This blogpost vaccinates 95 children!

UNICEF currently has a great campaign! For everyone who posts the text in Swedish below, and pings theire blogg at Twingly, Apoteket Hjärtat, will donate 95 tetanus shots to the UNICEF vaccination campaign in Afganistan. Spread the word people, it just takes a few minutes and might save lives!

"Den här bloggposten vaccinerar 95 barn Just nu söker UNICEF en hälsospecialist till konfliktområden i Afghanistan. I tjänsten ingår bland annat att massvaccinera miljontals barn mot stelkramp, polio och mässling. Jag skulle gärna ta mig an uppdraget, men eftersom jag inte kommer loss så publicerar jag den här bloggposten istället. Då vaccinerar jag nämligen 95 barn runtom i världen mot stelkramp tillsammans med Apotek Hjärtat. Det är också bra.
Jag är med UNICEF i kampen för varenda unge. Vill du också vara med och förändra barns liv? Bli Världsförälder här: unicef.se/bli-varldsforalder. För 100 kronor i månaden är du med och ser till att barn över hela världen får vaccin, medicin, rent vatten och utbildning. Har du en blogg och vill vaccinera ytterligare 95 barn? För varje bloggare som publicerar den här bloggposten mellan 16 april och 13 maj så skänker Apotek Hjärtat 95 stelkrampsvaccin. Läs mer och hämta bloggmaterial på unicef.se/sprid-budskapet/bloggkampanj "

Travelling to Hua hin with Children

There are many aspect of travelling with children, safety and things to do are at the top of the question lists. We’ll try to sort it out for you! And as always, we welcome questions and ideas, just post them as comments or email us and we’ll address them a.s.a.p.We'll start with safety and get back to the things to in the next post.

Safety

First and foremost, Hua hin is a safe area, no need to be more concerned than anywhere else in the world. However, Thailand is a tropical country; there are different aspects that you might want to consider, depending on age obviously.

For the youngest, 0-2 years

Vaccinations

It’s getting more and more common to take your maternity leave and head off for a few months to Thailand for example. Before leaving your country, make sure that you go through the vaccination program that your country is providing and that you get the necessary shots that you might want to add. Plan well ahead so that your child gets the necessary protection. 

Sun screen

This will be debated forever and ever and I will not get in the middle of it. In my view, be smart. Small children should avoid the sun. Keep them away from the sun between 11-3. The other hours, let them wear UV-blocking suits. 

Food

If you are still breastfeeding, good for you! No need to think at all.. If your child is old enough for formula, then I would take it with me, the Thai equivalents are sweet and nasty in my opinion.. If they are old enough to eat? Well great! Let them eat Thai food! Bring a mixer or buy one if you are staying for a long time. Use common sense, obviously less spicy is a good idea, avoid the saltiest and sweetest food. If you are not sure if your child is allergic to peanuts, avoid that to. Mix it with some milk and voila!  Fruit, what a great thing. Let them eat as much as they want, yeah yeah sugar yeah yeah. Fruit, freshly grown, eaten ripe =  A lot better than the stuff you get in a nestle jar and gladly serve to your children at home.. =) One thing though, pineapple, be restrictive for the youngest. It’s a fruit that might be a bit hard for their tiny undeveloped stomached to handle. Not saying never give, saying don’t let them drink pineapple shakes 3 times a day.  Fluids are also important, they will sweat more ergo need to drink more. Bottled water is the only thing you need, readily available everywhere. When they get tired of that, give them some watermelon, lots of fluid there too.. 

For the older children

Safety will here consist of paying attention to traffic, be careful with the waves and again sunscreen. I’m not too concerned with advice for older children when it comes to safety, because it’s not much different to what it will be in your own country. One thing that I want to point out though is the water, there are strong currents at both beaches but the main beach has higher waves and also stronger currents. On a windy day, you need to be careful not to swim too far out or even walk too far out. At the beaches you also have jet skis, banana boats and parasails. You need to pay attention to those to, jet skis for example apart from being involved in several scams, they are also often drive way to fast and if you are out swimming, your head might not be to visible for an oncoming jet ski.

