To bra or not to bra-that is the question

Swedish people always have had a quite natural approach to their bodies. When I grew up nobody with small tits wore bras. Only girls with large breasts or maybe those who did a lot of sports wore bras.

To swim in the nude has never been anything spectacular. Families used saunas together nude and not as you often see now with swim wear on. When we went to the beach all young (even some old women) sun bathed top less. Maybe that is how the famous, or infamous, Swedish sin was born. To look upon your body naturally.

Today you rarely see anybody top less on the beach. The last 10 years or so I have noticed a different attitude towards nudity. We seem to move in the wrong direction. We cover up  but are more sexualized than ever.

Famous Swedish sin?

 This is something I have thought about a lot since my daughter went to 5th grade and wanted nickers with g-string and I said no. .She was very upset and said that nearly all the other girls had them. When living in USA you could buy training bras for your small girls. I didn´t even know what it was. A training bra? Apparently not for exercising but the big question is. To train what?

A week or so ago a journalist wrote an article in one of our newspapers about her daughter in 3rd grade wanting a bra. Her daughter had claimed that nearly all girls had them. This woman was very upset and started a debate about what we are doing to our young girls. That debate is now spreading to Norway as well.
http://m.expressen.se/gt/kronikorer/frida-boisen/varfor-det-finns-ju-inga-brost-att-halla-i/


In Usa they has taking this bra-business a bit further. There you can buy a padded bra for your toddler. It is really sick.

Bratz bras for three- to four-year-olds


I really hope we can keep this debate going, at home, in the press and in schools. What is this sexualization doing to our girls? Is it strange that more girls than ever diet and get breast implants? Please let the girls be girls. Soon enough they will meet the hard life and the judging. Please let them be girls as long as they can.

Greek Islands

Greek Islands
14 years ago me and my husband  went to Kalymnos, a Greek island close to Turkey, for the first time. It was a package tour and the only time I had ever been to Greece before was when I went to Rhodes when I was 18 or so. That time I cannot say that I saw anything of the uniqueness that was Rhodes. It could have been Spain or Turkey or anywhere. We only saw bars, the beaches and discos. We were up all night and slept on the beach in a sun lounge all day.

Climbing is popular on Kalymnos

So when we arrived in Kalymnos I wasn
´t prepared. I wasn´t prepared of the beauty, the people, the food or anything.

We arrived in the evening with a flight from Gothenburg and landed on the neighbouring island Kos, because Kalymnos didn´t have an airport at that time. They have one now but is only for domestic flights. Since it was a package tour we were picked up by a bus ( or taxi I can´t remember) and transferred to the small harbour Mastihari. There we had to wait for a while before we went on a small ferry that would take us the one hour journey to Kalymnos.

We arrived late and I remembered that the harbour was busy with people everywhere even if it was late. A small bus picked us up and we went through Pothia, the capital of Kalymnos.

I was amazed that all people seem to be out. Cars were driving viciously through the narrow streets. People sat in the bars and restaurants and it didn´t seem that there were so many tourists.

Lasse slept the whole way and I was left to myself. I stared at the theater outside and enjoyed every minute of it. When we had gone a bit further it was quieter and we went through an alley. The tree trunks were painted white and we passed a cemetery and there were lights glimmering on nearly all the graves. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Vathy, Kalymnos

It was the start of our quite many trips to the Greek Islands. I think we went 2-3 times a year from then on. In the beginning we went to Kalymnos and Leros. Then we went further to Lipsi, Patmos, Ikaria, Fourni, Samos, Tilos, Serifos, Sifnos, Symi, Karpathos, Nisyros, Lefkada, Kefallonia and Rhodes But we nearly always went independent after that.

Kefalonia

The last island we fell in love with was Crete. We had avoided Crete since we thought it was spoiled with mass tourism. But Crete blew our minds totally. If you only avoided certain areas it was marvellous.

Now when we have bought a vineyard in Portugal it feels like we have abandoned  Greece. It will be hard to go there for us in the future. Greek islands will always have a piece of my heart.

Friends

Friends
You cannot do without good friends. I think I am surrounded by the best ones. My friends always support me, They do not always agree with me but they always stick by me even if I am wrong. They don´t judge, always want what is best and are always happy for me.

When we, Lasse and I, are about to make a new life for ourselves whether it will be soon or a bit later, some people tell us it is impossible. "You don´t know anything about wine making" they say. "It will never work" . Some even go behind our backs and talk to other people about our impossible future plans.

And....... so what.

Are you jealous?

My god at least let us try. What if we fail? What will happen?

NOTHING!!!!!
 So we will go back to Sweden again and start all over.

What hurts the most is that people who you thought would support and believe in you, don´t.

Well the heck with you. I stick with my friends. The ones that will always be by my side whatever will happen, whatever stupid ideas I might get.

You, my friends out there; I love you.

