Saying goodbye to Stockholm

A chapter is coming to a close very shortly. Tomorrow actually. In about 8 hours. Our time here in Stockholm - at least this go-around - is finished. We're off! To a new place with new people and new experiences. But there's lots here in Stockholm I'll miss every day. 

our across-the-canal neighbor, Karlberg Castle

I'll miss being surrounded by such beauty - both in the city itself and the nature it encompasses - 14 islands and all the gorgeous waterways between them.

I'll miss being able to bike home across town at 2am, and feeling secure about it. Not to mention getting there - as in anywhere - in just 20 minutes.

I'll miss being in a country where there are official holidays to celebrate baked goods - cinnamon buns, Selma, waffles...

I'll miss the endless summer days, where it's light past midnight and again by 3am. Even if it's not as warm as I'd like, there's truly something magical about the light.

I'll miss afternoons spent at my sauna club - and jumping in the lake between sweat sessions, no matter what the season.

For that matter, I'll miss jumping in all the lakes of this country - and the enthusiasm every Swede shares in doing do. 

But more than any of these things, I'm going to miss all the incredible people I've met here. Swedes aren't know for their friendliness, but the people I've met during my 4.5 years in Stockholm - both Swedes and non-Swedes - are amazing people who have taught me so much. 

The last few days here have been filled by a blur of cleaning like I've never cleaned before and packing way too many things into way too small suitcases. Not the most idyllic way to spend the end of this era. Then again, it's probably best for my emotional self to keep busy so as not to dwell on things too much. And there's so much goodness waiting for us on the other side! 

Thank you Stockholm, for all these things and for so much more. We'll be back!

Stockholm → Hanoi

There are so many things to love about October. Especially the lingonberry pumpkin muffins I just made. Although they didn't come close to the cranberry pumpkin ones they were inspired by. 

love the vines changing color on this house!

But this year, Stockholm's October feels like one grey day followed by another. For that, and many more reasons, I'm shipping out. Goodbye damp, cloudy days, hello - well, I'm not sure what hello is quite yet as my destination is somewhere new to me. I'm headed to Vietnam! Tomorrow! I've got my flights, my visa, my vaccinations, mosquito net, and a few dong to hold me over for the next 3 weeks. 

I'll be living with a family in a tiny village north of Hanoi near the border of China. It's a poor, mountainous region about which I know nearly nothing. I'm going to teach English to children there through this organization. I don't know many specifics and I've never taught before, but I'm excited to give it a go and see what happens. I know I'll learn a lot, and I hope they will too. 

Has anyone ever been to Vietnam? Or to the Ha Giang Province? Tha village perhaps? What did you think? Any tips??

I'll try to post from there, but don't know what kind of internet access I'll have, so if you don't hear from me, you will as soon as I'm back in November :) Wish me luck!

Falling into autumn

I jumped into fall last night, literally. Here I am, taking the plunge:

my jump

Beneath me is the cold darkness Stockholm has become since Sunday afternoon. What happened to our Indian summer? My knuckles are already cracking. Our windows are already shut. It would help if our building would turn on the heat at least.

My literal jump was at an event last night sponsored by the Nike Training Club. We got free t-shirts, worked out, and then each participant had the opportunity to hop off a, say, 30-foot-high platform onto a gigantic cushion of air. It was terrifying and invigorating. 

When jumping from high places - usually into water - I go through a painful Thinking Process, starring out over the edge for, on average, 10 minutes. I've never backed down, but it certainly doesn't get easier the longer I wait. 

Last night, I wasn't nervous as I climbed the 4 shaky ladders of the scaffolding to the top. It was when the man up there said "rumpa först" (butt first) that I started sweating. That doesn't really work for me, I tried to explain, my heart racing. 

Dozens of fitness-crazed girls were waiting their turn to jump behind me, so climbing down wasn't really an option. I almost did anyway until GK saved the day and started counting - One - focus - two - stop thinking! - three - goooooo!

If you zoom in on my face, you'll see pure terror. Also note the half-hearted attempt at rumpa först. It didn't go so well, but fortunately my landing was pain free.

