It has been a long day!
We started out at 2pm from home… took a taxi to the airport and tried to figure out the tickets.
We were supposed to have like 3 seats but they only sent us two, we finally figured it out.
Went thru the security control that went fine except for the dude that sat by the x-ray machine gave me stern yelling about me taking out my laptop and throwing my jacket on top of it. -IN THIS STATE WE PUT THE LAPTOP THRU ALONE WITHOUT ANYTHING COVERING IT!!! Sheesh, he did not have to shout it all over the place.
After eating at the hyper expensive McD’s we decided to go outside for a smoke cuz our flight was to leave at 6:45 and it was like 4. So instead of hauling our carry on’s we put in these high-tech lockets that read your fingerprint instead of giving you a key, what a mess. I had to scan my finger like 10 time to make it work! All that done we got out just fine. Now 30 minutes later it a whole other task to get back in thru the security.
Shoes off and scan jacket and everything, for some reason I am just terrified of these checkpoints… nervous beyond reason is more like it.
Then comes the blow.. Plane is late coming in. Meaning plane will be even later taking off. We were to take off at 6:55 we took of at 8:10!!!! We already had a tight schedule, in Keflavik we originally had like 45 minutes to change planes. Now with this delay it shrunk to minus 30 minutes.
Just before we land the steward announces that if anyone has a connecting flight to go to the gate it is supposed to take off from immediately when we land. Our ticket should be there waiting for us.
I don’t know how but the plane landed like 15 minutes before our other flight was to leave! Our pilot must just have hauled some serious ass.
Well on the connecting flight comes the thought, hope our luggage makes it!?!?!
After touching down at Arlanda almost on time though we left late again by 45 minutes, we go down and wait for the luggage, we wait and wait and finally at the end it comes out COVERD IN ½ INCH OF ICE! What did they do? Drag them on a leach after the plane? I guess we can be lucky that we had it all.
My Uncle was there waiting for us…. Went to his place had some coffee and sandwiches, then took of for my brothers place… Eat again.. I decided to take my medication… NOWHERE TO BE FOUND!!!! Dammit I must have lost it on the first flight! CRAP!!! Oh well… such is life.
Then from my brothers on to the ship to take us to Finland… and that is where I am writing this cuz I can’t sleep.. over tired I guess.
More later folks.
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12/25/2003
In Finland at my parents place.
We arrived yesterday morning and my dad greeted us at the port of Turku, then we drove roughly about an hour or two to their summer place in Kiukainen. After a three hour nap we took of to Pori my birth town, to visit my grandparent’s grave to put lay down candles and after that we visited my sister’s grave to lay down some more candles. It was snowing all evening.
This morning we woke up to a entire different world, most of the snow had changed to sleet and then rain. The roads were glare ice, we took off in the morning to sightseeing Pori just Barb and me. Just came back and Barb felt nasty and went for a nap. Next we are going to visit some relatives and take a shower and eat.
Later folks.
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Friday, January 02, 2004
At Mattias’s Dad’s house… I just watched the movie “Down With Love” while the boys went out to a pub for some drinks. It feels good to be in Stockholm, but probably more because I am getting somewhat over a flu bug I’ve had ever since we arrived in Haparanda. Doesn’t it figure I wait until vacation to get the dang flu! Oh well, not much to do about that…
Ok, my take on our trip so far…
The boat ride was pretty cool. I can see why Merja went on cruises all the time. It reminds me of a miniature floating Las Vegas. Casino, restaurants, stores, etc. One thing I saw that was strange is these girls in these really fancy, lacy dresses… looked like costumes. I assumed they were actresses for some sort of play or something. Miikka tells me they are Finnish gypsies… REAL gypsies! And then when we were on deck of the boat, I couldn’t help but see in my mind the pictures of the Titanic… of people kicking around the chunks of ice… hmm… Anyway, I didn’t get sea sick which was a good thing!
Next is Finland. The wettest country I have ever seen! By wet, I mean they have so many lakes they make Minnesota look like a desert, lol. And damp… everything was covered with frost, like a winter wonderland picture. Icy, cold and wet. That is Finland in the winter! But I absolutely LOVE Miikka’s parents cabin… it is so cute! They want to sell it and I wish we could buy it and move it to the USA.
We spent Christmas there in Finland, and it was a lot different than I thought it would be. And very unexpected. I will never be able to describe how meaningful and moving going to the cemeteries were… it was almost surreal. EVERYONE was there! It’s dark and everyone brought candles especially made for leaving on the graves of your loved ones. The whole place was lit up, and the cemeteries were huge. And that’s Christmas day that they do this. If I had known what it was going to be like, I would have brought a camera… but then again, I’m almost glad I didn’t… there is no way I could have caught the mood in a picture.
Haparanda, in northern Sweden was kind of a blur for me because I was sick with the flu. Miikka’s parents have a nice apartment there, and it’s a very nice town. I saw a walking sled thing there called a “skip” that I badly wanted to bring one home, but the size of the package just wouldn’t have worked. Too bad for me… oh well. The main thing about northern Sweden is that it gets DARK very early! 3pm and it’s night time there! Actually, I don’t think it ever gets fully daytime there in the winter. But I hear the summer days are long, lol.
Esa and Marja-Terttu wanted to show us Santa’s villiage even a little more north than Haparanda, but we couldn’t go because I was sick… oh well, guess that will have to be another trip. In the next few days we will go see Sari and her family, then visit Vaxjä to look for some relatives of my friend, Pat. Then back to Stockholm to visit with Anna and Markku and their family again. Their little boy Kaj is so cute… he sort of reminds me of my niece, Sarah.
The funny thing about this trip compared to the last one is actually Miikka! Last time we were here, it was like he was coming home… and not much had changed. Not quite so this time, lol! He is not as familiar with the roads anymore, and everywhere we drive he says, “What is that? … Where did that go? … I have no clue where we are!” ROFLOL! And the cars look weird to him, hehehe!!! Yep, my husband has certainly become a true blue American! :
Well, bedtime for me now! Other than the flu, I am having a good time. Not quite as homesick this time, except I do really miss Bonkers! Can’t wait to see the furry little beast! :
