I’ve been right here all along! But what this post is really wants you to know is that Sunny District has a new page where I share links to all the places I have been to & written about. Just click on the link ‘WHERE’S SHE GOING‘ below the header image and read about my travel stories. I know there are some countries I am yet to talk about, but I’m going to close that gap soon, soon… I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!
Sweden’s National Day celebrations organised by the Sundbyberg Kommun. Happy weekend, everyone!
P.S. Click on a picture to view gallery.
A couple of years ago some of our friends gave Mr.A a special birthday gift, but what’s more, it turned out to be a bonus gift for me as well. Tickets to a chopper ride for two over the city of Stockholm, no less! Having already accomplished a sky dive the previous year, we both knew very well that neither of us had an insane fear of heights and were very excited about this adventure. We waited nearly a year to fix the perfect day to make it happen. On any given flight, I always make it a point to look out and take in the city from above. It’s just one of those things I enjoy. Since a helicopter does not fly as high as an airplane, the sights become so much clearer and way more vivid.
Join me on an aerial tour of Stockholm…
The chopper was a fine black bird. Since the motors bellowed & thundered, we had to communicate through the headphone-and-mike things hanging from the chopper ceiling. It felt so cool, I tell ya!
I got the lucky front seat next to the pilot!!
The chopper took off from the Bromma airstrip & the first landmark to catch our attention was the Solvalla horse racing track.
The iconic Stockholm City Hall
Riddarholmen island & the distinct black spires of the Riddarholmskyrkan
Picture perfect Gamla Stan, with a closer look at the Tyska Kyrkan or the German Church.
Gröna Lund, the exciting amusement park on the island of Djurgården
Kaknästornet, the TV tower, which for a long time remained the tallest building in Stockholm.
The cruise terminal for the Tallink & Silja Line fleets.
Friends Arena, the shiny new stadium with a retractable roof, which houses football matches and concerts, both very popular in Swedish culture.
What’s more, we spotted our apartment as a big bonus! It’s in one of the green buildings towards the lower right of the picture. Yes, you are most welcome to visit!
An adventure, a joy ride in every sense of the words 😀 So much fun! Hope you enjoyed the tour as much as we did.
My best & craziest adventure evvver was a surprise gift from Mr.A on our very first anniversary – a sky dive. I shared this picture as an entry for the ‘Adventure‘ prompt on the Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge last week, but as promised, I am writing a bit more about my experience…
I had no idea about Mr.A’s plans until the night before we actually did the jump. It was supposed to be a vacation in Sydney, sight-seeing, wining-dining, relaxing, all of which went great. And then on the evening before our final day in Sydney, he drops this on me – tomorrow, my dear, we do a sky jump. Bam. Whoosh. I go, whattt?! My first reaction was, are you kidding me? But it didn’t really take much thought to get all pumped up about the awesomeness of the idea!
Rightly said, too
Up
Everything will be okay!
So next morning, off we went nestling butterflies in our tummies. We signed on at the office, suited up, then drove in a little van to the airs-trip. Ironically or appropriately, the radio was playing “don’t worry, be happy” at one point during that drive. Mr.A & I looked at each other and laughed, nervous, excited, pumped-up, all at once. At the air-strip a tiny plain stood to fly seven of us – 3 pairs of tandem jumpers and the pilot. It’s the smallest air plane I have even been in, no seats, we sat lined up on the floor, and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t fully confident that this toy plane could actually fly even as the engine started and we took off to reach the jump level of 9000 feet.
Upside down
Down we go
Free fall
Whoosh!
I was the smallest of the jumpers, so my turn was first, and what can I say, it was the feeling of ultimate exhilaration when my feet left contact with the plane. I still hold that vision in memory, the airplane flying past my line of sight, glinting in the sun as we flipped over once and then… free fall! That rush I can’t really describe. Wind gushed past, I was so full of wonder I couldn’t blink , and I remember I wasn’t screaming either, just open-mouthed gaping! As we fell to a certain height, the instructor pulled the cords of the parachute and it spread open overhead. Everything became so peaceful and calm, as we glided through the air, watching the lush green fields and pools way below us.
As I said, best adventure evvver! Thanks Mr.A, you make me brave! ❤
oh beauty
Slowly drifting
Gently gliding
You spotted me…
…and I spotted you!
Far below…
So, what’s your craziest adventure yet?
The ultimate adventure you ask? But of course, a free fall from the sky!
I’ll soon write a detailed account of my skydiving experience. Meanwhile you can read about more of my adventures and take a look at the previous photo challenge entries.
Update: As I promised, you can also read about this thrilling experience!
Sunny District 