It's been a while! Took us longer than expected to get an internet connection here. We could have had access earlier, but our computer would not recognize the Swedish dial tone. Where to start...
We flew from TO to London Sept 11. The trip went like clockwork. No problems in the TO airport - security was not too crazy. We couldn't get the duty free booze we were hoping to bring for the Swedes, but that was just the way it was with the tighter security dictating no liquids or gels in carry-on bags. We had a lovely overnight flight across the Atlantic on British Airways with no major turbulence, great service and fairly spacious seating. K and D managed a little sleep. M was too excited and H was up all night with him. We crossed the ocean in record time and then queued up to land in London. After circling interminably, we finally were allowed to land. We had 80 minutes to get from one terminal to another (by bus) and go through security again. It was hot and sticky and people were anxious, but after getting through the long line (the only extra security measures beyond Canada's was the need to take off shoes and belts), we rushed on to our gate and then were again loaded on a bus and to wind our way for a second time through the convoluted bowels of Heathrow to our plane to Sweden. Suddenly, we were surrounded by Swedes and the Swedish language. This was the beginning of the real adventure!
The flight across the channel was scenic as it was daytime and relatively cloud free. We were impressed to see a wind farm in Denmark (?) visible from 36,000 ft. The trip computer was also telling us it was -57 derees C which the boys thought was pretty impressive. Soon we were flying over Sweden and tracing our route closer and closer to our destination. We saw the big lake we would be living north of (Vanern), and then we were heading down to the Arlanda airport. We went through customs smoothly, picked up our waiting luggage, and then went on to the train platform which is downstairs in the airport.
We had minutes to catch the next train or wait another 3 hours for the next one. We tried the computerized ticket booth, but couldn't understand why it wouldn't seem to register the fact that we had 2 children as well as 2 adults so Kirk rushed off to find someone to answer a few questions. (turns out kids with adults travel free on this train and for very little on others.) We managed to get on the train with our 7 pieces of luggage with seconds to spare. After packing our stuff wherever it would fit, we settled down for the half hour trip into Stockholm. Another rush to get on the next train ensued. Once again we managed to squeak on the train with seconds to spare after 20 minutes trying to figure out where to go and how to buy tickets. Thank goodness Hol had printed out a couple of train schedules for us before leaving Kelowna. We knew which train we were trying to catch and when it would leave, so it was just a question of getting tickets and getting on the right train.
Once again we packed our luggage in somewhere and then settled down to watch the lovely Swedish country side pass by for the next 3 hours as we headed to Karlstad. An hour in Karlstad passed rapidly as we found a pay phone to call JC (10 SEK or about $1.50 for 30 seconds) and some icecreams. Then we were on the train to Sunne, our final destination. This commuter train stopped at all sorts of little stations on the way and when we finally crawled off the train an hour later in Sunne, bleary eyed form travel and lack of sleep, we were overjoyed to see JC's smiling face. He had a colleague with him to help ferry our luggage home and two of the biggest pizzas we had ever seen in the front seat. A twenty minute drive further north took us to our home for the next 6 months in Stopafors. We were met by Eva and Bo who were there doing last bits and pieces to make sure the house was ready for us. We are lucky to have these wonderful people as neighbours and liason with our landlord. They stayed long enough to get us settled, and then were gone. We had very interesting kebab pizza and pizza salad with JC. Then he ran down to the little store at the junction of the highway and our road for some basic food supplies for us before saying good night.
In all, we left Uxbridge at 9:30 am central time and made it to our destineation in Stopafors at 6 pm Swedish time which would be a total of 27.5 hours of travel. Time to sleep.
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