What hit me was that the whole harbor area was so clean – even it was industrial was there no litter what so ever around – even if I didn’t like the place where Voyager was laid to rest because of all the metal scrapping around him, was it so tidy and clean.

I decided to take the shortcut back to town center over the railway yard – and the old railways station, that is all closed up now for years. They have moved the railway station to a bit outside town center, to make the journey much quicker.
Before they have to take the train into the town center and then drive it out again, not very efficient. The rails are still in use for freight  to/from  the harbor and the industries in the area.

The old station house is a beautiful building and it’s a pity that nothing is done with it. I think the bus drivers have some kind of rest area in there, at least they had. One of those things I would love to save if I had the money … but I didn’t win on Friday. I would have turned the old station into a hostel.

Not very practical short cut I took over the rails and when I came to the old station house I couldn’t get out of the area, so I have to walk back and take the walking bridge over the yard.

Had a new SD card in my camera, but no spare batteries – so of course my camera went dead and there was so much more to put it against. So I went back 2 days later … just loved all the details around the area – not a pretty place in itself, but looking through my camera is became interesting and beautiful in it’s boldness and roughness.

While looking for object to put my camera at … I heard somebody shouting; Hello .. first I thought is was some security guard – but it was 3 great Danish boys out on an adventure; David, Matti and Mark.
Two were from Denmark and the oldest from Greenland, they live in Hillerød – very pretty town (slightly smaller than Landskrona) on the east coast of Denmark and they told me that they had came across with David’s dad in his boat for a couple of days. Matti, the tallest boy, did some magic with some pennies. He was very good at it. One moment one – then next three. We spend about 30 min together and I got a chance to practice my Danish, I was amazed how much I remembered. They walked me back to the town center where David’s dad was waiting for them. Very nice company and so pleasant boys.

So on Thursday will I go aboard the Stena Voyager for the last time ever – I know it will be emotional for me – but I also know that HE will get a good write up about in the local press and that means a descent farewell. Somebody showed an interest in him even in end – and I was one of them.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel…
hopefully it’s not a freight train!”
Mariah Carey

This a great tune, “Frieght Train” …. with a group called “Headwater” from Vancouver, Canada. Found it by accident on Soundcloud.  Just brilliant, love the fun lyrics and its such a happy tune.

Then I looked down on my little netbook and I found my escape – the escape button on the keyboard and the camera had to work straight away. Maybe not the best photos I taken, but the object wasn’t easy neither for a small compact camera, but I like them.

Because one of my ways to escape is to work with my blog and my posts … and visit other’s world here,

Check out other entries or join on this link; weekly photo challenge; escape

I wish computer companies would design a keyboard
with a removable crumb tray, kinda like my toaster.
Unkown

‘“Fish and visitors smell in three days.”
Benjamin Franklin’

I doubt it very much …. *smile – but I’m so happy for the day I got, 16.05.2013 – the day I got 743 views and 352 visitors. The highest amount of views I had before yesterday was 398.

Yesterday I posted – the finale destination – my world here nearly exploded. What a fantastic feeling to see that so many people had been reading my posts and looking at my photos. UK was the strongest nation and of course it had to do with all people that had some connection with Stena Voyager and read the post over Facebook. Still it became a magical day for me and my blog.

Thank you ever so much for your support and interest in my post about a part of my working life that was so amazing and exciting. This is so awarding!!!!! Especially when the post is so close to my heart.

Thank you so much, all of you – now we are back to normal and that is more than good to me. At least I had a chance to feel that thrill … once!

What a wonderful world we live in … after all.

“If everyone started off the day singing,
just think how happy they’d be.”
Lauren Myracle

Featured image provided by and thanks to: amovhotov.com

Last Saturday I was on a mission …. to find my beautiful big boy – before he will all be in small pieces. Of course the harbor office was closed – and all gates where closed, it was Saturday. But I walked along the road and there he was … in the dry dock, Stena Voyager had come to his finale destination.

I know that vessels and boats are refereed to as female – but not this one for me …. this is for me very much a HE! Also because I always joked about  it – if he had been a woman, he would had sailed even less. (Sorry, Girls only a joke). In over 4 meters high wave were he not aloud to sail, because of the rescue system, nobody really knew how safe it was in too high waves – so we had to tie up and lay still if the waves was too high. But 4 meter high waves are pretty high. A bit temperamental at times for being a male.

