All you need is love

I am back home now from a lovely weekend in London. Home? Stockholm? Still sounds odd, but given it is where the heart is and Sam is here, how could it be anywhere else?

After a weekend of partying hard, and catching up, I am in a typical Sunday funk. So forgive me if this blog is a bit indulgent. There are lots of pretty party pictures at the end, so you can always skip the words, and just look at the photos.

So how was my trip? I got to London on Thursday night, and spent it at Dave and Liz's new house. Their new house is looking more like a home now they have got furniture in, and I suspect by Christmas it will be amazing (of course it will be amazing as Dave (and I suspect Liz) would not accept anything less).

Friday morning I travelled into town and caught up with Sarah and her new arrival Isaac and Martha (all pictured below). It was lovely to see them all doing so well. Then I did some pre-Christmas shopping and checked out the new Banksy exhibition in Soho, at the same time as Robert Downey Junior. Its not normal that when I see someone famous I get excited, but I have to admit Iron Man made me slightly weak at the knees (although not as much as Becks did). A couple of big bouncers stopped people from taking his photo, so you will just have to take my word for it that he was there standing next to me and looking very handsome (but even shorter than me)!

After bumping shoulders with Sherlock it was off to my (very early) birthday party, held in the Nordic Bar (not many people saw it as the ironic gesture it was meant to be: "aren't you sick of Nordic bars?" (not really given I have had exactly one night out in Stockholm in the four months I have lived here)).

It was lovely to see everyone. Really lovely. And therein lies the reason for my melancholy. I have such a lovely bunch of friends it seems almost a futile gesture trying to get some new ones even half as nice. I think it was my brother who said moving to Stockholm would be like climbing Everest (and given the weather recently, it seems he knew what he was talking about) and best done in stages.

I almost feel that the first two tasks were the easiest. Find a flat. Hard but not impossible. Get a good job. Harder, and given I am yet to start, it would be premature to call it good. Finally, make some friends. Right now that feels really daunting. The three friends I have here are all lovely, but they have their own lives, and can only make so much room for me. And as much as I recognise that I must make friends, it is not something that I do naturally. Dump me in a room full of strangers, and I will gravitate towards the corner of the room, not the centre of it. I liked my old life, I liked my old friends, I wouldn't have chosen to change it, and I think that is what makes it feel harder. Why bother trying, when you know it won't be as good? Maybe I should just try and replace Sam's Mamma and befriend her friends, except I have no desire to meet anyone romantically right now. I suspect if I was back in London, that may be a different story, but I am not, and I have no intention of quitting Stockholm anytime soon, as the person who loves me and needs me most is right here. It's just a shame he's too young to go out drinking with me occassionally.

I was as happy as I have been in a long time on Friday night, and there was a lot of love in the room as you can see below. I guess that band from Liverpool did have a point. I will just have to put my reticence aside and try my best to get some in Stockholm (and I am happy for that to be interpreted however you wish, but what I want most is friendship love).

Anyway, it has been said, that a night out is not a proper night out, if you can remember everything that happened. I am happy to report, that my memory is very fuzzy towards the end of the evening. Being merry and full of love and alcohol, it has been reported to me that I declared undying love to a few of the lovely ladies below, and asked at least one to marry me. Will I ever learn? That is a road I am in no hurry to travel down again.

When we finally got back to Rob's new flat in St Albans (which was great), I passed out, and spent Saturday on his sofa completely hungover. We then drove to Kate's (who is the self proclaimed hostess with the mostes (and she was as good as has word)) to drink champagne and watch X Factor. Then it was up early, to make the long trip home.

As you can see from the final photo below, it does not seem to have stopped snowing here the whole time I was away. The display on the coach said it was a pleasant minus eight when I embarked. Luckily it was not too far to walk home, and now that I am on my sofa, I don't intend to leave the flat until I absolutely have to.

It's Sam's second birthday on Saturday, his Mamma and MorMor, will be round to help him celebrate, along with my friends Tom and Step from London. So I suspect there will be some joyful, and possibly slightly awkward pics on the blog next week.

Thank you to everyone who came out on Friday. I really do love and miss you all...

Sarah, Isaac and Martha	Cynthia and I discuss Chelsea's form
A birthday smooch from Steph (husband not pictured)	Welcome home from a year abroad Neal! Now give me a kiss!
Another victim! And the reason Kate is looking slightly worried is because...	She's next!
Don't worry Dave, my lips won't touch you!	Smile Mr Peer!
Rob (far right) and I, pose with recently engaged Dave and Jenna... and what a lovely couple they are (me and Rob!)	Marco and James feel the love too!
Rob and I attack poor Claudine!	Finally I got my man!
Wot no snogging?	Saturday night at Kates, drinking champers and playing with carrots!
Back home, and the view from my window

Pam and Roy visit Stockholm (part two)

As it is their last day in Stockholm, I sat Mum and Dad (Pam and Roy) down (separately otherwise it would have taken a week) and asked them some questions for the blog about their trip (yes, I know I was going to get them to write a blog, but given Dad has never used a computer, that was too big an ask).

