W ~ Water, Water, Everywhere, Pick Your Country! #atozchallenge

All Aboard! "It's Very Swedish..." a train on a cultural journey through Sweden, exploring the differences big and small between American and Swedish culture.

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If you're not into the whole cultural experience, feel free to skip to the embarrassing childhood pictures.

I've been sharing about Sweden's great lakes and the fun we had there, but they are not the only water attractions in Sweden.  Water plays a huge part of life there.  Why do you think so many Swedes gravitated to Minnesota with it's, what is it, 10,000 lakes? Swedes felt at home there.

The lakes I grew up with were of all sizes and conditions.  There were lakes we could swim in, lakes we only boated on, lakes where we fished, and of course lakes where we did all of the above.  One thing they all had in common: the water was quite cold. You do get used to it though.  Really used to it.  

It's kinda of like when my Amazing Aunt Risky asked me today, at a restaurant, if the dish was spicy.  I said no, it's just pesto, it's not spicy.  Then I got her portion, because to her, it was too spicy.  Moral: don't ask me if the water is cold.  My answer will be NO, it's fine, come on in ;-)

One of my favorite lakes was the one where The Swede's best friend had a house.  There were two docks. One where there was foot-high sea weed and you wouldn't dream of swimming there, but that's where the boat was.  The other dock was on the other side of the house, around the corner if you will, and the water was crystal clear and you could see all the way to the bottom even where it was REALLY deep.  

Here's a picture of the "sea-weed" dock.

I found that I have more childhood photos involving non-lake water.  Enjoy.  

This is our backyard in Sweden.  That's DataBoy on the left in the pool with friend I can't remember, and I'm on the left on the "beach blanket" with friend I also can't remember. This picture was only marked "Spring time back yard water play" by Momarazzi.

This is one of our favorite vacation destinations.  We stayed at the campground, but had full use of the wonderful facilities enjoyed by those who stayed at the actual, pricey resort.  It was called Billingehus, for those Swedes reading :-)  That's Farfar with Swissie in his lap.  Me styling in the bikini...thought I was styling.  Year not marked, but I'm thinking this was right before we moved to America, so about 8.

Water sports continued after the move.  This is in the backyard of our first house in America, 1974.  Me, Swissie, and DataBoy. Yes, we dragged DataBoy in, fully clothed. Good thing, or he would have been nude, and then I couldn't have put up the picture...

That's me in the flowered bikini, still thinking I'm all that, at age 12.  There's Swissie, and Farmor, in the background, headless.

Ever the gymnast, I also enjoyed diving.

What are your water experiences?  Did you grow up with access to lakes?  Are you afraid of what you can't see when you're swimming? Come back to "Y" and you'll hear my learning to swim story.  Not that you'd want to miss "X"...seriously.  X is hard enough in English...

~Tina, who happily swims anywhere she can see the bottom, and will sometimes, with enough peer pressure, swim in uncharted waters (it's hard to resist Aunt Risky...)

©2014 All Rights Reserved

All photos most likely by Momarazzi, or another family member.  For example, Momarazzi would not have cut off Farmor's head...

Alaska: Obsevations, and only 3 of 250 pictures!

As I write this, some of God's most amazing creation is in view from this fabulous balcony. Rugged, tree covered mountains are dotted with snow-caps melting, causing waterfalls of cascading, individual pearly ribbons on their way down to the sea. All of this glory is peeking out between the hovering, misty layers of cloudy bands, so strand-like I want to wind them into a ball of fluffy whitish-grey yarn. 

We're approaching Juneau, though still three hours away, there are power lines, fishing boats, sailboats, houses dotting the shoreline. Birds. An otter poked his head up to say “Hi!” about 50 yards from the ship! Yesterday, I saw a “teenage” whale breech four times as it traveled the length of our ship and disappeared astern. Reminded me of a skateboarder showing off. “Let's go! You know they want a show! I'll do my twirling breach – they'll go nuts!”

During my breakfast - fetched from the sumptuous, varied for all cultures buffet and brought to my balcony - the onboard naturalist gave us a brief glacier lecture, as we passed a hanging glacier. I didn't learn about this type on my last trip. It's a glacier the ends part way up the mountain and doesn't move much. Thus the hanging, I guess. Took me a while to spot it, until I saw a baby-blue dragon's head and followed it up the mountain. I know it's weird, but the dragon was wearing a princess dress, spread all poofy in it's hoop, with the hem at the top of the mountain. I didn't have my camera, and the iPhone photo is horrid so here's a link to a wiki article with a goodpicture. Mine was bluer though!

The water has changed color dramatically, from “ocean” to a gorgeous green-turquoise color. 

I think it's because it's shallower. Glad that there are 350 balconies on this starboard side because I was writing, not looking, when a little girl alerted me, “Daddy! Come quick! The water just changed color completely!” Sure enough. Thanks for the info!

We totally scored getting the upgrade to a private balcony stateroom. We have a roof that extends past the railing by a whole balcony width, so we can sit out here in the rain and not get wet, and we can sit out here in the sun and not get burned. We could also throw things at the three levels of balconies below us, which are staggered like a terrace.

I want to throw a ping-pong ball at the guy in the front row of balconies who has barely put down his iPad since we boarded. Seriously? You don't want to see any of this? Did you get dragged here? Probably. A dad type guy is out a lot with his binoculars.

If you had the chance to see all of this natural beauty, would you be sitting there in the virtual world, for a mighty stiff price I might add, or would you be taking in the scenery? C'mon, be honest. Ping-pong balls don't really hurt. That much.

Have you been to Alaska?  What's the best trip you ever took?