Tjörn - Photos

One of the prettiest places I have ever been, Tjörn is a real summer is treat!!! The tiny island just north of Göteborg is part of the Bohuslän Coast which is a natural gem with blue waters and rugged islands!

On Tjörn there is not much to do but sit and watch as little boats move in and out of the harbour while feeling the light breeze on your skin.

We spent a day driving the breadth and width of the island with every turn seemingly more beautiful than the last.

The little swimming holes, some of which had diving boards, were simply epic and the calm waters were home to hundreds of star fish and other little critters.

There is not much else say other than it is an exquisitely beautiful place! I'll let the photos (as much as they can) speak for themselves.

A romantic getaway

Why did it have to rain today? Why today? Why when I had made plans for a romantic getaway, out in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. Why today?

Sadly, Mother Nature doesn’t always play along with our romantic gestures and life plans and today was no different. I had been planning this little excursion for a while and it took every bone in my body to keep it a secret.

You see, Oliver and I are in a long distance relationship, while I complete my Master Degree in Sweden, and knowing he was coming over I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a surprise. And when I stumbled across Kolabryn online I knew it would be the perfect romantic retreat!

Österlen

During our two week road trip Oliver and I spent two days along the little coast which stretches from Ales Stenar to Kivik in the Eastern part of Skåne which is beautiful with a lot to see and do.....

Why so quite?

One of the perks of studying Europe is that you get to really exploit your summer holidays. With countries so close in proximity you are really able to get around and see some awesome stuff. Although not in the heart of Europe, Sweden (down south in particular) is only a stone through away from the rest of Europe.

So, like many other students waiting for the next semester to start I decided to take advantage of my summer holiday and I packed my bags ready for some adventure! I have been busy in the 7 weeks since university came to an end having visited not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 countries!

Around the Sound

Travelling around Sweden isn't the cheapest thing in the world. And wanting to go across the Oresund Bridge to get some of the action happening in Denmark is even more expensive. So what to do?

Make a trip of it!!!

Going via train return to Copenhagen from Lund will cost you roughly 216SEK but if you buy the Around the Sound ticket it will cost you 249SEK so why buy the Around the Sound ticket? Here's why:

• You get unlimited travel in Southern Sweden and Denmark for a full two days
• It's the perfect excuse to go away for the weekend
• You get to take the train in one direction and the super awesome ferry in another
• And, when the weather is good its amazing just how much you can see in two days!

When my friend Karolina was here we decided to make use of this pretty sweet deal and see how much we could see. This is what we managed to do:

News...more like procrastination with a touch of narcissism

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry that I have been out of touch lately. Things have been a little crazy! I went back home to South Africa in the beginning of April for a very fast and furious two weeks. My brother and his wife had just had their second baby and my sister was about to have her first! It seemed as good a time as any  to whip out my savings and go home for a little visit. On top of that Oliver and I hadn't seem each other for four months and I was absolutley dying to see him!

VIVA 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I am back in Sweden and ready to get the year rolling. In all honesty I have been back since the 2nd but it has taken me a couple of days to get my ass into gear and start the New Year.

My little vacation was wonderful. After a jam packed semester getting away to do nothing was amazing. And I got to see Oliver! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! After four months of not seeing each other I was worried that things would be awkward or strange but it wasn't. But after a beeeeeeeeg hug and kiss at the airport we were back to Oliver and Claudia. It was awesome to spend time with him.

So what did we do in Ghana? Well, like I said, not much! I did a lot of reading (odd I know, considering I wanted to get away from Uni but this was enjoyment reading which is different), we did a lot of swimming in a gorgeous pool right next to the beach, a lot of chess (I lost every single game except for two on New Years Eve...could this be a sign of good things to come?), and a lot of chilling! It was awesome!

Awe!

This is serious!

The first time I beat Oliver ever!

The awesome pool

It has taken me a few days to get back into the swing of things. Arriving back to an empty apartment takes some getting used to all over again. But I couldn't take too much time as I have an exam paper due on the 13th and I officially need to get grafting.

