I will join some Christmas party, go to the cinema by myself or maybe with friends, watch movies on the television, bake, live, enjoy life, relax, sewing and I have to apply for jobs… but I believe time will fly fast ☺ and I have my cat‘s so I am not alone 😍
It’s a bit sad in one way that I can’t celebrate Christmas with my own family (brothers and kids because of my cat’s 😯) but I’ve done it before… I will and have to stay focused and positive.
To you who read my post or blog, I wish you a Great time in December and in all the preparation for Christmas!
/Mia-Simone
mia-simone. svenberg 