Sweden - Day 13

March 23, 2008 - EASTER SUNDAY - Goteborg, Frankfurt, Chicago, Syracuse, Gananoque!!!

This is the first Easter Sunday in 57 years that I have not been in Grace Church, Gananoque.

We got a cab to Landvetter Airport this morning after our last breakfast at Hotel Lorensburg and appeared to be the only people at the airport. We checked in our luggage and got our boarding passes for the Goteborg-Frankfurt leg of our trip. The Scandinavian agent couldn't give us boarding passes right through to Syracuse because the other two flights (Frankfurt-Chicago and Chicago-Syracuse) were with American Airlines, so we were instructed to check in at the American counter in Frankfurt. We seemed to be the only travellers on that flight that had to do so, but we dutifully went to the counter. We're all for anything that ensures that the people on our plane (including us!) are legitimately there.

Now - I realize that everybody has a 'first day on the job' at some point in their life; but the girl at the American counter in Frankfurt was decidedly incompetent. We had to present receipts for our hotel in Goteborg, answer endless questions about our whereabouts and activities for the past two weeks, recite our in-laws' shoe size, etc. etc. etc. and she still couldn't really comprehend our travel plan - to fly to Chicago, then to Syracuse and get in our car and drive home to Canada (1 1/2 hours from Syracuse). When she asked for the receipt for parking in Syracuse (don't you leave that on the dash like EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD?) we'd had about enough. It was especially stressful because they had been calling our Frankfurt-Chicago flight for quite some time. Meanwhile, to go to the American counter we had to go out of the secure area so we had to go through security again before we could go to the gate. We did make the flight, but barely and it was not without a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration.

Our assigned seats were not those we had chosen on-line long before we left Canada two weeks ago, but we didn't complain since they had seated the four of us in a block of six seats with an empty seat between each pair.

The Chicago-Syracuse flight was pretty routine - the plane seemed like a paper-towel tube after the 767 from Frankfurt. Our captain on this flight, according to the flight attendant, is one of only a few female captains.

Believe it or not, our luggage came down the chute in Syracuse just like it had in Goteborg and Chicago. I don't know whose luggage it is that they're constantly losing (oh yeah - Brent Bommentre's) but it wasn't ours this time around. The highway trip home was pretty snoozy - gas seemed quite a bargain in Watertown - and Canada Customs welcomed us back home.

Hard to believe, hitting the sack in Gananoque Sunday night, that we had breakfast in Goteborg, Sweden that same morning.

Suitcases are now unpacked but not put away. We're already looking forward to our next foray into the world of travel. Think, maybe, we'll fly out of Canada, though ....

Sweden - Day 10

March 21, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

This morning we went over for a Free Dance Practice and then relaxed a bit before taking in the later flights of the Men's Short Program. Had a very nice lunch at Evas Paley on The Avenue (pictured) and then back to the Scandinavium for the skating. We had dinner at La Terrazza, a very nice restaurant kitty-corner from the Scandinavium. It was interesting that the lamps were all made from real musical instruments, with wiring and bulbs installed.

Tonight was the Free Dance and I can't say we were pleased with the result. However, you take what you get and our skaters have taught us how to be gracious about the result.

Tomorrow, the men's final.

Sweden - Day 9

March 20, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

Thursday was Original Dance day. Our skaters performed well and moved up in the standings but it was becoming apparent that a podium placement was not to be. We ducked over to Jameson's Pub, which we had found on The Avenue on an earlier walk. I guess our mood was pretty transparent, for a gentleman named Olaf (I think it's safe to say he's a 'regular' at Jameson's) came over to us and commented on our glum disposition. We had a great chat with him - he's a high school teacher and was enjoying the first hours of his Easter break - and if he is ever sailing up the St. Lawrence River WE EXPECT TO HEAR FROM HIM!

Sweden - Day 8

March 19, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

Today we gave the early Ladies Short a miss and went for a long walk down to the canal. It was our hope to visit the Botanical Gardens but, even with our limited Swedish, we were able to tell that the signs said "Closed for Construction". The hard hats and bulldozers were our second hint, right after the locked gates. We did have a lovely walk through the park, though, and continued along the canal to the train station.

From there we walked through the Nordstan shopping centre, the largest in Goteborg. There we were fascinated by a fashion show in which the models, suspended by cables, were walking a vertical runway!

We then headed to the Scandinavium to see the later flights of Ladies and then, after supper, the Pairs Long. Very pleased to see Canadians Jessica and Bryce on the podium.