However, other than a lot of work there are a lot of exciting things that are going to happen this year. In April I will be visiting South Africa where my brother would have just had his second daughter and where my sister will be expecting her first child. Then shortly after I get back from SA a friend from Switzerland is going to come visit me in Sweden. Then, shortly after she has left I have two friends that I knew in Korea coming to see what Sweden is all about. One of them has a course to take in Malmo and the other is just coming to have a great time! So April is going to sublime (and busy as all hell :).

Also in April I will hopefully be starting my second course on Swedish. I got 83% for level one and am hoping that by the time I leave Sweden I will be able to speak Swedish fluently.

As we inch closer to the middle of the year we reach summer vacations. I am hoping to do a spot of travelling during summer going to see friends who live in Europe. Then in July or August Oliver will be coming to Sweden! Can I get a whoop whoop! We have an awesome road trip planned and are going to camp across Sweden and see as much as we can possibly see in the time we have available. Oli is a photographer so be sure to check in in September I am likely to have some kick ass pictures up on the blog.

The next semester begins in September and I am not too sure where I will be. I have applied for several internships in Stockholm. If I get one I will be there for the next six months. If not, I will be doing some elective courses either in Lund or at Stockholm University. I am in two minds about whether I should live in Stockholm for six months. What do you think?

Either way, there is a lot going on this year and I am super excited to see what happens. I'll keep you updated on anything interesting along the way!

VIVA 2012!

Great Göteborg

Göteborg is the second biggest city in Sweden and although I haven't yet had an opportunity to visit Stockholm I have has a chance to see Göteborg.

Just over a month ago there were tickets for sale for a day trip to Göteborg. 400 SEK got you a return bus trip, a stop at the zoo to see a moose, a city bus tour, free time, and entrance into a pub.

After quite a beautiful bus ride into the city we stopped at a city park called Slottskogsparken which has a small zoo including a moose. Yip! I am officially a little more Swedish because I have seen a moose. They are huge! Most of the ones we saw had already lost their antlers but I was amazed at how long their legs were! That was pretty cool. And teh garden surrounding the zoo was pretty beautiful.

Unfortunately we didn't have much time to spare and we were quickly told to get back on the bus. I guess this is to be expected when doing an arranged tour...you are there on a set schedule and have to do what you are told to.

Then we drove around in the bus looking (albeit through the window) at some of Göteborg's top attractions including Lisebeg (A popular amusement park), Maritiman (the world's largest floating ship museum); the Opera House; as well as two soccer stadiums and a giant ferris wheel near the harbour. Then we stopped off in old town (I think it is called the Haga District) which has been around since the 1600s and walked around its quaint streets until we climbed up a massive flight of stairs to reach a vantage point which gives one of the best views of Göteborg. After a good amount of photos it was time to head back into the centre of town and then we had a couple of hours of free time to do as we pleased.

Unfortunately by this time museums and shops were either already closed or about to close so myself and some friends opted for walking through the streets, grabbing some brunch and just enjoying the city atmosphere. It was great!!!

Then at 20:00 it was off to a bar which thankfully had reasonably priced drinks (by reasonable I mean 35SEK for a glass of wine or draft of beer) and I really started to enjoy myself. There were drinking games, good music and I was meeting people from all over the world including Switzerland, France and Iran.

The biggest mistake of the evening, in my opinion, was leaving the bar and heading to a club. we had to pay for entrance to the club on the bus so by the time I realised I didn't want to go I was told it was too late. Once in the club they wanted more money for our jackets, etc to be stored. NO way! I paid 100SEK entrance and now they want money for coats as well. Hectic. Then we go upstairs and the drinks are all like 80SEK +. So by now I am really getting bleak...my happy vibe from earlier began to disapear so I decided to go get some food. I was then told by the people at the entrance that if I leave, I leave, and if I want to come back in I have to pay again. WTF??? No stamps....URG! So now I was really really bleak so decided to say screw it....I left the club grabbed some grub and waited for the bus which wasn't too bad. I should have known better, I am not a club person.

Other than that I have a fantastic day and I can't wait to go back to Göteborg on my own where I can go some of the other sites including the Natural History Museum which has the only stuffed blue whale in the world!