Most Beautiful When Night Falls

Many have heard and adore the song that accompanies the SAAB-comercial, Release me with Swedish band Laura - I even bought the whole record, and well, let's just say most of the other songs were far from that good...

And no, nothing whatsover would compel me in to buying a SAAB, as far as I'm concerned some of the ugliest looking cars ever been made. But still, this comercial is hertbreakingly beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes every single time I see it and listen to the lyrics. Singer Frida Öhrn's hoarse voice is absolutely perfect for rendering all that immense feeling of desperation and sadness the lyrics calls for.

And even if I didn't particulary like the whole CD with Laura, I do, very much so, enjoy the CD with Frida Öhrn and Bo Sundström - from one of my favourite bands Bo Kaspers Orkester - with poems by Swedish author Pär Lagerkvist (won the Nobel Prize in literature 1951).

I can't recall reading anything in particular by Lagerkvist, he was probably someone compulsory to read in high school, but obviously he didn't leave any impressions in me. Then. When I listen to this CD - den lyckliges väg / the fortunate's road - I find the lyrics, the poems stunningly beautiful, wistful, insightful. And they make me think this is someone I have to read and learn more of.

Lyrics, music, voices for contemplating - and now I got the answer to the matter why it is most beautiful when night falls...

Not Another Cold Christmas

Having felt slightly feeble and uneasy for a few days now, including a semi-sour throat feeling, a cold coming on or already here I'm not sure... It felt like it was only the other week I had my latest nasty cold. And I sure don't want to have yet another Christmas - New Year's like last year...

So apart from having had lots of spicy food these past days I'm now looking for help in a bottle - or well, honestly, just another small mug of last Christmas mulled white wine with saffron. It's been biding its time in the fridge for nearly a year and it's still drinkable. So, I hope all those spices and firewater will help fight horrid viruses or germs or whatever it might be, lurking around making me feel all sad and unwell.

And after having had my mulled moment my plan is to simply do a Walter -

Gratitude

Perhaps we should express gratitude for the things we have in our lifes more often, the things we experience, the things we maybe take for granted, the people and family around us that truly mean something to us, all the things, great and small, in life that we should be grateful for. Oh so grateful.

Somedays, sometimes I'm good at showing gratitude, others I'm just the average-taking-for-granted-bitching-kind-of-person. In hindsight I might even be ashamed of what I've said, and done. Granted, at certain occasions the bitching is absolutely understandable, the reasonable and right thing to do. At others it's perhaps a slight case of overreacting, though it might be the last straw and at those times there's just no way of stopping the things that come out of my mouth.

I like to think that if I can evolve as a person, getting to know myself, my pros and cons and trying to become a better, more complete person, at least trying to walk in someone else's shoes for a minute or two or more - then so can of course anyone else.

And no, please don't use the age excuse, or I-didn't-know. And for X's sake stop havering the too-much-work pretext. Not to mention *this-is-me-and-this-is-who-I-am-and-I'm-proud-of-it-although-I-know-it's-completely-reprehensible*

Just because you actually know you're behaving like an ass all the time, doesn't mean it's ok to be steamrolling on. And as a bonus information to whom it may concern; actually no, it doesn't matter that you're the doyen at work. You still have to act like a decent human being towards your colleagues, subordinates and show you deserve the respect you think you should enjoy only because of your seniority in years.

And now to some things we should feel gratitude for, if we happen to stumble over them -

Feeling weary and all flown out, there's gratitude to be felt of a boat to rest ones feet and wings on. And in company of friends too. And if you're not the weary, flown out kind of type, then perhaps gratitude for seeing such a peaceful sight is in order?

Gratitude for living in the perfect city, even wonderful on a dark and freezing January evening. A gratitude however, that doesn't keep you from wishing to travel to new places, or returning to old favourites, experience and learn new things, meeting new people -

- and feeling immense gratitude for experience amazing dawns at an ocean on the other side of the world. Longing, hoping to one day return, but still feeling gratitude for having had the experience at least once in a lifetime.

Have A Break

Yesterday I gave you two shop tips, today it's time for a few coffeebreak-tips instead - which is of course an essential thing to have whether on a shopping spree or just after having a brisk walk.

Three places I've wrote about before, the other two are new for me too. One being a tiny bakery/café, not situated very central. But definitely worth the trip if you want really great bread at a very reasonable price - and has the vantage of being the perfectly situated place for a coffeebreak after a visit to the Woodland Cemetery.

Bageri Bakgården - Bakery Backyard, which makes a nice wordplay in Swedish... - has only about 4-8 seats indoors, and you have to be prepared to make room for new guests. Summertime there's lots of seats outdoors. The cheese ciabatta I had was absolutely delicious in it's simplicity, and a little bird whispered in my ear that the cakes were too. Not a lot of different breads and cakes to chose from, but they were happy to accommodate any reasonable wish for other sandwich spreads. Serve light lunches too. And since it's mainly a bakery you can always buy bread to take it home with you.

