Last evening of July

Going for a glass of wine at Beautiful J's.

Old fashioned communication method

Question: Who writes traditional letters these days?
Answer: I do.

But only to one person really. We have done it for years. Not that we don't stay in touch using more modern communication channels too, but there is something special with the traditional letter. Pen meeting paper. The movement of the hand while words are being formed in your head.

There is something special about receiving letters too. I recognise Precious T's letters in a flash and I can pick a nice moment to read it. It's almost like we are having a cup of tea together and she gives me all her news.

Café Blue Lotus

Excursion to the bohemian quarters, equipped with notebooks and magazines.

Bumblebee heaven

At least six bumblebees were feasting on this plant that I was going to remember the name of but didn't... Planning a garden is so much more than finding pretty flowers. It's also about who or what the plants attract. More bumblebees and less snails would be nice. The problem seems to be that snails are attracted to everything. A bit slutty when you think about it.

Harry Potter

The old fashioned public school environment, the British English, the witchcraft and wizardry. A film full of magic with twists and turns. Harry Potter has stroke again.

It started with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, released in 1997. I read the first two books in the summer of 1998 and I was hooked. Muggles, Moaning Murtle, butterbear, bludger, Hogwarts Express, Gringotts and Hogsmeade... And who wouldn't want to have a pensieve? The stone basin that holds memories that can be explored by someone in a third person viewpoint. Or a sip of Polyjuice Potion just to see what it's like to be transformed into somebody else for a while.

But more than anything I think I would like to know where the portkeys are located; those ordinary objects that can be used for traveling. The simple "touch and go" and in the next breath you have transfered to any location you wish.

Expecto Patronum. I wonder what my Patronus looks like?

Talking about weather

"Yor travel here and you travel there, trying to get out from under the cloud, and nothing works, and then one day you realise you've been carrying the weather around with you."

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave

Quality time with Little B

Skånish pit stop

Going from one pretty place to next, saying bye bye Adorable and bonjour Little B.

Healthy lunch in Copenhagen

Staying off line

The combination of a mind on holiday and bad internet connections has led to total resignation in terms of trying to stay up to date on line. Emails, blog and all possible virtual presence is overlooked and a lifestyle characterised by "back to nature" has taken over. Bye for now, until the reception returns.

You know your mind is on holiday when...

...you have the patience and motivation to do crosswords. And find pride in solving it.

Thought for today

'The best kind of friend is the kind, you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away, feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.'

Learnings from the petrol station

Q: What do you do if you fill up the car with petrol instead of diesel if it's a diesel car?

A: You don't move. You call the rental company, pay two hundred euros and they take care of the problem after they've taken you the remaining five hundred meters to the terminal building.

A taste of beach

It was a small bite of beach life. Enough to relax, not enough to satisfy the lack of sun and sea from months of nothing. Au revoir. Very soon.

Siesta on the beach

Espana

Days without demands

Coffee in the morning, before lunch and in afternoon. Wild strawberries sweetened by the sun.
Time to get absorbed by the book of the day. On the radio a Swedish profile of interest to many, unknown to some, is providing a monologue mixed with music of his choice. A snapshot from the Swedish countryside in one of the prettiest places in the world.

The no longer youngest nephew

When you are two-and-a-half-year-old the most frequently used phrases seem to be:
"One has to..." (followed by anything that the two-and-a-half-year-old desires) and
"Wait for me!" (even if everybody is standing still).
Clearly both phrases have an impact that makes them worthwhile using over and over again.

22:43

And it is still light. Note to self: remember this in November.

British research of course

True or not, this would probably never make it to a Swedish newspaper. So to be safe if pregnant and longing for a small glass, you need to live in the UK!

Stamped by a tourist

It's official. I'm no longer a "senorita". I'm a "senora". A tourist made that clear while he asked me which postbox to use. The yellow or the blue. I should have asked him what exactly made him go for the senora option. But instead I pointed at the yellow postbox and left the scene tout de suite.

Independence day

What could be a more suitable theme in today's yoga class than independence? We were encouraged to do our own thing whenever we felt like it. So if one asana didn't 'feel right' (too difficult, too hard, too boring...), any other asana was just as welcome. But looking around the shala, most of us seemed to be following the instructions. A sign of lack of independence? Or the result of an excellent yoga instructor suggesting a flow and asanas that appealed to all of us?

Wisdom in a teabag

Twelve hours in three days

Aching body smiling heart.

Reflecting on yesterday

Two hours of slow but intense Anusara yoga with an inspiring instructor with years of experience. The treat to "just" be a pupil. To receive, to experience, to learn. Stocking up on examples that can be embedded in future classes. Or in life. For yoga is so much more than a workout; which was also part of yesterday's intro.