And there's my dose of courage for the week - thanks NTC!

GK's jump

Once you pop...

I know my last post was about food, but I'm hungry and there's 2 1/2 liters of ice cream in the freezer and I just can't help myself, okay?

So last May, we moved to the north shore of a lovely island called Kungsholmen in central Stockers (not sure if I wrote about that bit of happening, but now you know). Anyways, we happen to live dangerously close to one of the best ice cream stores I've ever been to. I'm talking 12 flavors of fresh, homemade ice cream every day. Fryst it's called (frozen in Swedish). And it takes about 23 seconds to walk there, our door to theirs. 

our first trip to Fryst this summer

With this in mind, you'll probably be surprised to know that it was over 3 months after we moved that we first indulged in Fryst's creamy goodness. But since then, it's been hard to resist. Once you pop...

And so it's come to be that I have one half liter of toffee and another of cardamom rhubarb. The flavors may sound a bit random, but Swedes love their cardamom and rhubarb's in season, so here we are.

While I'm on the subject of toffee, I must let you all in on another discovery I made around my office on Stockholm's Södermalm island last week (see #3 in Vogue's list of the coolest neighborhoods in the world). 

I was wandering around and came upon a tiny, dark shop connected to a glass-front candy laboratory. Walking in was a time-warp to the 1950's - a typewriter on the table, a scalloped sofa in the corner, a Fats Domino tune on the radio, and - tons of toffee. Hard and soft, jarred and wrapped. They even had free samples (a true rarity in Sweden). It was Pärlans Konfektyr, and their product did not disappoint.

I brought home a small paper bag full of different flavored toffees, and miraculously, they lasted until yesterday when we finished them off. I would go back every day if it weren't for the price tag .... or maybe I will anyway... 

Is it dinner time yet?

Spicy tuna and maple apple granola

This week has been about food. Most weeks are I guess, but this one in particular. Food and an Indian summer. Indian summers don't happen often in Stockholm, so we've got to savour it for the short while it's here or ... ooops there it goes....

Let's get back to the food bit. From playing kubb barefoot on the softest grass imaginable in an apple orchard to making maple apple granola in my very own kitchen - it's all about kicking off fall the right way. Just remember to put a timer on the granola. No one likes burnt granola. (Thankfully I was able to salvage most of it.)

While we're on the subject of making things in the kitchen, I also discovered the easiest, healthiest "ice cream" imaginable (thanks MS!). Pop some pieces of frozen banana in a blender for, say, 3 minutes. And viola - you've got banana "ice cream". I don't know how it happens, but you must trust me. My love affair with bananas just reached a whole new level.

With regards to foods outside of my own kitchen, I have 3 words for you: vegetarian buffet and sushi. One of my favourite restaurants in Stockholm must be Herman's. It's situated on the edge of a cliff overlooking where the sea meets the old city, and serves dozens of rotating vegetarian dishes daily. Unfortunately for me, self-control when it comes to buffets (or any food really) is not my strong suit. Let's just say it was a good thing my ride home on Friday night was downhill. 

On Saturday, we indulged at what I can confidently say is Stockholm's best sushi restaurant: Ljunggrens [yoon-grens]. Drinks to start on the rooftop, followed by spicy tuna and edamame below. A match made in heaven.

Tune in later as my culinary adventures continue. And I can also happily report that I'm enjoying the creating part of food more and more, rather than just the eating.

Quenching our thirst on a summer night

Stockholm is shining brightly in all it's glory right now. If you're here, you know what I mean. Everything is glittering, sparkling, glowing. Everyone is smiling. Strangers are whistling on park benches. The sun is out and it's not been this hot in a year at least. That's a long wait for a day when it's warm even in the shade. Of course in Sweden, this means that an extreme heat warning is in full effect. I'm certainly not complaining.

Hallelujah!

