Not really travelling.

Well, this entry isn't really from a trip that I just made. It's more so just because I'm so pleased with myself, and miss writing in here. Mind you have an upcoming trip to Holman so can't wait to write about that!

Anyways, the point of tonight's blog entry is because of the stellar northern lights.  CBC was touting that tonight is a Giant Solar Flare so I needed to stay up to see it. I have a undeniable love for the northern lights. I've always secretly wanted to get married under them, though I recall my father once telling me no one would come to my wedding if I did. But it would be sooo pretty! So I am skipping out of skating tomorrow morning to stay up extra late (work is going to kill me tomorrow) so that I can see this supposed show! The peak hours start at 11, and that is late for me.
So I decided to go out twice, the first time was 10:30 till 11ish.
Short because my battery ran out cause its fricken -33 (-43 avec le windchill). They didnt turn out as well as I was anticipating - there is a full moon so my shutter time was a little too long... regardless they are still decent. They were super pretty, more so green and pink. They were just shimmering across the sky too. I didnt dare whistle because they were already dancing up a storm (ha). But not only did the battery freeze and drain, but so did my fingers from putting on my mitt and taking it off. I had to return home to charge up the battery and struggle to stay awake. I had big plans for my second outing, it was going to be later (obviously) and thus better! My plan was to head out the the giant mine docks...

Stupid full moon. Drowned out the lights. 

Made it there and was super surprised that there were NO truck on the highway. The winter road is open, and the other night on my way to volleyball, they were doing their standard truck every 2min deal. This time nothing. Also, no lights! WFT. I drove all the way out on the highway and got nothing. Went back to the ice road thinking that must be where they are best (dont question my logic). But nothing. I was out for an hour and not even a dinky shimmer. Im crushed. Im exhausted.
There better be some lights tomorrow.

Making jam...

At my grandfathers right now. Beautiful fall drive in from St. John's and arrived yesterday.


Before I came down I had asked him to keep his ear open for anyone selling partridge berry jam at the church or on the highway. Instead, when I arrived, I was presented with a gallon of partridge berries and blueberries to make my own! What a guy... I've never made jam before nor have any real idea of how to guess it.


I assumed it was similar to cranberry sauce. Pretty close - no added water and less sugar. Now I say less sugar based on granddads research; uncle David uses 2.5c sugar for four gallons, or 1c for one gallon. I chose to make mine with 2.5c with once gallon... Sweet jam and partridge berries can be tart! I spent the afternoon in the kitchen with his propane stove and jam bubbles popping everywhere and scalding my arms (oven mitts only go so far). But I managed to bottle them and they sealed, five and a half bottles!


Everyone I know is getting a bottle now cause I know dad will be rotted.

Location:Granddads - Norris Arm

Last weekend in Sweden!

Well, its my last weekend in Sweden. *tear.
Andreas came into town for it and promised to teach me how to make Swedish Meatballs. Deadly! Though sadly there isn't really a secret to them, its more so how you eat them.

We spent all afternoon making them, rolling and frying them. I'm getting really good at flipping them in the fry pan now too.
Meat balls for everyone when I get home!
Then that evening we went to see ÖSK (the football team) play against the number one ranked Helsingborg. The game was actually fantastic! Örebro destroyed them 3-0 not to mention three other goals that were not allowed cause the ref called them offside, though they definitely counted!
That night we went to a party with some of Andreas's friends, and Cailan and I spent our last Saturday partying like Swedes... not a good thing. Andreas got this crazy pizza, bacon and egg pizza. They put the weirdest stuff on their pizza here.
This morning we got to have even more Swedish food - Swedish pancakes, which are crepes, but cooked with bacon in them and then covered in blueberry sauce. So good.

I cant believe that I've been here for five months now, its gone by so quickly... oh well. Time to return home to the real world...

Goodbye Berlin

Well Joey has returned to Canada, and I to Sweden, after spending an overcast week in Berlin. It was fun! 

Joey was in his element, being a passionate World War Two geek, and I because of the delicious Weiße beers! 
We scoped out a lot of WW2 sites, saw bombed out churches, bullet riddled walls, locations of propaganda offices and the terrors of the SS and SA. We went on a specific Third Reich tour one day and went to the offices of Colonel Claus Von Stauffenber, where he planned Operation Valkyrie. That was cool cause they left the Third Reich ministry floors in, and they are decorated, inconspicuously with swastikas. 
Personally, I like the communist history; I followed the former Berlin wall, Joey got soviet stamps in his passport, laughed at the people getting their photos taken with pretend US Army guards at Check Point Charlie and observed another cloudy skyline of Berlin from the Reichstag Dome. 
The history aspect of Berlin is fascinating!

