heart new slippers

Long overdue time I did get myself a new pair of slippers - the old, some 10 years or so, ones were/are pretty darn worn and torn and shabby. Still both incredibly comfy and somehow comforting to slip into... So while I won't be discarding them completely I now at least have something decent to wear when there are guests coming over.

Since I was looking for a pair of Birkenstock to replace the old ones I thought I might as well have a look in Germany. Turned out they were half the price compared to Sweden, and not even on sale. Ridiculous to say the least. And the range of designs on offer was quite delightful, and of course made it tricky to chose. But for myself I chose a cute sky blue pair with black roses and red hearts (model Dorian in brokenhearts grey).

For the mother was chosen a pair of light blue ones with beige roses. They are totally adorable and I fear I may be kind of jealous. Of the adorable slippers, not of her silly small feet (she on the other hand thinks my feet are silly big, hrmf...).

I had a slight glitch with the shoe per diem posting, but now it's sorted and I'm also posting on the blog not only in Flickr group. The heart slippers got to be the first pair of my shoes on the shoe per diem blog, care to check it out, please do so here ~

what i've been missing

Apart from the sleeping in own bed (ahhhh), the using of one's own bathroom and toilet facilities (sigh), the making of a decent cup of tea and cooking of food in own's own kitchen (bliss) here are a few phenomenas I've been missing while away -

The snoring little loaf and the homely but not very neat garden.

Shabby chic is a phrase that comes to mind.
(With possible emphasis on shabby.)

The dotty tummy of someone

in desperate (always) need of a good cuddle.

This year's new visitor to the hedgehog drop inn. This is one tiny tiny fella, totally oh and ah adorable, who has to share the offerings with much larger pricklies. S/he eats a lot, because the growth rate from first seen by housesitter until now is pretty steep.

Note to self though, what goes in to hedgehog from one end does come out the other. And preferably it seems oh so close to where the intake takes place. Apart from that, it's peachy and flattering to have hedgehog visits.

the long way home snaps

From Berlin, to Stralsund, to Rügen, to walking the streets of Copenhagen, here are a few snaps from the long drive home ~

Crossing the Öresund bridge and possibly not being as excited when going in the other direction. Still returning home does have its undeniable pleasures.

Back in Sweden, Skåne-Scania field

At a pee-stop a daring fox rescue squad - teddybear sanctuary rescue took place. Note the desperately grateful face of one happy bunny (now settled in the company of friends at squad's HQ) found discarded on toilet.

Dinner stop was of course Vida Vättern, where they serve a more than decent plate of carrot medallions with potato wedges for us hungry vegetarians. Starter salad is always good too. And the lake view quite wonderful.

A few more hours drive, then home, sweet, sweet home...

summer snaps copenhagen

Do note the very happy and excited blue toe while crossing the Öresund bridge

And as the perfect round-off to this year's summer holiday - the part that doesn't take place as a staycation that is - a few days in Copenhagen - because what would a summer be without some days in Copenhagen? Bah, nothing - some snaps to go ~

So the Danes not only have excellent taste in design,

there's proof of taste in cars too.

My favourite car spotted as we're entering the city.

Score! World's best ice latte, in Baresso only.

Another lovely dinner at sweet Thé à la Menthe,

vegetarian samosas and delicious Moroccan spiced salads.

It's good to have your own personal shopping bag handler,

when the carrying gets too tough (last sales and all that).

For some reason this shop sign always makes me feel quite at home.

A great shoe per diem moment -

lunch at Morgonstedet in Christiania

(of which there most certainly will be a proper post later).

I think this was a clever ad for a Danish
summer film festival of some sort, zulu.dk.

Never did sample this ice cream,

despite them claiming they had

the best one in the whole of Copenhagen.

Loved their colourful, happy looking

seating arrangement though.

What began with an ice latte, ended with one.

Bye, bye Copenhagen, we'll be back...

short stop rügen ~ sellin and prora

Strange, quaint, old and rather uncomfortable roads on Rügen, many long winding cobblestone parkways...

Rügen, Germany's largest island, once upon a time a part of the Swedish kingdom, well-visited glitzy resort and holiday island in the summers as well as home of dark secrets from both the Nazi-era as well as the DDR-years.

There's most probably a lot of things to see and experience on Rügen - I'm quite sad I missed seeing at least one castle -, but as schedule was pretty tight and there was a ferry to catch in Sassnitz, we concentrated on two stops.

