The tranquillity of the surroundings, the astounding insulation of this old house, the 50 hour day before and the Turkish Peppar aquavit the night before meant not even the bright 4am sun could wake us up. We were the last to arrive at breakfast, the kitchen warm with the friendship of everyone Karin has gathered for today's festivities.Breakfast was everything you'd hope for in your first Swedish morning - smoked sausage, cheese, ham, muesli and yoghurt ...

Pulling into the garage I imagined how the next few minutes would pan out. Chaos was a certainty on the other side of that door. Two excited tyrants, the world to condense into a few bags and less than an hour until the taxi arrived spelt disaster. I pensively opened the door, wincing reflexively as I did, deafening silence. Gab has us all packed, kids showered, dressed, uniforms away, school bags unpacked, she has everything not just together, but in calm order,...