It's not like I don't like to do things on the spur of the moment - I love it, in fact call me now and invite me for coffee rather than book weeks ahead! Alright - this is a poke at the Swedes!
Picture the scene, Frank and I, no, not on the sofa! Each in front of a laptop in my 'rectangular' office, Frank watching 'Super 14' matches, that's rugby - SA/NZ/AUS teams battling it out and I on, yes Facebook chatting to friends. Out of the blue, I tell Frank that I would love nothing better than to visit Stockholm. He answers that it would be a very good idea for Alix and I to get away from here!! Not the reaction I was expecting! Nearly fell off my chair.
Fate was on my side, KLM have bargain flights SP to Arlanda cost a few Reais more than Stephans ticket from Cape Town to Sao Paulo! KLM is also one of the most user friendly internet sites of all Airlines! So I was a very happy chappy. See Prozac already working and I had even moved from my chair! And the smile became wider as I saw myself walking in Gamla Stan along Västerlånggatan, will pick up a few new 'uniforms' (my signature Indian dresses,) buy curtains for the guest toilet at Indiska, Alix will have an ice-cream at our favourite stall and so much more. The Royal Wedding will be over, so the inner city will be spick and span and I will be able to catch up on all the Royal gossip!
I plan to catch the Arlanda Express into the city instead of the taxi or have someone collect us. The freedom of being able to get around by myself on my own and with speed and efficiency! Alix and I have been invited to spend 'Midsommer' on Puttisholmen with our old neighbours! There is nothing like time-out in the Archipelago. It is a magical part of the world probably made by Fairies and Elves! 'Google' Swedish or Stockholm Archipelago and you will see what I mean! 10 000 Islands many inhabited by their summer residents in 'Falu röd' houses. Being Scandinavia every 'home' has a flagpole and on this day the enormous 'holiday' Swedish Flag will be flying!
I am going to enjoy the wide open spaces in the city centre! Water, boats, trees and a view that stretches further than the apartment across the road! I am going to walk along the Edsviken as far as Edsberg Slott and have coffee at Mörby Centre. Hopefully some of my old friends will still be working in the various stores!
Ooooo the Prozac feel good. We also going to have kanelbulle for breakfast, fika all day and have 'köttbulle och potatis!' Oh yes and it will be 'gravad lax och farsk dill potatis!' Okay, now I am getting hungry!
Now for the nightmare side of the tour! The Schengen countries adopted a new Visa Code last month! Lets just say that it is incredibly racist! The Nordic countries were amongst the 'Anti-apartheid Movements' staunchest allies. Now the government of their choice is in AND now our passports are basically useless!! There is an understanding between governments concerning Diplomatic Passports which made it easier for us to get holiday Visas. Not so anymore - basically what they are implying is that even government officials are no longer welcome!
So figure this out, I will enter on my Schengen passport, no questions asked - in fact it will take less than five minutes at passport control - I have the new Biometric Passport - whoppee. BUT my poor 14 year old needs an invitation (special form now mind you, and my son must get a letter from the Tax office to enable him to invite her), she must provide bank statements, proof of everything - literally! Copies of passport - ALL the pages, 30,000 Euro medical cover and a document supporting stated reason for visit & income tax documents???
HOLD IT - she is 14 years old!! She is accompanying me an EU and Schengen Citizen!!!
At her age she has nothing to her name except a birth certificate - 3 actually and 2 passports!
The joy of our nomadic life is that her Czech Passport arrived at the Embassy in Pretoria just four days after we left for Sao Paulo! Only Frank or I can collect it in Pretoria at the Embassy!
So theoretically their raison d'etre is actually invalid! Alix and I and my two sons and Frank, by virtue of marriage, can settle in Sweden and they can do sweet blow all about it!!
Okay, that felt so good!! Now to the nitty gritty, the Czech Embassy in Sao Paulo has been fabulous! If all goes well Alix will have another passport - don't ask, all perfectly legal.
Lets hope fate remains on my side - our air tickets are booked and paid!
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