Mini escape

Hubby and I took a mini escape.

Just the two of us.

Yup, we left the girls home on their own.

 We hopped on a cruise ship to Stockholm.

We ate well.

And rested.

A lot.

I jumped aboard after two days of fever.

Hubby got the cold a day later...

Not a lot of partying went down :P

Here are a few reasons why I love our Swedish counterpart (aka nation's capitol):

It is pedestrian friendly.

We walked 9 kilometers on Sunday.

Most of it snail pace with frequent coughing breaks.

The drivers respect the pedestrian crossings, unlike sadly in my city...

We walked from the ship to Slussen, through the Old Town did some shopping on Drottningsgatan and then walked a little here and a little there before heading back.

And taking a nap.

There are cafés everywhere.

In fact I dare you to take 50 steps and not find a café, especially in the Old Town.

 

 You find art in unexpected places.

These sentences ran up Drottningsgatan, part of a street art project.

Really made you think too...

Outdoor marketplace.

Buckets of tulips. Nothing better.

 

The sea is present and accounted for.

I love a seaside city.

Gamla Stan, the Old Town.

 The lovely buildings.

The narrow alleys.

Ignore the tourist shops, there are some hidden gems in there.

You can spend an entire day here.

 

And there are amazing cafés.

Each competing on the size of their cinnamon buns.

We sat in a lovely windowless basement snug as bugs and couldn't finish our giant cinnamon buns...

I never get tired of going back.

 ===================================================================================

This post was brought to you courtesy of a fun project called
Lists with friends 2014.

A project that documents this year with lists of all kind.

Reader's dozen

 

 Not for the quesy... Molly Lefebure was a secretary for a forensic pathologist in London during WWII. An autobiography, quite interesting to read about how things were before the high tech CSI world.

 I love picking up a book by Marian Keyes. I always find myself reading with a Irish accent..heh.. Her characters are fun and real and she can spin a story every which way! I highly recommend this one. Beneath the excellently funny characters is a story about depression. And a boy band  :P

John Irving is one my favorite authors. This is a sweet story. About love, sex and growing up. About cross-dressing. It had me smiling when I finished it. Literally warm fuzzies. However I do understand that his subject matter isn't for everyone, he never shies away, but tells it like it is.

 This story. 

This story... fascinatingly written as it was told from the viewpoint of different people, but always about one day every year spanning twenty years. Find it, read it.

 Like the title, a strange book. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not when I finished it. I think I was trying to interprit it too much. Overthinking it. Good read though.

 One of my pet peeves.. books with the film poster as cover art. Nearly put me off from the start. Plus once they describe the characters, you come and look at the cover and go: "BUT THEY LOOK NOTHING LIKE THIS!!!" I spent a lot of time trying to shake off Josh Duhamel's face from my head while reading. Captivating book. Just don't do what I did and watch the film (after I had read the book), it left me soooo annoyed. They turned a good book into a mediochre chick flick. Blech.

 Yes, another Marian Keyes! Hilarious. I don't know what magic she has.. all this funny stuff in a book basically about domestic violence. I think that is the reason I like her books, there is always that serious under current amidst the laughs. The only thing that bugged me about this book, was that they chose different fonts for different chapters, depending on from whose view point it was. Not the different fonts as such, more the font choices... I'm such a font snob.

 I'm always ready to pick up a Comissario Brunetti book by Donna Leon. One: they are set in Venice.. you can't go wrong with Venice. Two: great food is eaten and wine at lunch is a must. Three: they are good mystery books. Just don't read them when you are hungry...

========================================================================================

 

This post was brought to you courtesy of a fun project called
Lists with friends 2014.

A project that documents this year with lists of all kind.

Where I stood this first week in March

On Saturday, in my wool socks, in my living room, admiring the tulips

 On Sunday, in my garden crocs, outside, cursing the snow.

On Monday, in my work crocs, at the school, walking endless stairs.

On Tuesday, in my work crocs, at the school, admiring the view from the 4th floor.

On Wednesday, in my wool socks, at my desk, sipping wine and watching an episode of Battlestar Galactica. (and yes, I'm a habitual ankle pointer)

On Thursday, in my socks, at a friend's house, capturing sleeping cuteness.

On Friday, in my favorite boots, at the bus stop, waiting to take home the groceries.

On Saturday, in my socks, in Niina's room, talking to my niece.

The hashtag in Instagram is #whereistoodinmarch2014

========================================================================================

This post was brought to you courtesy of a fun project called
Lists with friends 2014.

A project that documents this year with lists of all kind.

Then and now

I went digging in my photo archives.

 Let's compare, shall we?

This is as uncommon in 2008,

as in 2014. 

Snowdrops.

This is more the norm:

2010

 Our BBQ is a great to measure snow by.

 Or not, as the case may be in 2014.

 Oh so pretty in 2012.

Not quite the same charm now in 2014.

