Gramma June - May you rest in peace

My grandmother in Canada June Bertrum passed away two weeks ago on Friday the 10th of August. She has been confined to a bed in a nursing home for the last five years, but the woman I remember her as is very different to the image I saw of her the last time I visited in 2005. Gramma June was tall and her presence filled any room she walked into, maybe due to her many years as a dancer in her youth. She made the best develled eggs in the world and her short bread cookies used to make my mouth water just thinking about them! I remember her trying to make me eat shrimp when I was eleven and I was having none of it, now I would do anything for her shrimp salad. I will never forget the day she told me she played 'Bridge' with Brain Adams mother!
As many of you know, my family is spread all around the world which makes for interesting holidays and conversations; however, on the down side it has also meant that there has been a lot of time lost with extended family. Gramma June used to always tell me that she would have loved a daughter. She had two fine big sons, one of whom is my father, but she said she would have liked someone to share her love of pretty things. I love pretty things, bags, shoes, and accessories, so I will claim that some of that comes from my Canadian grandmother. I only wish I could have had more time to share that with her.
The photo above is that last time I visited her in her house in Richmond, Vancouver. This is how I will remember her, not as the old lady in the nursing home, but as the vivacious blond grandmother in the photograph.

Weekend up North

Sheep and a sign


The rugged landscape of the peninsula


Caitriona and I on Inishowen peninsula


Notice EIRE marked out in stone, this is from the time of the Second World War when the letters were to deter German bombers from targeting the neutral Republic.


Me on the edge of the Irish world! Next stop North Pole...


Caitriona, Blathnaid and their mum and dad. The two boys had unfortunately already left.

It had been far too long since I was up in Carandonagh, the home of the fabulous McEniry family; so last weekend myself and Caitriona headed up. Caitriona drove all the all the way there and back, and I am so impressed with both trips I had! On Friday night we stopped in Blathnaid's wonderful house in Letterkenny, where we sipped on red wine and gave into the exhaustion, hung up the dancing shoes and watched Pretty Woman.
The next morning we were served a breakfast fit for a king, but I must add that breakfast was at 11.45!! Back on the road, it was a short trip to our final destination on Ballyloskey Road. We were welcomed with open arms and the chatting and the slagging began (for you none Irish amongst my readers, slagging is what in Ireland for being cheeky to another person). Apparently, I have become more cheeky since my last visit! I make sure I visit more often so the same mistake is not made again - I have always been this cheeky!
Unfortunately the weather was more lie that of a dull winter's day, and aside from a short walk we remained safety indoors. Cards were the activity for the evening, where all accusations of cheating were quickly quashed...
The magic of the Inishowen peninsula is the fact that the most northerly point on the island of Ireland is located there. Malin Head is one of my favourite places in Ireland and on my second visit, it was not to disappoint. The wind was northerly and bitter, but the view was fantastic. An important point to add here is that one of the biggest weather stations in Ireland is located at in the village close to Malin Head, and Maurice McEniry, Caitriona's father, used to work in the weather station until his retirement a few years ago. Now some of you know of my deep regard for the weather people, in fact when I was a child home for the summer in Ireland I used to place myself directly in front of TV when the weather was on to watch my childhood hero. Now it was not the weather girl or boy whom I admired, as some of you might imagine, but rather the people behind the scenes - people like Mr. McEniry...
All too soon the weekend over and we headed south again. Thanks again to Caitriona and her family for an amazing weekend.

Sweden - Stockholm the beautiful capital

Friskis & Svettis! We didn't go in though, went for lunch instead...