You can read their answers which are below, along with some pictures from the second half of their trip:

What do you think of Stockholm second time round? Pam: It is just as lovely in the winter, snow and all, as it was in the summer (when we were here four years ago). It is a beautiful city. Roy: It is a nice and clean city, possibly a touch anaemic, and lots of gloomy faces (possibly because of the weather and four months of winter) but lots of attractive blondes too! And I am impressed that everybody speaks impeccable English. Was the cold as bad as you feared? Pam: No, we wrapped up well and it was fine, and it actually warmed up when it snowed! Roy: No What do you think of Vasastan (where Michael lives)? Pam: I think Michael is very lucky to be living in Vasastan because it is like living in the centre of London without the noise. I prefer Odenplan (which is five minutes up the road from Michael's flat) to the centre of Stockholm as it is prettier and more compact (and more traditional architecture). Roy: Very clean, very respectable and relatively quiet. Lots of nice cafes, and the good thing is that although coffee costs €2.50 you can have as many refills as you like - this morning I had four cups. Anyway, excuse me a minute, I am just popping off to the loo... What was the favourite thing that you saw during your trip? Pam: When we went to Aspudden, we walked down to the lake in the Vinterviken. It was really beautiful. The visit to the City Hall was great too, it is a lovely walk there from Michael's flat along the water. Roy: The City Hall, it is a beautiful builiding where the annual Nobel Prize giving takes place. I really liked Vasaparken too. The childen's play area is fantastic and the high standard of young mothers is fantastic too! I can't wait to come in the summer when they're not all wrapped up. Is Stockholm as expensive as everyone says? Pam: Yes, but no. There are some things that are expensive (alcohol, meat, fish) but overall it is about the same as France and the quality of the fresh food is much nicer in Sweden. I am taking home to France a bag full of crispbread and dill pickle. Roy: In my limited view, Stockholm is no more expensive than France, but presumably more expensive than the UK. The coffee is cheap, the food is about the same. In spite of what people say about alcohol I just bought a perfectly acceptable bottle of rose wine for €5.50, but obviously I haven't been clubbing this time, so cannot comment on the price of alcohol in pubs and clubs. How is Michael's flat?  Pam: Spacious and airy and the building it is in, is very elegant. (Michael adds: You can tell she used to be an estate agent!) Roy: Nice. How much has Sam changed since you saw him in the summer? Pam: A lot, he talks much more, he is more confident and on the face of it, his parents splitting up doesn't seem to have affected him (although you don't know what goes on in his little mind). Roy: Lots and lots and lots. I can now understand words that he is saying. He is much more independent. And he's definitely heavier when you pick him up! He's now got to the stage where he is interesting, rather than a baby! Generally speaking, how do you think Michael is doing? Pam: On the face of it he has a long way to go before he is really happy, he is still obviously hurt and a bit angry about what happened, but he is doing well and coping. Hopefully when he starts his new job he will make friends which will help him settle more. Roy: Michael is doing a lot better than he seems to think he is, although along with most other Swedes he is a lot gloomier than he should be with the thought of four more months of winter. Anything else you would like to say to your fans? Pam: Don't wait to the summer to visit Michael, come and see Stockholm in the winter first, as it really is stunningly beautiful in the snow. But don't come at the end of February as Roy and I will be coming back! Roy: To those in France, I would like to say I am looking forward to thrashing you all at boules on Thursday! To everyone else not in France, I would like to say Stockholm is great and you should definitely come and see it (even if you already have).

Pam and Roy visit Stockholm (part one)

Granny Pammy and Grandad have arrived in Stockholm to visit Sam and me (mainly Sam, who am I kidding?). They are halfway through their trip today. The weather has been as kind as we could expect for mid Novemeber. No rain, but a couple of sprinklings of snow.

Sam has been spoiled rotten for attention, and I am sure he is loving having them here (as I write this Grandad is dragging him across the floor and I am not sure if his screams are happy or scared).

We have walked miles the last few days, showing off Vasastan and even visiting Aspudden where I used to live. Before they go on Tuesday, I will try to get them to blog... But before then here are some photos. Enjoy:

Outside the Swedish Parliament in Old Town.	Coffee at Berns Hotel
Out walking near our flat	Where's the cannon ball?
View from the bridge near my flat	Playing football with Granny Pammy
Hiding from the cold in a coffee shop	Out walking in Aspudden (where I used to live)
Another stop for coffee	Fun on the tube
Crawling through Grandad's legs	Football in the snow that arrived overnight
Smile!	Can I have the camera please?

