OLd ToWn STOCKHOLM

IT WAS A GLORIOUS DAY.....HOW COULDN'T IT BEEN AS WE WERE IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINTER.  THE GODS MUST HAVE LOVED US BECAUSE FOR A BREIF TIME THEY LET THE SUNSHINE IN..... AFTER A SCANDINAVIAN BREAKFAST OF FRESH FRUIT, GRAVLOX AND BLACK BREAD, WE WALKED THE CITY (NATURALLY).  TODAYS MISSION TO SEE THE MEDIEVAL CITY (AN ISLAND UNTO ITSELF)  CALLED GAMLA STAM.   IN WINTER IT'S DELIGHTFULLY YOURS, AS THE TOURISTY CROWDS ARE MISSING AND YOU CAN WANDER THE ATMOSPHERIC ANCIENT ALLEYS 

TAKE ONE OF THE FOOT BRIGES 

ALWAYS A LAUGH WHEN YOU CAN INTERPRET  MOTHER LANGUAGE INTO YOURS

NOTICE! WEAR CUTE BOOTS AS THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN CLEANING THE WALK WAYS

PICTURE POSTCARD

ART VIEWS EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK

WITH MAP IN HAND, YOU CAN'T GET LOST IN THE COBBLESTONE NARROW STREETS

NEW MIXING WITH OLD, JAZZ CLUB ANYONE?

COME FOLLOW ME THROUGH THIS ALLEY WAY

THE MAIN SHOPPING DRAG, SO MUCH MORE FUN THAN A MALL

PATTERNS TO DROOL FOR

X RATED SCUPTURE?

ROUNDED BUILDINGS

MUTI LEVELS AND SCULPTURE GALORE

SLAYING THE DRAGON O F COURSE

BEAUTIFUL SIGNAGE 

A PRINCESS

MOST COLORFUL HIDEN GEM OF A PARK

AND THE NOBLE PRIZE FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE GOES TO.......

COLORFUL BUILDINGS WITH A DUTCH INFLUENCE

CHARMING TRANSOM

A HINT OF SPRING?

TAKE A WAY LUNCH

A SPECIAL COURTYARD 

DAZZELING COLOR TO ENTICE YOU TO BUY

CHEFS TABLE!  NOT ONLY DID WE DINE WE HAD A FEAST FOR OUR EYES AS WELL, PREPPING THE PLATES RIGHT BEFORE US!  A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN FOR SURE....

JORDAN CHARMS OUR WAY INTO THE MOST DIFFICULT  RESERVATION TO GET IN STOCKHOLM
FRANTZEN/LINDEBERG

TOASTING THE END OF A PERFECT DAY AND THE MOST FABULOUS RESTAURANT
THANK YOU JORDAN  FOR MAKING MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SO VERY SPECIAL

DAY ONE IN STOCKHOLM

ARRIVING IN STOCKHOLM, THE MAGIC BEGAN IN THE AIR... SUNRISE WITH A DOUBLE (REFECTION) MOON

FRIENDS THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY.  STOCKHOLM IN THE WINTER?  WELL MAYBE  I AM CRAZY......   CRAZY FOR LIFE AND ADVENTURE THAT IS! YOU KNOW THE SAYING LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR BAD WINE AND BEING A COUCH POTATO.

THERE ARE NO NONSTOP FLIGHT FROM JFK TO STOCKHOLM  IN THE WINTER.  GREAT AIRFARE WAS ACHIEVED BY BOOKING WITH ICELANDAIR. AN EXTRA  BONUS WAS A FREE LAYOVER IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND  (MORE ABOUT THAT LATER)
WE ARRIVED MID DAY TO A GREY GLOOMY CITY (IT MAKES PARIS WINTERS LOOK BRIGHT AND CHEERY).  STOCKHOLM  IS A DICHOTOMY OF SORTS - MEDIEVAL AND ULTRA MODERN WALKING HAND IN HAND, FROM ARCHITECTURE TO CUISINE.

IT SNOWED EVERYDAY.  JUST A LITTLE BIT.  IT WAS LIKE MOTHER NATURE HOUSE CLEANING TO MAKE THE WINTER SCENE FLUFFY  WHITE AND CLEAN AGAIN FOR THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY.  BTW THE CITY GOVERNMENT  OR BUSINESS OWNERS DON'T SHOVEL THE SIDEWALKS OR THE STREETS ( EXECT FOR THE BIKE LANES).  THEREFOR MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR WATERPROOF BOOTS.  

OUR FIRST STOP WAS LUNCH AT A FAVORITE  RESTAURANT  FOR LOCALS STURE HOF OF COURSE! LUXE GUIDES THANK YOU FOR KEEP US IN THE KNOW.

AN OPEN FACE SANDWICH OF SMOKED FISH WITH EGG, CHOPPED ONIONS ON BLACK BREAD.  DELICIOUS.