If you happen to be in accident and need medical attention

Hua hin offers good hospital care and as a tourist I would go to either  Bangkok Hospital or San Paolo hospital.  Both offer good care, I’d say that Bangkok hospital is a bit more specialized and would be my first choice if it’s something serious, but for normal care (cuts, smaller car accidents etc). I’d use San Paulo. There are also several other options, policlinics, Red Cross and many many more but as I said, the 2 above is the first choice. 

Bangkok Hospital Hua Hin
Tel: 032 616 800
Email: huahin@bangkokhospital.com
Theire webpage

Sao Paolo

Tel: 032 532576-85

Getting around Stockholm

When you are a temporary visitor in a city, transportation is essential to be able to explore it to its limits. First part is getting from the airport to town and depending on the airport you have a few different options

Arlanda

You essentially have three ways of getting from the airport to your destination. What might surprise you is that Taxi is usually the cheapest solution but it depends on how many you are, where you are going etc.

TAXI
Readily available outside the terminal at Arlanda they drive on fixed prices to any destination in central Stockholm. The prices vary a bit depending on the company but should all be around 470-500SEK and the price should be written on the outside of the car. Don't ever go by meter, the prices are fixed! If you are more than 4 persons you might want to consider preordering a large taxi that takes up to 8 people, ask your host to help you with this.

Arlanda express
The fastest and most environmental friendly way of getting to central Stockholm. It takes about 20 min to get to central station and the trains run all the time. Unfortunately it's expensive so usually it doesn't make sense if you are more then 2 persons but there are exceptions. Usually they have a weekend special where you can go 2 adults for less and a summer special where children go for free etc. Problem is that once you hit central station you will still probably want to take a taxi to your destination.. However, if you are going to Arlanda during rush hour, this is unbeatable! To see the current prices please check out their webpage where you can also buy tickets in advance: Arlanda express

Airport busses
The cheapest way of getting to central station. It takes quite a lot longer then a taxi due to all the stops and they don't run as often as the trains but is a cheap way of traveling. Again, you will however be dropped off at central station and have to make your way from there to your destination. For prices and schedule, check out their webpage: Airport busses


From Skavsta

First things first, Skavsta is quite a long way from Stockholm, despite what Ryan air says, so don't be surprised if the journey takes a while. From here I would only really recommend travelling by bus. A taxi is ridiculously expensive so this is a big no no if I were you.

Airport busses
The busses matches all arrivals/departures so you rarely have to wait for it. A good idea is to buy a 2 way ticket right away since it's cheaper and it saves you the hassle of doing it twice. For schedules, prices and more, check out theire webpage: Airport busses

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Around Stockholm

Public transportation in Stockholm is really good if you don't happen to be here during the winter when the occasional snowstorm brings everything to a stop.. It's run by SL and if you are here for a few days you can get a visitors pass that are good value. When you get a pass you can go on the commuter trains, the metro, all the busses and trams plus a few boats so it's a really good idea. SL has got a good visitor's page that you can reach from here: Public transportation in Stockholm

Stockholm City bikes or as they are more commonly known: "Alvedoncykel"
The advil bikes.. Yes, sponsored by the Swedish version of Advil, these bikes are readily available all over Stockholm. They are cheap, really smart way of getting around and good for the environment. Pick up a bike at one stand, drop it of at another, never have to worry about locking up your bike or where to store it at night. Join the movement! See their webpage for prices and more info: Stockholm City bikes

 

One last time..

There is something about old buildings that intrigues me. I never was much for modern architecture. It can be fascinating, posh, cool and quite astonishing, but to me it’s soulless when it's brand new. Perhaps it's because I grew up in Old town, where I learnt to love leaning floors, senselessly high sealings and cobble stones that are nice to look at by a nuisance to walk on? But building don’t have to be from the 15th century to get my attention, it's got a lot to do with the history of the building and the people that have passed through.

As I am a faithful supporter of one of the football teams in Stockholm, AIK, the subject of affection towards historical grounds has been brought to my attention recently. 

They are tearing down our stadium. 