November 2008

February 2014

More often than not at this time of year we are covered in snow.

I've been wanting a bit of snow. Not quite the dumping my North American friends are getting (been there, done that), since it is also quite nice not to be shoveling endless mountains of snow.

The polar vortex is the cause. Yup, we're just on the opposite end of it.

Green grass in February???

I'm expecting a nice spring now.

In March rather than April as the norm is ;)

 ===========================================================================

This post was brought to you courtesy of a fun project called

Lists with friends 2014.
A project that documents this year with lists of all kind.

fortwoandahalfweeks

slopestyle

freestyle

snowboards

skis

skates

figure skating

twice the figure skating!

hockey

women's and men's

curling

sprint

moguls

downhill

uphill

in the air

cross-country

nordic combined

halfpipe

skiathlon

biathlon

skijumping

aerials

Yup, I'm set.

Good thing I have next week off work for winter break ;)

As for this week, I have a great app that lets me stream live coverage when needed.

PS. I absolutely LOVE the Sochi patchwork pattern!

 ============================================================================

This post was brought to you courtesy of a fun project called
Lists with friends 2014.
A project that documents this year with lists of all kind.

Netflixing the small screen

 I have to say I'm a very happy Netflix user.

It is perfect for someone like me, who when finding a great series, can indulge and watch it all.

Without having to endure waiting week by week for a new episode.

Sometimes, however you don't have a choice... as was with the third season of Sherlock just now.
And oh was that ever good...
(The two previous seasons are on Netflix btw. I highly recommend it!)

I thought it was time I gave out some recommendations.

Programs that I have enjoyed.

Maybe you can find something to give a try.

In no particular order :)

-Shakespeare Uncovered-

Great actors telling the story behind the play. What it is all about.

Spellbinding. Truly.
Joely Richardon on Shakespeare's women,  Ethan Hawke on Macbeth, Derek Jacobi on Richard II, Trevor Nunn on The Tempest, Jeremy Irons on the Henrys and David Tennant on Hamlet.

 

I came by the series after watching The Hollow Crown (Henry IV and Henry V).

Sadly this isn't on Netflix. Yet.

If you happen to come by it elsewhere, sit down and enjoy.

I'll never pass an opportunity for Shakespeare.

Or Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston for that matter.

-Annika Bengtzon, Crime Reporter-

 I've read some of Liza Marklund's books, and was curious to see how it translates to tv-land.

Brilliantly.

It's refreshing to have a crime series where the main character is not police.

It is a Swedish production , so you'll have to bear with subtitles.

90 minute episodes of fabulous suspense.

And you get to admire beautiful views from Stockholm as a bonus.

-Arrow-

I'm a geek and proud of it.

This one popped up on my recommendations list and I thought I could give it a try.
Completely hooked instantly.
Besides he's easy on the eyes and is shirtless a lot.
Just sayin'...

-Doctor Who-

What can I say.

It's good fun and you can watch it with your kids.

Although my teens just rolled their eyes :P

Plus you have to admire a tv-show that has inside jokes nearly 50 years apart...

-Endeavor-

Are you familiar with Inspector Morse?

This is him. 

In the mid 1960's starting out in Oxford.

If you like opera, you should watch this for the score alone.

I have half a mind watching it again eyes closed, just for the music...

-Hidden-

Philip Glenister and David Suchet.

Need I say more?

Lawyers, criminals and politics all rolled into one wicked conspiracy that will leave you going:

"Wait? What?! Did that just happen???"

-Top of the Lake-

Not everyone's cup of tea. Not an easy subject matter, as it deals with pedophilia.

By Jane Campion, remember the movie Piano?

Set in New Zealand, great cast, gripping story and scenery that will take your breath away.

So will the story.

-Torchwood-

Spin off of Doctor Who.

Who knew there was such alien activity in Cardiff?

Good fun. Not for young kids though... Captain Jack in action...

-Touch-

It was nice seeing Kiefer Sutherland play a caring dad. 

Although in the last few episodes his inner Jack Bauer showed through.

I enjoyed the concept though.

-Wallander-

The Swedish films are great, but I have to admit I really like the BBC ones.

Once you get over the English pronunciation of Swedish names...

You just can't go wrong with Kenneth Branagh.

You can't.

Period.

-Remembrance-

A haunting love story between a jewish German woman and a Polish man who fall in love at a concentration camp.

Again another beautiful score.

-The Hunt-

This one is a Danish movie of a kindergarten teacher who gets wrongly accused of pedophilia in a small town.

It will break your heart in a thousand pieces.

And then some.

At the same time it will make you absolutely love Mads Mikkelsen.

And question people's behavior.

And make you think.

This one will stick with you for a few days...

Do you have any recommendations for me?

Presently waiting for new episodes for Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards.

Quite impatiently, I might add...

==========================================================================

 This post was brought to you courtesy of a fun project called
Lists with friends 2014.
A project that documents this year with lists of all kind.