Sue's purchases and travels

Fabulous sunset on our last night in Sweden as we headed to hotel.

David demonstrates an antique fishing creel bought at auction.

Storage Unit ready for final packing by shippers.

The final days in Stockholm are always the most stressful as I attempt to pack all items for a safe arrival home and coordinate shipment. The company who had promised the crate for me was not able to deliver it at the date requested (2 months ago) so we had to find a plan B. Remember all the items we moved to the storage unit? Well we had to find a bigger unit and one that was accessible to a truck so that all could be placed together in anticipation of a pick up later this month. Monday was spent transporting items to the new unit and Tuesday we picked up our winnings from the Monday auction (lots of great art including a Karl Abel) and then carefully packing it all. David and I worked from 4:00-8:30 just wrapping the paintings and securing the boxes. He kept saying..."this is so difficult" uh...yeah?!  Luckily the unit is near a McDonalds so he was able to take numerous breaks. We then headed to a new hotel near the airport, filled car (with correct gas-diesel) returned car and got to hotel in time to have a 10:00 dinner. We "slept fast" because we had a 5:30AM shuttle to the airport.  Home...here we come!

Still fits Lion at 6'4" tall

Lingonberry Crumb Pie & a Latte!

Wonderful Evening Light and City Hall

This was our final Sunday in Sweden and last chance at Hortorget.  David and I left our hotel at 9:00 so we arrived at the Square early enough to get a good parking space and great buys!  David kept busy as a runner with my packages back and forth to the car.  I kept busy buying!  We were finished by noon and treated ourselves to lunch at the cafe in the PUB department store.  David had a sensible Caesar salad...while I had a fabulous slice of Lingonberry pie...mmmmmmm
We visited another auction house, and then I dropped David off at the room and went to one more Loppis before heading to the Solna auction to check my winnings. I was pleased with what I had won-packed things up-and then went back to hotel to pick up David.  We headed back to Stockholm to unload the car and then walked to Gamlastan for dinner at our favorite place...Agaton.  You can feel that fall is quickly approaching in Sweden and this week is considered the end of summer for them.  Nigh comes earlier each evening...but not before displaying some gorgeous colors.

One of my loppis paintings which I carried home with me

Our Darlarna purchases!

I am actually home now, having landed Wednesday evening, but determined to catch up with my blog!  (for my select few readers!)  Saturday I allowed David to sleep in late while I ran to a local loppis store.  My pulse quickened when I saw a REA 50% sign.  Everything in the store was 50% off!  This place usually has low prices to begin with but 50% off made everything I liked affordable---for you!  The sale had been going on for awhile so most midcentury and all Arabia pieces (highly collectible in Sweden) were gone but I still found a lot!  I filled 3 1/2 shopping carts and spent 2 hours in the store.  A nice young man (son of the owner) helped me carry my boxes to the car.  (we've gotten smart-after 9 years of shopping-and finally bring boxes to fill rather than bags--you can fit more in the car without damage) I then headed to an auction house to check out what was to be offered and placed a number of bids. (fingers crossed)  It was around 12 and I knew a certain young man would be craving lunch so headed back to the hotel.  Where we stay in Solna has a little kitchen so David and I went to the grocery store andbought salad fixings.  I love these stores because they always have small tubs of crayfish (just the meat not of the mess) and small shrimp to add to your meals.  We then headed, once again, to our storage unit to put todays purchases away and prepare the car for Sunday's flea market.

David our last night at Dalecarlia Hotel



Two carts with three days of shopping

The Chefs at Grill with Great View!

View from our room in Solna Friday night

Thursday evening we had a wonderful "farewell" grill dinner at Dalecarlia hotel.  Dinner on the deck was a great treat...despite the surprise rainstorm (which produced a double rainbow!) Friday morning we started our road trip back to Stockholm.  We were able to find a favorite Loppis that had moved since our last visit and filled a large box with our purchases.  I then attempted to stop at various Loppis only to find, after following their signs, that they were "stangt"  (closed)  It is probably just as well since our car was full to capacity!  We stopped at our storage unit to drop off boxes and pick up our large suitcases which we had stored there to ensure maximum space for "inventory".  David and I enjoyed pizza in our room and although we don't have the view of Lake Siljan we did watch as multiple hot air balloons floated toward Stockholm.  Serious shopping starts tomorrow!

Dala Horses waiting to be packed for Klaradal

Spegels warehouse and workshop



Crafters work on Dala horses...they were preparing 2000 for a special event!