And so I made summer smoothie. The ice cream place, Fryst, next-door to our apartment (which I know you'll be shocked to find out I haven't been to yet even though we've lived here for 3 months now!), was just closing it's doors for the day by the time we cycled up last night after an evening swim. And so, I decided to use all the fruit I could find in our kitchen and make my own creation thanks to our lovely landlord's juicer.

It consisted of exactly what you see here:

Plus some crushed flax seed and chia seeds. And a spoonful of vanilla kvarg (translates to quark in English - it's yogurt-esque with low fat and high protein).

It was quite tasty - refreshing, cool, and full of nutrients. Which our ice cream would not have been. Still, I'll admit I'd take the ice cream over smoothie any day. 

Sunny dips in Hornsberg

Finally summer has come to Stockholm. It took awhile - a long, chilly June - but July has brought the heat so let's forget about whatever cold summer once was and focus on the now  because it's here and it won't be for long.

NS and I rode our bikes the 3 minutes from our apartment to Hornsberg after dinner tonight where there was a slow hustle in the air. People passing, boats passing, ducks passing by our perch on a grassy knoll - no one in a hurry, just enjoying the evening light and warmth. 

After awhile, we worked up the nerve to take a quick swim, sans wetsuit and sauna close by this time. It felt amazing. Exhilarating. And wasn't even that bad biking home either. 

Please, summer, stick around for awhile now if you don't mind. I think I speak for this city as a whole when I say that we'd be ever so thankful.

Celebrating the start of "summer"

This past weekend, we bundled up and celebrated what is meant to be the start of summer. In such high latitudes, the longest day of the year - June 21 - is a big deal. 18 hours and 37 minutes of daylight is certainly worthy of pomp. Bring out the trumpets, let loose all reason. Will there be games? Yes! Should I have a whiskey at noon? Absolutely! Indulge to your heart's content - it's Midsommar!

And so we did - although under the most un-summer-like conditions. Clouds covered the sky for most of the day and the gorgeous island we were welcomed to was a wind haven. But no matter - we (15 of us in all) hunkered down in whatever clothing we could get our hands on and made the best of it, with a roaring fire in one of the three tiny cabins to bring back the feeling to our toes and fingers when we could no longer deny our numb digits.

a roaring start to my lap around the island

That fire was especially critical for me after swimming around the island on Saturday morning. The water was just under 60 degrees F (about 15 degrees C) and the air was a bit cooler, made more so by the rain spattering throughout the day. But I'd lugged my wetsuit all the way from Stockholm - 5 hours by bus, 35 minutes by car, and 10 minutes by boat - and by God it wasn't going to be for nothing. It's only about 500m around the island, but in such temperatures (and with the fear of whatever creatures could be lurking in those treacherous waters), it was a feat.

the sky just a bit before midnight

Thankfully the spots of rain let up in the evenings so we could sit on the north-facing deck and enjoy long dinners with this view. It is truly an incredible place to be in any weather. Now for some summer temps please!

Travel woes in Sweden

Hello, Midsommar in Sweden! Or rather, the eve of Midsommar Eve. Undoubtedly one of Sweden’s biggest days for travel. Which means the usually speedy 2-lane (sometimes 4-lane) roads that cross the country are jam-packed with travelers, eager to celebrate the coming of “summer” (which means rain and 10 degrees C today) with snaps and pickled herring. Isn’t that what we all crave when we think of summer?

But before all that, we sit in a very long line of cars which, for NS and I, has made what is usually a 4-hour drive from Stockholm down to Västervik more like 6 hours. But that’s just speculation – we’re not there yet.  

It feels like half of our journey so far has been at a full stop. And when we’re not motionless, our bus driver is driving in circles trying to find the next pick-up spot. One disgruntled passenger went so far as to yell at our driver from the back of the bus (this never happens in Sweden).

Transportation in Sweden doesn’t get more exciting than this. And it’s not only the start of Midsommar weekend. 

Miss Voon swanky town

On Wednesday night, we celebrated NS' birthday. 32!! How did that happen?  I remember planning a big dinner with friends for his 24th in Australia! Where does the time go?

