After several days of temperatures hovering around the zero mark, the weather gods have blessed us with a balmy 11C today. Almost time to break out the bathers. Well, maybe not as the forecast for Thursday is SNOW!!!! I can't wait! The first snow of the season always excites me, even though this is my fifth winter in Sweden. Maybe I have a sentimental attachment to this time of year as it was the time I first arrived in Sweden and my first impressions and experiences in my new land were played out under the backdrop of snow.

As I said, the last few days have been really cold, but blindingly sunny. Take a look at this photo of the church that we took yesterday afternoon.



It looks so warm and cosy, doesn't it? Well the sun was lovely and perfectly created this image of warmth and colour, but it was 3C and I was decked out in many layers of clothes. The only hint that this is a winter shot is the lack of foilage on the trees. Still, I love the rich colours they use on buildings here - they look so elegant and classy.

The other night, Lars-Göran was walking down at the harbour. It was around 11.00pm and the night was still and quiet, even at the harbour. Those tugs we saw earlier were quietly sleeping at the fishing pier.



While heading back towards home, he heard the unmistakable sound of what he thought was one of the local hoons tearing around town in his car. We have several of this species living here. Kids in the country seem to drive at an earlier age and as all of the roads outside of the town limits have a higher speed limit, they tend to drive fast as well. Add to that the combination of no police in town, powerful cars, testosterone and peer pressure and you get a core group who treat the town as their private racetrack.

As he neared the main shopping area, he saw the car - a powerful V8 Audi, fairly new, bright red. It made it's way towards the mall area, mounting the curb and scraping the under chassis, before executing a screeching u-turn and heading away. As it was so still and quiet, he heard the car as it roared through the town at high speed. The echo seemed to follow him as he walked along. Then suddenly from a distance he heard the screech of tyres, followed by a distinct thwack, then silence.

He came in and told me about it and we speculated about whether it was a kid taking dad's car out for a joy-ride, a stolen car or perhaps a leased car that the driver didn't give a damn about. We wondered what had happened to it, as it obviously had come to grief somewhere. As Lars-Göran said, it was hard to tell where the sound came from nor indeed how far away it was.

As we walked along past Nynäshavsbad train station on our way towards the boat club, we spotted this in the front garden of a house on the corner of Strandvägen just by the station.



Oops...

We examined the scene and could see that it failed to take the bend, possibly skidding on some wet leaves on the road. It then hit the kerb with the front passenger wheel, that snapped off at the axel, mounted the kerb at about the point where you see the white car in the picture, then flew through the hedge, breaking the top section, narrowly missing the tree and rock and came to rest. That should be an interesting story for the insurance company :) We saw from the numberplate holder that it was a locally purchased car, so we are waiting for tomorrow's local paper to see if there is any hot gossip about it.

As we head for our coldest darkest season, those of you in Australia are readying yourselves for summer. I just had to share this picture that a fellow Adelaidian sent me, that pretty much sums up our view of Melbourne weather. Don't try and deny it! I can see my friend Pauline already heading over to the phone to let me know how wrong I am.

And me, being so perfect? Don't believe me? Well, just take a look at what Marie means. You can check your own name here, but I bet it's not as good as mine.

Till next time - and hopefully from a snowdrenched country - take care!