Bageri Bakgården (Enskede Bakgård), Sockenvägen 477, Enskede - across the road, awry from the Woodland Cemetery

In the middle of the city you find the classic café/bakery of Vetekatten, childhood memories with old aunties for me, not a very cosy place, a bit too noisy and crowded most of the times, but they serve really good bread and their afternoon tea, as I've wrote about a few times before, is very nice indeed. And if you can't have the world's best vanilla bun, the cardamom-vanilla one at Vetekatten is quite a decent substitute I think.

Not to mention their heavenly Ivôiredome, white chocolate, raspberry pastry which is absolutely to die for. Not too sweet, with a lovely, melt-on-you-tongue-texture... One of my two best desserts last year...

Not too far from one of the shops I wrote about yesterday is Bagel Street Café. A decent bagel isn't easy to find alas in Stockholm, but I think the ones they served there were rather nice. Imported from England though. You definitely needn't leave the place hungry, that's for sure, and there's a lot of different toppings and fillings to chose from. Good coffee too. Only about 12 seats indoors.

And now we return to one of my overall favourite cafés, for many reasons, laid back, great bread and sandwiches made in their own bakery, Vurma. All their three cafés can be quite crowded and by all means beware of the infamous pram-mafia. And even if you aren't really hungry I highly recommend a so called chocolate blupp of theirs. About a large thumb in size, 10 sek in price and amazing in taste.

And if you only want a latte to go, you might want to pop by an Espresso House coffee bar. Yes I know, I was quite annoyed when they took over my favourite coffee bar chain of Coffee Cup earlier this year, since I thought the coffee at CC was way better than the one served at EH. But now and then, I have a latte at EH and now and then it's actually quite good. A proof as good as any of me not being a stubborn, grumpy, know-it-all reactionary who like things to always stay as they are. On the contrary quite open for trying new things out. Sometimes.

Two Shops

Whether or not you're giving in to the *slightly* excessive Christmas consumption and shopping frenzy - myself I stopped exchanging Xmas gifts with the immediate family some years ago, still do it with a few friends though. Yes, it is rather fun to try and find, or make, the perfect gift for that special friend... - here are two lovely smallish shops in Stockholm where you definitely will find the perfect gift for most anyone.

First, 49 kvadrat, at S:t Eriksgatan 88 (close to S:t Eriksplan) - with a very chatty proprietor with a passion for playing Josh Groban in the shop, and you can always ask her to turn the volume up...

As the name states the shop is merely 49 squares in size and absolutely jampacked with neat interior decoration stuff, design, art, colourful china, candles, postcards, you name it. In every price range, for every wallet size and it's fairly easy to leave the shop with a bit more than you had planned for...

The other one is African Touch, at Hornsgatan 64B (close to Mariatorget) - as the name states they sell interior design, art and furniture from Africa. Since they import all the stuff themselves without any intermediaries the prices are very reasonable - some actually silly low, if you ask me...

Their philosophy is also to help boosting the African economy in the way of giving families and communities opportunities to live on their skills and handicrafts businesses, which should be environmentally sustainable. There are a lot of furniture and crafts made out of recycled items, like old railroad ties being made into beautiful chunky frames and steelwire art. This kind of shopping is made with both mind and heart.

If you're so inclined, happy shopping!

WCB # 130 - Little Sleepers

With the ear-splitting pitter-patter sound of tiny paws and what seems like a never petering amount of energy swirls past in shape of a fluffy miniature furball, it's somewhat difficult to realise the average cat sleeps about 14 hours per day.

But look, I've got photographic evidence of this sleeping fact! Still it doesn't feel like 14 hours sleeping to me. They still manage to be everywhere. All the time. And then some. Soon, very soon - some days it feels far too soon, others not soon enough, depending on the mischief of the day - it's time for most of them to move out into the world and spread not only Christmas joy in their new families but hopefully joy for many a year to come.

Until then I'm trying to make the most of having all these teensy-weensy adorable, cuddlesome, demanding, purring, rowdy tykes around - although undeniably it's *rather* tranquil when they are simply overwhelmed by those 14 hours... Meoooyyyaaawnnn...

Hosting this WCB is Samantha & Tigger - see you there perhaps?

NaBloPoMo, day 30

... and just because I made it through all these 30 days not missing a blogpost a day - and since it's Advent's Sunday this weekend - I'm feeling generous enough to offer these treats of either saffron muffins or the special Xmas edition of carrot cake.

If you're nice enough to leave a comment below I just might consider being even more generous sending them your way irl...

