Sweden to Norway

Before leaving Lyr, there was one more adventure I wanted to go on: hiking to the one, sandy beach on the island. While Pete stayed back to pack and Jude stayed to play with Hedda, Maeve and I joined a few in the group to find the trailhead. 

An app showed us the general direction to go in as we hiked over rocky outcroppings and through woods. 

Beach found! One group that came by boat was there already. 

Beautiful, deep purple starfish was in the water. 

The water was cold, but refreshing on another warm day. 

This girl was my hiking buddy, enthusiastic, brave, and not a single whine! She told me over and over about how great she was doing/being. Agreed sweetheart!  

Blueberry picking

Cool man-made bridge

Back home, we said our goodbyes, hoping that we'll get some visitors in Amsterdam before too long (or pull off a return trip to Stockholm). Then it was off to our 3rd and final country of the trip: Norway! 

Swedish church in the countryside

Norway had been on our list since we moved to Europe, but I was always put off by the price tag (the kronor is very strong). Last summer our friends Paul and Andrea moved to Oslo and last fall we learned that our kids could tolerate long road trips, so the plan was hatched. My parents were keen to join us and between having our own car, sharing AirBnBs, and bringing a lot of food and booze from the NL, we managed to see Norway on a budget. 

First stop was Oslo, less than a 3 hour drive from where we had stayed in Sweden. We were reunited with Paul, Andrea, and Ella after 5 years (!!) and got to meet toddler Sloane. They hosted us for 3 nights and welcomed us with an American BBQ on arrival. Maeve took to Ella immediately and loved her sleepovers and playtime during our visit. And we think that Sloane and Pete knew each other in a previous life, because they quickly became inseparable! Sloane found Pete wherever he was and wanted to snuggle. It was so cute! There was a lot to catch up on after all that time apart and we enjoyed the long hours of daylight in their back yard after the kids were asleep.