Sweet Summer in Stockholm

We have just returned to Paris from Stockholm. It is still strange for me to leave Stockholm to go home somewhere else!
 But it was an amazing delight to return during the long, light days of summer in that beautiful city we called home for almost 17 years. After an oppressive heat wave in Paris, the cooler temps that drove me crazy when we lived there were a welcome respite from urban, humid heat. The quality of the air, the cleanliness of the water, the deep green of nature, and the calm of the city were all things that reminded me of all that is good about living Stockholm.  One of the great gifts of returning to a place you've lived is that you are reminded of the things that kept you there with joy and delight and all of the stuff that bothered you or was hard fades deeply into the background leaving you with a treasure trove of warm memories that is pure gift.

Our trip was divided into distinct sections! The front end was spent with dear friends who have welcomed us into their home on countless occasions especially holidays and with whom we feel a very warm and familiar connection that includes their 3 adult children. 

Being in their home is like coming home to a warm cocoon. Hospitality oozes from every corner and we are so thankful for the ways in which they embrace our comings and goings. Their home that sits close to a lake was a perfect place to start our journey! One of the evenings we had a gathering over delicious food that included a significant conversation regarding my Louisville Institute book project. The depth of conversation and insight was so inspiring and I feel I am now well on my way with my project. SO EXCITING. 

We also shared a traditional Indian meal with our brother from another mother. They have moved to a new place that overlooks the sea so our waterside walk enabled us to take in the glorious sunset that put on quite the show that night.

The middle section of our trip was spent celebrating midsommar in the manner we had for years upon years with more extended family. What joy to re-live these weekends. It was cold, but not rainy. Doug swam on midsommar eve late in the evening after all of the dancing, eating, drinking and singing was done. It was too cold for me so I waited until the next morning when the sun was a bit warmer. All of the friends who we had gathered with over the years were there and it was as if we'd never left. Babies and spouses have been added along the way and it was a delight to see how these young ones are growing into responsible, beautiful adults. 

We returned to Immanuel International for the first time in 2.5 years. 

It wasn't weird. Didn't feel strange. We were warmly welcomed back with lots of love and appreciation, told we were missed but also understood that it was OK that we were no longer there. What a delight to enjoy the warmth and vibrancy of this lovely congregation. 

The last stop was the archipelago and time by Baltic. We longed for our boat and our doggy but at least the family we were with had both! We enjoyed returning to the home that we called our summer home on the outskirts of Stockholm and took delight in the comfort of yet another place that wraps us in warmth and welcome. We motored out into the archipelago to spend one day and night with more dear friends who own the very best summer place in the world. 

We have always enjoyed the days spent out here and this time there was no exception. The boat ride was beautiful and we arrived and got safely ensconced in the house before a raging thunder and lightening storm hit hard. But it blew through and gave way to a gorgeous evening. Late into the night I could not get my eyes off the horizon. The morning gave way to a gorgeous, warm morning so I took the chance to dip into the Baltic. I do miss swimming in the clear, clean, and yes, freezing cold waters of the Baltic. Everyone else thought I was crazy but I loved it. The boat ride back into Saltis was glorious and Doug and I both soaked in that beauty that dazzled our senses summer after summer in Stockholm.

Finally on our last day we held one more gathering of Immanuel folks to discuss my project and this was equally as fascinating and enlightening. Held at the home of a couple who met at Immanuel and eventually invited us to tie the knot for them, their hospitality overwhelmed us. Victoria's cooking is at the top of the my list and I just love being in her presence. She and Ingvar are filled with grace and openness and it was a delight to experience that once again. That night, we stayed up very late with a young couple who again, are like family to us, talking, laughing, sharing heart ache and joy.

Final day coffees with friends at the brand new Mall of Scandinavia, an epically huge and gorgeous US type mall, proved to be a perfect way to bring this trip to a close.

It's impossible to express what it's fully like to return to a place you loved and at times, drove you crazy through the years! We are both content that Stockholm is no longer our place of resident but we are also both fully convinced that there is a big Stockholm shaped place in our heart that is filled up with the beauty of the city but more importantly the beauty of the people with whom a deep love is shared. 

It was joy pure joy to return and enjoy these moments and memories. 

Summer Solstice, Stockholm Style

A few years have gone by now since we've experienced the joy of a Swedish summer.  

I have always said that when weather is good, there's no finer place to be. 

 

The challenge for the years that we lived here was that often, it was not hot enough for my taste. Now that I have experienced the summer heat of the desert, (often hovering around 45C/115F) and the hot, humid urban heat of Paris, sans a/c, well, these "cooler" Nordic days feel pretty darn good right now!    

And with the cleanliness of the air, the deep green of the foliage, the sparkling clear, clean water that is everywhere, and of course, the endlessly long daylight, well, I am reminded of why we loved summer in Sweden so much.

