couldn't have asked for a better day...

Today I went on a nine mile walk which was an annual memorial walk for one of the local pub owner's wife. She died from breast cancer a few years back. We couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze that made it not too hot and not too cold, perfect for walking. The sun also makes the different shades of blue water and green grass appear so much more vibrant. I'm really glad that it was really a flawless day because Patrick Sammon deserves a flawless day like today. 

Epiphany! --> background picture is actually Cliffs of Moher! for real.

The Southern part of Ireland is well on it’s way through the transition from winter to summer. The rich green grassy plots of land are speckled with baby lambs, calves, and foals. There are small and subtle bursts of color coming from the shrubbery and flowers. And everything is so green!

The Cliffs of Moher were indeed breathtakingly awesome and definitely what the picture of my background is :)

Sweden, Sweden, Sweden

I revisited a few familiar places during my extended weekend in Stockholm. I explored the Stockholm Cathedral once again and noticed a painting that looked like Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment on one of the walls near the altar. There was a lot to take in at the cathedral, including a statue of St. George and the dragon which is carved from oak and elk horn. I revisited the Royal Palace as well and saw a few guards in the courtyard. Since the weather is just beginning to change from winter to spring, the water ways in between the islands were crowded with floating sheets of ice. Some really tough ducks and swans were even swimming around in the clearer parts. We learned from a local that in the winter when the water is frozen solid people merely walk across it and there are trucks that clear the ice and spray water in order to make areas where people can ice skate. Then in the summer there are hot air balloons flying all above the city giving a sort of tour of the city; and providing eye candy for everyone else. Stockholm is a beautiful city no matter what time of year it is. We revisited a 700 year old prison that has since been turned into Café Stuen Sture that I’ve ate at in 2007. The Vasa museum was really fun to explore a second time as well. That’s the kind of place I think you could go to multiple times and learn multiple things. The Vasa ship is commonly known as Stockholm’s biggest failure because it is this extravagant ship built for battle but set sail for 20 minutes then sank. Today it has been restored and a wonderful museum has been built up around it. Restoration is still occurring, we saw people working on restoring three small boats that were found that seem to be life boats.

In Stockholm and from what I remember in 2007 the Swedish people are all very nice and speak English very well. Even if they didn’t always understand everything we said they were willing to try and understand what we were trying to say and find the words to talk back.

Stockholm is a very pleasant city and I would go back again. It’s a city that I can visit and revisit throughout all my life I think.