Beautiful weather has arrived and Kajsa's learning to ride a bike. Click here for words and pix. 

I was biking around the neighborhood this morning and listening to a Freakonomics podcast, The Days of Wine and Mouses. First of all, it was a very illuminating podcast. Seems like the most telling factor in how we judge a wine is by its price. Many soi-disant wine experts can't tell the difference between a $10 bottle of wine and a $50 bottle. Sheesh. I knew it.  I'm not much of an oenophile anyway. But a logophile? You betcha.

Then I was biking past the tennis courts at the end of Tennisvägen [pictured] and I noticed a tall, young woman alone on one of the courts. She was half-heartedly hitting tennis balls and I stopped to ask her a question about using the courts. After telling me in halting English about how it works, she asked if I was any good and did I want to hit some with her since doing it "by yourself is boring."

I said I was so-so and that I'd like to hit some. "I'll be back in... seven minutes." So, seven minutes later we were hitting some balls back and forth. I had no idea how good she might have been before entering the court. In the back of my mind I was thinking about how so many Swedes play tennis and how there are so many streets in various towns called "Tennisvägen." But I needn't have worried. It soon became apparent that I was the better player. But then I asked her name, and how long she'd been playing. Madeleine had only been playing for about two years! I was very impressed. She didn't strike me as a beginner. More of an intermediate player. Then she started asking me for pointers.  So for a few minutes I instantly transformed into my mother (who largely taught me) and I told her how to hit topspin and such.

Weather permitting we'll play again on Friday morning. But then this weekend she's traveling to Paris for five weeks. But I said we'd be living here through the end of July and she was keen to play when she got back in mid June. Perhaps I'd play against her and Tina. (I'd told her that my wife was roughly at the same skill level she was).

So that was lucky!

We recently returned from a weekend visit to Legoland. A good time was had by all. Words and pix here. 

I've posted a couple new sets of pictures on my site. The first is our weekend in Ystad. The second is Glad Påsk (Happy Easter). 

Luke (age 10) is currently studying up on the Vikings for a school project. He brought home a children's book on the subject. I was a bit surprised to see one of the illustrations in it. And we ALL got a good laugh over it. (What is that pig looking at?!) As Kajsa (age 7) pointed out: "You can see his wiener!" I kept myself from saying the word I was thinking of. (It begins with B). No need to go there yet -- at least not with my daughter. 

We took a day trip to Denmark last Saturday, visiting family. Take a look. (The picture above was taken at a train station in Copenhagen). 

The kids and I are doing a little reading on the little couch. Luke is reading An Elephant in the Garden; Kajsa is reading Kalle Ankas Pocket 268: Jakten på Storfot; and I'm reading At Home: A Short History of Private Life. 

Icy ocean. (I see ocean). Three pix. 

We got some real snow yesterday. Here's some pictures from our family walk. Klicka här for wintry goodness.