Our first weekend in Vasastan

Samuel and I spent our first weekend in our new flat, which is in Vasastan. Where? I hear you ask.

Well, let me (or Wikipedia) tell you... Vasastaden, or colloquially Vasastan, (Swedish for "Vasa City") is a 3km² large city district in central Stockholm, Sweden. With 51,661 inhabitants it is the second most populous, as well as the second most densely populated (17,220/km²) district in Stockholm.

It's Sweden's  most expensive area in which to live (per m²) until recently, when a couple of English hooligans (Michael and Samuel Corless) moved into the area, sending the prices plummeting. The major parks in Vasastaden are Vasaparken and Observatorielunden near the centre and Vanadislunden and Bellevueparken in the north.

So Samuel and I spent the weekend, checking out the area, and ensuring the prices continued to plummet. We walked up to the Observatorielunden (pictured below) and spent lots of time in Vasaparken.

The park is floodlit, so when it goes dark at 4pm(!!!) you don't necessarily have to go home straight away, but it gets cold pretty quickly, so we didn't hang around too long after the sun disappeared.

Sam's football is coming along great, and he talks all the time now. Oddly given I am not into cars, he enjoys pointing out all forms of transport: car, bus, bike, plane, boat. If he's walking he has to stop and point out the car, plane, bus or bike. It takes a while to get from a to b. But it's alright, we're not on a timetable.

It really is a lovely area, lots of cafes, restaurants, bakeries and boutique shops. I think we'll enjoy our time here (if I ever buy in Stockholm, its unlikely I could afford anything in this area!).

For the first time since arriving in Stockholm, I feel oddly at ease. Not happy. I guess that is a way off, but I have an apartment, a job, and Sam is becoming a real little person, and I love hanging out with him. If you had told me when I arrived in Stockholm at the start of August, that three months later, I would be where I am, I would have told you, that you were bonkers. It goes to show with love and support from family and friends that you can achieve anything if you try hard enough. Life could be better, but it could be a lot worse, and for that I am grateful. Thanks for reading this, have a good week, and enjoy the pictures of Sam... If you think Vasastan looks cool and you want to come and visit, please do....

Sam and Michael's new crib

This weekend was spent moving into our new apartment (although Sam didn't help as he was with his Mamma). Although I arrived in Stockholm on 31 July with only a few clothes and books, I had bought a bed and a sofa off the landlady at my last place (this apartment is rented out unfurnished), and so I had to hire a van, and ask for some help.

Jumping to my rescue was the lovely Helene who sits opposite me at work and her husband Atalan (he is Hungarian). Because Atalan is part teacher, part Lovejoy (antiques dealer) he knows all about fitting furniture into a van and everything ran like clockwork. We started at 9, and by 11, me and my furniture were in the flat, and waving Helene and Atalan goodbye.

The rest of the weekend has been spent building things (such as Sam's rocking moose in the pictures below) and exploring the area. The amazing park (Vasaparken) is 5 minutes walk away, but within 2 minutes is a great street with bars and restaurants. I really am right in the centre of town (if it was London, it would be Mayfair darling) in a beautiful 1920's apartment block.

My first guest to the flat on Sunday afternoon was Anna, who was suitably impressed and then we went to see The Social Network (aka The Facebook Movie) which was super good. If you haven't seen it, then you really should. It was great to walk home from the centre of town in less than 10 minutes, instead of jumping on the tube for 7 stops.

So this week, I am going to Ikea to get a few more things that I need, such as glasses and a rug for Sam's half of the room, and then on Friday morning, I pick up Sam and he will get to see his new place. I cannot wait.

I am hoping now that I can put down some roots in Stockholm, I have the full time job (I am off to sign the contract today) and I have this apartment for at least one year (the couple renting it are in Washington). So hopefully now, I can make a few more friends and start having more happy times.

And if you want to come and see mine and Sam's new crib for yourself, then you are more than welcome. I have no bookings for next year, but don't wait for the summer, come in January to March, when there could be snow, Stockholm will look amazing. Or wait for the summer. I will be happy to see you whenever!

And those of you in London, don't forget to come and say happy birthday to me on Friday, November 26th at the Nordic Bar. It will be great to see you...

Sam's half of the living room	My half of the living room, taken from Sam's half
Check the windows out	Sam's room when he's staying, mine when he isn't
The kitchen	The hallway, and tiny tiny "wet" room