I mean Dala horse...of course!  This morning was devoted to new purchases. We drove to Spegels in Rattvik where we met the owner Per, shopped the warehouse, and enjoyed a coffee.  This is the company from which I buy many of my Swedish products including a darling tall Tomte with reindeer beard and red knit cap.  Per explained that those who do ice fishing will purchases a round of reindeer fur on which to sit as they fish.  He purchases the scraps that result from cutting all of those circles and uses them for these tomtes.  We then drove on to Nusnas the town which houses the two main Dala horse workshops.  They are across the street from each other and-like so many of these family business stories started out as one place.  My goal was to buy horses we don't have( greens, yellows, and a single purple) as well as some more classic colors including bright red.

View from Hotel Dalecarlia of Lake Siljan

The sign of "my times" enroute to Dalarna

David at the Sala Silver Mine Antik Shop

Wednesday morning I awoke with Peter at 5AM to have breakfast and then send him off for his flight home (That should score me some bonus points for being a good wife)  I then waited for the other man in my life, David, to get up at 9 so we could begin our journey to Dalarna.  The trip can be done in a few hours...unless one stops, as we did,  at every Loppis (flea market/garage sale) along the way.  We arrived in Tallberg and the Dalecarlia Hotel just in time to enjoy dinner and capture the gorgeous evening light on Lake Siljan. 

A fabulous (and expensive!) collection of mid-century items.

Just a few of my purchases.

Peter helps David map our route to Dalarna.

Tuesday was the last day for the three of us to be together in Stockholm...Peter had to get back to work and had an early flight on Wednesday.  We spent the morning packing up the purchases we still had at the hotel (we used a cage like cart the size of the elevator for our 4 large boxes, multiple bags, suitcases, and small sewing table)  The "boys" dropped me (I barely fit in the car) off at the auction house to collect our winnings while they went to unit to unload our "inventory".  I was pleased to see that we had won a number of great paintings...including one by Karl Abel a well known Swedish artisit.  Peter and David met me with an empty car and we headed to a few more second hand shops before doing one last run to the storage facility. When I looked at the unit after just a few days of shopping I had a flash back to the movie Jaws "I think we'll need a bigger boat!"   We then headed to a hotel near the airport since Peter needed to be at Arlanda by 6 in the morning! 

Labels: Dalarna, karl Abel, klaradal, mid century swedish porcelain, Midcentury swedish pottery, Swedish Antiques, swedish art

Monday....after multiple trips to our storage unit and time spent leaving bids at auction we headed toward Gnesta, home of Peter's cousin's country house, Klaradal.  The house is now in the caring hands of the younger generation who ( like all buyers on the show house hunters)  took down walls to create an open floor plan.  The transformation was incredible!  Previously there had been a small kitchen, small dining room, first floor bedroom, living room and a small hallway with lots of doors.  They opened up the wall between the kitchen and the bedroom, made the old dining room a bedroom, and eliminated the hallways.  We were there on a rainy afternoon and had a great time enjoying the new "great room" and a dinner of crayfish, beef filet, roasted beets with potatoes and lots of wine.  The dinner was topped off with a blueberry cobbler made with wild blueberries picked that same day!  Heavenly...

Labels: Bjornlunda, Crayfish, Gnesta, klaradal, rag rugs, Stuga, Swedish Antiques

Sunday night we headed to Agaton...one of our favorite restaurants in Old Town.  It's located in an area crowded with tourists but this is a place where you will find as many locals as visitors.  They tables always have glowing white tapers (often candelabras) and the windows are usually open to the busy pedestrian street.  This visit we opted for an outside table given the wonderful evening.  We had great views of Sodermalm and were treated to a view of a couple of hot air balloons.  On our walk back to the hotel we happened upon some boxes put out for trash....my wonderful guys were quick to pick up a few and carry them back so we would have them for our flea market purchases.

Labels: Agaton, klaradal, Old Town Stockholm, Sodermalm, Swedish Antiques

Sunday Flea in Hortorget

Peter and David at Lunch in Stortorget.

If it is a Sunday in Stockholm you will find me at Hortorget at my favorite flea market!  This year we are staying at a hotel that is directly on the square...we've never done that before.  The plan was that I would shop while Peter enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel.  They have tables near windows that overlook the square and thus Peter could watch me dart (and buy) from table to table.  We thought he would only need to come down when I accumulated enough for him to make a trip to the room.  Well...the word leisurely does not fit in with Sunday Hortorget!  I hit the ground "shopping" and Peter worked up a sweat doing trip after trip back to our room as my purchases piled up!  It was a great Sunday flea with lots of art and porcelain and silver plate and handicrafts...Oh My!  Later that day....as per David's request...we enjoyed lunch in Old Town and later, dinner too!

