Friday, March 18, 2005
Sorry!
Im sorry I haven't written for almost a month. That doesn't mean I haven't been doing anything, on the contrary, we have been really busy here. Skiing has been excellent, and we have been skiing practically every weekend since we got back from Sweden in January. We have become quite the skiers, and we are now easily navigating steep offpist terrain and deep powder snow.
I have also started to take driving lessons here, so if you live in Sarajevo you should stay indoors during my frequent practice drives. Its going great, although the driving instructor doesn't speak a lot of English he can give the necessary commands; more gas!! , turn left! , clutchlo down! ne dobro (not good).
We are also looking to buy a car. I went to a car dealer with my driving instructor to look at some used cars. They must think I´m nuts, they tried to show me the engines but since I don't know anything about cars I just glanced at it and said very nice. Then they probably saw me getting into the the "auto skola" car and clumpsy driving away.
My parents are coming soon and we are really looking forward to having some visitors here.
As always check out the photopage for some new photos from our adventures in the Balkans .
I have also started to take driving lessons here, so if you live in Sarajevo you should stay indoors during my frequent practice drives. Its going great, although the driving instructor doesn't speak a lot of English he can give the necessary commands; more gas!! , turn left! , clutchlo down! ne dobro (not good).
We are also looking to buy a car. I went to a car dealer with my driving instructor to look at some used cars. They must think I´m nuts, they tried to show me the engines but since I don't know anything about cars I just glanced at it and said very nice. Then they probably saw me getting into the the "auto skola" car and clumpsy driving away.
My parents are coming soon and we are really looking forward to having some visitors here.
As always check out the photopage for some new photos from our adventures in the Balkans .
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Good friends on a powder day
The last two weekends has been all about skiing. The first time we went up to Bjelasnica the powder snow lay a least a meter deep. The skiing was insanely fun. Although most of us where not experienced powder skiers it was brilliant fun.
In fact so much fun that we decided to go up the next weekend and stay in the hotel there to be the first out in the slopes. We had awesome weather and we will for sure go up again this weekend.
The pictures are here: http://www.freewebtown.com/mybosnia/
Click the "Bjelasnica" button
In fact so much fun that we decided to go up the next weekend and stay in the hotel there to be the first out in the slopes. We had awesome weather and we will for sure go up again this weekend.
The pictures are here: http://www.freewebtown.com/mybosnia/
Click the "Bjelasnica" button
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Photo page
I found a free hosting site and put some of my pictures up on the web. Check it out.
http://www.freewebtown.com/mybosnia/
Ciao
http://www.freewebtown.com/mybosnia/
Ciao
Monday, January 10, 2005
Tour ski
On Saturday we went with the Scorpio club on a tour ski trip to mount Vlasic. It was a perfect day. We left very early in the morning and drove for two hours to the site where we were supposed to start from. There we met the guide and got the equipment. It looks like ordinary slalom skies and boots, but they have special bindings that let the heel come loose so you can ski horizontal with them. There is also a mechanism for locking the boots in place when you go downhill. The group was around 10 people and it was a sunny and warm day.
The first steep climb really knocked the wind out of me, and I was huffing and puffing heavily. The others seemed less affected and where probably in a lot better shape then me. After the first steep climb I got a hang of it, and everything went more smoothly. It was really lots of fun and we worked ourselves up the mountain. After about 2 hours we reached a cabin at the top and had our lunch there. The view was magnificent.
After lunch we went exploring a bit and saw some excellent climbing spots. Then we readjusted the skies for downhill and went down the same path we had come up. The snow was a bit wet and very heavy and the slope was very steep. It was hard work getting down as well, but brilliant fun. Just when we got back to the cars it started to get dark.
In the evening we were invited to after ski pasta dinner at Johan Sjöbergs place, and pasta has never tasted this good before!
A perfect day out in the sun! We hope to do a lot more of this.
Ciao.
The first steep climb really knocked the wind out of me, and I was huffing and puffing heavily. The others seemed less affected and where probably in a lot better shape then me. After the first steep climb I got a hang of it, and everything went more smoothly. It was really lots of fun and we worked ourselves up the mountain. After about 2 hours we reached a cabin at the top and had our lunch there. The view was magnificent.
After lunch we went exploring a bit and saw some excellent climbing spots. Then we readjusted the skies for downhill and went down the same path we had come up. The snow was a bit wet and very heavy and the slope was very steep. It was hard work getting down as well, but brilliant fun. Just when we got back to the cars it started to get dark.
