UN Day at Rödabergsskolan, October 23, 2009

Today was UN Day at school.  It is amazing to think that there are 80 countries represented at this one school.  The children put on a colourful show and displayed some admirable talent.  How nice to celebrate and share our heritage. 

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Fall is Colourful in Sweden

Fall is colourful here in Sweden.  I'm sure these pictures don't do it justice, but I decided to capture the colours anyway.  I took my camera with me yesterday when I went for a run along the waterfront in Stocksund where we live.  It was an unsettled day, partly cloudy and partly sunny, but when the sun was shining the colours were brillant. 

Everyone here has raided their closets and pulled on their hats, scarves and gloves.  It's not uncommon to see a young girl wearing a thick wool sweater and scarf on her top half, with an extremely short skirt and thin tights to complete the look.  It's popular to wear high boots as well, and the girls have these neat and tidy leg warmers that they wear with just the tops peeking over the rim of their boots.  They look good, but cold!  I've seen Elise checking out these fashionistas, taking notes.  Watch out, Brockville! 

 

A couple of weekends ago, we hopped on the subway to make our way to Östermalm, an area known for it's high-end shops.  We checked out some lovely home stores, did some shopping for the kids at Zara, and "window-shopped" in the upmarket department store Nordiska Kompaniet, otherwise known as NK.  We browsed through Saluhall, a gorgeous food hall that's been around since 1888. 

The hall is filled with people, fresh food and wonderful smells--a true feast for the eyes!  There are bakeries, fish mongers, butchers, delicatessens and florists packed in this beautiful building.  Well worth the visit.  Next time we have to stay and eat!

Kris Celebrates His 38th Birthday in Sweden

We enjoyed a really nice dinner on October 8th, at our favourite restaurant in Gamla Stan, Agaton's.  The staff  are very friendly and make a big deal of the kids so we all have a good time there.  The kids enjoy watching their pizzas be prepared right before their very eyes (in the shape of a heart nonetheless!) and the cook doesn't mind the audience. 

We cruised around the cobblestone streets after dinner.  Renee entertained us with stories she had learned on a recent walk around the old town with her school class.  She especially enjoyed describing the gory details of the bloodbath of 1520 and relished telling us how the blood poured down the street.  Ugh! 
Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, a recent addition to Gamla Stan, ended the night on a high note for all of us.  By then, we were all pooped.  We made our way to the nearest subway station and headed home.  The kids flaked out on the seats, tired from the special night and the long week they'd had.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRIS!