hanging out with sting in the nordic light!

hanging out with despina and sacha... and STING!

it was a great concert; his voice, cool vibe, and beloved songs - englishman in new york", "fields of gold", "shape of my heart", "every breath you take", "roxanne" and "message in a bottle" - featured prominently. 

watching, swaying and singing along with despina and sacha just made the experience all the more enjoyable; such a fun night.

sting played at gröna lund, an amusement park. so, you don't actually buy tickets to the concert, you buy the green card, an entrance fee to the park for just 290 sek and all concerts played during the summer are free. amazing, right?

the concert ended at 10pm yet the night sky was pale; it's magical this nordic summer light. loved strolling home, watching this dramatic night light... just as it's dramatically dark in the winter.

stefan bemoans the nordic light, because despite black out curtains, the morning light sneaks its way into the bedroom and you are up much earlier than you want to be. but i say, embrace scandinavia's unique long days.... it will be pitch black again before we know it.

grateful for friendships, nordic light... and one of music's icons.

stockholm weekend pics: just kai and i

it's been just kai and i for the last couple of weeks. 

we finished up school / work so it was a relaxed two weeks. and without school work getting in the way on the weekends, we spent time together... i am a firm believer in spending time with our children during their teen years, that we keep our kids close. and for kai and i, lately, we needed this togehterness and attention.

it meant that i dragged him out for sweden's national day to the stockholm food fest where we sampled a few favourites like farang's curry bowl; we fika-ed too although he doesn't share his treats as readily as stefan does; we binged on lucifer, our new favourite show; we cooked new dishes like spicy shrimp stirfry and an old favourites like linguine with olives and herbs; we ate at indian street food (we love this place); we went for a bike ride along the water; and we westled - a very good workout for me and one that i am happy to engage in for as long as he lets me :)

soon enough, we were three again :)

travelogue: paris with celine!

paris with celine in may. i have missed this beautiful friend when she moved to shanghai, a year ago. when she said she'd be in paris to write some exams and if i would want to join her, i didn't hesitate to say yes.

i liked how celine's curiosity led us down this street and that cobblestoned one, just because, no agenda. i liked observing the locals on their bikes, wearing their clothing just so, and sitting on patios enjoying their meal. there was beauty in everything, the language, the architecture, the food! and to observe all this with celine's insight felt like i had my very own personal tour guide :)

we stayed at her friend's apartment in the marais district, not only is it the perfect place to explore from but the apartment came with a cat. lucky me... celine, a cat and staying in a favourite parisian area!

we walked along the seine, with the bouquinistes selling their wares (even in the rain), seeing the notre dame without her spire, stopping in shakespere and co bookshop and cafe for browsing and warming up with a tea.

noteworthy dinners in marais... au petit fer a cheval for traditional french food, cafe breizh for galette (pictured below), and le petit marche for french-asian fusion (our favourite!). 

palais royal's inner courtyard with its colonnes de buren art installation was fun in the rain. as was place des voges and its surrounding arracade.

we walked through the tuileries garden. and i finally made it to the arc de triomphe this time but i don't think i will walk along champs d'elysees again... too busy and noisy for my liking.

musee d'orsay is a must destination, especially for impressionist works but the space itself, once a railway station, is worthwhile too. once inside, art is displayed on walls of deep gray, midnight blue, violet and green. my favourite piece was pénélope endormie, a sculpture by cavelier, love the way her gown drapes and her head tilts. 

lunches were also enjoyable sitting outdoors at les deux magots and another place where i had the best sardines! when we arrived at buvette, it was between service so we had a tea while flipping through their cookbook and by the time we were ready to leave, i just had to have the cookbook. stefan has cooked up delicious food from this place (the meatball recipe will definitely be shared soon). 

  

  

 

i love how there are so many visual delights, around every corner in montmartre. not only is there the sacre coeur but the winding streets, the montmartre cemetery that dates to the early 19th century, moulin rouge, of course, the wall of love, and locals playing boules.

treats included macaroons from pierre hermes and odette, millefeuille from a pastry shop on rue montegueil and the chocolate from patrick roger that i gifted stefan is one of the best he's ever tried. but back to that millefeuille, i sat outside the bakery and unfolded it from it's lovely wrap, it was a good one... i ate and smiled and ate and smiled.

celine took me to deyrolle, a famous taxidermy shop. it's one of paris' hidden gems that i didn't know existed. and what a place, the collection is amazing (if you like taxidermy). and i enjoyed the gardening shop just downstairs too. filled with treasures; celine bought a really cool poster.

le printemps rooftop was a happy find! you take the elevator after speaking with a very friendly security guard, then the escalator to the top floor of printemps and you'll discover a breathtaking view while drinking a gin and tonic. you are right in the heart of this beautiful city.

 

 

 

  

this was my third time to paris and i hope to be back for a fourth as there is still much to do... marche aux enfants rouges, the oldest market in marais; brunch at the eccentric derriere; properly having a meal at buvette; and if i am travelling with stefan we'll need to try dreamin' man for coffee. 

thank you celine, i loved my time with you. à bientôt, mon amie. bisous.