Operation Re-EBs

Hej all, 

My Mum and I have just driven 1000miles. 

Phew, I am wiped out. Since arriving in Sverige I have been trying to get EB (my car) through the system of form filling and tests to get her Swedish car citizenship. In six months effort all I have managed to achieve is obtaining permission to start this process (which cost me £70), and a parking ticket on an unmarked street (which cost me £65).

And now winter is coming, and in two weeks I legally need to have snow tyres. Or not be able to drive. So I'm done with that. Instead, Mum flew to Stockholm on Tuesday last week and from Wednesday to Thursday we drove her all the way home again, plus two ferries and a short sleep in the most over populated city in Germany. 

I nearly scuppered the entire operation by locking my passport in my filing cabinet at work, and only remembering I didn't have it when Mum did a last check as we were leaving. I would have made it across three borders without anyone noticing, but wouldn't have managed to board the ferry to the UK. Which would have been a bit of a bummer. So instead we started the trip with a detour to KI. 

I don't look so tired here, but we were only about an hour out of Stockholm.

We paused for a short sleep in Bremen, in Germany, where we had to try about six different hotels before we found one with an empty room. Giant hotels. In a small city. On a Wednesday night in November. All completely full. When I asked one unimpressed proprietor what was happening in town to mean there was no accommodation for grabs he told me that it was always like this. Whaaaaaaa?!

Apart from that it was smooth sailing, apart from the actual sailing, which was exceedingly rocky. Especially between Denmark and Germany. I even found Pingu and some Hendricks gin on the Holland - UK ferry, an excellent bonus.

Looking sleepier. But delighted to have met a childhood idol.

Once safely in London things took a turn for the even better. We ate Swedish and Mexican food for lunch (Nosh was jealous, and he's in Mexico), viewed the Olympic park, crossed the Thames on a cable car and, best of all, saw the musical version of Matilda, the music and lyrics for which have been written by Tim Minchin. Oh. My. Goodness. I literally wept tears of delight when Bruce Bogtrotter started singing.  

Best ever. If you've ever read a book, you should see it. Even if you haven't read a single book, there is still a character in there for you.

My new ethos. Already gone out the window.

Olympic stadium!

The return to Sweden was somewhat quicker, but a lot less fun. Thank you Mum, for a most excellent time.

Now I'm off to learn some Swedish!
Hej då all!
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