Killing Time
adminWhen it takes more than three hours to get the tires changed on the car, you come up with some interesting games among the isles of tires.
Happy Friday
And doughnut day, and superhero pajama day!
Day 5, 6, 7 – Stockholm
The weather in Stockholm was just starting to warm up for the season when I arrived and there was almost no snow left on the ground. Lots to do here including visiting the Ice Bar, the Nobel Prize Museum, visiting the Royal Palace, and plenty of other museums.
I had a very interesting experience while visiting the Royal Palace. I was chatting with a “security guard” in one of the palace halls (she was about 75 years old and had a comfortable chair so she didn’t have to stand for too long). I asked if the building was actively used by the royal family. She said yes, in fact the king was in the next room over meeting with the president of Croatia. The door to that room was about 20 feet away and you definitely got the feeling that it would be inappropriate to go open it not because you’d be grabbed by the Swedish version of the secret service and wrestled to the ground, but rather that it would just be rude and so nobody would consider doing it. There was no security check when I entered the building, no metal detectors, nobody wanting to look through my bag. She said in Sweden they just don’t have the sort of security worries we have in the U.S.
To Do List
On the way to school this morning Kenzie said she wanted to make a list of the things we needed to do today. When we got to school, this is what I found! Each image has a box next to it so she could check it off when we are done! Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!!
Based on this list, our day involves:
– picking flowers
– doing laundry
– going to dinner with Barbie (Barbie was flattered with the portrait)
– watching TV
Day 2,3 and 4 – Prague
Wow. Just wow. What an amazing city. This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. Incredible buildings and history, and the people are so friendly and welcoming. We spent a lot of time just wandering around town and through the castle, but also took a tour covering Prague and World War Two. One of the pictures shows today vs 1945 from the same place as the Nazis entered the city. Also scattered around the city are these small memorials in front of building doors with the names of mostly Jewish residents who were sent to concentration camps during the war and when/where they were killed. I didn’t know what to expect from Prague, but I’m leaving VERY IMPRESSED!
Brain
Kenzie’s teacher just shared this picture. The teacher asked her, “What do you like to do for fun?” Kenzie said, “I like to use my brain and think of cool things. This is a picture of my brain.” ((Such an awesome answer !)). I love this kid!
Play Day
While Jodi was at the Shamrock run with her team, Kenzie got to play with Tavon and his family.
Terezin (Czech Republic)
About an hour northwest of Prague is the Nazi concentration camp “Terezin.” Visiting a concentration camp is something I’ve always wanted to experience, but the way the timing worked out I was not able to take a traditional tour. So I opted to hire a taxi for the afternoon since this was the only way I’d be able to fit it in.
Terezin was not a typical killing camp like Auschwitz, but instead was a holding camp where people were gathered before being sent to an extermination camp. Even so, the condition resulted in many many people dying while they waited.
This was definitely not enjoyable in the traditional sense, but ABSOLUTELY something worth seeing at some point in your life. Being there and seeing this, it’s hard to wrap your head around what we as people can do to other people given the right circumstances.
The sign above the arch says “Work Sets You Free”
Pool Day
Barbie invited us over to play in the pool and Kenzie got to play with Alex and Simon! After dinner we went to Red Robin for some burgers and thumb wars!
