A white start of 2008

It was great, having my own visitors here in Stockholm. Even though all the shops were closed the last and first day of the year, so we were forced to walk outside all day long with only rarely having a warm break in a café that was open, it were some really nice days.

During New Years Eve we ate together with the Dutchies plus all their visitors. Meaning: a group of 19 persons in total. There was a lot of food, there were champagne bottles that suddenly popped open even though nobody touched the bottle, and we were all getting in the mood to have a nice and unforgettable New Years Eve.

Because the Swedes celebrate this evening either at home with all their friends and family, or in a club where they dance and go out till 3 – because yes, even on a special night like this all the bars still close at this hour - we decided to do the latter. So at half past 10 we took the subway and ended up in a nice club where we could dance, there was a lounge room and also a café where we could sit down and have a drink.

23:56: Although it was freezing like crazy, and we were all wearing thin shirts, we decided to go outside for the big countdown and to see the fireworks.

23:59: Uhm… where are we actually supposed to see the huge clock so we know when we have to start counting down?

23:5?: So… let’s start ourselves? And so we did. It was weird, a lot of Swedes were also standing outside, but no one was counting down, we didn’t hear ABBA with their ‘Happy New Year’ song, and… there was actually also not that much fireworks.

So two minutes later we were already inside again, and although we were not really having a New Years Eve feeling, we still had a very nice evening.

But despite the not that exciting beginning of the year, the next morning we found out that this New Year could not have started in a better way. We opened the curtains and… snow! Everywhere!

So Marlen and Gerd enjoyed their last day in a white Stockholm, and left the second of January again. Today I simply had a relaxing day and I am getting ready for already my next visitor – Isabel! She’ll arrive tomorrow and will thus celebrate my birthday here in the cold, cold North. First we will got to Disney on Ice (yes, I am really becoming 23) and at night I will give a small birthday party in my corridor - I just bought all the ingredients for a Swedish Kladdkaka and a Swedish äpplekaka. So it seems like my Swedish birthday is going to be fun!