Labels: gamla stan, Hortorget, klaradal, Old Town Stockholm, stortorget, Swedish Antiques, swedish art, swedish glass, vintage swedish

I awoke quite early today (5 am) and took these photos as our ship headed toward Stockholm.  It all looks so peaceful!  I will try, when fighting traffic some December morning, to recall the serenity of these scenes.  Of course, serenity gave way to general crowd rule as we disembarked and fought our way to a taxi.  We arrived at the hotel 5 hours before check in so once again had lots of time to kill in Stockholm.  You would think, having just spent 7 days on a cruise ship, that we would be tired of sea travel but we weren't!  We had bought a 2 day pass for the public transportation and included in the price we paid is a boat ride to the island of Lidingo.  (I'm sure I have that incorrect!)  I have been having lots of trouble with foot pain (not pleasant....every step hurts) so we opted for a 90 minute boat ride.  Although this is presented (and used) as public transportation they do have refreshments for sale so we enjoyed cold drinks as we set in the hot sun on the back of the boat and marveled at the beautiful scenery.  We returned to discover a parade marking the end of Gay pride week in Stockholm (we had noticed rainbow flags EVERYWHERE---the public buses, the national theatre!) all traffic was stopped!  Luckily our hotel is near an underground station so we headed home to dress for a relatives 50th birthday party.  (not before stopping at one lone Loppis table where I purchased some tomte glasses and a small portrait of a young man)

I had read that Gdansk was one of the most beautiful cities in Poland but even that did not prepare me for how much I loved this city!  We were lucky to be visiting during their popular St. Dominics days (which are 3 weeks in the summer when lots of vendors come and set up stands for their handcrafts and general festival type items) and also to have a warm sunny day.  The special days made for crowded streets or, as our guide called them,  Squeezy streets.  (luckily no one squeezed me!)  The architecture was fabulous-especially in the old city. Each building was more beautiful then the next.  The iron work, the patterned brick and plaster, the ornate roof tops were fabulous!  I noticed a Hilton Hotel and noted to Peter that this would be a great place to visit for a few days.  Our tour guide also went into details about life as a socialist nation .  They were never occupied, in the sense that Russians were moved in, like some of the other countries-but they still bare the scars of their time under Soviet rule.  We drove by the well known ship building area where Lech Walesa started it all and saw the various monuments to the workers who died fighting for their freedom.  The country is not yet on the Euro so shops are still relatively reasonable.  David was thrilled that the city was wired so he could enjoy free wifi while we lunched at a local cafe.  I was impressed with how well dressed the workers in the city were.  I guess having  come from two Eastern European countries I was expecting the same sense (or lack thereof) of style but found the women and men of the city to be quite professional in their appearance and to favor subdued colors and natural fabrics.  Lots of Flax cnatural linen dresses on this rather hot day.

Labels: Gdansk Poland, klaradal, Polish, Swedish Antiques

Latvian Lasses in Costume

Kittens for sale in the square

Beautiful old Architecture of Riga



The Farmer's Market had many stands selling funeral flowers...

We left St. Petersburg in the evening and headed to Riga Latvia.  I knew it was called the Paris of the Baltics and heard some refer to it as the most beautiful city in the Baltics.  Perhaps my connection to Estonia (married one and am mother to one!) colors my view but...given the choice of the two cities take Tallinn.  That said...I did, none the less, enjoy seeing this large Baltic capital.  It is known for its abundance of Art Nouveau buildings of which I saw a few (still somewhat sad from the soviet days of no upkeep) and shows itself as quite a cosmopolitan city.  We ventured, as we usually always do, to the farmer's market for a sense of the real country.  We saw the usual assortment of floral, food and general clothing stands but also noticed a busy market in the funeral flower business.  There was no denying that multiple stands were selling large cemetery wreaths on stands which were being purchased and carried away by somber clothed people. I hadn't seen that in any of the other Eastern European markets I've attended.   We also saw a woman selling kittens (we gave a donation) and hope that she does indeed sell them all and that they don't meet a sorry end.  The berries and peaches we bought at the market were fabulous. The meat market, though housed in a building, was in a very warm building and each stand had large pieces of meat hanging (not refrigerated) alongside the giant type of saws we use for Christmas trees.  Made me happy I don't eat meat...

Labels: farmers market, Latvia, Riga, Swedish Antiques, Swedish Antiques Bethesda, swedish travel