Normally when he gone into dry dock for 2-3 weeks he has come out like a shinning white swan, so majestic – this time he will not be waiting on the dry dock to be filled with water so he will be able to float. He will be leaving in piece by piece.

When I stood there by the gate and looked him – tears came in my eyes, not because of that he has come to his finale rest – no because the surroundings he is laid to rest in. Just metal scrape everywhere, it was so rough – he didn’t look very healthy, but I could hear his breathing. The A/C was on and still very loud, so still life in him and still looking big and strong.

The most exciting working place I ever had – and all the problems … and all the joy when everything worked as it should onboard. One of the 3 Condors of the ocean; powerful, fast, big, spacious and so smooth.

I wasn’t able to take a photo of Stena Line’s red and white logo on the two “funnels” – a building in the way.

But here are the last photos of the most fantastic exciting time of my working life … and the memories will always be with me. I’m happy over that I had the opportunity to be a part of his fantastic years out on the Irish Sea, nearly 11 years in totally with the start up. What fantastic journey we had together.

It seems like we both has come home for the finale rest to this little beautiful town in South of Sweden, Landskrona. Meant to be ????!!!!  Because we had this hate and love relationship, you and I. You are the most powerful man in my life ever *laughing. And also the most extravagance one and with the highest maintenance.

Like most vessels I worked on – they have come back and hunted me under a new name, somewhere else in the world. At least you was aloud to keep your name into the end. Who knows what would be built out of your pieces, - you’re slightly too big to become razor blades. Once  you cost Stena AB £65 /$99.16/€76.46/SEK561.00 millions to build.

You will always be here with me, in that special corner of my heart and now I’m leaving you behind. Rest in peace.

P.S. I just got a phone call from the local newspaper and on Thursday coming (23/5) will I visit Voyager together with a journalist by name, Pär … he’re going to do an article about HIM and his story. I suppose I will be telling the story. So the story goes on a bit longer – glad that even in his last moments he will be notice. Nice one – it feels good!

“I can’t change the direction of the wind,
but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
Jimmy Dean

Related links:
about speed, comfort and service
my passion and my headache

Powerful male, powerful life …. powerful music cloud; Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli singing “Time To Say Goodbye”.

Photos of Stena Voyager at sea provided by and thanks to:
pstew.co.uk/pixstel.com – Featured photo: landgangen.se

Isn’t it fantastic when somebody acknowledge us for what we are doing  and for what we are – same as with response. Love and response is the main ingredients in our live – in what ever we do, what we are and where we are.

I really acknowledge all the support and friendship I get from you all here – and I wouldn’t continue blogging if you did acknowledge me. I love to get comments and I love to give comments … sometime I’m a couple of days behind – and when that happens there is no way I can catch up, so I have to use the delete button, hope you are okay with that. To be honest you don’t have much of a choice. *laughing

This award I was given by Megan@Make Something Mondays - a new acquaintance Megan, she are  a graphic designer – and she say about herself: Actually, I consider myself a creative; graphic designer is just my career title. She are very talent and works in 3D – her world is very interesting, colorful and graphic of course.

So it’s now time for me to pass this award on to … some of my team, worlds that I love to land in *smile – some new and some old. This award is called –  ”Wonderful Team member Readership Award”, first time I have come across it. Thank you so much, Megan.

Rules and regulations is nothing for me – we have never agreed, and I haven’t passed this on in time, had only 7 days to do it … I’m a couple of days late plus I have one too many on my list, but don’t try to hold that against me. I will not take any notice.

Rules and regulations, for those of you that want to pass this on.

1.The Nominee of the Wonderful Team member Readership Award shall display the logo on his/her blog.
2.The Nominee shall nominate 14 readers they appreciate over a period of 7 days, all at once or little by little.
3.The Nominee shall name his/her Wonderful Team Member Readership Award nominees on a post or on posts during 7 days.

Here are my 15 nominees in no particular order. This is one of my ways to say: Thank you! You’re all in my team.

