Life in Motala

Yesterday we bicycled along the canal that goes through Motala and connects Vättern with Lake Boren. It was really hot, so halfway we stopped for an ice-cream, then bicycled on the other side for the last bit until the locks at Borenshult. 
Our whole trip from home and back was about 10 km or 1 Swedish mil (6 English miles). We talked about doing Tjejvättern next year, a bicycle race for women that is 9 mil. I think we might need to train to be able to do that. We were quite tired after our ride! Tjejvättern goes down to Vadstena and back.
Here are photos from along the canal, enjoy!

I saw a tv-show a few weeks ago about how some tribal people from Papau New Guinea reacted when they were brought to England to see how Westerners live. One interesting bit was when a family showed them around their home and they came into their young son’s bedroom. "Your son has to sleep alone?" one man from PNG asked. He couldn’t believe it, he was deeply shocked. In his tribe children always sleep with their mother "until 15-16 years old". (This might make the kids sound wimpy, but tribal boys hunt crocodiles from an early age.) Here is a picture of one of Ingrid’s friends sleeping over. Because Ingrid likes to sleep in my room her friend slept there too. I can see how they both enjoy having me watching out for them.

This last weekend we had friends visiting again. It was hot so we mostly hung out at MSS. Lucky (who also likes being with someone all the time) had a good snooze with the mom. He knows that my friends are his friends.

Here we are ready to eat, just back from a great swim in the marina. We are going to eat smoked mackerel, shrimps and boiled eggs together with squash, swiss chard and lebanese mini cucumbers from the allotment (the cucumbers from a generous neighbour there!)

Here is a picture of Lucky smelling that great mackerel smell!

The photos were taken by Ingrid’s friend who lives downstairs. Both she and Lucky got some mackerel too!

This week has been a busy work week but on Wednesday we went to look at old Linköping. In the 1940’s and 50’s they moved over 80 old buildings to create an old town open air museum. It is fun there, walking into the old school or buying old-fashioned sweets at the grocers. We had Lucky on a leash. He is now about twice as big as when we got him and about twice as lively.

Here we are eating ice-cream again! Our old neighbours from Skene visited for a few days so that was a good excuse to go!

Afterwards we went to the other end of Motala where Vättern flows into the lake Boren to see the locks at Borenshult. The difference in the water level in the canal and in lake Boren is 15 metres! While we were there we saw boats from Germany and England go by. The locks at Borenshult were opened in 1826.

When we got Lucky I found I wasn’t very motivated to take care of him (like getting up at night for a pee). That was an interesting experience and gave me a feel of what it must be like to not be so motivated as a parent. Anyway time and constant contact has done the trick and now we are pretty happy with each other. I even like it now when he licks me. Here we are earlier this evening on our way to MSS (Sailing club) for an after dinner swim. I’m using an old tube sling for babies in stretchy fleece. He likes sitting there as long as I don’t bicycle too fast.

The last few days we have been encouraging him to swim. He seems to like it, maybe inspired by other dogs at MSS that love to swim. Here he is on a surfboard with Ingrid and swimming alone in to shore.