Summer in Sweden

Winter, it seems, has been the coldest for 40 years in Sweden. Spring, nothing but grey and cold as well and summer never really seemed to arrive. We arrived a week ago, just when it all changed, and have enjoyed lazy days in grannies garden, drinking lemonade on the terrace and running around the huge lawn. We've been to town, to the beach, to the playground behind the old school and to the library. Hana seems to be in a linguistic explosion and just doesn't stop talking, Kai has learned to ride a bike. I'm just relaxing.

Roma and the coast

After the wedding, and after recovering a day or two, we continued down to the coast and spent two days in the small village with the easy-to-remember name Castiglione della Pescaia and two days in Rome, just the four of us. We saw the famous Collosseum but spent more time at the playground on the small plaza outside the hotel in Trastevere, and having ice-cream and cappuccino. Keisuke also made us cross all town to go visit the MACRO museum.

The wedding

Thursday June 17th.
A perfect day!
Moster Karin and uncle Grattan got married and the party lasted all night long!

Best man Shaun, Grattan and Karin, and maid of honor - me!

The whole family outside the small catholic church in Asciano.

Just married!

Waiting for dinner.

And we decided maybe we should throw a "ten years later wedding party" somewhere in the world! You are all invited. Just have to find the perfect spot first.

Tuscany

At last we left Hanoi and arrived in Italy last Sunday, for a wonderful week in the countryside under the Tuscan sun. We did little else than hung out at the Lazy Olive - the absolutely gorgeous place my sister and her now husband had rented for the whole family, went into Asciano, the small town down the road for pizza and ice cream, and, of course, planned for the wedding! The kids enjoyed the big lawns, excellent for rolling down the hills, the swimming pool with a view over what felt like the entire country, the trampoline and loads of company from all over the world.

Arriving. Pasta and wine under the pergola.

Little friends.

View from "our" house.

Breakfast time in our country kitchen.

Malcolm, the New Zeeland owner, fixing us some risotto for lunch.

The Lazy Olive where we all stayed - must be one of the most gorgeous places in Tuscany!

This week...

... has been a hot, sunny, busy and rainy one. When not raining, we have spent the afternoons at Yuuki's pool in Sedona, while in the mornings I have been really busy running around fixing all last and of course very important stuff before we leave. Tomorrow evening!
Even in school kids have been busy, with fairwell parties and excursions and loads of fun stuff.

Eliott, Kai, Yuuki and Honomi, no one paying even the slightest attention to my shouting and waving and camera.

The new Bond?

Dancing in the rain.
The other day, a really rainy day, just like this evening.

So, tomorrow we are off, first to Italy and then Sweden for six long weeks of green, clean freedom! Yeah!

What should we do without her

Thoa helps us with almost everything, is always happy and wonderful with the kids. Dont know what we should do without her!

End of Year Concert

This Saturday the kid's school had their End of Year Concert, and all classes danced and sang and performed in the school's "big garden". With a couple of hundred parents and siblings in the audience it can be pretty scary up on the big stage. They all did a great job!

Little Ducklings classes getting ready (Hana fourth from right)

The audience, definitely big enough.

Eliott, Isha, Julianne, Phoebe, Hosea, Laetitia, Moe, Kai, Yuuki, Sondre; Blossoms 2 performing "Puff the magic dragon".

Saturday evening then, Keisuke took off to Europe, a week ahead of the rest of us and Sunday we spent partying again. First Sondre's fairwell party and then the National Day celebrations at the Swedish Embassy. Sushi delivery for dinner and counting down the days till Saturday. My to-do-before-leaving list just seems to be getting longer though...

Better safe

Hana. Bags packed, motorbike helmet and sling on. Heading for - the livingroom? Definitely better safe than sorry.

Holistically...

You have to see it holistically... Keisuke repeated, while I was just grumbling and making little noices.

A few weeks ago one of our standing fans broke, and the owner took it to have it repaired. The other day it came back. I plugged it in and all lights and lamps came on at the same time so, in a sence it was working, but I couldn't get it moving, either by pushing any of the buttons or using the remote. That's when Keisuke came home and immediately found the solution. On the back, a couple of unidentified, rather mysterious buttons had been added and once you learn which is for what you can turn on the fan, have different speeds, even get the swing. I don't know... just think these back buttons say so much about so many things here.

The only thing to do is to call for the buddhist in you and let go.

Old lady in Mai Chau.

And, only one week till summer holidays!

Mai Chau weavers

As always, I am amazed about the fabrics and everything the women weave here, but as my scarf and table cloth collection has been expanding suspiciously lately, this time I didnt buy anything (except for a couple of small things to give away). Now I am thinking that maybe I should have...

Going somewhere?

Nowhere.
Everywhere.
Hanging out in Mai Chau.