Farewell Europe

All adventures must come to an end – and this one is no exception. As I write this, I have left Europe and am currently on a layover in Beijing. As I look back I would have to say the two highlights of my European adventures (in order) would be visiting Levi and his parents in Sweden and the Development Finance Summer School program at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.
I did enjoy travelling through parts of Germany and to Paris, but I did most of that alone and, despite what I have said in the past, it is much more enjoyable travelling with others! It has been a month, but it feels like no time has passed, yet some of the people I have met along the way I feel like I have known for a long time.
Now it is time to go home, resume my life, start my first 'real' job and complete the last semester of my degree. My adventures in Europe are over, but today is the first day of the rest of my life!

'Emo' Cows!

I feel this one photo is worth a blog entry.  These cows belong to the Lindbloms. I wonder if these 2 cows should be put on suicide watch!!

Stockholm From a Different Perspective

I walked the sidewalks and 'climbed' the sphere – how else could I see Stockholm? By water of course! Levi and I took a 30 minute cruise from a 'cruise stop' near his home to the centre of Stockholm. It was really   beautiful and relaxing. It was interesting to see the city from yet another angle!

A Royal Castle

Sweden has its own Royal family and this, of course, means that it has Royal Castles, Palaces and Gardens. Perhaps it is because I grew up always helping out in the garden at home, I always enjoy strolling around  beautiful gardens more than interior of buildings.  Levi took me to the castle near his house and we wandered around the perfectly kept gardens (and even into a maze!).

Ericsson Globe Arena

Where do you get the best bird's eye views of Stockholm? The top of largest spherical building in the world! Levi took me to the Ericsson Globe Arena and we took this small glass bubble (which could hold about 10 people comfortably) on a track over the exterior of the sphere. The views were amazing, but I have to say Stockholm isn't a skyscraper city and is best viewed by walking in and around the old buildings and canals. Unlike a lot of cities, it is extremely clean and feels very safe – Stockholm is definitely best viewed by pounding the pavement!

Stockholm

So Solgerd and Bertil's farm is rural as expected. I say this, yet they get broadband internet, perfect mobile phone service and most amazing of all – public transport. In fact far better public transport than I get at home in the suburbs of the Gold Coast! Levi and I took the bus (and train) into central Stockholm and spent some time walking around. With my own personal tour guide, I only saw the 'best of the best' sights – the parliament building, stadiums, Old Town (the tourist area), historic buildings and beautiful canals. Stockholm is a city made up of dozens of islands. My thoughts on Stockholm? A truly unique city that has so much soul and I honestly can't compare it to anywhere I have ever been! I really enjoyed Stockholm (even if it is the only place that I have been that is MORE expensive than Australia) and I hope to return someday!

The World’s Largest Ikea Store!

So Levi is moving to a new unfurnished apartment this coming semester. In true Swedish style this means a trip to the local Ikea store. Of course, the one around the corner just happens to be the largest Ikea store in the world. As we all know, I love Ikea, so Levi and I set out with a shopping list of items he needs. We need to 'fill up' for the 'maze' that we are about to enter, so we start off in the restaurant which, according to Levi,  actually has real Swedish food (pictured above are Swedish meatballs – Köttbullar). We look at everything from lighting to cooking and eating utensils to couches. After many hours, and much discussion, Levi had narrowed down his list and had a rough idea of what he wanted. We ended as we started – eating in the restaurant. We each had a slice of traditional Swedish Apple Pie (which, in my opinion, is nicer than American apple pie or Australian apple tea cake).