A hint of fall in the air this morning

Pretty shadows in Sweden

Last night I got to celebrate my birthday (picnic!) with dearly beloved Greenville friends (and family). I do have some of the coolest, smartest, sweetest, warmest, most inspiring friends in the world. So thankful for them, the outdoors, picnic food (Euro style), and lovely lighting. It felt SO GOOD outside last night! A little warm, humid--like one of the last summer nights of the year.


Karin, Simeon, the kids and me

I got to go to Sweden and Norway the week before I said "Adios" to Europa. I had some lovely friends in Sweden who I actually met in South Africa way back: Karin (Swedish) and Simeon (English). Karin is finishing up her training in the ministry and Simeon is an English teacher, and now state-paid stay-at-home dad (I love Sweden!). I got to see them in England a couple years ago when I was living in Spain--Karin was pregnant then with Bruno. And now they have a new addition to the family, Ophelia (affectionately called "Little O"). It was so nice being with a real family with little kids for a few days. :) Lots of bike rides, long walks in the forest with the kids (which Hannah had always told me about--right outside of Uppsala), walks around the adorable, cool town of Uppsala, a dreamy visit to the Carl Linnaeus botanical gardens, berry picking in Karin's garden, delicious Swedish cuisine, and plenty of long, good conversations with one of the coolest couples I know. Stockholm with Erik was really great, too! So many Urban Outfitters models in that city! :) Loved it.


fjord country... wow.

Norway was--ah--breathtaking! My Aunt Tricia, who, with my Uncle Doug, has traveled the world, has always said it was her favorite country. So, while I was in Sweden, I had to stop over and see these fjords I'd been hearing about. I took a train from Uppsala to Ostersund, hung out there a couple hours (really nice little town with a lake), then trained over to Trondheim (lovely pilgrimage cathedral--I like towns with pilgrim sites, by the way. Good people, cool feel to the town). Spent a couple hours there--got to see "almost" midnight sun (was heading south but it was pretty light out at 11:30)! Took an 11-ish-hour bus down to Bergen that left at 10:30 that night. That was the most beautiful bus ride I've ever been on! I woke up at around 4 in the morning, exhausted after so much travel, and was stunned to consciousness by the lush, green, ginormous mountain view out my window--little waterfalls trickling down. Oh my goodness. The fjords from Bergen (Bergen!!) to Oslo were just breathtaking, too. Norway's definitely on my "to see again soon" list. I was on my way to Norway when the bombing/shooting happened--really shocking. There was a vigil in Bergen and I went to a memorial service for the victims of the shooting in Oslo. Really sobering.

enchanting Bergen

Spain was SUPER hard to say goodbye to... :(

There was a hint of fall in the air this morning. Hurricane Irene is bringing some of the most amazing clouds to Greenville lately. Hard not to think of being on one of them these days. :)