Leanne@Leanne Cole PHOTOGRAPHY

Aina@Lyrics, Sentiments and Me

Jo@restlessjo

Panorama Thoughts@The World Through Moi Eyes…

Adin@anotherdayinparadise

Giovanna@Blue jellybeans

Uru@Go Bake Yourself

terry@terry1954

Madhu@The Urge To Wander

Anyes@Far Away In The Sunshine

Ann-Christine@Leya

Helen@Helen’s Photomania’s Blog

Trisha @Trisha Faye

Karen@Back Road Journal

Jennay@A Day In the Life of Jennay

On my list it’s only ladies this time – and girls, it’s totally up to you if you want to pass it on or not. I’m not the best on that part myself … not because I don’t want to be acknowledge – it’s only because something else always pops up that I “just have to write about”.

Because it’s only girls on my list today – have  I chosen Beyoncé’s ”Run The World (Girls)” – a little girl power is never wrong … especially now when the weekend comes up. It’s all ours, girls.

“Let someone else acknowledge your virtues”
Maori Proverb

Images provided by and thanks to: mandachan.deviantart.com & bleacherreport.com

This little gallery was all taken during my 28 days travel in US & Canada during July last year – the mountains here belongs to British Columbia and Washington state.  I never aimed for the mountains in themselves … they just happen to be in the background and of course gave a fantastic frame to my shots.

Where I live in county Scania, Sweden – we don’t have any mountains to climb or take photos of as such. Our highest point in 212,2m = 696,19 ft , but the highest mountain in Sweden is Kebnekaise that reaches to 2,104 m high (6,600 ft).

“Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery.”
John Ruskin

Featured image provided by and thanks to: humorhound.com

The P-day!!!

Nearly very week now have I got a letter or a form to fill in where and when I want my pension to start. The state pension is another ball game – they don’t do anything, except keeping a close up on all my other pensions, they haven’t missed anything. They just provided you with a form on their website that you fill in online … print out … sign and send of to them. Nothing automatically there.

My application for my UK pension was a bit of a work up .. and all for nothing really. Thank to Stena’s HR department in Scotland I could get all the details I need about tax codes and god knows what they wanted … they didn’t ask for what cup size I have, but everything else they wanted to know.

Where I lived, during witch period … how often the last 5 years I been visiting UK – everything filled in … and with all papers from the Swedish tax office, telling them who I really am, I sent it off in March.

After a couple of weeks I got a letter asking me about when I want my pension … so I filled it and sent it back. Then in the middle of April I got a letter saying, denied – nearly lost it. Reading the small letters … it was denied because I applied to early. I have to apply after 1th of May ???? It was only 14 days later.

Phoned Newcastle up and asked what kind of game that was .. because they could have told me that when I got a letter about starting date for pension, but it was what it was. I have to apply again. And talk about pages to fill in. So I posted it the other day, hopefully it will be okay now.

Hard work really to become a pensioner – all papers that has to be taken out from  files .. and everything added up … find out how much tax I should ask them to take, because if I get pension from more than one place, I can end up with back taxes.

So fare things are looking good … when I have added everything up, but because I have been working outside Sweden more than 15 years or my working years, I don’t have clue really what my true state pension  will be.

After 5 years one of my pensions will disappear and that will make a difference. The best thing is that I don’t have to pay tax on my UK pension, because it’s already taxed. Don’t have clue how much I will get from them – but it will not be enough to buy that penthouse at Aqua in Chicago, that is for sure.  Neither the sea view apartment in Biarritz. So I keep on believing in the Euro Lotto.

So 3,5 months left … only. Happy ????? I hope I will be when all is added up correctly.

“Goodbye Tension, Hello Pension”

Images and photos provided by and thanks to: booking.com/cafepress.com/financial.ge/twylah.com/kootation.com

This weekend its all going to happen down the road from Landskrona – at Malmö Arena …  Eurovision Song Contest, viewed by  600 million people all over the world - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Egypt, India, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and USA.

Last year Sweden won … and we have done that a couple of time .. the most memorable was in Brighton, UK – when ABBA won with “Waterloo” in 1974. Sweden has won 5 times … Ireland has won 7 times. So we are pretty good on music too. *smile

Last years winning song is the best winner for many years … ”Euphoria” sung by Loreen and it has also become a massive hit all over Europe. This year, in my ears we have a very weak song and artist, but the country has voted – also we can’t win again – because we can’t afford to hold the event next year again. *smile

18th of May … Malmö – the world is watching. I haven’t listen to all the songs; but I have two favorite: Ireland (Only Love Survives) and Denmark (Only Teardrops). Sweden’s entry “You” – when I listen to video is there tunes he can’t hold properly, at least in my ear.

Listen and watch.

