I am in Sweden right now. I am very happy that the snow finally came so that I could have a white Christmas! It was 6 years since I last had a Christmas in Sweden and it is so nice!! We celebrate on the 24th so Christmas eve was a family day with my brother’s family, it is always nicer with kids around! Yesterday was another family day with my mum’s sisters and all my cousins that I have not seen for a very very long time! The snow storm was in full when we drove back and forth to Stockholm, this would be something for all my South African friends to see!!:-)
I have forgotten how dark it gets in Sweden in the winter! It gets light at about 8.30 am and then by 3pm it is dark again. This morning when I at 7.30 left to drive one hour to my coach it was dark and not many cars and I felt like I was driving in the middle of the night! And I also find it very cold here even though everyone tells me that it is warm now with only -3, comparing to a week ago when it was -20!! On Christmas eve´s morning, before the celebration started, I went cross country skiing with my mum and dad, obviously also something that was long ago since I last did. My muscles are so sore today…. I will be here for 2 weeks and I hope that I get to do some slalom skiing as well, that was my passion in life before so hopefully still know how to do it;)
Coming here is a big contrast to last week when I went to the Orange river in Namibia and did a 3,5 days river rafting. We were a bunch of 15, mostly cyclists, that went and we had such a good time!! I can really recommend to go and do this thing, even if I was a bit fed up on the last day. My upper body is just not used to working, not at all actually…We were rowing between 2 and 6 hours per day and in the end of the day we stopped at the side of the river and put up the camp, not much to do – just pumping the mattresses and it was ready, just slept under the star and it was amazing to have the sky as your roof, it was so dark so the stars were very clear. I was very impressed with the guides that cooked very nice food for us, very tasty and fresh, seamed like magic to make that there! The third day we set camp early, already at 11am, on a sandy spot with hardly any trees, that day we had +45 degrees!! So only a few days later it was a chock to come to the snow in Sweden!!
Tomorrow is another family day, with my dad´s family this time:-) So more Christmas food!! Well I have to take the opportunity, I never know when I will be here next for a white Christmas!!
Susan, David, me and Moolman before start
My captain Des and me before we get started!
On the river - such beautiful nature
Working hard!!
one, two, three - lunch is ready!!!!
6am, Coffee in bed!!
World champ Cathy and me:-)
Everyone on the mountain! Only walked one time in 4 days, my legs were shaking after - cyclists are just not used to walking!!!:-)
Cross country skiing on Christmas eve
Lots of snow in Falun on Christmas day!