Yesterday, Friday, we went to Gränna, a beautiful town just north and east of Jönköping where they specialize in a candy called polkagris, kind of like peppermint sticks but the flavors will vary. We didn't take any pictures of this candy on this trip because every place we visited the folks who actaully make the candy behind a viewing glass were on break. So on the next visit we'll supply photos. This photo is of Gränna from atop the mountain looking down. Way off in the distance you'll see an island (that we'll visit later in the summer, too, so pictures of it are forthcoming) called Visingsö. I'll also write about its colorful story in a later post once we've actually been on it. To get there, you have to take a färja, or ferry. At the center of the picture above, you see the U-shaped harbor from where the ferry leaves. On the left of the U is a tiny white spec, the light house seen in the following pictures. That's a lot of walking.
From left to right (in case you've forgotten what they look like), Lukas, Mikah, and Anneli in Gränna. Note the height of the lighthouse door for a later picture.
He didn't much care for his Coca Cola popcicle that he'd got originally, so Mikah traded with Tina for this ice cream cone; though he loved the ice cream, he did make a mess (duh!), and it didn't help that he started munching on the cone from the bottom up.
Moments later, he saw a size of cone and scoops that he would've much preferred.
Here's why I asked you to take note of the height of the door earlier, for the sake of perspective. Lukas climbed fairly high, considering that just to his right and left there was water.
And not to be outdone, here's Mikah: that saying to a tee: Monkey see, monkey do. And just so you all won't think they're chicken, the two of them would've climbed all the way to the top except that I was the one clucking.
Here's Lukas with one of his long lost Swedish relatives. Can you see the resemblance?
And not to be outdone, I had to pose with the troll too: Monkey see, monkey do, right? And stop it before you say it, Charles: I do not look more like him than Lukas.
Okay, aside from the polkagris that is made in Gränna, there is also another reason to visit, a restaurang (the spelling for restaurant) at the top of the mountain. Two things make this a very special place to eat. One, the räk och lax smörgås (a variation on the räk smörgås I've written about earlier that is all shrimp)--shrimp and salmon, in this case. Delicious! Two, if you're willing and able or just a knucklehead, you can take the steps up to the restaurant, which I did not on this trip but a previous one (239 of them, count them yourself if you don't believe me) when my father-in-law said he and my mother-in-law were going to park the car and then come up. They took Lukas with them, fortunately for us, because it is a steep and long climb. Again, well worth it, but still, I was living in deep South Texas then, now in Lubbock, both super flat, and here they were, making me climb. Not this time, though. We convinced Anneli to drive the back way instead. And guess what? The food was just as tasty. No need to suffer for the cause.
And to end the trip, we went the back ways home, lots of curves and lots of farm land, and for Mikah, lots of sleeping. So tired was he that he fell asleep with a juice straw in his mouth.
8 comments:
Looks beautiful there. Thanks for the update & pics.
Saw you and the troll. Charles, I agree with you. He does look more like my brother.
Hey Bro. Check out Tigy's Paris blog. Hopefully he will be updating it soon. http://tigy.vox.com
Bro: I disagree about my likeness to the troll. I might agree he looks Saldaña, but you'll recall the story of my being dropped off on the stoop when we lived in CA. This was before you were born into the family, so if he resembles the Saldañas, then the looks are all yours.
And on your other point, that I tell a good story (though I'm short of proof), Tina agrees that I write an awful lot. I take that saying as a challenge: a picture's worth a thousand words. I can write more than a picture, is what I tell myself.
You know the troll might be better looking! And about the tree cutting story, you must not be taking your Geritol I gave you. One other question I've got, couldn't anyone else work the camera and take a picture of you actually doing some manual labor?
^^
Charles: how'd I know you'd say so about the troll. And as for your other point about the Geritol, I didn't want those TSA guys at the airport to look through my bags and snag my only bottle of the magic juice. And about the comment about getting someone else to take the pictures while I did the physical labor, well, when in Sweden, do as the Swedes do. This isn't a country that makes much sense with getting things done (present company from that day excluede). Anonymous can attest to this: there is a whole mess of red tape to get to the paperwork that would let me get to the red tape. Nevermind the scissors to cut the tape with. I'd most likely have to go at it with my teeth. So I was thinking on that day like a Swede: why bother with it because it would take valuable time to get it done. He he he.
And Bro: you've graduated from lots and lots of pictures to just one or two if they're the right pictures in books. That's good. Next maybe you can look at just word books next. He he he. By the way--the girls look awesome on your blog!
Don't get me wrong, I still like the picture books. I have only graduated because my girls are looking at word books now and I have to keep up.
Bro: you're too funny. Blame it on the girls for your advancement. I get you. Sure. And are you using pebbles to add and subtract? He he he. I use rabbit pellets myself.
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