Additionally, we had developed quite the tradition around celebrating the big midsommar holiday with our dear friends in a small little village a bit south of Stockholm. I have not been a part of this celebration since 2013 because in 2014, I was in CA dealing with the aftermath of my father's death. So it's a real treat to think about renewing our traditions with this fine family and enjoying all of the silliness that accompanies our time there.

It is great to return to Stockholm in the summer. In 2015 we spent 2.5 quick winter days here so to be here now for a few days, savoring time with sweet friends, is quite wonderful.  We're enjoying meals and conversations with dear friends, will attend our former church for the first time in 2.5 years, and will spend some time in the archipelago. We long for our little boat and of course think of all the joy Tanner delighted in when he lived here but are thankful for the memories that being here evoke and for the opportunity to dip our toe in a summer solstice in Stockholm one more time.

Last night we had dinner with a dear friend along the sea front. 

He cooked up some of his Indian cuisine that we adore and have missed.   A bonus was that the sunset put on quite the dazzling show of color and light.

 We were mesmerized and could not get our eyes off of the sky. 

I look forward to enjoying the light, the sky, the long daylight of Stockholm over the next several days as we celebrate midsommar and enjoy the archipelago.

I still feel the same...when the weather is good, there's no finer place than Stockholm in the summertime.   

         

Last light of the day...almost midnight.

Roland Garros: The French Open

When we moved to Paris at the end of February, it soon dawned on us that we'd be there when the French Open tennis tournament was taking place! I was quite excited as it is a sporting event that I've always wanted to attend. So we jumped in the online queue the day the tickets went on sale and got good seats for Thursday, June 1, 2017.
Of course, since we had to purchase our tickets pre-draw, we had no idea who would be playing on the day that we would attend. Unfortunately, the marquee players who we really wanted to see were not playing yesterday but instead are all on the court we bought tickets for today. Hence the term, it's the luck of the draw. Even so, we were treated to great atmosphere and great tennis. We could get there via metro and it was quite easy.
As soon as you walked in the gate, there were signs displayed showing where the other tennis majors were located and how far away they are! Very cool.
We did get to see Stan Wawrinka, seeded no. 3 play a good match. We had end line seats so could watch the serve come in. It was indeed impressive when it went over 200 kilometers an hour! We also watched women's doubles from very close range on one of the smaller courts and saw some mixed doubles on the smaller courts. It was not as easy to move around the courts as we thought it might be due to the large crowd. We were very happy we had bought center court tickets and that our seats ended up being in the shade for the afternoon. The sun was a roaster. And it was pretty easy to get sunburned while just sitting there spectating!
The first match that we watched was between a young French woman Alizé Cornet and seed no 20 Barbora Strycova. The French woman ended up upsetting her! We saw her later on the grounds after she finished a doubles match. She's a cute girl. Was fun to watch the French get behind her.
Other players that we really enjoyed seeing included Gael Monfils, (15 seed) a Frenchman with a loyal local following. He was playing very well and the crowd enjoyed him! The last match of the day was with the no. 2 women's seed, Karolina Pilskova. At first it looked like she was going to wipe out her opponent in 30 minutes flat but after a dull first set, things got more interesting. Ekatarina Alexandrova charged back to win set no. two, pushing it to a third set. Pliskova was too tough in the end and took the third set 6-3. She had her serve up to 185 kilometers an hour at times. She was almost lackadaisical in her demeanor so I will be interested to see how she does from here on out. The number 1 women's seed was beat in the first round so Pilskova has a good chance to get through. The women's field is dominated by "ovas" from those Eastern European nations. Venus Williams is playing, a no. 10 seed but Serena is sitting this out due to being pregnant. The US need to step up their game. Not too many American players in this field. 
Andy Murray was playing yesterday as well and ended up in a tight set that went 4 games with tie-breakers. Our tickets did not permit us to enter that stadium so we watched on the big screens set around the grounds. 
My dream would've been to see Rafael Nadal play but alas, he's playing today. Oh well. There's always tv.
Clay is an interesting surface. I have played on clay a fair amount here in Europe and it is a different animal. It looks great and it's fun to watch the players slide through their shots. 
The grounds were nice but quite modest. Food options not great and probably not really enough vendors to handle the crowd. They had some interesting displays regarding the history of tennis that were enjoyable to walk through. 
The hosts were dressed in really classy dresses. It added to the prestige of the event to have these young people scattered round the grounds, checking tickets, giving directions. 
I'd never been to a tennis major before and while I would've loved to have seen Rafa and Venus Williams play, it was still a thrill to be on the grounds and enjoy the very fine level of tennis that is played be it singles, doubles, or mixed doubles. Makes me long to get back to the game again one day. And now I know how to say zero, 15, 30, 40, deuce and game in French!