16 January 2008

Minne ~ Stockholm


So up here in the freezing Nord, it's very, well,.....Nordic. We are a city of Swedes, Norwegians, Germans and all cold loving Europeans. Why they travelled halfway around the planet to find somewhere exactly like where they just left will always stump me! I mean, if I was leaving Sweden I'd say, "hey Sven, Florida sure looks nice"...but no, they came to Minneapolis instead...and a few hundred years later they built an IKEA, which is pretty much Sweden's equivalent to raising the flag!! There is such a huge influence from Scandinavia, that sometimes it reminds me of the winter I spent in Stockholm (incidentally that was my first experience with temperatures below -30C!)


This weekend we visited a small hamlet tucked behind a busy shopping plaza in Edina, you wouldn't know it was there unless you made a point of looking. Guess what, the little lakes freeze over and they turn it into a skate park, the 'clubhouse' even rents skates, sells hot chocolate and there are two roaring fireplaces one inside and one outside where weary skaters can thaw their chilled fingers and toes!



No one is too young either, Moms and Dads were out in force on the ice with babes in strollers!! Piper thought is was the best thing ever! We jumped on the 'complimentary' horse & carriage ride and took a small jaunt along the lakes. We'll be going back next weekend, this time with skates in hand!


The carriage ride was short, but Piper loved the horses and watching the skaters fly by


Chilly but stoked about the prospect of returning next week!

8 comments:

Deb said...

We LOVE Centennial Lakes....especially in the summertime!! We must get over there sometime to ice skate.....perhaps we can meet there sometime!! How fun that you also lived in Stockholm for a winter! I spent a year of college in Southern Sweden....it was great fun!

Maia said...

That's awesome!! That reminds me of a scene from Virginia Woolf's book Orlando, where the Thames freezes over in a cold wave, and turns into a carnival on ice.

Gail said...

Looks so cold! And my sister tried to tell us last night that we (Mom and I) should move up there. NO CHANCE!!
Gail

Carrie said...

yeah I live in FL! it looks so cold! I have not seen snow since I was 7!!!! and I am 33 now! It looks fun but as an adult not so much!

Unknown said...

this looks like something our family would enjoy.

actually...we'd enjoy to see ANY snow right now!

Grant loved his visit to Stockholm.

Unknown said...

My Sweedish decent children would have a blast there! Alexia always wants it to snow enough to make a snow angel (poor darling.) But alas we had a bit yesterday (see latest post and laugh!)

kitchu said...

Dear God I'd die in that cold. Die I tell you. I'm open toed 10 months out of the whole year. Can you say frostbite? Course if I were bundled up like that adorable Piper, I might could handle it.

Patricia said...

What a wintery fairyland!! SO beautiful! And that pic of Mike with Piper...I LOVE it!! Piper looks so peaceful & happy (& a little cold, but very cute)!

Oh! As for the Giada cookbook...I have "Everyday Pasta" & love it! The recipes are super easy & quick! I'm planning on getting the "Everyday Italian" too.