It has been a funny old couple of weeks. Eating ice cream on the balcony, then huddled up under a blanket the day after. Saturday was so warm I announced I was going to put my big coat away for good. More snow and rain arrived the next day. I’ve since learnt this is called April bakslag (April backlash). I say this like I mind but I really don’t.


Hot chocolate on the balcony has been the theme of the week. It’s still chilly at night (~5°C) so we take blankets out. I wonder if the Swedes think we’re mad — maybe placing bets on how long we’ll last before giving up and going in… or freezing to death.
The mugs were a Christmas present from a friend and the pattern reminds me of the village we lived in before moving here.
I don’t think there’s a single straight line in this photo of me but it’s the only one I have from the past week. And the page below made me smile because it reminded me of road trips with my good friend Annie.


I looked down at my hands in the sink and saw my Mother’s wrists. We have the same lines. It’s little things that get you when you least expect it.


I’m not usually a fan of excessively sweet food but I’m totally in love with Pärlans caramels! The hotel we stayed at in January got us hooked when they left a box in our room. We treated ourselves to a box last week and managed to make them last a few days, although I’m really not sure how.

In an effort to learn more of the language, I’ve been making notes while watching Swedish TV and we’ve been speaking Swenglish at home (our nickname for a jumble of Swedish and English). Managing to order a loaf of bread and two cakes at the bakery felt like a small win this week, although I’m under no illusions I sounded like a native!
I didn’t use it in the bakery but I’m still laughing at the term “snuskhummer” — which translates as dirty lobster and means pervert in English.

Another week down. I’ve now shifted my thinking from when things are back to normal, to when things are better. Whenever that will be.
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