In the evening we were invited to after ski pasta dinner at Johan Sjöbergs place, and pasta has never tasted this good before!
A perfect day out in the sun! We hope to do a lot more of this.
Ciao.
Thursday, January 06, 2005
The flight from hell.
Christmas was over and we were heading back to Bosnia from Stockholm. Due to packing, bad planning and the fact that I woke up every half hour convinced that we had missed the plane, we didn’t get much sleep at all. The taxi pulled up at 05.00
There was chaos at Arlanda. I had hoped that it should be deserted but no, large crowds with swedes heading out for holiday or something.
We had a bit of a fallout with the cashier at the tax-free desk who refused to give me any money and made us show all the packages. Let just say that my mood was a bit foul and it was not going to get any better….
As it turned out the tax-free man inside the gate was more friendly and we eventually managed to get all the money we were entitled to.
We got on the plane to Munich and everything went fine. We had to run a bit to catch our connecting flight as we were a bit late from Stockholm, but we made it. The plane flew towards Sarajevo and everything seemed fine. I noticed that it took longer then usual and then discovered that we were circling over Sarajevo. The pilot announced that the fog lay thick around the airport and that he wasn’t sure they could land. Suddenly he tried and began the approach. Everything seemed fine, I saw the hills and the houses through the window. Suddenly everything turned white. I don’t know how close to the ground we where but the wheels where out. I really thought he was going make it, but he didn’t.
He pulled up in the last minute and gave full gas. The plane roared and climbed fast up. We went back to Munich.
In Munich everyone on the plane ran for the Lufthansa service center. There were a lot of confused people there and some Bosnian woman who didn’t understand English or German thought she was in Sarajevo and wanted her bags. We got booked on a plane to Vienna, and had to run to catch that. In Vienna we had to wait for 4 hours in some crappy café witch charged 3 euros for a coffee. Finally our flight to Sarajevo got called and we went to check in. There was chaos at the check in. The staff at Munich had issued us temporary tickets and the Austrian airlines staff wouldn’t accept them at first. An American guy who had been travelling for 36 hours was not let through until the last minute because he lacked some signature on his ticket. He finally got through.
The flight was tense and everyone watched the monitors that displayed the speed and altitude of the plane. The fog still lay thick in Sarajevo, and the pilot warned the he might not be able to land and we might have to go back to Vienna…
The plane flew in on final approach and was sat down on the runway with the fog surrounding in. Spontaneous applause from the passengers. We where so happy to be home again.
Total starts and landings: 8
Hours delayed: 10
Airports visited: 4
There was chaos at Arlanda. I had hoped that it should be deserted but no, large crowds with swedes heading out for holiday or something.
We had a bit of a fallout with the cashier at the tax-free desk who refused to give me any money and made us show all the packages. Let just say that my mood was a bit foul and it was not going to get any better….
As it turned out the tax-free man inside the gate was more friendly and we eventually managed to get all the money we were entitled to.
We got on the plane to Munich and everything went fine. We had to run a bit to catch our connecting flight as we were a bit late from Stockholm, but we made it. The plane flew towards Sarajevo and everything seemed fine. I noticed that it took longer then usual and then discovered that we were circling over Sarajevo. The pilot announced that the fog lay thick around the airport and that he wasn’t sure they could land. Suddenly he tried and began the approach. Everything seemed fine, I saw the hills and the houses through the window. Suddenly everything turned white. I don’t know how close to the ground we where but the wheels where out. I really thought he was going make it, but he didn’t.
He pulled up in the last minute and gave full gas. The plane roared and climbed fast up. We went back to Munich.
In Munich everyone on the plane ran for the Lufthansa service center. There were a lot of confused people there and some Bosnian woman who didn’t understand English or German thought she was in Sarajevo and wanted her bags. We got booked on a plane to Vienna, and had to run to catch that. In Vienna we had to wait for 4 hours in some crappy café witch charged 3 euros for a coffee. Finally our flight to Sarajevo got called and we went to check in. There was chaos at the check in. The staff at Munich had issued us temporary tickets and the Austrian airlines staff wouldn’t accept them at first. An American guy who had been travelling for 36 hours was not let through until the last minute because he lacked some signature on his ticket. He finally got through.
The flight was tense and everyone watched the monitors that displayed the speed and altitude of the plane. The fog still lay thick in Sarajevo, and the pilot warned the he might not be able to land and we might have to go back to Vienna…
The plane flew in on final approach and was sat down on the runway with the fog surrounding in. Spontaneous applause from the passengers. We where so happy to be home again.