Next year, the ground that is ranked amongst top 10 classical stadiums by FIFA will no longer be. We will all be moved to a modern arena, for sure more comfortable, for sure completely soulless.
Råsunda stadion, finalized in 1937, one of only 2 stadiums in the world that have hosted the final for both the men’s and women’s World Cup. The place where Sweden and Brazil played the final in the World Cup in 1958 (5-2 win for Brazil), where historical games, battles and songs have long echoed. The place that is now being torn down. 

It is a rugged stadium. It built out of, and actually has the character as well, of cement,it's nick named "Mordor" by other teams, our "fortress" by us. The place where I've been supporting my team for almost 20 years. It might be trivial, in an ever changing world, but I for one will not be able to hold back my tears when the tearing begins.

Before all this, there is however a chance for one last time of everything. The chance to vintess it all, one last time. One last time, the season premiere will be held here. We'll meet the players with chants and fireworks. One last time we will host a Derby game against a local rival. One last time we will get to follow our team on sacred ground. And hopefully, one last time, we will bring the gold medals back where they belong.

This will be documented by many, mourned by all. One of my oldest friends, Henrik, will document this through his lens and you can see the amazing pictures here.

Several short movies have also been made, 2 of my favourites are: 

 

If I were you, I would not miss the last of this for the world. 

Get your tickets here.

Twitter!

I'm in love with twitter, hence I need to spread the word.
It's such a fast and effective way of communicating, gets me the latest news way ahead of even web based newspapers plus I get to check in on a lot of my friends.
That is how I stumbled upon the Curators of Sweden, an amazing idea that you can read about here and follow here. Many other countries and cities have now followed suit and I love it. The idea of getting to know a country by following people from different parts of Sweden, with very different backgrounds is amazing. Yes, naturally, it's a kind of commercial and it works, it gets people curious about the country and the fact that we so far have seen everything from the daily life of a female truck driver to a sheep farmer and a librarian really says it all. If you use twitter, don't miss this!

Absoluteapartment obviously has an account as well; however I'm afraid I can't find the time to tweet both professionally and private, (I'm after all still a med student who also run a company..) so the account is just linked to our Google+ and to our Facebook page. In the future I hope to do more, just need to find some more time for this amazing form of microblog.

Highly recommended things to do in Stockholm

What is it that you are just not allowed to miss while you 

are in Stockholm? Well it naturally depends on season and how much time you have but we rate 10 things that you can't miss no matter when you are here or how little time you have:

1.Old town (Gamla stan)
The heart of Stockholm, where it all started and where much of it is kept. You can still walk on the same cobble stones that Axel von Fersen (Marie Antoinette’s lover) was killed upon, see the slop where the big blood bath took place. Eat at one of the many cafés located 16th century basements, admire the royal castle and see the changing of the guards.

2.Archipellago
Yes, we know you need some time to do really see the archipelago but there are ways to do it fast too if you are in a hurry. It's something amazing about the archipelago in Stockholm a sunny summer day, diving of the cliffs, fishing, sunbathing, sipping wine at one of the small harbors or challenging your friend to mini golf. Most of all, just see the beauty of it and enjoy! For a quick spell we recommend Fjäderholmarna and if you have a full day, don't miss Sandhamn, the real jewel of Stockholm’s archipelago!

3.City hall
This is where the Nobel prize celebrations are held. The Nobel prize was founded by Alfred Nobel, the guy who invented dynamite, and is one of the biggest events in Sweden each year. It's a full on week with ceremonies, speeches and it all ends with a large dinner at city hall! It holds the 3 crowns, the symbol of the Swedish hockey team amongst others and you can climb the tower to get a great view of Stockholm.

4.The ice bar
Ok yes, a lot of people will argue that it's not fair to put this on 4th place in Stockholm but we feel that it really tells a typical story of Sweden and it's a cool place! The entire thing is made out of ice, the bar, the glasses, the tables etc. They lend you a furry coat, gloves and hat so you can go in the summer and still be warm.

5.Boat sightseeing
This makes for a great way to see Stockholm, Venice of northern Europe. A few hours guided tour is an effective way to see many different places in Stockholm and it's a nice ride.

