BOOTS LIKE A ART WORK

    I found these beautiful rubber boots in Stockholm. Diesel makes nice looking boots for rainy days, now

    I just wait for a nice rainy day that I can use these. They look so nice that I can even keep them as art

    work, if I don't use them...

INDISKA

While walking in the old part of Stockholm, we went in to Indiska shop, they also have shops in Finland but I just wanted to check this one and got a beautiful surprise... But some history first...

INDISKA 1901-1950

Mathilda Hamilton

In 1901 a female entrepreneur named Mathilda Hamilton decided to open a shop in Stockholm. She had lived in the Himalayas in northern India between 1894-1901. She called the shop Indiska Utställningen (Indian Exhibition) and it was situated on Regeringsgatan.
This is the beginning of what is now INDISKA Magasinet AB with more than 80 shops spread across Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway.

Free trade under responsibility constitute the main long-term contribution to economic development and reduced social injustices in the third world. This view is based on INDISKA Magasinet Soon 100-year experience in trading with developing countries, mainly India.


Some of the corner stones are:

Humanism and consideration

A business culture that affects the activity, co-workers and choice of suppliers.

Long Term and close supplier relations

A condition for influence and shared vision. Just like Indiska Magasinet, a majority of producers are run as family businesses, where close relationships, many 25-30 years old developed between owners and co-workers.

Presence and commitment

Trading with poor developing regions always means risks for problems and mistakes. But the philosophy is that through continued presence and active commitment faster create change and positive development.

This shop was just so amazing, after every corner there were something more, stairs going down took us to a old cellar, one part looked more like an old dungeon, The Indiska had really made something nice out of this place which is not too easy to realise...

MADE IN SWEDEN

STOCKHOLM THE PEARL OF THE BALTIC SEA...

Stockholm is generally referred to as Beauty on Water, or Venice of the North which is understandable, as the city is built upon 14 islands. It is surrounded by Lake Mälaren, and by the Baltic Sea. The mixture of old and new, greenery and water, picturesque narrow streets and engaging modern broad ones provides an attractiveness you rarely meet elsewhere. 


Whatever the mood you are in, the right place to be is in Stockholm. Stockholm can provide for, as for example; royal magnificence, the world's longest art gallery in the Underground, Swedish cuisine, outdoor as well as indoor museums, churches, palaces, events performed live either indoors or outdoors. Why not take the tram, which in Stockholm is a mobile museum, along the route of main museums in the city, take a city walk, or travel in an air balloon and see it all from above. Of course all this will be much nicer in the summer time, when it is warm and the sea and the lake are not frozen. Winter time can get chilly with the cold weather and sea humid breeze from the sea or lake.

As water covers one third of the city area, the maritime life is an important aspect of the city. There are plenty of bridges, marinas and locks. The water is so clean that you can, in fact, catch salmon in the middle of the city, just a few minutes walk from the city centre.

Stockholm has been described by poets, historians, and foremost by the Stockholmers themselves in poetic and vivid descriptions. They all have one thing in common; they all agree that wherever you stay at the time, however beautiful this spot might be, no place is like Stockholm. So, the beauty of this city is well praised and surely, once having visited this place, you will never forget the very special atmosphere, that is so Stockholmian.

I spent few days in Stockholm visiting some family, I must say I prefer the summer than winter in Scandinavia, it has so much more to offer during summer month. "The Gamla Stan" the old part of Stockholm with its narrow walking street and small shops and cafes it is worth of a visit but it has lots of tourist shops that offers souvenirs but the real Swedish design has much more to offer...

NAANTALI BY WINTER

Naantali is a small town in South west of Finland near Turku... The old part of Naantali has very old wooden houses which has been renovated and people love to live in that area. It is close by the leisure boat harbour and restaurants. Naantali is more a summer city they even call it the "St. Tropez de Finland". Summer time brings the Naantali back to life, the small street are busy and many tourist comes to visit the historical part of town and families comes from far away to visit The Moomin World. See my posting about Naantali summer on my July postings...

WINTER SWIMMING

In Finland some people swim in the sea or lake even in the winter time. You have acces to a change room and most of the people goes to water with out the heat of the sauna... The swimming water area is kept "open" with a help of the pump that makes the water swirling around so it does not get frozen... This place is situated just by the city centre of Naantali...

ON THE ICE...

Family fun on ice... The town of Naantali organised on the 14 of  February a sport day for the whole family. The sea is frozen, so the town had cleaned icy roads on the sea, and many families spent the day ice skating, skiing, sledging, walking or fishing.

FRIENDSHIP DAY

Today on the 14th of February most of  us are celebrating Valentine's day but here in Finland it is much more... Here we also celebrate FRIENDSHIP, we by small gifts to the friends, wish the happy friendship day and so on... I like that way because it will give to everybody an opportunity to celebrate... And this year my love one is far in the African desert cycling and having a adventure of his life... But also enjoying new friends... Thank you to all my friends to being there for me...

VALENTINE'S LOVE

I bought this lovely mould in Barcelona airport for 4 euros, but I don't think I will do "Love" cooking, I have a sort of idea how I will use it...Happy Valentine's day anyway, may your life be full of love and romance...

 And yesterday here in Turku, Finland I found this wooden YES for 3 Euros...

THE ONLY WAY OUT

                                   This the only way in and out from the chalet...

                                                  Beware of ghosts

WINTER GARDEN

        

Yes I know again some snow photos...But what can you do when you sitting in the chalet in the middle of this beautiful surroundings alone, enjoying the view and bliss of the sunny winter day...Just imaging being in this white wonderland all by yourself... The snow is shining like millions of diamonds in the sun shine... walking is difficult in the neighbourhood, we have 40-50cm of snow, only way out is just one road which luckily has been cleaned... Inside in the chalet it's nice and cosy, the fire place brings a warm atmosphere to this, when -15 degrees Celsius outside... I was thinking just now that while my husband is cycling in Africa, it is not just the distance of thousands of km's that separates us, there is also more than 50 degrees between us...have a look of his journey http://www.africanride.blogspot.com/

PAINTED BY WINTER

Still almost a full moon, I was so surprised a about this photo that it game out so well

During the weekend the mountains have change to the frozen sea. I left Andorra few days ago and game to Finland visit my family and friends. This year we really have quite a lot of snow here in Finland... We are so lucky everywhere we have such a wonderful neighbours, when I arrived here on late Friday evening the road and the yards were cleared of snow by our neighbour. I have a small old Toyota that we drive here, "a holiday car" I should actually give a name to the car...Today I had to get two new winter tyres to drive more safely on these icy roads...It has been snowing the whole day again...

                  Sun rising over the mountains in Andorra, the view from our terrace and living room

   I am lucky to have large windows in our house ans see these beautiful natural painting, everyday it is different...so lovely

Then I game to this, the terrace is covered with snow in Finland so peaceful this white fluffy natural and peaceful garden. I dont want to even walk on the terrace to disturb the beauty of it...Today was really snowing heavily...