April in Stockholm (mostly)
Eric superbly managed to keep the kids happy and the house running during my trip to Brasilia ; it is no easy task to be parenting alone, especially as alexandre is at home full-time and as I was also away on the week ends... On top of that, it was very hard to connect on skype, due to the jetlag and poor internet connection at the world water forum, so we only managed to chat for a couple of minutes over the phone once in a while. But, apparently and luckily, the kids did not miss me much.
I even missed Ruben's 7th birthday ! (was not there and was not even able to find the time to call at the right time between meetings.. but I did send him an email via Eric late at night).
Luckily, we had some good times together after Brasilia. Just after I came back, we met up with Manu, Sophie and their kids (7 yo and 2 year-old twins) in Humlegarden for a Swedish barbecue. Manu is from the year below me in polytechnique, and did his civil service in Valdocco as well. We had not seen each other for a good 15 years.. And he just happened to take up a job in Stockholm. They moved here at the end of December, and it's been great to reconnect and to hear from them on how to navigate the personnummer - id cards - bank - forskola process - one of the top area of concern and thus topics of conversations for new comers in Sweden !
Humlegarden is one of the very central parks in Stockholm, in Ostermalm area, an upscale borough. Nice park, with a nice playground (there are so many nice playgrounds around this city...). On the week ends, they lit up the barbecue, open the playground house and families come for a hot dog, swedish style : one goes to the kitchen, helps themselves to sausages and bread, puts money in a box, grills the sausages on the barbecue, et voila ! There are also some cakes and coffee in self-service. After having eaten, one brings back the plates and cutlery and loads the dishwasher in the house.. This is so.. civilised, if that's the right word ?
(ok, the 'hot dog' part might not sound so exciting, but one can bring their own food, and the kids actually love the whole experience)
Manu and Sophie, who are more experienced than us in the Swedish lifestyle, also brought their thermos bottles (one for the kids hot chocolate, one for the parents' coffee), which really does enhance the experience when picnicking around 0-5°.
We then had a great Easter break ! Both Easter Friday and Easter monday are off in Sweden, and, as my director was retiring, he also gave us the Thursday off.
I first had to attend the retirement party.. It was held on my boss' house boat, on Skeppsholmen island. Fun experience !
And a very nice sunset on the way back, looking over to Gamla Stan. At the time, there were still ice blocks floating on the water and they collided in the current, making an amazing sound of clashing ice..
On the Thursday, to start our long week end after school, we went to the beach in Kungsholmen, a 10 min bike ride from our place. The kids had a great time with the ice. It is hard to imagine that this beach will be very crowded in the summer !
On the Friday, we met up with Karin and her daughters in Tantolunden park ; lovely park, very nice playground, and nice beach !
We had met Karin back in Delhi ; her daughter Nellie is about the same age as Ruben and we partook in some playgroups together there. After Delhi, Karin and her family lived briefly in Beijing, and then settled back down at home in Sweden ; they also have a second daughter, a bit older than Alexandre. It's been very nice to catch up ! The kids can not understand each other yet, but it will come hopefully.
On the Saturday, we went to Skansen, the big open-air historical museum in Stockholm. Eric and Alexandre had had a rough time there in march, when it was still very cold and all the restaurants and cafes were closed.. But Easter at skansen is a big thing and the weather was actually getting much warmer !
To get there, I took the family on the long road, getting off in Gamla Stan, crossing the island and then catching the ferry to Djugarden. A nice trip but probably too long for the kids.
In Skansen, the kids loved the playground, watching the blacksmith demonstrate his skills, going to the indoor zoo, trying some circus activities, exploring some old houses.. And Alexandre was super-psyched to do some ice-skating !
On the Sunday, we went on a nice bike ride towards Drottningholm palace. The kids were not interested in the palace but they loved running around the mazes in the (very beautiful) park.
We had fun skating on the ice in the park..
As it was quite cold that day we did not stay outdoor long. We should get back there when the weather is better, to enjoy the park more !
Later that day, my colleague Francois and his wife Helena came for a drink at home ; it was very nice to have them here.
Last but not least, on the monday we went to Vasa museet, to see the famous ship which sunk on its maiden voyage in 1628. Everybody who had been to Stockholm or live here had recommended a visit there ; indeed, the museum is very interesting, very entertaining, and great for kids.