6.Dining
Comes naturally perhaps, but food is important in Swedish culture. We have a couple of places that we love that we will publish as soon as we can, but take time to dine, enjoy the Swedish specialties and it doesn’t have to be expensive! If you are staying in an apartment, try things like cloudberry jam, herring and crisp bread at home, no need to pay extra for that at a fancy restaurant or take the opportunity to eat many of the Swedish specialties at a local Brunch place.

7.Skansen
A large open air museum that hold a bit of everything from a small cute animal park where you can see wolfs, moose, bears and many other animals but also a place to visit the historic Sweden in miniature. If you happen to be here during one of the larger celebrations such as Lucia, midsummer, new year’s etc, then you can celebrate it traditionally in Skansen.

8.The Vasa museum
The only preserved 17th century ship in the world. Sank on its maiden journey in 1628, was brought back up in 1961. Situated on Djurgården this could easily be combined with Skansen and a mini boat ride from Slussen, makes for a full day.

9.Any sports event
Depending on season this might be Hockey or Football but you should take the opportunity to go see a game live. There are 3 football teams that are big in Stockholm, AIK, Djurgården and Hammarby and you can see the game schedule and by tickets at ticnet.

10.Walk
Sounds stupid, we know, but walk around Djurgården, stop at local cafés and enjoy the peace and quiet. Walk around Old town and soak in the atmosphere. Walk home a late summer night along the waterfronts of Stockholm, enjoy the 24hour daylight and feel the Nordic spirit. Stockholm is not big, you can walk almost everywhere and you should because it's simply the best way to get to know the city.

Brunch your way around Stockholm!

 

Waking up Sunday morning after a late Saturday out with your friends, or because you just simply had a good nights rest, a brunch is always a great way to end the weekend. It will either bring you back to life with well needed food and drinks or it will be a pampered luxery experience with your loved ones, preferably a combo.. No matter what your reasons are, a brunch is the right way to end the week end!

I and one of my best friends, David, went to med school together for a few semesters before I switched university from Karolinska to Uppsala. We decided to stay in touch by brunching as often as we could and we have tried out a lot of great places in Stockholm. We always talked about rating them, starting up a brunch blog to guide others but we never came that far. Hence, when I now have a travel blog, set up to recommend things to do around the world, I decided that I will share some of the places here with you. The rating is always based on the same criteria, hot food, cold food, desserts, atmosphere and service. I have also added price, and a personal comment.

Djurgårdsbrunns värdshus

Hot-5

Cold-3

Desserts-5

Athomsphere-5

Service-3

Total: 21p 

Price: 249Kr, not including drinks/coffee

 

Comment: Wow! The hot food is great and includes both classic brunch dishes and delicacies like smoked salmon fins and perfectly poached eggs. We were unlucky on the service department the first time, but second time we had great service. During the winter you sit inside, watch the bright white snow outside while feeling the warmth from the open fire. The desserts are the real winners even if the hot selection is really good too but that dark chunky moist chocolate brownie cake is truly to die for!

ClarionSkanstull

Hot-5

Cold-4

Desserts-3

Athomsphere-3

Service-5

Total: 20 

Price: 260kr, Standard juice/coffee is included

Comment: Our first brunch was here, hence we loved it! Could have been that we are getting pickier but this one is still one of the best. It's a cross over between hotel breakfast and brunch, giving you a wide assortment of things that make up a great sandwich (Philadelphia -bagel with salmon was my favorite!) together with the essential hot stuff plus a few cute add ons as mini hamburgers. The desert section  was fun, including a Swedish thing called smågodis, essential! The staff was attentive and let us stay way past closing time, without a fuss. Great!

Kung Carls bakficka

Service-5

Hot-2

Cold-5

Desserts-4

Athomsphere-4

Total: 19

Price: 235kr, not including drinks or coffee

Comment: The fact that we were allowed to stay until they had to set our table for dinner was something that we really cherished. It also says a lot about how much we liked it! Biggest plus goes out to the beef tartar. Absolutely astonishing! The pickled Swedish Chanterelles served to the prosciutto.. Wow! When it comes to hot food there was nothing wrong but just the ordinary bacon and eggs, nothing special. Waffles, pancakes makes for a nice dessert. Coffee is not included but the barista is really good so it's worth the extra!

