Boy scouts

Yesterday morning I woke up very early (it was a holiday!) because I heard lots of noise from our very quiet street. It was the boy scouts of Amman who had decided to gather just under our bedroom window! And they also decided to see if their drums was working. And, yes they did work! Very well actually!It took hours before they all were gathered, and then they went away escorted by policemen in cars and on motor bikes. I wonder where they were going?

Tomorrow morning I'm off to spend summer in Sweden! I'm really longing for to see family and friends!

Midsummer's eve in Amman

Today all Swedes are celebrating midsummer's eve wherever they are in or out of Sweden. We saw an ad on the Swedish Embassy's homepage about a celebration at the Scandinavian Forest. Not far from Amman has the king of Sweden planted a small forest as a gift to Jordan. It is all pine trees, and it gave us a lovely shadow when it was time for our pick nick.
But before that everyone had to help "dressing" the pole with leafs and flowers and raise it.

Bo met a Jordanian prince!

The popular frog dance!

We ended the dancing with a big rocket!

Pick nick with some new Norwegian friends.

Sunbathing

This is another way to spend the day! It's a bit exhausting but hopefully we will get a nice tan!

House warming party

Yesterday evening we were invited to the Swedish embassy for a late celebration of our national day. At the same time it was a housewarming party for the new embassy now situated in Abdoun.
We were treated with small sandwiches with all kinds of Swedish specialties as Kalles kaviar, smoked rein dear, salmon, meatballs and much more.
When we looked in today's paper we could read about the celebration, but we couldn't find any pics of us!

View

Sometimes when you are driving in Amman you just have to stop and take a picture of the astonishing view.
This time we were stopped by a heavy armed policeman who asked us why we took pictures at that spot?! What we didn't notice what that right behind us was the British Embassy, with high walls around the area and with lots of guards with guns all way around!

Camera purse

Well Gunilla, here is your new camera purs!

Allergi

Since two weeks I'm sneezing and coiffing. The first week I thought I had got a cold and tried to cure myself in many ways. No success! Then someone said it must be allergy, and since then I get some relief from the things you see in the photo.
Some says it comes from the sandy desert winds others it comes from the olive trees. I don't know what it is, but I'm rather tired of it!
I long for Sweden! No desert winds, no olive trees! I'm leaving on Sunday!!!

Peaches and apricots

Yesterday we bought fresh fruit grown here in Jordan.
And yes, they tasted lovely!

Souk Jara

In a crossroad to Rainbow street on Jabal Amman you can on Fridays in the summertime find a souk. Lots of retailers sitting behind their booths sells old and new things, mostly craft, but also some home baked cakes, flowers and honey.
I have read about the souk but we haven't been there until today. Lots of things to look at and I'm sure I will be back for a visit some other time.

Bo sat in the shadow while I walked around taking pictures.

Thinking about bying a summer dress for Elin.......made of a Palestinian shawl!

I will for sure come back to this Bedouin woman and look a bit closer to her jewelries.

More roses

Today Melissas driver Masen helped me to bargain some roses at the traffic lights. They came in two sizes and look really great together.

When Bo comes home tonight he will be confused and wonder what anniversary he has forgot!

By the way, if you wounder how I can get the roses to spread so nicely in a rather wide vase. Here comes the tip.

Take some tape and make a square pattern over the opening. Then you can arrange flowers in the holes and the tape will be invisible.

Planting roses

Many weeks ago I bought some new roses for the balcony, and they have just been there at the floor in big old oil cans. To get them out from the cans and into my new pots was just to much for me! They were stuck into the clay and I figured out that I had to cut the cans to get them out.
I asked our "boab" Sayed for help and he came up and he did it very nicely. I could see that he had been planting before!

No we have a nice, green corner on the balcony, it's where the sun shines in the early morning!

Anniversary

Today we have a national holyday. The king of Jordan, His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein has been leading the country for ten years today.
"His Majesty King Abdullah said on Monday work will continue to build a better and more prosperous Jordan, where citizens are stronger than the challenges they face." (Jordan Times)

Candlesticks

Tonight we had our dinner, as usual at the balcony, a bit later. The sun was setting and we lightened our alabaster candlesticks from Egypt. I tried to use the camera to capture the light effects but didn't success completely.

I think I have to buy a tripod, or what do you think Peter?

Tiberias lake

Not only I liked to look over the land that surrounds the lake. For me it was a great experience to finally see it, even if it was a bit hazy and I couldn't see it very clear.
So much history in this area, so many conflicts in so many years.