Anyway, I'm always one for surprises - both surprising and being surprised - so I planned an evening out for just the two of us, as has become our birthday tradition. 

We met at one of Stockholm's infamous landmarks, Svampen - the mushroom - in the middle of the main square of the city's posh-est neighborhood (only the best for my älskling). And led him to the Scandic Anglais hotel's roof-top terrace:

Photo from Scandic hotels

Nice, huh? 

We ordered G&T's and sat perched along a high bench overlooking lovely Humlegården - the Bumble Bee Gardens - and Kungliga Biblioteket - the King's Library. 

When we'd finished our drinks, we headed onward to our table at Miss Voon, a trendy new Asian fusion restaurant up the street. Michelin recommended, Miss Voon's food is incredible and is served beneath low-lights and soft electronic tunes. Our set 4-course menu consisted of

• lobster tacos

• salmon tartar sushi-type thing (hard to hear the very long description from our waitress)

• lamb rack with curry sauce

• rhubarb strawberry compote with almond cake and vanilla yoghurt 

Each course was so fresh and delicious! Although the portions were small, I thought at the time, I was perfectly satisfied by the end - a welcome experience compared with my typical over-eating-followed-by-never-wanting-to-eat-again status quo when eating out. 

As we paid the bill, we received a gift bag with an "inspiration book." I was excited about the possibility of getting a few new recipes to try out at home, but alas, it was just a fancy book of professional photographs of Miss Voon's food and the restaurant itself. Anyone interested in a new coffee table book?

Taking on Kungsholmen by Kayak

We had friends in town last week. And what better time than to do the things you always talk about doing in the city where you live? Because for a limited time only, you can do those things together. So we did just that. We biked everywhere, everyday - sometimes in gorgeous sunshine, sometimes beneath heavy, ominous clouds. We picnicked. We visited the Old Town and museums. We ate dinner on cliff tops. We made skagen from scratch.

And we also kayaked around the island we live on, Kungshomen.

that's the cafe up there - who wouldn't want to rent kayaks from this quaint place?

I've been talking about kayaking around Kungsholmen since we moved to the island 3 years ago. But as often these things go, we never got around to doing it - there's always another time, right? 

Last Sunday, though, we made it happen. I booked 4 single kayaks with a lovely fellow named Richard of Kafe Kayak (on Wednesday, mind you - have to be quick with the ever-planning Swedes!). That was my first mistake - 4 single kayaks. But of course I can make it around the island! Not a worry in my mind! 

We arrived right on time, and after adjusting the balancing pedals to our heights on land, we were off! 2 hours and counting! 

A scenic stretch to start along the south side of the island with gorgeous, elaborately lined rooftops marking a soft rainbow of facades. Then around the corner past Stadshuset, the City Hall of Stockholm. And on to calmer waters in the narrow channel separating Kungsholmen from the central station.

obviously we're pro's

Little did I know that this quite narrow channel turns into a wind tunnel - against us, naturally. My arms were pretty tired and we weren't even halfway.

My energy came in spurts. I got inspiration from a fellow kayaker who passed at literally triple my speed, with seemingly no effort at all. Arms straight-ish. Torso upright. Paddle only until your waistline. I don't know if this is correct kayaking, it's just what I interpreted from observing speed-demon-athlete-muscle-man sweep by, nearly creating a wake for us to flounder over.

Back in the open water on the last third of the journey didn't do me much good either. Apparently, I've come to discover, kayaking makes me sea sick. Me, who's been on boats my whole life! How could this be? I'm convinced it's just kayaks... has to be, right?

Anyways, by this point, I needed to get out. But what could I do? Keep on paddling. My sea-sickness was worsening with every stroke, even as I tried to distract myself by watching all the happy people laying on the cliffs, enjoying the summer day. I had so often been one of them, watching kayakers cruise by - and they'd always made it look so easy. Perhaps they don't actually go around the entire island? That must be it. 

We eventually did make it back to the floating dock of safety - miraculously within a few minutes of the 2-hour mark - and I dragged myself onto the wooden planks and collapsed. I made it! 12 kilometers! (Or so we decided, as running around the island is 10.) 

