After classes in Grebbestad, Mark and I headed to the east coast of Sweden for the week-long event Greenland Academy, held at Green Island. Green Island is a fantastic shop on a lake on the outskirts of Stockholm, and not only does it provide kayak rentals and sales, but it sells ice-cream as well. With temperatures soaring in Sweden this week, both kayaking and ice-cream were very popular.

Talking about paddles.

Per makes one of his own.

Throughout the week we instructed in multi-level rolling, strokes, maneuvers, rescues and teacher training programs. We also ran a daily Yoga for Paddlers session. The staff at Green Island were lively and wonderful, and we thank everyone for their hospitality.

Maneuvering strokes.

Chariot races.

Rescues

More rescues.

Rolling instruction.

Morning yoga.

Mark and I also had the opportunity to spend a little time exploring the fabulous city of Stockholm. We rode a train to the heart of the city and spent a day exploring the Old Town and peering over bridges into both flat and whitewater canals that run through the city. We spied an amusement park and rode a ferry over to it. Grona Lund was lots of fun, and we rode one roller coaster after the next and played in the best fun house that I’d ever been in.

Homemade waffle cones.

A Royal Guard.

We ended the day at Aifer, a tasty Viking Restaurant located in the Old Town. The restaurant was great fun with the staff dressed in Viking clothing. Whenever diners would enter, their origin was announced to the entire restaurant, who would then clap before continuing to eat at the long, decorated communal tables.

Playing in the Old Town.

Today we head down the coast for a couple of days of sightseeing before our next classes in Karlshamn.

On another note, Zegul Marine has provided us with a fantastic van for the tour. The van is decorated with our tour schedule, several logos and a picture of the back of a man that we’ve been fondly calling “Zegul Man.” Our students have begun posing next to the van in the “Zegul Man pose.” We’ve been putting these pictures on the Zegul Marine Facebook page. We encourage YOU to take your own pictures in the pose and post them as well. Or you can send them to us and we’ll post them.

Zegul Man.

Hope to see you on the road!

Pictures by Helen and Mark