ett ställningstagande

[cimorene]

When I first visited wax_jism's mother's flat in Ekenäs back in 2003 I was creeped out by the sheep and goatskins on the floor and chairs which looked like they'd been, you know, cut off of a sheep or goat, and have leather edges and legs and stuff. Long exposure to the frozen North has since made me used to them and instilled a vigorous pining for sheepskins. When we see them in the store I invariably make a beeline and snuggle them, so today wax asked the mamma if she had any left over from her years as a sheepfarmer. And carted home an armload of three goatskins. I'm snuggling my feet into one now and life is good. The dog is enjoying it with me. After a day at the summer cottage he's a very happy dog. But I forgot to bring my camera, so you all won't get to reap the benefits until next week.

Special bonus update: Two glasses of wine with dinner and I'm lightheaded. I didn't use to be quite this much of a lightweight - it's hanging out with wax and her annoying allergy to fruit-related alcohol! She always declines to drink and then I feel silly. I shouldn't be this far out of the habit, though. It says something very sad about the number of slasha get togethers we've had in the last year.

Comments

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

I want to come back to Scandinavia so badly. Last summer was fabulous.

(I had 3/4 bottle with dinner ,don't feel bad.)

[cimness.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't feel bad if 3/4 bottle made me tipsy, I think. :) You're practically a wine hobbyist, though, anyway, so I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you have better tolerance than I do.

Come here next time you visit the frozen North (there's a ferry from Stockholm) and you can meet traditional Finland-Swedish drinking songs and Snapps songs (bizarre unsweetened herb-flavoured grain alcohols, drunk in little shot glasses). It's kind of weird - I have the eeriest sense of echoes of Viking times and stuff.

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

Amazingly, the red wine in question (Ravenswood 2004 Lodi - a red Zinfandel from a winery of very old vintage, like...from when the first Spanish missionaries established themselves in California) agreed with me very well, and reds don't usually! I found it highly drinkable, and '04 isn't considered anything special for this label, I don't think.

Would flying to Stockholm and taking the ferry be the best way, do you think, or are there any convenient airports fairly local to you? Of all the places we saw on the cruise, I feel most drawn back to Denmark and Finland. JAmes and I are still trying to figure out what to do with our spare weekend in November, and although Florence seems to be winning, I'll run Finland by him. Iceland is still on our list, too, after all.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

There is in fact a local airport, as well as an airport in Helsinki. Helsinki to Turku/Åbo (the airport code is TKU) is 2 hours by train or 3 hours by bus direct from the airport; the ferry is more like 8 hours, I just thought you might be more likely to visit Stockholm already. :) You can also take ferries between Copenhagen (or as we say up here, Köpenhamn) and ... Stockholm at least, maybe here.