I'm supposed to be studying for a test, but thanks to this excellent Time Waster: Ultimate Flash Face, I'm not getting much done.

Another great distraction also arrived today in the form of a package from Elsie, an AA member in Helsinki. She has been home to Oz for Christmas and she bought me a calendar of Australian Landscapes. Lars-Göran added a nail to the wall by my desk and now I am gazing at a pictures of The Chimneys, Mt Moffat, Carnarvon National Park, Queensland. It is absolutely beautiful - those sandstone cliffs, gum trees, brilliant blue sky... I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Of course, Elsie just HAD to send it in a Nokia bag! As this is an Ericsson town, I imagine my name will now be in a little black book somewhere. I am always taken aback by how generous and thoughful people can be. Elsie and I don't know each other apart from what reading each other's posts on the message board, but still she thought of me when she was home. Thankyou!

My dear man had a funny experience yesterday at Försäkringskassan. This place is usually quite busy, but he needed to renew something, so he went there and to his astonishment, there were two clerks free and no other customers. Hardly trusting his good luck, he went to the desk and asked about the renewal. They responded with "Take a queue number". wtf? He looked behind him at the empty room, then back questioningly at the clerk. "Really?" he asked ironically. Now most Swedes wouldn't recognise irony if it jumped up and humped their leg, and this was no exception. She merely repeated the instruction. When he had his queue number in hand, they pressed the magic button, his number was displayed and hey presto they could seve him. Is everyone in this country mad?

But the real purpose of this post is to display some pictures taken after his weekend sailing. Yes, you read right - sailing in winter. Is he mad? Well, you decide.

Now usually in winter, we are surrounded by fast ice like you see here:



Yes, that is the sea, but then the Baltic is actually not very salty and in this bay where the boat stays over winter there is not much tide movement. However, this year it has been milder, so we only get this:



It's kind of cute - like floating dancefloor for the ducks. Well, on the weekend, the temptation to take her out for a spin was too much, so we set off:



Yes, I know it's slightly icey on deck, but isn't it glorious to be out there and free from land. The archipelago takes on quite a different character in the winter months.

So first, it was a glide past the main fishing harbour:



The art exhibition we went to on Saturday is in the restaurant to the left of the Fiskhäll, the Rökeri has the most beautiful array of fresh and smoked fish plus a gourmet section and the church on the hill, simply known as Nynäshamns Kyrka is the church we were married in. This place really feels like home to me.

Next past the island of Bedarö (across from the harbour):



There is still a lot of snow around, but luckily the sea has not frozen this year. This island community rely on boats to cross to the mainland for supplies. People live here all year round.



It is so beautiful out there. And in winter it is deathly quiet as there are no sea birds around. Just the sound of the wind and the waves lapping around the shore. And yes, you must watch out for floating ice as well, though not really of titanic proportions :)

Well, this sort of ice is called a growler they can damage the hull if hit at high speed. But there was no danger here. Only silly people calling "Iceberg off the starboard bow, Capt'n". And that charming view is the refinery which is kept hidden away from the tourists around in an isolated bay. Lovely, isn't it?

Of course, this isn't the first time we've been out in a sailing boat in Swedish winter. In 2002, we went out for a week. That was a wonderful trip and we enjoyed the peace and solitude of being away. I think time becomes irrelevant when you are out on the water. It's a whole new world.

Now off to revise some more and get ready for class this evening. I'm looking outside and it's still light at 3.30pm which shows me that the darkness has left for another year and we are on our way towards spring and the long awaited summer. Do I read this properly? I'm dreaming of summer? I HAVE been here too long!

Till next time