Christmas flavors

Sunday besides going to the large green house we also went to an exhibition about the fruits and spices that are common around Christmas time. That was actually our main reason for heading out to Bergianska Botanical gardens in the first place. At the entrance they had made these beautiful apple arrangments.

This was the ad that I had seen in the paper that made me want to go and see what it was all about. The exhibition was not very large but still nicely presented.

Pomgranate is something that appears during the winter months in supermarkets. I love it, both the taste and because it is so decorative to add to both green salads as well as fruit salads. Figs! Love fresh figs! They are quite expensive but sooo good they are worth to pay for.

A large and very pretty Mistletoe. Both very romantic and very pretty.

Fruits, lots of different fruits both kinds that can be grown here as well as more exotic ones. Kumquats is something that can be so delicious if they are sweet and ripe. Christmas is the main season for a number of citrus fruits. I love the oranges and the clementines. Clementines and ginger bread cookies are such a perfect combination.

These green fruits with spikes was new to me. I don't remember what the name of them was and I don't think that I have actually tasted them. Anyone know what they are and how you eat them?

They showed a number of spices to like saffron, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon. Saffron is very popular here in Sweden to bake with and make sweet cakes and the special saffron buns called Lussekatter that are typically served for the Lucia holiday.

This copper dish to warm the "Glögg" almost looks like a russian samovar for tea. But this is for the traditional sweet and spicy wine served here in Sweden called Glögg.

If you want to know where all the Christmas spirit is concentrated and found in Stockholm you should head towards the bar near St.Eriksplan called "Peppar". I was there Friday meeting up with C and a few collages of his for beer/wine. As soon as you step into this place your jaw drops because the place is literary covered with Christmas decorations. I have never seen a place as decorated as this one in Sweden. This sure almost looks as if it has gone crazy American. There are Christmas decorations on the walls, hanging from the ceiling. There is hardly an inch that is not decorated. If you need some Christmas spirit bad this is the place to go to, they got it all here.

Tuesday Mix on a Wedsday

I have just been to a great workout. I really must say that Friskis and Svettis where I am a member does a great job, specially the one on KI campus. They arrange these kind of member events every now and then. Today I had signed up for a special workout class. We did a number of different exercises in a smaller group. We were about 8 people and we had three instructors pushing us and making sure we did all the exercises correctly. Things like that I find really inspiring. They also invited everyone to some glögg, gingerbread cookies and fresh fruit. They had set up a smoothie bar and made fresh smoothies for everyone. Good music and it was really great fun to be there tonight.

The mild weather continues. I am NOT complaining. I love this! This is perfect. Such a difference compared to last year. I think it is just cold enough. For me this can go on like this all winter long but I don't think I will be that lucky. Well each day that I can bike to work is a good day.

I try to make things at home as cozy as possible lighting a lot of candles. I love my Cajun candle from Louisiana.I still have this one and one more candle that I got from Kim in Alabama.

I have been working on my Christmas cards and they are all nearly finished. This has never happened before that I am done so early with them. It feels great. I usually buy these cards from Unicef. I think they are pretty and some of the money also goes to a good cause.

Another thing that I also managed to do this past weekend was to order some Christmas gifts. Actually I am almost done with the gifts as well. Since I am fortunate enough not to have to buy for to many people it has it's advantages. So when it comes to Christmas stuff I feel I have it all pretty much under control. This might actually turn out into a pretty good Christmas.

Bergianska Trädgården

I söndags gjorde vi en utflykt till Bergianska Trädgården och växthuset. Jag hade inte varit där på väldigt länge och C hade faktiskt aldrig varit där. Vi fick uppleva något alldeles fantastiskt där, nämligen LJUSET! Man klev in där och kände att man nästintill hade kommit till himmelriket. Det vara bara så skönt där inne. Ljuset som man saknar så under den mörka årstiden så här års fanns där inne. Jag kände mig nästan som en liten växt som varit svältfödd på ljus. Det är kanske inte så konstigt att man gör. Jag förstår varför folk går i ljusterapi efter att ha varit här. Det var knappt så jag ville gå hem.