A big check on the to-do-in-Stockholm list. And truly deserving of the entire pizza that followed - that is, one pizza for each of us.

Stockholm is waking up again

Spring is in the air. Summer really. Not so much in the temperature, but more in the whole ambiance of Stockholm. The sun helps. But it's more the attitude. 

Schools are closed this week for Easter. And the streets are a bit sparse in the mornings. Some offices have signed off already for the occasion. This Friday and next Monday are national holidays, but I guess they figure why wait? In fact, some offices are even off next week, too. Easter is certainly a big deal for a country with so little religion. 

Not that I'm complaining. It's glorious! 

Half of my office is empty. My received emails are down by about 3/4. And this is just the start of the season. The pace will only slow down more as summer gets closer. May is scattered with sporadic, mid-week days off (also religiously affiliated). And once June hits, the offices won't be full again until September. I swear it's true.  

photo inspiration: GAE

 

These coming 4 Easter days off could not be better timed. To celebrate our temporary freedom, NS and I are road-tripping down south to Skåne [pronouced Sko-nay - emphasis on the Sko], the southern region of Sweden. Strangely enough, Skåne has been a part of Sweden for less time than Finland. Sweden's deep south - another world, some say. We shall see for ourselves.

Anyway, I'll be back next week to tell of our travel adventures. And God willing have a bit of color - come on sun!!

I'm disappointed, Stockholm

When I moved here, Stockholm, you promised me beautiful winters. In exchange for cold days with little light, you said you'd bring me snow to silence the city noises and cover it with a blanket of pure, bright white. You promised days of winter sporting - sledding and cross country skiing and, if nothing else, walks with a crunch underfoot.

my walk to work this morning - a dusting turned to rain a couple hours later

This year, Stockholm, you've not given me any of this. I may be exaggerating slightly - we've had about 6 days of the blissful winter that I love this city for.  

Of course, summers in Sweden are incredible - but when they let me down (which they often do with a drizzly grey tepidness that would hardly be described as summer at home), I assure myself that Stockholm does winter right at least. With the gorgeous snowfall and the cozy, candle-lit windows - it's a fairy tale. 

But this year, it's mostly been an endless gravel-ground-covered grey. It wears down the soul. And the sun - I'm forgetting what it feels like. I'm craving that feeling. 

So I've decided to put a stop to this. Right now. Well, tomorrow. I'm off. We're off. NS and I are going away for a week to another land far, far away - the land of the United Arab Emirates. To Abu Dhabi to be exact. To visit some very dear friends. To see a place so different to any I've ever seen. And to get some sun - because I don't function without it, and I've almost reached that point. 

And all I can say, Stockholm, is that you better straighten up by the time I'm back!

Sayonara!

Recycling rant

I was reading an article last night that described my new neighborhood, Hammarby sjöstad, as an "ecological sustainability effort" to show that "a sustainable community can be achieved in a capital city." As nice as Hammarby sjöstad is, I must say I beg to differ.

My main objection is the scarcity, or rather, complete lack of recycling facilities. Sweden is known to be recycling-obsessed — and Swedes are really good at it. People rinse out their old tetra packs, unfold them, and sort them out from the metals, plastics, cardboard, newspaper, batteries... if it's not biodegradable, there's probably a place to recycle it. 

And throughout Stockholm, there are canisters every few blocks on the side of the road for each of these recyclables.

But not in Hammarby sjöstad! I realized this when we first arrived and I carried some cumbersome boxes around the neighborhood (much to the embarassment of NS) looking for these canisters only to finally surrender to throwing the boxes away. I later carried a load to the mall, sure I'd find something — again, nothing.

I guess the idea is that every building has it's own recycling room so there's no need for it street-side. But not our building! Oh, except between 7 and 7:30pm on  Wednesdays and Sundays. And only for paper and metal. Apparently there've been vandalism problems, forcing 24-hour access to be closed. 

