Tree

Treated myself to a new ornament for the apartment (something that has been prohibited because of the vast number cluttering up the place), but I argued for its practicality and so now it is sitting on the bedroom window sill displaying my jewellery.

I had spotted one of these trees when we were at a viewing at an apartment a few Sundays ago, and then I found a great little interiors store called Tidlöst near Skt Eriksplan that stocks them.

My new second home

This weekend I went along to Stockholm city library - Stockholms stadsbibliotek (limited website in English, full site in Swedish), which is only about three blocks away from where we are living, and I found a fantastic place of refuge should I ever need to get away for an hour or two...

The fiction section of the library sits in the centre of the building, in the rotunda. I had seen pictures of it before but it still wowed me when I walked in. Also, the English-language fiction section is pretty large as well: I only got as far as L but I had already grabbed three books and seen a handful more that I will go back for.

For those living in Stockholm, all you need to do is fill in the online form, pop down to the library with some id and they'll give you a library card and you're ready to start borrowing - simple!

Alla Hjärtans Dag!

Jag önskar dig en riktigt trevlig Alla Hjärtans Dag!

I just wish that I could enjoy this evening more, but I am still trying to shake off a bad cough and so dinner plans are postponed until Saturday...

First visitors

The weekend before last, our first visitors came and we had a great time showing them around the city and celebrating a slightly late Christmas. It even snowed on Saturday evening while we were having 'Christmas dinner', so it really did seem like a White Christmas for us!

We spent Friday wandering around Gamla Stan, then for lunch at a great place on Gustaf Adolfs Torg near the front of the Opera house, called Naglo - highly recommended. We then headed over to the Hallwylska Museum on Berzelii Park, which was something of a treat. Wilhelmina von Hallwyl was possibly the ultimate hoarder - she kept hold of everything, right down to her children's milk teeth, a cutting from her husband's beard, and one year she kept all food receipts and recorded every meal that was served in the house. It was a pretty fascinating place. Dinner was in the basement of Den Gyldene Freden, which was a real treat.

Saturday was spent at the Vasa Museum in the morning, which never fails to impress any English people who have seen the disappointment that is the Mary Rose..., followed by semlor at Gateau, and then a belated Christmas dinner back at our place and present opening and watching the snow fall outside.

On Sunday, just before they left for the airport, we walked over to the city hall (Stadshuset), allowing me the opportunity to take a couple of photos...