I Could Live Here

sodermalm morning walk26 - steep streets
Originally uploaded by davidlum.

Its about 11:30 pm and we have just completed Day 2 of our Stockholm visit. Certain Someones friends were kind enough to let us borrow their very fashionable apartment in the hip Sodermalm area. This part of town reminds me of Monmarte in Paris, with the steep slopes and hills. This morning by accident while Certain Someone slept I discovered how high the streets can go and fell upon a lovely walkway on the edge that overlooked the ocean and all the other islands. Incredible. Day 1 was spent getting settled , a little nap, and then we were off. Certain Someone and I drove off in his tiny Ford Fiesta to eat at his favorite Kebab House near his condo(which he lets out, so we cant stay there). Oh My G** , the food was incredible and people come from all around to eat. We could have easily shared one plate, but we tried two dishes.His bragging lived up to the quality. We then stuffed ourselves back into the Fiesta and he drove me to another island that is owned by the King called Djurgarden. This quiet little enclave was a scenic nature filled walk with a fabulous grand mansion tucked here and there. The styles were uniquely Scandinavian . Certain Someone was quick to point out that we couldn't afford a house there, blah, blah, blah. We watched the ferries to Finland glide on the water and took lots of pictures of geese and swans.After about a hour and half we drove to his old University .It was still light outside , as it doesn't get dark up north until about 10:00( and even then not that dark). Kind off freaky but helped me with the jet lag in a odd way. We strolled the grounds and it was bittersweet, everything looked smaller and younger. Getting Old. We then came back home, did some shopping in the local supermarket( I love going to foreign markets) for breakfast things, etc. and settled into the night.
This morning Certain Someone slept until noon. By the time he awoke I has invited my cousins girlfriend and new baby over. They arrived and Certain Someone and the baby boy T bonded. They kind off looked alike with the blond/bald heads,cute faces, and blue shirts. We all had some tea and cinnamon rolls and talked for a while . We made plans for dinner later in the week and helped carry out all the stuff we brought over that she ordered for the newborn. Certain Someone and I then drove out to meet his best friend and family at 3:00. They adopted a precocious little girl nick named Tin Tin from China. She thinks shes a princess and has all the props to go with it. We naturally clicked ( one princess to another) and Certain Someone and I helped her cook mud pies in her sandbox. Her parents had a delicious Swedish BBQ for us with grilled chorizio, pork fillets,and marinated chicken. We all toasted the first year anniversary of Certain Someone and I with Champagne. It was a year ago to the day we met! Tin Tin and I posed for pictures pretending they were paparazzi and she was sent off to bed. She called Certain Someone and I her 'other' parents and I do plan to spoil her when I see her again. So cute! So now we are back home. Tomorrow is my royal day and I plan to see both palaces. I'm so glad Certain Someone brought the computer. I've found a few areas I can settle into when we move here in 3 years.