Fotografiska

Hot-4

Cold-2

Desserts-5

Athomsphere-3

Service: 4

Total: 18 

Price: 325kr, including regular coffee, juices.

Comment: Cool idea with small tables of tiny portioned brunch dishes (or simply food, not too much brunch over it) with each table representing a different decade. Some decades were however better then others to say the least. A thing that we still talk about was an omelet version on Jansson with lots of finely chopped red onion and crème fraiche, Delicious!! The deserts were served on table spoons, nicely arranged in a mock wall. Hard to explain I know, but imaging the holding ends of large beautiful spoons, filled with lovely bites of desserts, stuck into a mesh system of holes in a white wall. You'll have to see for yourselves. Plus a good excursion on a rainy day to see the great exhibitions at the same time. Expensive for what you get however.

Villa Källhagen

Hot-3

Cold-3

Desserts-3

Athomsphere-4

Service-4

Total: 17 

Price: 275kr, including regular coffee

Comment: Food was overall average, a few twists like Nobis dressing instead of the standard Caesar, an amazing mustard sauce for the cured salmon but apart from that, bland. Very few hot dishes to choose from and the desserts were uneven to say the least. The best ones were the crème brullé and a great chocolate mousse, both served in schnapps glasses so perfect size as well. The chocolate cake and waffles looked god but tasted absolutely nothing. A lovely place, a nice walk out there and back, cozy, but stop for a glass of wine or coffee instead.

Elverket

Hot-2

Cold-2

Desserts-1

Athomsphere-2

Service-2

Total: 9

Comment: Well.. Eh. No. Food was unispiering and quite bland. The only thing that stuck out was the corn bread that was very tasty. Apart from that, service was nonexistent, the waffle iron had a melted plastic spatula inside it and when I pointed this out, the waitress said "use the other one". Price way too high for what you get. We won't be coming back and no, we won't link to them either, just don't go there.

To be continued!

"Winter" in Hua hin

As you may have noticed, there has been a lot said about Stockholm lately. That's fine, there is heaps to do in Stockhlm, hence a lot to recommend. But as I usually spend December/January in Hua hin in our house there, I'd like to give you a taste of what a winter without snow can be like.

When people think of Thailand they usually think of Phuket or one of the many wonderful islands around it. Some think of Koh Phi phi, Koh Samui or Koh Pa-nga with its full moon parties. Some think of amazing dive waters or secluded beaches. Me, I think of Thailand as my second home. I think of getting out of the taxi after a long flight and then drive, entering our house. I think of the getting there late at night, eloping 1m of snow in Sweden to arrive at 25 degrees and going for the first swim in the pool. I think of the first morning, waking up and taking a couple of seconds to realize that it's not a dream. I'm actually there, in paradise.

When it comes to Hua hin, I am simply at ease. It's a town that can make anyone feel comfortable, no matter what age you are. It just has something to offer everyone. I'll share some of my personal favorites with you here, making it a tad bit easier for you if you are heading over!

 

Where to stay?

Well for me it’s easy, I obviously stay in our house (you can to, if we're not there!). But I think you should consider the location of your stay carefully when you decide to go. First, what are your needs, wants and budget? Do you want  a private pool or hotel breakfast? Do you want to stay at the beach or do you want to be able to relaxed dinner on your private terrace? Do you want to stay in town or are you ok to pay a tuk tuk around 150baht to get there, just to be able to enjoy not having to listen to the 24h traffic?

Absoluteapartment offers a wide range of places to accommodate most tastes. But we have our priorities set straight, our guests want private swimming pools mostly. They want to be able to have maid service, massage, meals etc a phone call away. And they want the comfort of a home away from home. To me that is what we are offering. No matter if you choose to rent one of our places or to rent from someone else, we do think a house is the best way to experience Hua hin!

Fishing- Catch and release

This is an expensive trait in Hua hin, god knows why, but it’s also fun and if you love a good struggle, do it! There are 2 main locations, depending on budget but check out Fishing lodge and Greenfield.