WE WERE NOW ENERGIZED !  THIS MENT  WE HAD TO STROLL THROUGH THE ENCHANTING CITY,  MADE UP OF MANY LITTLE ISLANDS CONNECTED BY BRIDGES AND SUBWAYS.
 OUR NEXT STOP: THE FAMOUS VIKING SHIP MUSEUM THE VASA (WE WERE TOLD IF YOU GO TO ONLY ONE MUSEUM VASA IS THE ONE)  
CAPSIDE, IT SUNK ON IT'S MAIDEN VOYAGE METERS FROM IT'S LAUNCH, BURIED FOR 333 YEARS

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MY TRAVEL PAL WITH THE LARGE WOODEN  BOAT BEHIND HER






SUNDOWN OUTSIDE THE VASA MUSEUM, IT WAS LIKE BEING IN A GRIMMS BROTHER FAIRYTALE

THE LOBBY OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS HOTEL

MOD LIGHTING

SWEDISH DESIGN 

ROAD TRIP TO AN ICY FANTASY

I'M A WINTER BABY. BORN IN JANUARY AND  YES, DRIPPING IN HEAT WAVES.  I  JUST ADORE THE COLD, CRISPY, SUNNY, ROSY CHEEKS, HOT CHOCOLATE WITH RUM DAYS OF THE FRIGID  ICY MONTHS OF DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND MARCH.  MY MOTTO IS YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD ANOTHER LAYER TO KEEP WARM AND TOASTY.  MOST PEOPLE RATHER MOAN AND GROAN ABOUT THE WINTER, THAN DRESS PROPERLY TO KEEP WARM.......
 THIS JANUARY I TURNED A SPECIAL NUMBER (NEW AGE PLEASE....THE PHASE SENOIR CITIZEN IS FOR SISSIES WHO WANT TO ROLL OVER AND DIE)  TO MARK THIS SPECIAL EVENT, I NEEDED AN ADVENTURE.....MY DREAM WAS TO VISIT THE ICE HOTEL IN JUKKASJARVI,  SWEDEN.   PRONOUNCED  YOU- CASS-JAR- V.   WHERE THE DEVIL IS JUKKASJARVI YOU SAY?  TWO AND HALF HOURS BY PLANE NORTH WEST OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. THAT'S 200 KM NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE FOR YOU GEOGRAPHY BUFFS.  BWANA, MY DEAR HUBBY, WANTED NO PART OF FREEZING HIS BUMS.... SO MY LOVELY DAUGHTER (ANOTHER WINTER/JANUARY BABY) WAS INVITED.  OUR NINE DAYS OF TRAVEL ON THIS MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR,  GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS THE BEAUTY OF NATURE IN MANY FORMS AND SHARE VERY SPECIAL MOMENTS TOGETHER.  OVER THE NEXT FEW BLOGS I WILL TRY TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH ALL OF YOU.  PACK YOUR ARMCHAIR BAGS,  PICK UP YOUR BOARDING PASS AND SETTLE IN FOR OUR ADVENTURE OF A LIFE TIME.

GETTING WAXY

I HAD THE PLEASURE THIS PAST FALL TO TAKE SOME ON LINE CLASSES WITH THE WONDERFUL AND VERY TALENTED LESLEY VENERABLE OF THE ART OF ALTERING....One of the classes was working with GOOD OLE RELIABLE WAX PAPER.... YOU KNOW THE KIND MOTHER USED TO WRAP YOUR SANDWICHES UP WHEN YOU WHERE IN GRADE SCHOOL  (ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING ME OR AM I SHOWING MY WISDOM?)

I FOUND THAT I LOVED THIS NEW MEDIA FOR WINTER AS I WAS ABLE TO CRINKLE OR WRINKLE IT UP, LAYER IT AND SMEAR IT WITH PAINT AND GLITTER SO THAT IT WOULD SPARKLE  GLISTEN LIKE SNOW

OLE ST NICK WALKING IN THE SNOW

WAS THE THEME TO MY HOLIDAY CARDS

LAYERING THE WAX PAPER, I WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE EFFECT OF DIMENSION  AND DEPTH BECAUSE OF THE TRANSPARENCE

REMEMBER TISSUE PAPER CARNATION FLOWERS?, WELL THANKS TO LESLEY VENERABLE WHO TRANSLATED THEM IN WAXY CREATIONS.... I DECORATED MY  NEW YEARS TABLE

IN RHODE ISLAND WE ADD ADDITIONAL  BEES WAX WITH A HOT IRON TO ADHERE LEAVES AND FLOWERS BEWTEEN TWO  LAYERS OF BROWN WAX PAPER FOR A VINTAGE LOOK.  THEN WE SEWED AROUND  THEM FOR A UNIQUE LOOK AS A PAGE IN A BOOK 

TO KEEP TO A WINTERY THEM I ADD THE WAX PAPER TO CORRUGATED  PAPER FOR ATC'S


START PLAYING WITH IT AND YOU TOO WILL BEE ADDICTED LIKE I AM.... HAPPY WAXING!