Archive for the ‘China’ Category

Sailing Away To Lake Vattern

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

volvoraces

Saturday morning found us checking out the waterfront in Stockholm one last time before heading to Lake Vattern and our quaint pension in Huskvarna.

Volvo is sponsoring an around-the-world sailing race (ie Americas’ Cup size ship).  It started last October in Spain, then Boston, Rio, China, Singapore,.. etc…Stockholm!  All the ships raced in on Thursday- past ,and will take off on their brief, final leg to St.Petersburg in a few days. We got to see the ships, the sponsor tents, and many in-route videos. Amazing, and we were there!

Now we are in this little town, on a lovely lake (second biggest in sweden) in this little hotel run by this cute couple (early 30’s) who met in Australia, she is Korean, but both raised in sweden. They have converted this home on main street into a 20 room inn by themselves with lots of sweat equity and talent. Glad we could be here 2 nights and get to meet them.

They steered us to a great place to eat (they called several restaurants to see if they were open with the holiday)   TwinCities Restaurant“.  This restaurant has a story too.  Twin boys born in Minneapolis in 1981, one is kidnapped by the nurse but declared dead to the mom.  They run into each other 23 years later and the nurse is sent to jail, Mom goes into a mental hospital, and the boys start restaurants in cities that are twins.  Also Dallas/Fort Worth.etc they have 12 now. weird

Omaha Beach

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

You can’t imagine how moving this special location is until you witness it first hand. It is quite a stirring memorial to the thousands of young people who gave their lives on June 6, 1944, and in the ensuing days.  normandycrossesThe photos, testimonies, and mementos of those who served really came alive in the museum presentation and on the field of green that over looks the Omaha Beach.  While 3 of our parents served in this war, they were fortunate to serve in other locals: Barbara in Washington D.C., George in Africa and Brazil, and Joe went to China.  War is different now in so many ways…Steve was in Vietnam…and that was different too.  Unlike most other countries, service in our military is honored; it is not just a job but a commitment.  But the risks are great.  We were taken with the fact that the crosses we saw represented young people who gave up their futures so that others could have one.  And so many loved ones left behind to grow old without them.