High up!

We had a nice slow start today and waited for the weather the brighten up a bit. Then we headed to the wind turbines that Keith loves to visit, where the blip of the day was taken. It's a weird place, very rough and ready and empty. From the hill you can see the remains of the forest fires of last year, and the browny black trees against the scraped bare, white granite bedrock. It's a strange sight, reminding us of how scary life was all over Sweden. (here)

After a wander about on the massive roads we headed to the suspension bridge visible in the photo, and the hill behind. That was my choice of walk and it turned out to be a bit of a scramble up some fairly steep rocky bits. Quite a challenge for Dela who is profoundly deaf and blind in her right eye. It makes balancing a bit of a gamble, but she did - as she said herself - quite well really!

We saw the first half of the USA versus Holland football final as we had a coffee in the hotel, and then drove home. The kitchen table is full of good food, cold salads and smoked fish, avocado dip and mustard, slices of ham, levain bread, smelly cheeses and some delightful pickled herring that will probably not be enjoyed by our guests, but will make us happy! 

Sadly, the Dutch didn't manage to win over the Americans, so the terrible Trump can attempt to bask in that reflected glory - most satisfied to read that the team has already refused to go to the White House, whether they won or lost!! We are now enjoying a (totally unconnected) vodka and tonic, in Dela's case a tonic. Her Sickle Cell condition means she has to be "sensible" all the time, so she doesn't end up in crisis. And yet she is always grateful for everything, every blessing, every advantage. It is humbling to spend time with her and with John, such lovely, generous people. We have known them since the mid 80s, family friends with so much shared history don't grow on trees! The state of gratitude, in which I often find myself, continues with full force.