I should have written about this earlier but I kept forgetting, so a little late, here goes:
As work Chinese new year drew closer, we finished up the work in Switzerland and planned to go back home. I however, did go back to Taiwan, instead i took a short flight north to Sweden were I met up with Yini at the airport. A few hours later, my parents came to pick us up and we drove north. Since we started fairly late, we slept one night in Gävle about two hours north of Stockholm. The next day we continued up to one of Sweden’s most famous ski resorts, Åre, and check into our apartment hotel there.
Yini, unlike most other Taiwanese, has seen snow before, but not as much as we had up there, and she has not done much skiing before. So, the first day we bought a sledge and me and Yini spent all day playing in the snow and having plenty of fun going down some small slopes on the sledge.
Having fun with the sledge
Making snow angels
The second day in Åre, we rented some gear for Yini and i started teaching her snowboarding. It went slow at first, and she fell often but after lunch, she suddenly started getting it. After that she got steadily better by the hour. Though there were a few falls during the way, we kept at it for three days, and at the end of the third day, Yini managed to take the lift up short slope, and go all the way down without falling. Very well done I think.
Yini taking the lift, just like a pro
Yini going down the slope, looks good
We decided to take a bit of rest after that, and perheps do a small tour on snow mobile. Sadly, there were no snow mobiles to rent but me and yini did take the gondola up to the very top of the mountain, for a short stroll and a look a the view. it was a gorgeous sunny day and we thuroughly enjoyed our time on the top. The next day ther were still no snow mobils to rent and I felt a serious need to get a bit more skiing done. So, I took the board and headed out in the slopes, while my parents and Yini went to Tennforsen for some beautiful nature. I had a blast in the slopes and they had a nice day out as well.
Yini on the top of Åreskutan
Me on the top of Åreskutan
Panorama of the view from the top
Snow flowers clinging to the edge of a rock
Yini getting lost on the desolate snow plains
The last day, Yini was bit tired, so i joined my parents for skiing in the morning, which was pretty nice. We came back to the house in the afternoon and me and Yini went out with the sledge again and had a couple of really nice runs to end the week with. That evening, the four of us, me, Yini mom an dad all went out for a really nice dinner. The day after we drove south, mom and dad dropped us off in Stockholm and Yini and I have spent the last day looking around in the city. Now I am in our hotel room writing this, tomorrow Yini will fly home to Taiwan but I have to stay for some more work.
The last happy sledge runs