First fancy beach resort Sellin with its long pier (seabridge) which I didn't happen to snap with iPhone. So for now the fancy beach huts will have to do ~

Oh how I love these types of beach huts! From a photographic point of view that is - it would have been amazing to be there when completely people-free... - I would definitely not be interested in spending my time at the beach so close up and personal with hoards of others... Yes, quite possibly there will be another post on Rügen beach huts only when the down-uploading of proper photos have been done.

Second stop, the rather (understatement of the century) unpleasant place of Prora, the so called Colossus of Rügen, originally 4,5 kilometres of multi-storey concrete buildings intended to be a Nazi seaside resort for 20 000 people. Now mostly dilapidated but an eerie reminder of what once was and what could have been. Possibly another post, more pictures, but for now, a few snaps caught the eeriness rather well ~

short stop stralsund

On our car way to and home from Berlin we visited Stralsund - where the infamous vegetarian potato soup with ham incident took place. I will not write a short essay on the city and its Swedish connections - for that you can pop by and read here for example- but I will say as much as that old Hansa town didn't do much for me.

Personally I found it rather charmless - despite some winding cobblestone streets and fancy old architecture in parts. It reminded me of Lübeck, which doesn't appeal to me either - and lacking of personality, or well, cityality. On the other hand I love Hamburg and Gdansk, old Hansa cities too. So, win some lose some.

Hotel rooms without air condition in the heat of summer kind of puts me off too. Not to mention sloppy hotel portiers who can't work the check-in system thus come into your room 2.30 at night to see if it's unoccupied. Without prior knocking on door. Yup, really and creepily happened.

Anyhow. Glimpses of Stralsund it will be. First out one of the best pizzas I've ever had. It sort of made up for that darn nasty soup. No not sort of, in hindsight it really did.

A slightly thicker, crispy crust, instead of tomato sauce it had fresh spinach at bottom, on top of that a whole lot of fresh veggies such as broccoli, paprika, onion, mushroom, carrots. Well-seasoned and with the perfect amount of cheese (not too much-not too little) it made for a really lovely dinner in hotel-bed-experience. Those unpretentious dinners I kind of heart.

So by the time we had dutifully walked some selected streets of Stralsund, returned to the hotel, packed the car, where on our way, crossing the bridge to Rügen - Germany's largest island which also happens to have been a part of Sweden once upon a time - I felt pleased. Thus, next snaps stop Rügen.

more berlin snaps with reflections

A few more Berlin snaps, they will do for now, but I can't wait until the proper photos are downloaded-uploaded-fixed since there's only so much one can do with a gadget dressed in pink (what might look great in phone or small screen does leave things to be desired when watched on bigger screen...). Anyway, snaps ahoy ~

The last time we were in Berlin, the Brandenburger Tor was renovated and covered in fabric. Not so now. I feel that the surroundings of the Tor has changed a lot since some ten years ago, feels much too modern for my liking.

As a lover of the amazing movie "Der Himmel über Berlin" (Wings of Desire) I was so looking forward to seeing the Siegessäule monument again, close up. Sadly this time it was its turn to be covered up and renovated. Ah well, next time...

Part of the Holocaust Memorial (for those who have read the brilliant Arne Dahl books you might recall an important scene taking place here).

The trams we never went with, unfortunately, they looked nice, convenient and I think a good way to explore the city. The underground I didn't like at all, hot, dusty, lack of fresh air, dirty, shabby, old, tired and messy, it took ages to get anywhere with all the changes you had to do. Compared to the Berlin underground system the Stockholm one seems like a wonder of tidiness. (Which it obviously isn't compared to the Athens one...)

A scooter seems like the perfect way to get around the vast city - though I was quite surprised and pleased by all the cyclist on the busy streets. Even though bikers, as usual, seem to have less than common sense in traffic and lack consideration for pedestrians - and easy to park everywhere.

The Checkpoint Charlie area certainly has changed since some ten years ago. And the tiresome touristy track and trap feel is really overwhelming.

I love how the Nivea café - yes it is the skincare brand, they have a café, imagine - shares my views on a piece of cake now and then being health for the soul. As in 'soul balm'.

Fascinating pink pipes here and there. I think they have something to do with the district heating or water system, anyone who knows?