I am looking out of the windows of Sandra's corner apartment in Stockholm and strangely it has the feel of New York (without the skyscrapers) - the grid system of broad streets in this part of town, the taxis, the apartment blocks, the pizza shop downstairs, the coffee shop across the road and the corner supermarket.
Sandra has a lovely apartment in the Sodermalm district, just 5 minutes from the centre of the city (by taxi) and she has generously lent the place to us for the weekend - she is staying with her man in another part of town.
Our weekend started 24 hours ago at Heathrow Terminal 5. It was my first time through the new terminal and very impressive it was too - it seemed quite spacious and a lot less frenetic than any previous visit to Heathrow, which wasn't difficult.
It also made a change to be flying with an airline that wasn't Ryanair - in this case it was British Airways. More legroom, more hand luggage, free food and drinks - and not much more expensive than many Ryanair tickets bought over the years.
We arrived in Stockholm in bright sunshine but there is snow on the ground in the countryside and ice in the sea. We could have gone south to Carcassonne, where it has been 20 degrees plus this week, but we came north to Stockholm where it is just above freezing.
My first impressions are all good. The city seems incredibly clean and there are so few people too by comparison with London. We dropped our bags at Sandra's office and went off for a walk, a browse in the shops and a coffee - I love the blankets they put on the outside chairs in the cafes to keep the smokers warm.
Last night we met Mats for the first time and we all went out for supper together to a bustling grill restaurant in the city centre. I was expecting more pickled fish and elk stew, but apparently that lies in store for us today, when we are sailing out into the archipeligo and staying overnight on one the islands - I so have clothes for a city break rather than a country/sailing excursion, but I'm sure I'll cope.
Showing posts with label sandra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sandra. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Festival
We are in the middle of the Bastille weekend and it is full-on festival time in France. St George's may pass by with a whimper in England - it has done so for every single year that I have been there to see it - but in France, Bastille Day is celebrated with much ceremony.
But I get ahead of myself, because the big day isn't until tomorrow. Even so there has been a carnival atmosphere on the streets and an almost shameless 'laissez-faire' attempt to sell goods by putting up stalls outside shops with stuff on offer at ridiculously low prices. It's all complete tat of course and you wouldn't buy one for 5 euros let alone two of them, but at least it's a bit more pro-active than the usuaul French retail experience.
Cynics would say that they are just trying to offload their rubbish on a holiday weekend during the sales. Well, it's the first time I've seen them recognise a marketing opportunity and try to capitalise on it - maybe it needs a bit of a more sophisticated approach but 'bravo' for effort.
We have two sets of new guests who seem to be enjoying the festival atmosphere whilst dodging the showers and we had a lovely dinner with them tonight and tomorrow we will take them all to see the fabulous firework display at and above the Cité, courtesy of Patrick's terrace which has a grandstand panoramic view.
Chris and Patrick are talking again, although it is a rather uneasy truce - I gather that Patrick laid into Chris a bit and Chris refused to give him an apology and a sort of stand-off now exists. I am trying very hard to keep out of it. Both say things to me that contradict what the other one has said and I don't want to get involved - so please just get a grip, the both of you.
Meanwhile, we still haven't finished Denis' apartment and we won't get paid our final instalment until we do. So, that means more weekend and evening working this week.
On a positive note, Debrah arrived yesterday and is here for two weeks - hurrah. We also have our lovely friend, Sandra, from Stockholm, staying with us for the week. She arrived today via London and it was so good to see her - I haven't seen her in two years - and it's the first chance she has had to visit us in the South of France - I guess I will have to find the time to go to Sweden sometime with Debrah but I can't see that happening any time soon.
Not to worry - Carcassonne is 'en fete' and I'm loving every bit of my new life in the Languedoc - what more can I say?
But I get ahead of myself, because the big day isn't until tomorrow. Even so there has been a carnival atmosphere on the streets and an almost shameless 'laissez-faire' attempt to sell goods by putting up stalls outside shops with stuff on offer at ridiculously low prices. It's all complete tat of course and you wouldn't buy one for 5 euros let alone two of them, but at least it's a bit more pro-active than the usuaul French retail experience.
Cynics would say that they are just trying to offload their rubbish on a holiday weekend during the sales. Well, it's the first time I've seen them recognise a marketing opportunity and try to capitalise on it - maybe it needs a bit of a more sophisticated approach but 'bravo' for effort.
We have two sets of new guests who seem to be enjoying the festival atmosphere whilst dodging the showers and we had a lovely dinner with them tonight and tomorrow we will take them all to see the fabulous firework display at and above the Cité, courtesy of Patrick's terrace which has a grandstand panoramic view.
Chris and Patrick are talking again, although it is a rather uneasy truce - I gather that Patrick laid into Chris a bit and Chris refused to give him an apology and a sort of stand-off now exists. I am trying very hard to keep out of it. Both say things to me that contradict what the other one has said and I don't want to get involved - so please just get a grip, the both of you.
Meanwhile, we still haven't finished Denis' apartment and we won't get paid our final instalment until we do. So, that means more weekend and evening working this week.
On a positive note, Debrah arrived yesterday and is here for two weeks - hurrah. We also have our lovely friend, Sandra, from Stockholm, staying with us for the week. She arrived today via London and it was so good to see her - I haven't seen her in two years - and it's the first chance she has had to visit us in the South of France - I guess I will have to find the time to go to Sweden sometime with Debrah but I can't see that happening any time soon.
Not to worry - Carcassonne is 'en fete' and I'm loving every bit of my new life in the Languedoc - what more can I say?
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