For me is it important that it’s song stays with me and … easy to sing along with and I want a fast tune that makes me want to dance.

So on Saturday just before midnight we know who the winner is. I just love this naff event.

Did you know that the official language of the Eurovision Song Contest is French, just as the postal services and customs/border control, all over the world????

So World, welcome to Sweden and Malmö on Saturday 8pm CET – I’m sure we will give you a great show! Music is an internatiol language.

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”
Berthold Auerbach

Photos provided by and thanks to: hd.se/sverigesradio.se/youtube.com/cd-traveller.com

Martin Kelly, one of Britain’s leading plastic surgeons -collapsed in  his London home – in May 2008 and died in heart failure. This fantastic man that have made it possible for children be able to smile and help them overcome their disfigurements.

FACING THE WORLD is a children’s charity. It has been set up by some of the UK’s leading craniofacial surgeons so that children in desperate need, living without hope in the world’s poorest countries, can have access to the very best surgery that can transform their faces and radically change their quality of life.

The charity came to me through a TV documentary, Facing the World was featured in an hour-long Channel 4 documentary “My New Face”,  November 2006  - that I saw while living in Belfast – and it made a such impression on me that – I started to support the charity the following day. I made a deal with myself; that what ever I spend on shoes and handbags – the same amount will go to this charity on top of my monthly contribution .

Facing the World has also been featured in an hour long Five (TV Channel) documentary 7 New Faces in 7 Days in July 2010. The documentary covered charities training visit to Danang, Vietnam. I had then moved back to Sweden.

Facing the World was set up in 2003 by Norman Waterhouse and Martin  Kelly, two craniofacial plastic surgeons at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Both had formerly volunteered their time and skills to medical outreach charities abroad, but had been touched by cases of children that they were unable to help because of the limited facilities and lack of expertise in the countries in which they were working. With Facing the World they determined to bring children to the UK for surgery, rather than attempting to perform the operations with the limited infrastructure of the children’s home countries. Bringing the children to the UK allowed them to draw on the skills of other like-minded UK medical professionals. Sarah Driver-Jowitt was hired to manage the charity and in 2004 an office was established close to the London hospitals where the majority of the surgeries are performed. The charity was launched publicly on 15 February 2003 at a charity fund-raising premiere of the film Solaris attended by George Clooney and his co-stars. (text; wikipedia.org)

The other day when I was approached by a young woman that was raising support for the Red Cross … I told her that I only support one charity and I want concentrate on that and support it to 110%.

It all started in 2003 when Martin was volunteering in Afghanistan with Children in Need when he met a young girl called Hadisa. At eight months old, she was carried hundreds of miles by her father to receive treatment after the village elders tried to stone her to death for the shame they thought she brought to their community. The medical facilities in Kabul were not equipped to deal with the severity of Hadisa’s condition.  This was a situation Martin and Norman had experienced all too often, whilst volunteering overseas. Martin decided Hadisa’s only option was to come to London for treatment. (text; facingtheworld.net)

They also work with oversea training - the result of this pioneering programs is that over 100 patients, both children and adults, are seen each year, receiving the surgery and support care that they need.

Norman Waterhouse and Martin  Kelly

I have for over a year now thought about doing a post about the charity – but it never happened … but the young lady from the Red Cross – reminded me and here it’s. Please, watch the video – this what I believe in, this is my faith – my beliefs … people that make a different to others with passion and respect for life. And what a wonderful gift those men and women has … when they are able to give a smile to a child for lifetime.

All doctors, nurses and cleaners involved – in those operations that can take up to 12-16 hours … and some of the young patients has do more than one operation – are doing it for free, totally voluntary  … and everyone of them are all involved in the decision to what child to be helped.

Please visit their website to read about:  Khanh Ngan, Trang, Ali, Pan, Jessica, Rita and Ritag, Mbaraka, Eyserusalem, Shayna, Huy, Kalyani & Viet

It costs an average of £50,000 to fund one child’s treatment in the UK and it’s only to click on this link if you are willing to help – every little amount counts: FACING THE WORLD – DONATE and you will be helping a child to be able to smile. 

“A child’s smile is one of life’s greatest blessings.”
Unknown

As my cloud for this post I have chosen an orchestral version of Coldplay’s “Fix You” – that is “Facing The World” signature tune.

Photo’s provided by and thanks to: facingtheworld.net/vtct.org.uk/optimistworld.com