I then had, finally, to head back to work but it was great to have had a real break and to actually have been able to spend time together, after two months of being away / traveling / etc.
The week end after, we continued exploring Stockholm's beaches by heading to Bromma beach (Solviksbadet). Eric had already scouted the area with Alexandre once, and it is really a great outing ! The bike ride is short (15 min) and very nice, taking the tram / pedestrian bridge next to our house to reach Bromma suburb, then biking in quiet neighbourhoods. There is a really beautiful path in the forest along the water, but that one is not really manageable with the kids on the bikes ; it makes for a lovely hike though.
Before reaching the beach, there is a big park - playground - beautiful forest, where we stayed for a while. It really makes for a great nature outing, just next to our place..
And then the beach (we did have our hot chocolate thermos with us then, a good thing because the wind was cold on the beach).
With a nice view over Stora Essingen, our island.
My colleague Francois had introduced me to a son of his cousin, who is French and just moved here, on Stora Essingen itself actually, with his family. Come, Fanny and their kids came for a drink at home and we had a friendly time.
At the end of that nice and busy day, since Ruben and Alexandre apparently had not spent enough time outdoor in the morning, we explored the garden in front of our building and discovered that there is a sand box with tons of toys available. It had been buried under the snow when we moved here, so it was a nice suprise !
On the sunday, I took the kids to Tantolunden park, to meet up with my colleague Anjali and her 3 yer-old daughter Jaya. Anjali moved here last fall and has had a really bad experience with the personnummer - etc - forskola process, so it is actually only at the beginning of april that she managed to bring her daughter to live here with her. Tough times...
We played on the beach a bit, then crossed the bridge to Liljeholmen's to go to the playground next to where Anjali lives (another very nice playground), had a wonderful nepali lunch at Anjali's.. It took them a while to overcome the language barrier, but Alexandre and Jaya then started playing together and had a good time. Alexandre borrowed Jaya's dinosaur costume and loved it ! Can you see that happy face ?
That week end marked the one-month anniversary of Eric and the kids' arrival in Stockholm. I think (hope!) that they are well settled now. Initially, some days were a bit difficult for Eric and Alexandre, what with not being familiar with the city and the weather being very cold.. But things are getting easier over time. We are still hitting rought spots sometimes ; we especially had an awful couple of days trying to fix Eric's double bass delivery (it was separated from the rest of our shipment and sent much later via a different carrier ; the guys delivered it on the street at a wrong address in Stockholm and left it there for a couple of hours before realizing their mistake ; it then took dozens of phone calls to different people in France and Sweden to try and have the delivery happen ; Eric and Alexandre spent three days stuck waiting at home...). But, finally, it arrived and is quite intact. Phew.
The week-end after, we again explored another park by the water, Vintervicken. And again, it is about a 15 min bike ride from our place, in another direction (Kungsholmen : north . Bromma : leaving our island to the west and then heading south ; Liljeholmen/ Vintervicken : going east and then south) . There is no beach and no playground in Vintervicken (surprising, right ?) but the cape is lovely and the view from there is beautiful, as it looks towards small islands, some with old houses, and then Bromma's forest and beach in the background: Ruben and Alexandre had a great time playing with sticks and stones and earth:
Some kayaks were out.
And Alexandre actually learned how to ride !!
Stora Essingen, accross the water.
On the Sunday, we met up with friends of a friend of Eric, Anna and Marcus, and their three kids (including a 7 month-old Ruben !). They live in a lovely house by the water in Sickla, east of Stockholm. And they have a trampoline in their garden, which Ruben and Alexandre very much enjoyed.
We seized the opportunity to go to Hellasgarden, a nice nature reserve which is a bit far from our place but quite close to Sickla. We walked around the lake and had a good time on a little peninsula there.
That area is best either during the winter; for ice-skating and cross country skiing, or during the summer, for boating or hiking or swimming: But, even so, it was nice there !
I then left to spend a week in Ouagadougou. A real change in climate and environment ! It was about 40° there and reminded me of the tough (and long) Indian summers.But our colleagues there are great, so it was a good work-week. And I met up with Emilie, an old friend from Cambodia who is now living there.. A very friendly reunion !
