Lodge Life

When I think about where we live it’s pretty much like a forest fairy tale! I never thought I would end up living in a forest at the edge of  a lake but here we are and it really is beautiful. The lodge faces west so every night we get the most amazing sunset across the lake and I just can’t stop taking pictures as the colours seem to change each day. I love being in the forest, it brings back so many amazing memories of childhood caravan holidays and riding through the woods in my horse riding days, it’s going to be perfect for Hallie.

Below are some examples of the beautiful sunsets.

Leksand Strand (where we live) is a holiday park  that I would describe as a much smaller version of Center Parcs in the UK. There are various types of lodges, some set towards the lake and others nestled further back within the forest, and lots of caravan pitches. When Ben first moved here at the end of July it was the height of the summer season so was really busy with holiday makers, but now the season has ended there are just a handful of people dotted around the various cabins, a lot seem to rent long term and it is just so quiet and cosy. In the summer season there is an outdoor pool and water slide, crazy golf, and a beach onto the lake with diving boards. I imagine it would be make an amazing summer holiday! There is also a theme park a little further along with outdoor pools, pirate ships, river rapids and assault courses through the woods. It looks so much fun! Even though it is all closed down, it’s really nice to be able to walk along the lake or through the trees and not see a single person, or take Hallie to one of the parks and not have to fight for the swings, it’s very tranquil!

Some pics below of Hallie enjoying the parks

We are lucky that our lodge sits right on the lake front so there are only a couple of trees between us and a small pebble beach. There is a large wooden veranda that is completely child friendly so Hallie loves being let loose to crawl around and her favourite thing at the moment is picking up all the leaves. I think we will have to get her a little ride on car to race around on!

The inside of the lodge is so cosy and has some things we wouldn’t have back at home but I am told it’s the Scandi way of life! The big one is that there is a sauna in the bathroom….Ben reckons you are supposed to have a sauna then jump in the snow outside, then back in the sauna and so on….not too sure about this I think the people around us may think we are mad… but watch this space!! There is also a log burner which we haven’t had to use yet but will definitely be on in the winter, this is the ultimate ‘Hygge’ along with all the Ikea candles and fleecy throws for wrapping up warm on a snowy night!! It has everything we need though including a dishwasher which I’m very pleased about…home from home. We even have some English TV which is great, although I seem to be watching constant Peppa Pig or Ben and Holly at the moment thanks to Hallie, I quite often catch myself watching it when she’s napping without realising it!

Just a 30 second walk takes us down to the lakes edge and there is a path that follows the lake right into Leksand town itself, and it takes only 20 minutes to walk. It’s really scenic and takes you through a small nature reserve called ‘Lugnet’ with smaller paths through the forest so it’s great for getting out walking and perfect for running as it’s flat (ideal for me anyway)!! I’ve been trying to run each day depending on Bens schedule but I do struggle to motivate myself when it comes to running so I’m hoping the scenery will help me over here.

The pics below are taken from the pebble beach…

We visited ‘Salins Struts’ today which is an ostrich farm in Borlange. We had a very yummy ostrich burger but I have to say they really aren’t the cutest things but Hallie was fascinated with them. Ben was scared to death and wouldn’t go anywhere near them, as is usual for him when it comes to any animal which isn’t a dog!!! Haha. I really hope Hallie takes after me when it comes to animals!

So I’ll be honest nearly two weeks in it still feels like we are on holiday, which I think is partly down to the fact we are living on a holiday park! The weather seems to be changing a little quicker than at home, its about 7-9 degrees in the daytime but still bright and sunny most days. I am really looking forward to all the things we can get up to when the snow comes!

xxx