Hua hin Safari & Adventure Park

4WD, paint ball, elephants and much more. This is where I head out if I'm staying for a long time and need some excitement; I especially recommend a game of paintball with your friends, much more exciting than a round of golf.

Beaches

Main Hua hin beach: Big, lots of tourist and big hotels. Go horseback riding, relax, rent a kite board, and have fun!

Takiabi beach: More relaxed, less people and friendlier. This is where I'd go with children who aren't the youngest but not big enough to tackle the wind and waves at the main beach.

Military beach: Some Thais on vacation otherwise deserted. Private, cheaper, no hawking and no sun beds. Very nice!

Kao Tao (turtle beach): Small, clean secluded. A paradise if you are with small children!

Markets:

Several different, most famous is the Night market, in the center of Hua hin where they sell clothes, food and jewelry. Most is fake but quite descent quality! Fruit markets are scattered around town at different days, one is up by soi 114 and has good prices on anything that you can eat!  

Elephant riding

Heaps of places around town, most include a quite boring elephant show however..

Restaurants in Hua hin

Ahw, well, by now, if you have followed us for a while, you know that I'm fond of food. Hua hin is as well, lucky me! As usual when it comes to Thailand we are very keen on empathizing that you shouldn't miss out on the local markets, the local hawkers, the fruit carvers and all the rest of them. The best local food is usually found in the smallest most modest places, but there are exceptions.

Local, cheap and good

Not being fluent in Thai, I will try to describe the locations instead..

On your way to monkey mountain, at the very end of the main beach in Hua hin, you find a small and simple sea food tavern. Actually you will find lots of them, but to get to this one, walk on the beach and pick the last possible place. I dare say they serve the best seafood in Hua hin! Don't miss the crab!

The market at Soi 114, serves anything basically, cooked fresh, and lots of other things to buy to in terms of fresh fruit, sea food and deserts.

The market outside Grand hotel has lots of good half restaurants (egg hawkers with a few tables and chairs), some of the best sweet corn in Hua hin and much more.

If you walk the night market street from the beach and upwards, you get a large restaurant at the second intersection to the right. It looks kind of shabby but the food is excellent!

On the parallel street to petkhasem, next to the railroad, walk from the station towards the south and you'll find plenty of ok cheap restaurants filled with Europeans that spend the winter in Hua hin. One that stands out is Kim’s kitchen, they do excellent basic Thai food at outstanding prices and they deliver!

Up market but definitely worth it

Coco 51: At Soi 51, towards the beach, really really nice, good food, relaxing beautiful setting. Lie music during the evenings and good atmosphere.

Hilton: Roof top restaurant, very good, very pricy.

Brasserie de Paris: Naresdamri road, at the waterfront. Good food!!

Along Naresdamri road, towards Hilton you also have a little dock side restaurant, I wouldn't call it upmarket but it isn't cheap so it gets to be here anyway. However, it's really cozy, very relaxed, good place for children and the seafood is good!

Sofitel: Several restaurants, beautiful settings.

Marriott: Great for special occasions, their buffets at the beach for thanksgiving for example are stunning. Great service and so beautiful.

Above all of these I’d like to really stick my neck out and say Dusit. Their Monday all inclusive buffet could be the best in Thailand in terms of value for what you get. For 1200Baht you get not only the hotels selection of red, white and sparkling, but mainly a really good buffet that goes all the way and include anything from Fresh oysters and roe to different steaks and seafood. Do leave room for the large dessert section and then finish with a large cheese platter. A place that holds anything from a chocolate fountain to Oyster for 1200baht is excellent value!

Night life in Hua hin

In general one can say that Hua hin nightlife is quite calm and more focused on late night diners that continue until the wee hours but there are exceptions.

Sun set cocktails

Above all, literally, is Hilton. Take the elevator up to the sky bar, enjoy a cocktail while the sun sets over Hua hin. Great view in all directions, good service and perfect cocktails.

Sofitel, nice charming atmosphere, at the beach you can see the last of the sunbathers leave the beach while sipping a cool drink and having some nibbles of good Thai cuisine.