It was good though to be back in Stockhom ! The kids and Eric were not there when I arrived at home ; they were enjoying the barbecue and an open carpentry workshop for kids in Humlegarden. They had a great time and it was good for me to be able to rest a little bit (the trip back from Ouagadougou is really incovenient, flying from 10pm to 3.30 am and then waiting for a connection..).
The flight back to Stockholm was beautiful - it was a clear and sunny day and as we were landing in the small city airport in Bromma I had a beautiful view over our island.
(we live in the group of buildings in the front!)
This is also when I realised that Stockholm greater region is full of lakes. They are everywhere. Small lakes, big lakes, wherever one looks.
On the monday, I had a rest day from work, which was great to settle back down. We went to a small hilly park in Kungsholmen with Alexandre, Kronobergsparken (great playground !), and then to the beach, whilst Ruben was at school: After Ruben finished his school day, we stayed for a while to play in the courtyard - Eric does this with the kids every day, but it is very rare and enjoyable for me !
And the great, the fantastic news of the week is that Alexandre will be joining a preschool on Wednesday ! We had gotten our personnummers at the beginning of April ; the wait time for a slot is normally 3 months after that but Eric dit some great magic / asking around and got Alexandre in the French preschool ! Alexandre already spent a few hours there on Thursday and Friday and all went well. He is happy to be going to school, so all is great !
I even missed Ruben's 7th birthday ! (was not there and was not even able to find the time to call at the right time between meetings.. but I did send him an email via Eric late at night).
Luckily, we had some good times together after Brasilia. Just after I came back, we met up with Manu, Sophie and their kids (7 yo and 2 year-old twins) in Humlegarden for a Swedish barbecue. Manu is from the year below me in polytechnique, and did his civil service in Valdocco as well. We had not seen each other for a good 15 years.. And he just happened to take up a job in Stockholm. They moved here at the end of December, and it's been great to reconnect and to hear from them on how to navigate the personnummer - id cards - bank - forskola process - one of the top area of concern and thus topics of conversations for new comers in Sweden !
Humlegarden is one of the very central parks in Stockholm, in Ostermalm area, an upscale borough. Nice park, with a nice playground (there are so many nice playgrounds around this city...). On the week ends, they lit up the barbecue, open the playground house and families come for a hot dog, swedish style : one goes to the kitchen, helps themselves to sausages and bread, puts money in a box, grills the sausages on the barbecue, et voila ! There are also some cakes and coffee in self-service. After having eaten, one brings back the plates and cutlery and loads the dishwasher in the house.. This is so.. civilised, if that's the right word ?
(ok, the 'hot dog' part might not sound so exciting, but one can bring their own food, and the kids actually love the whole experience)
Manu and Sophie, who are more experienced than us in the Swedish lifestyle, also brought their thermos bottles (one for the kids hot chocolate, one for the parents' coffee), which really does enhance the experience when picnicking around 0-5°.
We then had a great Easter break ! Both Easter Friday and Easter monday are off in Sweden, and, as my director was retiring, he also gave us the Thursday off.
I first had to attend the retirement party.. It was held on my boss' house boat, on Skeppsholmen island. Fun experience !
And a very nice sunset on the way back, looking over to Gamla Stan. At the time, there were still ice blocks floating on the water and they collided in the current, making an amazing sound of clashing ice..
On the Friday, we met up with Karin and her daughters in Tantolunden park ; lovely park, very nice playground, and nice beach !
On the Saturday, we went to Skansen, the big open-air historical museum in Stockholm. Eric and Alexandre had had a rough time there in march, when it was still very cold and all the restaurants and cafes were closed.. But Easter at skansen is a big thing and the weather was actually getting much warmer !
To get there, I took the family on the long road, getting off in Gamla Stan, crossing the island and then catching the ferry to Djugarden. A nice trip but probably too long for the kids.
In Skansen, the kids loved the playground, watching the blacksmith demonstrate his skills, going to the indoor zoo, trying some circus activities, exploring some old houses.. And Alexandre was super-psyched to do some ice-skating !
On the Sunday, we went on a nice bike ride towards Drottningholm palace. The kids were not interested in the palace but they loved running around the mazes in the (very beautiful) park.