Total starts and landings: 8
Hours delayed: 10
Airports visited: 4
Oh my god it’s actually now 2005!
Feels like I stumbled into an Arthur C Clarke film. 2005, a big number.
Anyway, we celebrated the new year with friends in Ekerö outside Stockholm. It was marvellous! Just brilliant. We started with a sauna down by the water and then had a fantastic dinner followed by fireworks and champagne. The next day we went for a long walk in the woods and I managed to beat the hostess 8 year old son in “Monopoly” before we left. Someone suggested afterwards that I should have let him win or a least kept down the gloating, but its all in the past now.
Ho ho ho Merry Christmas
We flew back on the 23rd of December to celebrate christmas with our families.
First of was my family. We had decided to celebrate in a small hotel in Bäcka near Orsa in Dalarna. Upon arriving at Arlanda we encountered some logistic problems. The car was too small and too packed. We couldn’t fit in. It was midnight the day before christmas and Arlanda was deserted. We managed to find a car rental and rented a car 10 min before they closed.
We then drove for 5 hours up to Dalarna. Arrived at 05.30 quite exhausted. When we awoke the world was transformed and the landscape was glittering with snow and frost. It was – 23 Celsius and lots of snow. We couldn’t have hoped for a better christmas eve. On the 25th we took the train to Västerås for Julias family. After some train delays and extra busses we arrived in Västerås. We celebrated with Julias family and returned to Stockholm on the 26th.
First of was my family. We had decided to celebrate in a small hotel in Bäcka near Orsa in Dalarna. Upon arriving at Arlanda we encountered some logistic problems. The car was too small and too packed. We couldn’t fit in. It was midnight the day before christmas and Arlanda was deserted. We managed to find a car rental and rented a car 10 min before they closed.
We then drove for 5 hours up to Dalarna. Arrived at 05.30 quite exhausted. When we awoke the world was transformed and the landscape was glittering with snow and frost. It was – 23 Celsius and lots of snow. We couldn’t have hoped for a better christmas eve. On the 25th we took the train to Västerås for Julias family. After some train delays and extra busses we arrived in Västerås. We celebrated with Julias family and returned to Stockholm on the 26th.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
No its not a clan meeting, its a traditional swedish "lucia tåg".
Lucia
Christmas is coming. Tuesday we went to a church to listen to some polish Christmas songs. It was ok, but since we didn't understand anything we left after the third song or so, and went for coffee instead.
Yesterday it was traditional Lucia celebrations organized by the Swedish embassy. A choir was flow in and they performed a number of traditional Swedish Christmas song. All very nice. Afterwards there was a small reception with "lussebullar" and "glögg". Fantastic.
Tried to get some pictures, but i was to dark and they turned out a bit strange.
Merry xmas
Yesterday it was traditional Lucia celebrations organized by the Swedish embassy. A choir was flow in and they performed a number of traditional Swedish Christmas song. All very nice. Afterwards there was a small reception with "lussebullar" and "glögg". Fantastic.
Tried to get some pictures, but i was to dark and they turned out a bit strange.
Merry xmas
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Walking in Sarajevo
Today is Sunday. We took a long walk around town and climbed a hill to see some castle ruins. It felt great to get out and to get some exercise. We had a nice view over Sarajevo and the surrounding valley. Later we ended up a fashion showroom in a nice cafe by the river where some Bosnian designers showed their work. Julia tried on some clothes and I enjoyed coffee and conagc. Can it get any better ?
Yesterday we went to a bazaar at the "twin towers" a office building here in Sarajevo. It was a fund raiser where profit went to women's rights organizations. I had a swedish christmas plate, complete with snaps and meatballs. Very nice.
I intended to buy some crafts work or something like that, but ended up with a big case of Danish beer instead. The Danish booth did nice business with the beers. Meet some nice other expatriates which invited us to a poker game that is held regulary. I not particular good poker player, but it will be lots of fun anyway.
Ciao
Yesterday we went to a bazaar at the "twin towers" a office building here in Sarajevo. It was a fund raiser where profit went to women's rights organizations. I had a swedish christmas plate, complete with snaps and meatballs. Very nice.
I intended to buy some crafts work or something like that, but ended up with a big case of Danish beer instead. The Danish booth did nice business with the beers. Meet some nice other expatriates which invited us to a poker game that is held regulary. I not particular good poker player, but it will be lots of fun anyway.
Ciao