The Giant Princess Cake

Indeed, this day has turned out to be exactly that kind of day when one should have stayed in bed, or possibly curled up in the sofa, not even contemplating taking a step into the outside world. Ah well, home again, safe and semi-sound, at least I can see the humour in it all, even if it's so unbelievably clumsy, unnecessary and an inkling pitiful...

When I finally was on my way to the hairdresser's I thought that it was kind of a fine day despite the unbelievably gloomy, foggy weather. Music in my ears, being in a good mood, looking forward to a bit of pampering and a nice lunch on the town afterwards. Getting off the c-train at Karlberg station, tripping along in my Wicked Witch of the East-boots, kind of humming one of my favourite songs, wearing The Winter Coat - the very pale green, delicate, living-dangerously-in-the-Scandinavian-climate-coat... - when I suddenly felt oh no, now I'm actually tripping very factually, in slow motion, with my bags and kind of making a poor imitation of a breakdancer swirling on the dirty ground, ending up jiggering like a giant Princess cake.

I'll spare you the more gorie and embarrassing details - like this wasn't enough you might think, but really, I obviously had to have that icing on the cake to finish the whole spectacle off... And the music didn't stop playing - that song, one of my favourites, will now forever be tainted by this silly incident.

I quickly, perkily got on my way, the hairdresser TG(IF) being only a few blocks away, where I discovered the poor beautiful coat had been severely stained, my stockings were of course ruined, a bit of grazing and bruising here and there, something happened to my left middle finger. And oh yes, my poor ankle that I've sort of disregarded for quite some time now was once again badly strained. I suppose it's drycleaning and a doctor's appointment on the agenda for next week.

I'm not generally clumsy, honestly, but nevertheless I manage to make these completely unexpected hustle and bustle tripping over in very public with a certain charming regular irregularity. Sometimes when I'm on my own, others when I'm with friends. Friends who still like to reminiscence those stupid occasions - and yet, I still call them friends. And well, apart from the sometimes ruined clothes and the pain, I find it more than slightly amusing myself. Not everyone get the chance to make a breakdancing Princess cake imitation in public. With icing on the cake.

Incidentally, how does one tag this post, how about "Stockholm" since it happened here, "sweets" and "food" because it involves a Princess cake, inedible but still. "Sweden"; the Princess cake is very much a Swedish cake. "Illness"; my poor ankle and a bit of grazing - and yes there was blood involved too! - "Humour"; the only way too look at it. "Haircare"; on my way to the hairdresser's. "Entertainment; for some. "Shoes", "clothes", "NoaNoa", "iPod", "music" all played - no pun intended - important parts in this tripping story.

That Kind of Day...

Looking out the window today, you really feel like doing this...

However I'm off to my hairdresser for some pampering, which is kind of neat too. I'm even bringing a piece of this with me - hopefully she doesn't read this beforehand... - chocolate raspberry chili truffle cake. Which turned out to be a veritable taste-explosion, subtle yet distinct, of chocolate, raspberry and heat. Divine... If you like raspberries, chocolate, nuts and a bit of oomf that is.

The Eagle

I don't watch much TV, well all things are relative, like when there are a whole lot of high quality English suspense series on..., and oh yes, good movies. And interesting documentaries. But other than that I've more or less drastically stopped following all sorts of TV series. I've never been an indolent watcher, but I have watched my fair share of series through the years. Some simply amazing, and they have left a tangible feeling of sadness when they're over, others have been rather a waste of time, in hindsight. So I've decided to stop waste that kind of time, and save it for some things better.

I can't see myself completely in lack of TV though, since besides all the obvious waste-of-time- crap-TV-shows, there are many interesting, moving, mind evolving things to be found there too. Like things Danish. As is probably rather obvious by now, I do think many nice things - one blatant exception being the, well, non-pleasing-to-the-ear-language... - stems from Denmark, some of those things are a decent amount of really good movies as well as TV series. The last episode of the third season of one the best series I've ever watched has just been shown here - Örnen (The Eagle). I'm not sure if it's the last episode ever - that would be such a shame!

Because it's truly a magical series, with a hint of the preternatural. Every single little detail is thought through, from plots to characters to music to... Suspense, intensity, sceneries, photo, credibility, actors... As far from anything in the American action genre you can come, since it actually makes every little bit of human kind's nastiness horrifyingly plausible and tangible, and leaves you on pins and needles through every episode.

The main character, the eagle himself, is brilliantly played by Jens Albinus. His "only" obvious flaw being his continuously wrong, and totally incomprehensible, choices when it comes to love and relationships.

This is how TV series should be, intelligent as well as entertaining, real, credible, captivating, beautifully made and giving heaps of food for thoughts.