Christmas is just around the corner. Time is ticking away at a furious pace and it's already 20 December. Just a few days left until Christmas Eve ... We are working on our various projects and living the houseboat life, sometimes in quite stormy weather!
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Houseboating in stormy weather
We are living the houseboat life as usual, and the last week has been quite stormy. It's the kind of thing that doesn't escape you when you live in a houseboat. You wake up several times a night to the sound of rocking, splashing, creaking or banging in the hull. There is always something!
Neighbours alerted us to the fact that one of the wheels under our gangway had broken in the wind, and Peter set out to change it. At the same time he realised that the whole boat had started to move too far towards the lamp post and that some fenders were out of place. Time to re-tie and fix. Houseboat life, pure and simple!
Christmas is just around the corner...
Christmas is just around the corner, and we have been "decorating" FREEDOMtravel by highlighting various stories about Christmas. At home, we don't make a big deal of the holiday, although we will see some relatives and eat some Christmas food.
This time of the year is quite quiet for us and we take the chance to catch up in different ways. We spend a lot of time on our new project (a travel agency!) and have had several meetings this week. In addition, we had time to make a cosy trip to Vinterviken with our friends on Sunday - which resulted in a report about destinations in the footsteps of Nobel.
Best this week
The best thing this week? It's probably that we got a lot done and that we managed to shorten the long line of unanswered emails in the inbox a bit. And of course Peter's food! Peter goes all in for cooking at the moment, which means I (Helena) am getting very spoilt with good food. Happy Friday!
Your turn... What can you highlight as positive from your week?
The week ahead
The week ahead is Christmas. Here at FREEDOMtravel.se, there will be a post every morning at 06:00, regardless of the day of the year. In the near future, the focus will be on everything from travel to Christmas and New Year's food. Now we wish you a nice Friday and nice (unstressed!) Christmas preparations!
Did you miss the last Happy Friday? Read the Happy Lucia! wishes FREEDOMtravel
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Mr Nilsson's wife says:
I imagine it sways well in the wind when you live on a houseboat. They can even tear themselves apart when you sleep, so you might wake up somewhere completely different from where you fell asleep. What a horrible thought. The boat almost looks like you've built a house on a boat deck, maybe they are.
Kramiz
20 December 2024 - 6:42
Helena says:
It would probably take a lot for it to break, but it can certainly rock in a storm! And yes, in a way you could say that it is a "house" built on a boat hull. It was once a passenger sloop, then converted into a houseboat, and then rebuilt several times ...
20 December 2024 - 7:47
Netti Starby says:
How hard that the boat rocked during the night and what good neighbours you have who are attentive. Hugs <3
20 December 2024 - 7:58
Helena says:
Very nice with attentive neighbours when you live like we do! 🙂
20 December 2024 - 8:39
Anna in Portugal says:
It will be a little different things to keep track of when you live on a boat, I understand. So good when neighbours can help and discover things that need fixing. Perhaps the best thing is that we started the winter tree plantings, a heavy but always equally satisfying! Have a great Friday.
20 December 2024 - 8:21
Helena says:
Yes, a little different kind of fixing is when you live in a houseboat! 😉 Great that you are starting with the tree planning! Wish you a nice Friday and weekend!
20 December 2024 - 8:40
4000mil says:
The best thing for us right now is a given. That we are in Mauritius and get to spend Christmas here. 🏝️
20 December 2024 - 11:22
Helena says:
Wonderful! Enjoy and have a wonderful Christmas in the heat!
20 December 2024 - 12:11
The Adventure of the Future says:
I think you have a wonderful life. Living in a houseboat is practical in many ways, even if it rocks and has itself when it storms. Being a homeowner also has its sides, so whether the house is on water or on land, it's still pretty much the same.
Actually, most of the things here are positive but the best thing right now is that I don't have classes to go to even though I enjoy speaking Portuguese with my teacher.
Suddenly, there is time for things I have longed to do.
Wishing you a nice weekend and not too harsh winds.
20 December 2024 - 11:30
Helena says:
Yes, there are definitely similarities between house and houseboat. This is also a kind of house to be painted, renovated, etc. The difference is that we do not have a garden, but instead there is a gangway, fenders, ropes, ducks and some other crafts 😉 Wish you a nice Friday and weekend!