Later that day, my colleague Francois and his wife Helena came for a drink at home ; it was very nice to have them here.
Last but not least, on the monday we went to Vasa museet, to see the famous ship which sunk on its maiden voyage in 1628. Everybody who had been to Stockholm or live here had recommended a visit there ; indeed, the museum is very interesting, very entertaining, and great for kids.
I then had, finally, to head back to work but it was great to have had a real break and to actually have been able to spend time together, after two months of being away / traveling / etc.
The week end after, we continued exploring Stockholm's beaches by heading to Bromma beach (Solviksbadet). Eric had already scouted the area with Alexandre once, and it is really a great outing ! The bike ride is short (15 min) and very nice, taking the tram / pedestrian bridge next to our house to reach Bromma suburb, then biking in quiet neighbourhoods. There is a really beautiful path in the forest along the water, but that one is not really manageable with the kids on the bikes ; it makes for a lovely hike though.
Before reaching the beach, there is a big park - playground - beautiful forest, where we stayed for a while. It really makes for a great nature outing, just next to our place..
My colleague Francois had introduced me to a son of his cousin, who is French and just moved here, on Stora Essingen itself actually, with his family. Come, Fanny and their kids came for a drink at home and we had a friendly time.
At the end of that nice and busy day, since Ruben and Alexandre apparently had not spent enough time outdoor in the morning, we explored the garden in front of our building and discovered that there is a sand box with tons of toys available. It had been buried under the snow when we moved here, so it was a nice suprise !
We played on the beach a bit, then crossed the bridge to Liljeholmen's to go to the playground next to where Anjali lives (another very nice playground), had a wonderful nepali lunch at Anjali's.. It took them a while to overcome the language barrier, but Alexandre and Jaya then started playing together and had a good time. Alexandre borrowed Jaya's dinosaur costume and loved it ! Can you see that happy face ?
The week-end after, we again explored another park by the water, Vintervicken. And again, it is about a 15 min bike ride from our place, in another direction (Kungsholmen : north . Bromma : leaving our island to the west and then heading south ; Liljeholmen/ Vintervicken : going east and then south) . There is no beach and no playground in Vintervicken (surprising, right ?) but the cape is lovely and the view from there is beautiful, as it looks towards small islands, some with old houses, and then Bromma's forest and beach in the background: Ruben and Alexandre had a great time playing with sticks and stones and earth:
Ruben and the barbecue he built.
On the Sunday, we met up with friends of a friend of Eric, Anna and Marcus, and their three kids (including a 7 month-old Ruben !). They live in a lovely house by the water in Sickla, east of Stockholm. And they have a trampoline in their garden, which Ruben and Alexandre very much enjoyed.
We seized the opportunity to go to Hellasgarden, a nice nature reserve which is a bit far from our place but quite close to Sickla. We walked around the lake and had a good time on a little peninsula there.
That area is best either during the winter; for ice-skating and cross country skiing, or during the summer, for boating or hiking or swimming: But, even so, it was nice there !
I then left to spend a week in Ouagadougou. A real change in climate and environment ! It was about 40° there and reminded me of the tough (and long) Indian summers.But our colleagues there are great, so it was a good work-week. And I met up with Emilie, an old friend from Cambodia who is now living there.. A very friendly reunion !
It was good though to be back in Stockhom ! The kids and Eric were not there when I arrived at home ; they were enjoying the barbecue and an open carpentry workshop for kids in Humlegarden. They had a great time and it was good for me to be able to rest a little bit (the trip back from Ouagadougou is really incovenient, flying from 10pm to 3.30 am and then waiting for a connection..).
The flight back to Stockholm was beautiful - it was a clear and sunny day and as we were landing in the small city airport in Bromma I had a beautiful view over our island.
This is also when I realised that Stockholm greater region is full of lakes. They are everywhere. Small lakes, big lakes, wherever one looks.
On the monday, I had a rest day from work, which was great to settle back down. We went to a small hilly park in Kungsholmen with Alexandre, Kronobergsparken (great playground !), and then to the beach, whilst Ruben was at school: After Ruben finished his school day, we stayed for a while to play in the courtyard - Eric does this with the kids every day, but it is very rare and enjoyable for me !
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