O'Jer's Top Ten

Jerilyn's Top Ten List - Scandinavian Adventure - Summer 2014 

Before Jerilyn, Dan, John and Lynda arrived in Stockholm they started in Copenhagen and went on to spend a good part of a week traveling through Northern Norway and Sweden.  We are happy Jerilyn is planning to return next September for Part II of her Scandinavian Adventure... she already has a list of things she wants to do!

(Top Ten - in no particular order)

• Our lazy day in the swimming place at Finnhamn 

 

• Our beautiful day in Copenhagen

• The drive to, getting on and riding the ferry in Norway  

 

• John's bday dinner at Blue Pepper in Amsterdam (with a Johnny beer starter)
• The cairn of three borders (Sweden, Finland and Norway) 

• Going to the Swedish Army museum with Zeke
• Seeing the Castle family and hanging out in Stockholm like a local
• The midnight sun in Tromso, Norway (and Tromso, Norway) 

• The Vasa museum
• The place Nancy took us for lunch on Djurgarden - Flickorna Helin & Voltaire

lunch at Flickorna

They also spent one night in the Dragonfly treeroom at the Treehotel in Harads, Sweden.

on my bucket list... staying in the Mirrorcube treeroom

The Art of the Brick, Amsterdam

Not many people can make a successful living playing with LEGO bricks every day.  Nathan Sawaya is the first artist to create art out of LEGO bricks. We were lucky enough to see this NYC artist's fun exhibition of his work at the Amsterdam Expo center.  The price of admission comes with an audio guide narrated by the artist himself.  The show has been so popular is has been extended a month and a half and will remain open until October 26th.

Art makes better humans.

Art is necessary in understanding

the world and art makes people happy. 

Undeniably, art is not optional.

-Nathan Sawaya 

At the end of the exhibit is an interesting film about the history of LEGO bricks... which is nice since tours of the actual LEGO factory in Billund, Denmark have to be booked at least a year in advance.  In addition to learning how LEGO bricks are made...

• LEGO bricks have been the same design since 1958
• LEGO molds cost between 40,000-200,000 euros each ($53,000-$263,000)
• Molds are thoroughly cleaned every three weeks
• there are 12 LEGO certified professionals - a community-based program made up of adult LEGO hobbyists who have turned their passion for building and creating with LEGO bricks into a full-time or part-time profession.

Nathan Sawaya does glue the LEGO bricks together as he builds.  Sometimes he has to chisel them apart to make a correction.

Rembrandt self portrait - 1948 LEGO pieces

pixelated Mona Lisa - 4,573 LEGO pieces

Sistine Chapel ceiling - 4,459 LEGO pieces

American Gothic in 3D - 8,303 LEGO pieces

The Great Wave off Kanagawa - 2,877 LEGO pieces

San Giorgio Maggiore at Dusk - 3,708 LEGO pieces

San Giorgio closeup

stain glass LEGO

Discobolus - height 155cm - 5,821 LEGO pieces

Venus de Milo - 202 x 36cm - 18,483 LEGO pieces

David - 410cm (scale 1:2) - 16,349 LEGO pieces

Gray - 114x114x38cm - 23, 678 LEGO pieces

Yellow - 89x71x33cm - 11,014 LEGO pieces

Red Face Mask

Writer - 88x63x28cm - 3,210 LEGO pieces

Mickey - 66x51cm - 1,228 LEGO pieces

the 'parking lot' near the Amsterdam Expo

Gabby's 8th Grade Class Trip

August 26-29, 2014

At the beginning of every school year Stockholm International School sends all 6-9th grade students on class trips as a fun bonding and educational way to kick off the new school year.  This year Gabby's 8th grade class traveled to Sotenäs on the west coast of Sweden.  

The students met at T-Centralen (the central train station) at 7:30 on Tuesday morning for a three hour train ride to Gothenburg then a bus to Kungshamn. 

• Universeum - science museum
• Fishing - Gabby and her buddy, Zelda, caught 14 fish which were taken back to the hotel and prepared for lunch
• Vitlycke Museum - a stone carving village from the Bronze Age
• Hunnesbostrand - stone sculptures
• Swimming 

Only one student had to have a fish hook surgically removed from her finger and the fire department only had to come once when a room filled with smoke because one boy badly burned a bag of microwave popcorn!

Apparently a good time was had by all... 

Gabby's 8th Grade Class Trip Video - 2014

Bonus Finnhamn Photos

August 5-7, 2014

More great photos of our Finnhamn adventure from Lynda Maraia!

the kids on our boat to Finnhamn

Captain Zeke

Lynda

beach picnic

Frisbee sliding

bathing beauties

Ben and Gabby

Zeke, Sofia, Ella

Nancy and Jen

Lynda and Dan

before dinner drinks

after dinner play

kayaking the last morning