My solution? Every morning, I carry all our recyclables in my bike basket to work and stop along the way to drop them in a receptacle. Do I look like a crazy person? Yes. But it's in the name of earthliness. 

And let's not even talk about how long it takes the water in our apartment to get warm. Talk about a waste! 

In the meantime, I will continue to doubt Hammarby sjöstad's claim - and will continue to carry my boxes and cans yonder. 

Thank you for actually reading to the end this ridiculous recycling rant. I promise it won't happen again.

Stockholm's first pop-up restaurant has a secret

On Thursday night, NS & I indulged in a 9-course meal by a 2-Michelin star chef from London for 495 sek (about $78). Sounds pretty good, right? Especially when considering Stockholm's classically exorbitant prices. But there was a catch....

And I wrote about it in my first article published in The Local! Check it out here: http://www.thelocal.se/50608/20131004/

To the East Side

Moving is never something to look forward to. The destination, maybe yes, hopefully yes. But I've never heard anyone say "I can't wait to move this weekend, it's going to be so much fun!" And yet, it is almost always a reality for everyone at least once in a lifetime. For Stockholmers, it's more like once a year. And when the owner of your apartment decides they want to move back in, your time is up. 

Our view from the kitchen sink

Fortunately for us, a friend of a friend was renting out his apartment on the exact day we needed a new place - and so we have come to live in Hammarbysjöstad, which translates to "Hammer Village Lake Town." Who wouldn't want to live in a place with that name? 

Hammarbysjöstad is actually still a part of Stockholm, but just East of the city center. And a beautiful place it is. It's one of Stockholm's more modern areas, up and coming you might say. Our building was one of the first, built 12 years ago. Now the area is quite built up and has lots of restaurants and cafes along open, water-side patios. Unfortunately, we've arrived just in time for the weather to cool off - and drastically so. Last week felt almost like summer, and now it's barely above freezing when I ride my bike to work.

I must admit, though, while I appreciate modernity, I will always love the old areas of Stockholm. The charm, the history, the character. I love imagining what happened in those same places decades, or centuries ago. Built in the 1920's, our apartment in Fredhäll had that worn-in character. But it was also very small and had no elevator... now we can ride up and down all we want! I'm still trying to take the stairs, though, for old-times' sake. 

We had a good run, Fredhäll - thank you for a wonderful 2 years and 3 months. Thank you also to our fabulous crew of helpers for Sunday's move. And now it's time to unpack the boxes covering the kitchen table... and the floor... and the bathroom... we've got a lot of stuff for a couple that doesn't have a lot of stuff.

Oh what a summer it's been

I'm alive! 

I just realized it's been more than 3 months since I last wrote. That's more than a whole summer. I'm sorry. I won't leave you like that again. 

But it was one hell of a summer. 

one of the last photos of the night

In case you didn't know, I went from Miss to Mrs. Mrs. Syk, that is. I'm still getting used to it. And trying not to think about all the weird pronunciations I have to look forward to. The joys of an old Swedish soldier's name. I'm the 61st Syk in Sweden, and in all likelihood, the 61st in the world! And the only Katie Syk, I'm sure.

We said goodbye to Stockholm in mid-July and didn't come back until the end of August. 6 weeks off. Hallelulah! 

2 weeks in Annapolis preparing for the wedding (there were just a few last details to take care of - haha)
August 3: a lifetime of wedded bliss begins!
Followed by a lazy, food-filled week with my family at our favorite Delaware beach, Rehoboth
Honeymoon! 10 days down south in Costa Rica, the land of pura vida. What an adventure! Snakes, monkeys, frogs, lizards, whales, tapirs (I didn't know what a tapir was before I saw one heading directly at me on a trail in Corcovado National Park - fortunately they're 500+ pounds of friendly ambivalence)

And our last stop: a whirlwind 6 days in San Francisco/ Sonoma Valley for V&S' gorgeous wedding

Now back to sunny Stockholm. Surprisingly sunny considering it's September 21, the "first official day of fall." I even saw a guy swimming this morning. Thank God for Indian summers to get me through the end-of-holiday blues. 