Det fanns mycket vackert att titta på. Här hade de hängt upp små mini julstjärnor där rötterna lindats i mossa i denna gran.

Pärlhyacinter som hör julen till. Jag köpte ju lite hyacinter förra året men jag tyckte de luktade alldeles för kraftigt. Jag fick dock tipset om att det ska finnas varianter som är "milda" och inte doftar så kraftigt. Jag ska hålla utikik efter milda hyacinter i butiken.

Helt underbart att gå runt i denna ljusa oas. Det var stilla, lugnt, inte mycket folk alls. Bara ljuvlig grönska och vackra blommor.

Vi blev som sagt helt kära i ljuset och lamporna. Jag antar dock att priset på en enda sådan här slags lampa skulle röra sig om ganska stora summor. När man kikade upp mellan banan och palmbladen så kändes det precis som om man blickade upp på solen.

Mycket coola och exotiska växter. Vackra orkidéer naturligtvis.

Jag har en liten miniversion av denna hemma i en kruka. Helt otroligt att det finns sådana här stora varianter. Jag tycker dessa med den tjocka stammen är hur coola som helst.

Vi hängde in jackor och tröjor i garderoben. Här inne var det väldigt behaglig temperatur och inte alls så där hett och fuktigt som det kan vara i vissa växthus. Torrt och lagom varmt.

Granatäppel frukter växte på träd här inne liksom daddlar. Jag hade varken sett hur granatäpple eller daddlar växte i verkligheten så det var spännande att få kolla in.

En gigantisk Novemberkaktus. Detta exemplaret var faktiskt väldigt vacker.

Det fanns också en kaktus avdelning. Denna bjässe hade de faktiskt fått kapa bort ca 1.5 meter på för att den inte skulle krossa igenom taket. De visade en bild av hur de hade fått såga bort översta biten.

Taggiga men ändå så vackra på sitt sätt.

Vackra julstjärnor och snödroppar.

Som sagt alldels lagom varmt här inne med en temperatur på mellan 15 och 18 grader. Vi satte oss på en bänk under en av dessa fantastiska lampor och bara njöt av ljuset, grönskan och stilheten.

En tebuske som blommade vackert.

Exotiska frukter så som papaya och vanilj. Många fina blommor som blommade att njuta av.

Det var bara så himla skönt att vara här inne. Vi kommer gärna hit ofta kände vi. Perfekt ställe att ta med en bok och sitta och läsa någon timme om helgen. Billigare än ljusterapi eller att köpa en egen sådan här lampa. Man kunde nämligen köpa årskort här för bara 150 kr och då får man ju komma hit så ofta som man vill. Jag kände absolut att vi måste hit flera gånger under vintern så nästa gång vi kommer får det bli varsitt årskort. Detta var ju perfekta stället att tanka i sig lite konstgjort solsken. Kände mig faktiskt som en ny människa efter att ha varit här inne någon timme. Så nice!

More Christmas Decorations

More and more Christmas decorations have been appearing in Stockholm the past week. Friday I did bring my camera with me and took a few pictures on my way to work. It may look like I took them in the middle of the night but this is actually around 7:20 am and by then it is still pitch dark. Just before you reach the central station they have hung these golden angels on some of the lamp posts.

It looks just like one of those mini wheels where you have candles under making the angels spin around.

This smaller street crossing one of the main streets is decorated with colorful stars and tiny lights making up stardust I guess.

I think it looks really pretty with all the lights and different Christmas decorations. As it is so dark as I have said that all kinds of light is welcome.

Vasagatan as you see has lots of pretty decorations. There sure is Christmas spirit here. Just as you reach Norra Bantorget is this tree where they have hung a bunch of cute Christmas goats. The Christmas goat is one of those Scandinavian Christmas symbols that has it's origins and dates back to the pre-christian days. This is the Yule Goat. It was believed it was an invisible creature that would appear and make sure that the Christmas preparations were done right. During the 19th century it's role shiftet to become the giver of Christmas gifts. Men of the family would dress up to the Yule Goat and hand out gifts to the other family members. The Yule Goat would later to be replaced by Santa. Still the Yule Goat is a common ornament in Scandinavia.