We connected with Gabe and Barb Dunlop, another Gananoque couple who had travelled to Goteburg, on a tour, to attend Worlds. We had heard before we left that they would be there and had a lovely visit at their house in Gananoque before we left.

Sweden - Day 7

March 18, 2008
Goteborg, Sweden

Today the skating starts - World's 2008 - that's the real purpose behind this whole trip. The Original Dance this afternoon and the Opening Ceremonies and Pairs Short tonight. We're SO PROUD of our Sk8trgrl!!

Sweden - Day 6

March 17, 2008
Goteborg, Sweden

Well, we're situated quite comfortably in the Hotel Lorensburg, about a block from the Scandinavium, where the skating events will be held. We have heard from Charles, who had at that time arrived at the airport and Colleen and I returned the rental car to their downtown office. Our hotel rooms are very nice and the hotel staff are wonderful. I'm quite certain we are going to like it here very much.

Sweden - Day 5

March 16, 2008
Copenhagen

Just a quick note to let you know we're back from Aero and situated in a hotel just outside of Copenhagen. Tomorrow we'll head across the bridge to Sweden, explore Lund, and then head north back to Goteborg.

Aero is amazing. It's a town preserved to its medieval appearance and very interesting to see. We took a drive in the countryside as well and enjoyed it immensely. Our B&B last night (Pension Vestergade 44) was great and we had a terrific supper at Mumm's Restaurant.

Gotta move on, 'cos this is a free computer in the lobby (internet access in our room is not free and we're cheap!!).

Bye for now. We'll be in touch again from Gotheburg.

Sweden - Day 2

March 12, 2008
Oslo

I really can't quite believe we sat in downtown Oslo, Norway tonight and had dinner in a street-side cafe. Our trip today, as always, was not without its stresses, but all-in-all went remarkably smoothly and according to schedule.

We had a very nice breakfast at our hotel in Goteborg this morning (it only seems like a week ago!!). Then we got in the car and set out to find the Hotel Lorensburg, where we'll be staying next week. That was quite easy, so we then set off for Oslo. We ventured off the main highway in order to visit a couple of small communities along the coast. They were certainly worth the extra effort. Very picturesque and much more like visiting a different place. The hotels and restaurants and cities are not that different from other places, but we got a real chance to see rural Sweden today and it was beautiful and very interesting. We visited Lysekil and Smogen and found them very interesting. We then visited Tanumshede and saw Bronze Age carvings in a huge rock there (3000 years old!! - the carvings, that is, not the rock)

Then we fired up the laptop and began our trek to Oslo. Our only faux pas was to drive through the 'do not stop' lane where we were supposed to stop and pay a 'city toll'. We asked the hotel desk clerk what we should do and she said to forget about it. So we'll try to do that. It may come back to bite us when we return the rental car next week.

Tomorrow we're planning to see a real Viking ship and the KonTiki in museums here in Oslo. Then it's off to the ferry dock to catch our cruise to Copenhagen.

Sweden - Day 1

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Goteborg, Sweden

Discovered when we got back to the Nice Hotel (honest - that's its name!) that there is wireless internet access here at the hotel so I'll expand a little on our email sent earlier this evening.

When we arrived at Syracuse airport we were subjected, because of the recent changes in our tickets, to a VERY thorough security search. Then when we got to the gate they informed us that the Syracuse-NY flight was overbooked and all they could do was change our itinerary so we would not fly out until 7:30 p.m. (instead of 2:30) and then fly to Chicago, then Frankfurt, then Goteborg. With no alternative, we agreed. In return, United offered us each a return ticket anywhere in the continental US. Then, 10 minutes before our original flight left, it was determined that there were, in fact, 4 seats on that flight so we were very quickly booked on that flight, back on our original Copenhagen-Gothenburg flights and had the Chicago-Frankfurt foolishness cancelled. So we flew here on our expected flights, but it was not easy.

As I said, the Hotel Nice is spartan but clean and comfortable. We picked up the rental car (a Volkswagen Passat) and did some driving around the city, finding our hotels, the arena, etc. We investigated the dining room at the hotel Charles will stay at next week and gave up the notion due to a lack of cash - pretty pricey!! We ate, instead, at a little Greek restaurant about a block from Charles hotel and a couple of doors from the hotel we're in now.

We're going to pick up some groceries tomorrow morning and then head out for Oslo. The city driving has not been fun - partly because the laptop can't be used in the car once its battery runs down. Neither of the car-chargers we brought will work. The GPS was a tremendous help while it was working, but once the laptop dies the driving is very difficult.

The countryside driving should be easier, though and we're expecting to see some very interesting sights tomorrow.