Welcome to Chaos !!

Some pictures from beautiful Stockholm. This is the famous Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, find it in Gamla Stan (Old Town). Why is this alley famous you might wonder? It is narrow, it is in fact the narrowest street in Stockholm.

You can find ice cream and licorice here. At Lakritsroten, also in Gamla Stan. SO yummy!

My favorite cake on the top shelf, Prinsesstårta. I will miss it.

Dalahästar. A favorite souvenir.

Who is in the mood for some bastu (sauna)?

Some history, an old runestone.

A beautiful entry to a subway station, this one is Kungsträdgården.

And this is Solna. I love how much colder it is is some of the subway stations. Plus there is a certain scent that I associate with subways (of course) and childhood.

When I still lived in Sweden I lived in Handen which is a suburb of Stockholm. It takes about 20 minutes on the commuter rail (pendeltåg) to get into the city. This is what the station looks like......is that a lake in the background?

Yes it is.....right there a lake and forest. It is called Rudan. I spent many nature days during school there. Doing orienteering, which I was really good at actually. Now when I visit I go to Rudan to just be there. There is Upper Rudan and Lower Rudan and many trails in the forest, all of that in "my" backyard (when I am in Sweden that is) basically.

Maxingeslingan takes you around Lower Rudan.

One of the many docks.

I love this place. I did not appreciate it enough when I was growing up but now I do. Priorities and interests change, I am all about nature and peace and quiet now. 

A cluster of heat has descended upon Portland. I managed to sit outside in the shade until about 11 30 today and I am now hiding inside until the sun starts going down. It is like 104 degrees F outside (40 C) right now and it might get as hot as 107 later (42) and the heat is not going anywhere until later this week. I have a small free standing AC and two fans going.
My plans for the week......? Most likely take a class tomorrow morning. I am working this week, four shifts. So tomorrow during the heat I will be hibernating inside a darkish club with AC. I have laundry planned for Thursday. One of my friends is letting me use her washer and dryer so I do not have to go to the laundromat, a place I strongly dislike. I am very happy over that. Pet Pack on Sunday and that will be the week right there.
My plans for today.....? I really should do something productive so I will try to cross a few things off my to do list.
Get something to eat later. And even later, when it is cooler outside take the kids for a walk. That is one of the kids right there in the picture, her name is Senna.

Well well......destination Portland. I am back in the US. Long day of flying. No incidents on the plane. I have been spared being subjected to unhinged people acting up while flying on my trips to Japan and back and to Sweden and back. Good.
I prefer peace and quiet while flying.

I actually made a friend on the plane leaving Tokyo. I sat down in my assigned seat next to a girl and we started talking about Japan and how much we had enjoyed ourselves there. We ended up talking non stop for three hours. One of the flight attendants even commented on how he could not believe that we did not know each other prior to getting on that plane. I sat down next to a stranger and made a friend. My new friend lives in Seattle, her name is Ari. And I made another new friend leaving Sweden, not on the plane though. I took the last train of the night into Stockholm City to get on the bus to the airport from there. I had about a week left on the travel card that I had purchased upon my arrival in Stockholm and decided that I should give it to someboby to use. So I offered it to a stranger and we started talking. Talked non stop with her for about three hours as well while waiting for the bus and then while on the bus, she was on her way to the airport as well. We exchanged emails. She lives a bit outside Stockholm and her name is Elena.
Upon approaching Portland we flew by Mount St. Helens, an active volcano. 

I really do not enjoy the emotional distress I feel when leaving family and friends in Sweden when I visit. Maybe I need to move back to Sweden at some point.....I am thinking more and more about that.
I think I am going to call my Mom now and then try to sleep.

I had the most wonderful afternoon with my friend Marie yesterday at Klockgårdens Våffleri in Grödinge. Come along, let's take a tour of the place together.
An inviting lush green path lined with lanters with live candles and a gate that reminded me of the torii gates I saw in Japan led up to the café.

Let's walk inside!

The building is from 1864. The waffle batter, fruit jams and ice cream are home made.

You see all this interesting stuff when you first enter.

So pretty!

The menu. So many delicious choices.....

We both ordered waffles with homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream. Absolutely scrumptious!
Nice decorations and flowers everywhere, this place is amazing. A real gem.

An old wooden rocking horse.

My good friend Marie.

Another way in or out. This area, Grödinge is a fairy tale land.

There is plenty of seating in the beautiful garden.

This was my first visit to Klockgårdens Våffleri but not my last. This place is too good so I must return.