2017 catch up - part II

We had grand ideas about where to go last summer, but we couldn't really make it work, so in the end we just thought "Why not go back to Lake Annecy as it was so amazing?!". Easy! And it was just as great as in 2016. Our sister-in-law and Oomoo's cousins joined us while we were out there, and we had a great time. In fact, we were so exhausted from our 10 days of hiking, swimming, canyoning, white water rafting and other activities, that it felt like that we needed another holiday just to recover from it. These pics are from our hikes at Le Grand-Bornand, La Clusaz and La Sambuy. There's definitely some magic in them mountains; after a ride up on a ski lift you keep walking higher up, surrounded by forests, more mountains as well as lots of cows and goats, and at the top you're rewarded by a stunning vista. At no point did the kids complain or feel tired (the cooler temperatures help!), and it really felt like we were creating really fond memories. Right then, I need to start playing the lottery again, so we can bag ourselves a nice little cabin there. Fingers crossed.

2017 catch up - part I

Happy New Year! Hope you had a good break, if you had one. I ended up catching Oomoo's cold in the end, but we were both well enough by Christmas - phew! I'm glad to be the other side of it now, and relieved that xmas is a whole year away - hehe.

So, last year was a bit quiet here on the old blog; it seems I can't be on Instagram and the blog at the same time, so adios Instagram, and hola again to this sweet little spot. And as it's January and winter and all that, I thought I'd fish out pics that I shot on my camera last year and never got round to blogging, and forget all the rain/wind/greyness outside right now. These are from early May, when my dear friend Z came and stayed with us for a few days. It's ALL about food and art when she comes here, so on day one we polished off Tate Modern and Somerset House and a lot of tasty food (no food shots - because they are bloody boring). In a later catch up post there'll be pics from when I went to stay with her in Amsterdam last September - aaaahh yeeeeaaaahh! Have a great weekend yo xx

Sick days

Someone once told me that you'll get a cold if you make snow angels, and whilst watching Oomoo do snow angels in the snow (see previous post), I had that very thought, but at the same time thought "What sort of a mother stops her child from making snow angels?!". Well, it was probably just a coincidence, but here we are, almost a week into Oomoo having a nasty cold, cooped up at home, hoping that the household will be cold-free by Christmas. I'm topping myself up with Manuka honey and immune boosting vitamins, trying my hardest not to catch it. In the mean time we wait, for Oomoo to get better, and for Christmas to roll round.

Snow Day

A couple of weeks ago Oomoo wished for some snow, as he was only about three the last time there was a large snow dump in London, and he couldn't quite remember it. Little did we know that just a few days later his wish would come true. We live by a big park with some good hilly parts, so out we rushed with an old sledge to make the most of it. However, the sledge turned out to be a piece of junk, so we ended up using a wax table cloth instead. I remember flying down the hill on one when I was a kid in Stockholm, but then I was about 40 kgs lighter! Never mind :)

Down on the floor

A weekend away

Not long after getting back from the snow we headed to Norfolk to stay with friends again, and got to hang out on the beach and enjoy spring in full swing. Very strange! I know I say this every time we venture outside of London, but man we need to do it more. Life's too short.

Let's Dance

Vemdalen rocks

Sadly I couldn't bring my big camera on the mountain, so when I remembered to I'd whip out my phone to grab some snaps - I didn't get that many, as I was having too much fun. As Easter was late this year there wasn't loads of snow left, but luckily there was enough on the slopes. The first picture is from Jaktstugan, a cabin at the top of a cross country ski run that only sold waffles with cloudberry jam and whipped cream. Just outside the kids could borrow toboggans which was really good fun; I tell you, everything was so relaxed and chilled in Vemdalen. There was free hot chocolate at the foot of some runs, communal barbecue pits where you could cook your own lunch, swings for kids that had had enough of skiing, and in one resort (Björnrike) there was a even little music studio with a drum set and a piano that anyone could have a go on. Genius! The fifth picture is of a cabin from the 1700's that stands on my friends' plot, but I was so dumbstruck by it that I didn't take any pictures from the inside. And lastly, Oomoo and A on day 1, before Oomoo got the hang of skiing on his own. We better hurry back before he forgets how to.

Cabin fever

In another life we might have a cabin of our own, but if we get to go here again I'll be well pleased. What is it about cabins that just feels so good? I'm not sure, but it must be some kind of magic; as soon as we stepped into my friend A's cabin we all instantly relaxed. Is it all that wood? The fireplace? Being surrounded by nature? Or just shutting the door on most of the entrapments of modern life? I dunno. One thing for sure is that I finally got the point of a sauna (I've never enjoyed them in the past - way too hot!) - it was the perfect balm for our aching muscles. So here's hoping our next Easter holiday is sorted then :)