the first of may

We made this beautiful May Day pompom at the Finnish Church.

There we also had some delicious donuts and home made mead.

We saw the King of Sweden on his birthday.

My mother is staying over so we can go out to eat with my husband.

She bought for my son this whistle, that was an instant hit.

stockholm with a kid

 My son loves the boats between Sweden and Finland. 

The best part is the sea of multi-colored balls and getting a tattoo.

In Stockholm we have found two really good parks for kids: Vasaparken and Humlegård.

These pictures are from Vasaparken. We found this great park by accident. 

One day we where in Gamla Stan and we where hungry. Luckily in the corner was Paganini. It was quite fancy and full at lunch time. By chance we got the table by the window. It was good entertainment to look at all the people passing by. Service was friendly even when I was with a kid. (In Scandinavia service at restaurants can be bad and brutal when with children.) I had the meat balls on the lunch menu and my son had the spagetti bolognaise.  We left happy and with a full stomach.

djursholm

 We live now in Djursholm, near Stockholm.

Djursholm has a castle.

Here is Mittag-Leffler Institute 

and our home in front of the main building.

Djursholm has a beach.

We go to the beach almost everyday.

There is so much to explore.

eating out

 Finally it was warm enough for us to eat out. 

We ate bare foot, just out of joy of the sun.

We have a lovely fish shop called Monrads here in Djursholm.

They had also delicious potato salad. 

I had to make only the tomato-avocado-cashew nut salad. 

alone in Stockholm

I visited Södermalm and Gamla Stan by myself.

Sun was shining and I loved being a lonesome tourist.

 I had wonderful coffee cake at Underkastanjen.

I went window shopping and found these children´s clothing shops of course.

I took a picture of these lovely jackets I could never wear.

 I am amazed by Swedish men. They seem so elegant and well dressed.

stranger in this land

We have arrived in Stockholm. I have a library card, a must to a traveler. I borrowed from the library this book Stranger it this land by Astrid Trotzig. I feel like a stranger, being able to communicate in Swedish, but not knowing my place or the customs.

Small things make me happy:
My son takes naps and is wearing mittens knitted by his great-great-granmothers.
Milk and crisp bread are my comforting foods.
Our view in Mittag-Leffler, yes we are living next to a castle.

go west

This palette of white and black got me again in its hold.

Tomorrow we are heading to the wild west.

Sweden here we come!

hats and mustache

I was happy in pink.

We had a birthday party for a little girl.

 Theme was hats and mustache.