20 December 2024 - 12:13
Ditte says:
Of course, living in a houseboat is a lot of practicalities to deal with. We live on the quay and have x number of communal places with us in the canal. Even there it is checked that everything is as it should be. And if it is windy, it is even more important.
The best thing this week? Our lovely stay in Tenerife. Third year we are here. The first two days there was a storm 30 m/sec with Caliban coming in from Africa. But then +26, even in the evening and glorious sun. Grateful to be able to travel albeit not so far. But we choose to travel comfortably in the plane and that makes it much easier.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and good luck with the travel agency plans.
20 December 2024 - 13:53
Helena says:
How lovely to visit Tenerife! I understand you had a storm too, huh! But nice that it got better afterwards! We have also thought about the Canary Islands and will probably time eventually! (Have visited Tenerife and Gran Canaria, but long before we started the blog).
20 December 2024 - 17:29
Anna Nilsson Spets says:
Yes here it has stormed and rained heavily but around 10 degrees. Now I count the days until departure. I want a Peterkopia for my kitchen from Santa!
20 December 2024 - 17:54
Helena says:
So I understand your desire, Peter's cooking is awesome actually! Then it goes a bit in periods of course, depending on how much time you have and other things. Understand that you are counting the days to departure now! Exciting!!!
20 December 2024 - 18:48
BP says:
This year you have at least avoided the pounding of ice cubes against the hull... so far. Fun with "neighbourhood watch" with neighbours who discover certain "errors". Invaluable! And that seafood plate from Ciao Ciao I could die for: -)
20 December 2024 - 18:08
Helena says:
Haha, yes you remember the ice floes pounding against the hull ... 😉 They will probably show up a little later, but not now anyway! And yes, very nice with neighbours who have some control over the boat. We usually try to keep an eye on each other here 🙂
20 December 2024 - 18:50
bmlarstravellingblog says:
We understand that you have had a bumpy ride this windy week. I remember when we visited you when there was also a storm on the way. here we have a guaranteed stress-free time before Christmas which is incredibly nice. We went for a walk today and then went past the fish van at ICA Maxi to buy some fresh prawns. My goodness what chaos there was in the car park. I was glad that I bought the most necessary things early this morning.
The best part of the week was probably meeting my girls and their families for some unpretentious Christmas celebrations last weekend. Everyone was healthy and happy and it's only once a year that we all get together at the same time.
We wish you a great weekend!
20 December 2024 - 18:35
Helena says:
Glad you don't have to worry about Christmas! Can't say we are stressing either. Nice with Christmas celebrations already last weekend! It does not have to be a specific day, I think the important thing is that you get the opportunity to see! Have a good time!
20 December 2024 - 18:51
Lillan Child says:
I've always thought it would be cosy to live on a houseboat. But I imagine that sleep will not be so peaceful in stormy weather. It's bad enough when it roars outside the windows, but at least the bed is still 😀
How exciting that you are starting a travel agency!
20 December 2024 - 20:51
Helena says:
It is very cosy to live in a houseboat, we think! 🙂 We like that you feel the nature and the weather, then it can be a little too much of wind sometimes ... 😉 And yes, very exciting with the travel agency!
21 December 2024 - 8:27
JoY says:
I can imagine that it shakes in the tampers when it blows as it has done this week. Glad you are being pampered with good food, I have the same, if not as nice arrangements. Where this cold is going to go with me, I have no idea, just to rest, drink, keep your distance and not hug, so they say. at the Vc.
No Christmas stress here either and it will be Christmas anyway. Wishing you a nice 4th Advent weekend.
20 December 2024 - 21:08
Helena says:
Great that you are also spoilt with good food! Really hope the cold goes away soon!!!
21 December 2024 - 8:41
The aunt in town says:
Houseboat sounds like a cool accommodation. Sometimes I look at the ones in Malmö and wonder what they would be like to live in.
It's great to be spoilt by good food too.
This week has been a stressful week at work with lots of things going wrong and lots of things to get ready for handover. But we went to a Christmas quiz in the pub on Wednesday with friends we haven't seen for a few years. It was great fun!
Tonight is the Christmas party, another highlight.
Love Kajsa
21 December 2024 - 9:38