A bit later..

Depending on your type of scenery but Soi Binthabat is the definite bar mecka of Hua hin. Naturally there are lots of lady bars but this is simply the Thai scenery. A few places that are better than other according to us is the Irish bar O’Neil’s, good music, good atmosphere and descent food and beer selection. Hua hin Brewery has a relaxed outside seating area and a good nightclub inside. A must for the late crew but ok for the rest as well if you sit outside. El Murphy’s stand out when it comes to live music, their band is the best in town for sure, but come early they stop playing around midnight and tip heavily, they don't earn nearly as much as they should!

To get a good idea of where everything is, please use this Great map of Hua hin Bars that HHAD has created.

Stockholm as seen by others part 1

When we stumble upon something that we think is good, we would like to share it with you. Today I got to read this: 25 reasons to go to Stockholm and decided to put together some of the links that I find helpful and have come across the last couple of weeks. A webpage that is a really good start is Visit Stockholm, they have lots of good tips and ideas with a wide range of activities to choose from. My personal favorite amongst things to do in Stockholm is to walk around and just see the city. A place that most of you who come here will visit is Old town and a good read is found here.

I love to read travel guides and articles about Stockholm, foremost because it's an eye opener into things that are so much every day to me that I've stopped noticing them, things that I would photograph and pose in front of if I would have been abroad myself. One of those things is the metro system in Stockholm. I use it daily and don't even see it. Here it's been voted one of the coolest metro systems in the world!

A page that has a little bit of everything is Vacation rentals, their section on Highly recommended really quite sums it up for me.

Picture from Stockholm Gay and Lesbian network

Stockholm is also one of the most gay friendly cities in the world, something that we are very proud of! I usually don't like to make a statement about this since it divides people into groups and that is not something I do. I think it's like saying we are one of the most human friendly cities in the world. But I am truly happy that anyone, of any couloir, sexuality or age feel welcome in Stockholm and the Stockholm Gay and Lesbian network has an excellent webpage loaded with good ideas, not to mention the amazing pictures, just look at this one to the left!

CNN had an interesting piece with the title "What's wrong with Stockholm?" well worth reading if you are heading our way. If you plan to go out drinking, bring the big bucks! 

Let call this part one, then I'll dig up some more links for you for the second part. Enjoy!

Winter in Sweden

Winter in Annefors, last years view from my kitchen window..

Yes, I know, you think of eternal darkness and suicide stats. Even though I'm more of a summer-beach-sun-person myself, I'd like to challenge that view.

Yes, Swedish winters are colder than winters are for most of you. Yes it's also darker then in many other countries. The suicide stats are well... Kind of true but not entirely so. We are 30th in the world per capita according to Wikipedia (not a great source, I know). Anyhow, sad as that is, today, with minus 5 degrees Celsius, snow covered grounds, glistening treetops and a bright winter sun; I was reminded on why I love the Swedish winter!

I walked to the train at around 6.30am this morning, still completely dark outside. All the cozy streetlights with an air of early 1900 about them gave a nice glow to the deserted streets where I was plowing forward with the snow crunching underneath my shoes. 

On the train between Uppsala where I study and Stockholm the sun started to rise and I got to see a bright white landscape, wrapped in an enormous coating of snow passing by outside my window. Getting off and hustling to Uppsala University I caught a ride on a friends bike. The bicycle lanes had been brushed with sand, and despite the cold it was a nice ride. During lunch we took our coffee outside, sat down and let the early winter sun warm our faces. Back home, right now, there are candles lit all over the apartment. A large casserole of Kalopps (Swedish meat stew) based on moose is puttering away on the stove. A glass of red in hand, my favorite possum socks from NZ on my feet I'm planning away for a winter wonderland weekend. Tomorrow we are going for a long walk out to Djurgården with the rest of Stockholm. We're going for “Afterpulka” (pulka means toboggan) at Djurgårdsbrunns värdshus. We'll be in skiwear in their lovely laid back chairs, enjoying the music, sun and good food. Simply embracing the Swedish winter, the way it should be embraced.

So don't be afraid of the Swedish winter, it's actually kind of great!