But to tell you the truth, it actually hasn't been too bad. Catching up with friends and getting back into a routine is nice, with lots more free time too. And I did come out on top with a husband and all. Another word I need to get used to. Husband. Eeeek! 

Thanks for coming back and reading, despite my lengthy hiatus. I plan to be posting now, full speed ahead. And perfect timing, too, with the darkness rapidly closing in on us, Indian summer or not. 

All of Stockholm saw my underwear this morning

And if anyone missed it, they got another chance in the late afternoon and early evening. The combination of a slightly too short dress and a too high seat on my bicycle was not optimal, to say the least. But it wasn't my fault. Really.

My bike was stolen yesterday. Over the last several months, I have become better acquainted with how it feels to come to the spot where you left your bike the night before and find it missing. This happened last November - but on a rainy, cold morning, I was almost thankful to have to take the bus to work.

Yesterday, however, that same helpless feeling was made worse in finding the wimpy lock that had protected my bike sliced in half on the ground outside my apartment where I'd last left it. Someone had come down my tiny bike path of a street and deliberately stolen my bike, equipped with what very well could have been a pair of kitchen scissors - a preconceived burglary.

I defeatedly trudged to the tunnelbana station and got on the sweaty, crowded train. How I longed to be pedalling in the warm sun!

After arriving home last night (by foot), NS made a discovery - my bike had been "returned" and was parked in the bike dock of the apartment next door! What luck, what happiness! The perpetrator had realized their mistake of having stolen the worst bike on the block! Hurra!

I must admit that I have cursed my bike countless times since buying it in April, but, if nothing else, this incident has given me an appreciation for my main mode of transportation. 

The bike was returned intact, albeit a missing seat cover and, curiously, a raised seat. Hence, the day's never-ending peep show. My hope is that in such a liberal city, no one minded too much, but I'm not so sure. Only in Stockholm is a bike stolen in the morning and returned by night fall. And just so you all know, I've now invested in a real lock... let's hope this was my last robbery. 

HoppingAvettCentralbadetMamdou kind of Weekend

Last Friday night was First Friday Hopping in Stockholm! Started here in November, First Friday Hopping is an open night for art galleries and craft shops to showcase their goods. BONUS: free wine at all stops + snacks + sales = happy Friday. Our tipsy hopping was followed by dinner at a local Italian restaurant - I Cinque Sensi - where the food was slightly disappointing, but the company more than made up for it.

portraits in the window at Ebbas Värld gallery - Ebba was the cutest, most eccentric artist we met, and wanted to draw everyone's face, but our stomachs were growling; photo by Grace Ann

On Saturday night, after gorging on Czech beef and potatoes, MP & I managed our way to the front of the Avett Brothers concert at Debaser in Medborgarplatsen. Those Carolina brothers know their stuff - a truly great show.

On Sunday, NS & I celebrated 7 years together! How 7 years has passed since that fateful day in Perth when we first met, I have no idea, but we celebrated the day at Centralbadet and the night at Mamdou's. 

Despite appearances, Centralbadet (although probably not this sign) dates back to 1904 as a spa in the middle of central Stockholm. Nestled on a courtyard of apartments off the main shopping steet, Drottningatan, the spa is a haven of relaxation. Hot pools, cold pools, big pools, small pools, pools for feet, pools for laps, pools for lounging - we made sure to try each one. Then there were the saunas - mixed saunas, dry saunas, steam saunas and a "cold air shower" to cool off (aka a hole in the wall with air blowing out). Around the main lap pool were candelabras and cozy nooks for contemplation. Have you ever swam by candlelight?



We finished off our day at cozy Mamadou, a new Asian restaurant about a 15-minute walk from our apartment. Despite the fact that we were served the wrong wine (twice, we thought, but through later research, we came to discover that shiraz and syrah are actually the same thing - who knew?) and despite our appetizers and mains being served together, we had a wonderful meal and were perfectly, if not overly, full when we left.

Thank you, älskling, for 7 amazing years - and here's to many, many more!