We also indulged in the south German tradition of Brauhaus and sausages! Interestingly enough when we were at one brauhaus, we stumbled upon Sony Entertainment setting up for the German premiere of the film SALT, with Angelina Jolie, and we ended up seeing her walk by!

But back to the beers! They have such in interesting concept of beers there, not only the Weiße beers which are zingy and thick. But what they combine them with! Lindenbrau, the one we frequented the most, offered their beers mixed with so many different juices! Mango, raspberry, apple, cherry and many others! And also with coke, like the Germans from our sailing trip in Croatia. My favourite was beer and grapefruit!
Then there was the currywurst! Mmm delicious, but I think just the standard brautwurst was my favourite of the sausage selection (really a southern German thing, not so popular in Berlin)


Ive now returned to Sweden for nine more days, time to pack up!

Kiel.

Well today was an interesting day... I left Joey and travelled north to Kiel, via Hamburg, on the Baltic Sea.
Why? One might ask...
An insight into some family history; I have a great-uncle who was killed in action during the Second World War and is burried there. From what I could find on the internet before this little day trip was that he was a flight engineer for the RCAF. In 1942 he was part of a fleet of 24 Halifax bombers that were attacking the Kiel-Flensbourg U-boat docks. Sadly only 12 of the 24 planes returned to the UK, my great uncle's being one of the MIA.
The trip was long and it was raining cats and dogs when I got to Hamburg, so obviously I was questioning this decision to go. And in all honesty I wasn't sure why I was going... But the skies cleared when I arrived in Kiel. Took me a while to figure out what bus to take there, but the tourist bureau was super helpful! Soo I managed to find the War Cemetery, which was actually not just the Commenwelth Cemetery like I'd thought. I actually got lost cause it is huge. The first part I walked through was German war graves from the First World War. The average age was 18. Astonishing. After I wandered that for a while, realizing I was totally in the wrong place, I walked the other direction and ended up in the German Second World War Graves, but I could see the Common Wealth ones on the otherside of a hedge... Finally I found the entrance.
Very different 'look' and smaller than I had imagined in my mind. I knew his plot number before arriving, so that made it easier than walking row by row to find it. Though it was so much smaller that I had anticipated that it wouldn't have mattered. It was a shockingly intense experience. I am so emotional. I brought flowers, but his stone was surrounded by them that you couldn't even tell I had added some! It was so... I don't know. Their ages were so young, most under 23 - younger than me, same age as Patrick. I can't imagin him doing that... I'm still shocked at how I reacted. I had absolutly no connection to him, other than he was nana's brother... Regardless I'm glad I went, regardless that I have no connection to him, unlike others who are visiting their fathers or known relatives. It feels like something I needed to do.

Location:Berlin

Berlin, baby!

Well joey and I made it to Berlin! We spent Thursday and Friday touring Stockholm, where we had fantastic weather! We checked out the Vasa Museet which was awesome; it's a salvaged and completely reconstructed boat that sank in 1628. Only minutes after setting sail cause it was top heavy. I amazed Joey by explaining that they probably used PEG to help with the preservation, after learning all about PEG from work. Then later we found a panel explaining how they used PEG! I felt like my education paid off with that one. Friday was my friend Andreas' birthday so we went out for that, super fun, ended up at one point at a makeshift bar under an overpass. Fun! Saturday we arrived in dreary Berlin and walked around all evening. Joey bursting with excitement because he's a huge WW2 geek, so is in his element here. It was kinda chilly and we were both pretty drained from the night before so returned to the hostel for weisse sausages and mustard. Today was a looong day. We did a concentration camp tour. Sachsenhausen. Though I have to admit it didn't floor me like when I visited Dachau? Am I desensitized since I already visited one? This one I felt was not a gripping either... I'm gonna go with it was the tour girls fault? I really can't explain it... Not sure what we'll get at tomorrow? See how long it takes to go to Kiel?

Location:Berlin

Joeys here

Well Joey's come to visit! 

We didnt make it to Gotland after all. Instead we came back to Orebro. Hung out here for the weekend around the castle. On monday Joe and I headed west to Gothenburg for a couple days. Hit up an amusement park and are bound for Stockholm tomorrow!