Post Birthday News

ok.
So yesterday was my birthday and while you might be expecting some pictures of birthday candles, presents, cake etc etc there won't be any. Sorry.
I did have some cake (two in fact) and presents (more than two) but unfortunately I wasn't walking around with a camera.
Saturday night I went to a party at Uppsala. Uppsala is a university town about 45 minute train ride from Stockholm. It was a friends Birthday as well, very good night. Sorry no photos, once again I was to busy to snap any pics.
Sunday I was surprised by elin with a trip to "Birka". I've always want to go here but as it is a big seasonal trip and with elins lack of enthusiasm for anything Viking I have never made it.
Birka was the original Stockholm in Viking times. It was a trade city of the first Swedish Vikings. Although there weren’t many ruins it was still a very impressive place. Add to that it was a nice 2 hours boat trip on a very nice day. Anyway good news is I do have some pictures from Birka.


A 9:30am leave, after a 3:30am bedtime.

Maccas for breakfast.

Town Hall, this is where the cruise started from.

This was an island we went passed on the way. It’s called "Kungshatt". So called because along time ago one of Sweden’s kings was been chased by some pirates. He ran to this spot and had to choose between been captured or jumping of the cliff. He jumped, horse and all, and swam to safety but as he jumped his hat fell off. So the island is now known as "Kings Hat". If you look closely you can see a hat on a pole.

That’s me on my Birthday throne.







David and I hanging out at the beach.. Just waiting for the surf before we go in.






This was our tour guide "Ingrad" or something like that. She was really good and had heaps of information about Birka but while her English was great she had a problem with the letter "V". She kept pronouncing "V" like a "W", which is not very good when every second word she said was Viking. The first couple of times we just quietly laughed but after a while I really felt like asking her to use another work other than Viking. haha (hope she doesn't read this Blogg)

This was on the top of the island which also made up part of the old fort. The cross thing had nothing to with the Vikings but was put there by the church to remember the first preacher who came to Sweden to Christianise the Vikings at Birka.

Elin and I finally found a nice apartment we can actually afford. The asking price is about 1.5 million but it will probably go for 3 million. We have our fingers crossed. MMMMM I will have to make a post later about the real estate problems here.

That’s right, think about it David.