Well it's been a while!!!

For the last five months or so I have said to myself every week 'I must get the midsommar photos and update my blog'
Guess what - I still dont have the midsommar photos through no ones fault but my own of course... But i also figured seeing as it's almost mid winter - perhaps it's time to update anyway!!

So I might do it month by month!!
June.
Other than our midsommar celebrations which were great - Luckily we sat outside so the smell of herring didnt curdle my stomach quite as badly as it did at easter :P We were appropriately dressed for a swedish midsommar in jumpers raincoats hats and wellingtons!!
We celebrated in a small village in Skåne (and the name escapes me now as it was so long ago!) with Håkan's parents and some family friends. Everyone made me feel very welcome and even put a small Australian (toothpick size) flag as well as a swedish flag on the midsommar staff on the table.

July.
Was a bit of a rocky month. I considered comming home to Australia - I didnt think i would cope in sweden for much longer - in my defense it rained for 5weeks straight and this was ment to be the summer :(
I finished my first Swedish language course - and to be honest i'm not sure if it did me any good. While it was a social outlet, it cost a bucket load of money and the teacher ignored the fact we always spoke english to each other - and well often to her ???????? anywhoo i met some great people and it was nice to have somewhere to go!
We attended a wedding which was nice... Mostly what i'm used to except only the bride recieves a ring at the wedding - you exchange rings when you are engaged in Sweden, which is also when you recieve your band... then when you are married or "gifta sig" the bride recieves her pretty ring :D Kinda fitting with the whole day really. Who ever thought it was about the groom???







After my melt down I took myself off to London for a few days - where honest to god, I felt like a new person from the minute i arrived. Firstly it felt like i was home (scary thought!) and second of all it felt so nice to just be confident in ordering a cup of coffee - trust me you dont know what a luxury it is to KNOW you ordered the right thing.
I was waiting for Kel at Victoria Station feeling like a champion for making it from Sweden to Victoria station by 9.15am when two very gay men starting talking to me about how fabulous i looked (purple suede boots with all black people!) While it was a silly little thing, it was enough to restore the confidence that sweden had knocked out of me over the last few months. YAY me!!!
Found kell - was rudely reminded how much the tube can suck!
Shopped - well dreamed of buying everything (it was summer sales), had a beer in covent garden and off to Brick Lane for dinner it was.
Oh my god - Brick Lane area is amazing. AMAZING! cleanish with lots of designer and vintage stores. Very very very london!
Had a meet up on Saturday with Lib, Helen and some of Helen's friends (luckily seeing as Helen is now up the duff and no future drinking sessions in sight) Hope and Anchor in Islington... Got a little lost because Islington looks sooooooo different. Remember the days where all there was in Islington was the walkabout and an all bar one. Not anymore! Also we went to Brian Jones Town Masacre... strange... very strange. ahhh.... lets just say it was great night despite the strangeness!

Also did the usual Camden on sunday and Hawley Arms for a pint. Somethings will never change (well actualy the Hawley is new for me because my old pub is now a chain pub)

Lib introduced me to an AMAZING cafe in Marlybone on the monday - Providores. Owned by NZ chef Peter Gordon - soo soo nice to have a flat white!!! http://www.theprovidores.co.uk/
absolutely recommend it to anyone!!!








Wednesday I flew to Girona where i met Håkan - whose flight was late and he didnt arrive until midnight. We then drove to Barcelona (after we stopped randon men working to ask how to get to Barcelona airport.) Now remember no one speaks english in spain. so after 5mins of charades me feeling all the more confused, Håkan trying to utilise the 15 spanish words he knows to make sentences - the men finally indicated we should follow them (we hoped).
After 35mins of driving - including a highway in the opposite direction to what we anticipated we decided either these men were the kindest in the world, or we were about to die.
Luckily they were the kindest in the world, and we arrived at the airport collected Laura and Kell and off we went to Benicassim.

Arrived in Benicassim at 6am aggghhhh....
Couldnt pick up tickets until 9am... cant enter camp site until we have our tickets :(
By midnight that night I felt as though i would prolly fall over if i didnt sit down... but it was good.
Lets just say that the tone of Benicassim was pretty much set by this - complete lack of sleep.
Ran into Clydey's friend Carlos that he used to work with in London! It's a small small world!!
I didnt enjoy the food as much as i had anticipated in that region of spain - although this could possibly be influenced by the fact that the small coast village of approx 80 000 was invaded by 100 000 for the festival. Made everything very very difficult!!
Håkan managed to pass out on the day after the festival was all over. I think we all caught some type of virus that gave feelings of verdigo and nausea (yay!) and that combined with dehydration and lack of sleep - and well it was a recipe for disaster really.
Valencia was wonderful - although we ended up staying miles from anywhere.... The Original plan was to rough it camping - however the whole passing out incident made me think we should stay somewhere with aircon etc etc... I would love to go back to Valencia another time and stay in the centre of the city and avoid hangovers.... It is beautiful beautiful city with wonderful architecture and the old town is fantastic. The gelato also rocks!
Madrid.
Madrid is also fantastic. We had great accom in the centre of Madrid. Food is to die for. Paella Tapas and Sangria... hmmm tapas! We had our wonderful little restaurant we went to and ordered paella potato calamari olives bread and a jug of sangria - all for about 10euros each :D :D :D
Håkan's cousin is living in Madrid at the moment studying spanish and we are so so so jealous! yep madrid we will definately visit again!!
just a few photos of Spain for you!