Statue in the old part of Stockholm - this picture is especially for Anna S who apparently posed in the same spot last year


Concert on the lawn


Chilling on the island of Grinda

Back in the Swedish capital and a week of sight seeing and catching up with Anna's friends was in store. Unfortunately, the weather on Monday was more of an early winter's day, and Anna and I were not amused as we battled the rain and wind along the sea front and arrived at the Vasa museum rather wet! The museum was amazing though and the old ship was so well preserved. The other museum we visited that week was the Nobel Prize museum, where we got lost in time watching the films of the winners of the past and present. Wandering around the old and new streets of Stockholm offered so much and the occasional stop for food and coffee was a rewarding experience. The shopping was not to disappointed and I was in my element paying a visit to H&M in its land of origin. I am also the proud owner of a pair of Cheap Monday's as well!
The evening were spent visiting Josfin, Jeanette and meeting up with some previously unacquainted of Anna's friends. We also went to a concert on the lawn, where I enjoyed, although did not understand, the Swedish version of Christy Moore! We also had the great pleasure of meeting up with Pia whom we had met in Cambodia, and she had not changed a bit. We had a ride in the sports car of PerAnders, the Swedish reporter who had visited Dhaka in February.
On Thursday, which was a glorious day, we took a boat out to the archipelagos and enjoyed chilling on the rocks and walking in the forest, while trying our level best to avoid the leeches!
The week ended on a high with a barbecue chez Jeanette and Anna, and a trip to see the latest Harry Potter movie. All too soon it was time for me to pack my bag for the last time and head home to the Emerald Isle.
I had a fantastic and thanks to Anna who made my entire time in Sweden absolutely fabulous.
For even more pics check out Anna's facebook if you can. I will add them soon.

Sweden - Falun 'home of copper'

Anna and her granny


The church that Karl Larsson painted


Anna's Falun peeps in the '90210' kitchen


Sexy wellies


Looking very sexy and ready to go down the mine


Dinner in the Gren's garden


The mushroom soups


Elvin in his cool shades


Vilja, my favourite artist.

I know this is a while coming but after six weeks of holiday I am suffering dearly this week working a 9 to 5 job! Anyway, so back to Sweden and the first stop was Falun, Anna's home town. We arrived on the train from Stockholm and were met by Anna's father at the train station. Everyone, kept asking me when I got back to Stockholm 5 days later what we had done in Falun and I know we did a lot but I was so relaxed and enjoying myself so much that I could not recall all the details!
There was lots and lots of wonderful food and chill out time in Anna's house and in the garden when the weather allowed. The mushroom soup competition happened and I was in my element with two big bowels of mushroom soup in front of me. There were bike rides and trips to see Anna's granny, who is too much cute! Karl Larsson's church was an interesting destination; as was the wonderful old copper mine which is a stone throws away from the house. On Friday night I experienced the happening night life of Falun and checked out the talent with Sana. Oh and I must not forget the purchase of the much awaited for final Harry Potter book in the local Falun bookshop!
On Sunday morning we headed off to Upsala for a day with Linda Keay and her family. Vilja and Elvin are the cutest kids ever and we had a lovely day. Then it was back o the train headed for Stockholm.
A very special thanks to Karin and Lars for an absolutely fabulous time in Falun; and of course to Anna guide extrodinaire.

Tribute to a wonderful man

I have thought a lot about this entry for the last week wondering what words to put down or what thoughts to put into words. It’s indeed difficult to understand death, but it is beyond comprehension when a person who was so full of life and who touched the hearts of so many is suddenly no longer with us.
Wilhelm died suddenly on the 16th of July. I knew Wilhelm for almost my entire time in Dhaka and he was definitely a huge part of my time there, as he was for everyone else. The first time I met Wilhelm was at the climbing club in the American School as he easily overcame the difficulty of the wall in half the time it took me to even put my climbing harness on. He was a central part of the Dhaka Hash, outrunning many of the people half his age.
My favourite memories have got to be sipping brandy on his couch surrounded by friends discussing the trials and tribulations of Dhaka, attending his amazing birthday party where the waiters wore tuxes and the wonderful boat trip he arranged in April for HC’s visit. I think my fondest memory was his insistence that he needed to return home upon arriving at my birthday party in February so that he could adorn his best punjabi.
His home was always open, his words were sincere and kind, his sense of humour was contagious and he lived life to the full.
Today is Wilhelm’s funeral which is taking place in Oslo. Many of us cannot be there in person, me included, but I wanted to pay tribute to this wonderful person whose life ended far too soon. My thoughts go out to his family today, in particular HC and Espen who shared so much time with their uncle in the last few years.
“Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die” Amelia Burr