Åse

To return home from Portugal

This picture is the inner court yard in April. Now it is full of flowers and absolutely peaceful.

Now it has started to sink in. We have actually done it. We bought a vineyard in Portugal. It is only the down payment that has been paid and something can still go wrong. If we decide that we don´t want to buy it we will loose our down payment. If the sellers have second thoughts about selling they will have to return the down payment times two. I really hope that nothing will go wrong.

When we traveled around in the area we saw this ocre colour on very many farms and houses. Since the farm is painted in blue and white (and many other colours on windows and doors) we decided that we wanted to put our mark on it and change to this ocre which is so beautiful. So the farm will be white as it is today but with ocre details. I think it will be sunny and nice.

The pictures below are from the beautiful Laguna de Obidos and Foz de Arelho and Sao Martinho do Porto which is only 12 kilometers from the vineyard. The first picture is from April. The beach is uncrowded and so nice. The second picture is from June but the beaches are still fairly empty.

many houses were painted in ocre and white

Foz de Arelho April 2013

Sao Martinho do Porto in June

To leave this paradise wasn´t simple and at the moment I don´t know when I will be back. Maybe I can get some time off  from work during the wine harvest. Lasse will go anyway.

When we got home from Portugal we were so busy preparing for my birthday party that we didn´t really have time to think about the vineyard so much. Now there is an emptiness in both of us. It isn´t easy to get back to work knowing that the farm will empty this winter and we cannot be there yet. We just want to get started with our new lives.

Birthday party

The party was a hectic affair since there were so many people coming. I thought that maybe 15 people would come since it was in the middle of the holidays and most people would have gone abroad or sailing. The weather turned out to be beautiful and not too hot. We sat outside the whole evening which makes everything much easier.

Friends and family helped out a lot during the evening in the kitchen and by the grill so thanks to all of you. Next year when Lars is getting 50 we will be in Portugal harvesting the wine. Hopefully we will be as many people then :-)

Cheers

many friends came to celebrate

The weather was perfect

Even dogs need dinner a day like this in spite of all left overs

Met my cousin Susanne again. 23 years ago since we saw each other last time

eating and drinking

My wonderful friend Anna-Lena held a marvelous speech/fairy tale

friends and family

grilled veggies

I wonder why the dogs stuck to Yvonne`s side all evening

bye bye

To all of you who came to celebrate. Thanks!

Åse

All photos were taken by Håkan Pihl

Planning the day

Yet another beautiful day. But no beach for me today since I am quite busy. Today we´re baking the cakes, making glaze for the meat, making sauce, boiling the rest of the meat, making the oven omelettes. At the same time there are a lot clothes to be washed and a really messy kitchen to take care of. Yuk!

But I am not complaining because it is going to be a lot of fun tomorrow when I´m having my birthday party.
When this is over I am going to read a lot, ride Pontus, go to the beach (if the weather allows it) and starting with the home page for the quinta. Hopefully we can let some of the apartments on the vineyard next summer. If the bookings start to come in we can hopefully move there soon. If there will be no bookings we just have to wait.  The waiting is the worst since you want to start your new life NOW. Dream on dream on.

Lasse has decided that we are going to Stockholm for a weekend in the end of July. He wants to make up for  the "no surprise" birthday I had in Lisbon. I said that it wasn´t necessary but he insisted so this time he is planning it all. I am not allowed to do anything at all. Just sit still in the boat and enjoy the ride. Ok I will do that.Pretty nice of him.

Going back to my kitchen chores

Åse

work in the stable and trying the food

Yesterday was fairly busy. First I went to Gothenburg to see a doctor. Then i picked up the meat I ordered for my party on Saturday. I bought dog food in the horse and hound shop. Quick lunch and then a walk with the dogs in the woods.

Lasse came home from Karlstad had a quick lunch and then we headed for the stable. We were going to clear out Pontus`s box from the old straw pellets. This is something you do once a year. Of course you tidy it every day but the big clean out is once a year. Heavy to say the least. Then we cleaned the place out using a pressure washer. It took a while but now it looks bright and clean.

We took a trip up to the summer pasture where the horses are grazing, having a holiday almost. I whistle at Pontus and his face when he saw me. We haven´t seen each other for almost a month. Then he came walking, happily, towards me. That was a surprise. Normally he turns his rear towards me kind of demonstrating that he doesn´t want to come.

In the evening we cooked the meat we´re going to serve on Saturday. Not the actual meat but the recipe of course. The meat was delicious but looked very ugly since it was so tender it fell apart. We are still serving it but will see if we can do some alterations to make it stay together more.

Busy day today as well. Picking up veggies, do the big shopping, a person who is going to look at our destroyed wooden floor is coming, cleaning outside and inside and more and more.

But the sun is shining and I am still very happy and excited about my farm in Portugal. Want to move now!!!!

Åse