Signing off...

...'til next year. We leave in 16 hours for Egypt.

I managed to get 90% of my schoolwork and workwork done, so 10% remains for the weekend we get back (and I am more than happy with that.) My husband has managed to stress us both out about every. tiny. detail. to the point that I made him leave the apartment to get a haircut so I could finish up here in peace.
Well, he won't be completely off the hook. He'll have to help me with the bathroom ;) We are renting our apartment out to two separate couples while we are gone, so not only do we have to pack for a range of travel itinerary (leaving frigid 20F weather for a blissful 80F) but we have to leave the place spotless with several piles of clean sheets and towels. But on the upside, renting it out is paying for 1/3 of our trip, so we can't complain too much. And we'll forget all about it when we are hanging out on the Red Sea (not the side with the sharks!) or bumping along on camel back.

Anyway, happy holidays to all our friends and family and all you out in the blog-o-sphere! "See" to you in 2011!

Picture post

Sunlight at Stadsbiblioteket

Guzel finally on that Dala horse

Thoroughly enjoying reindeer tunnbrödrullar

This induced a guilty feeling, after eating reindeer rullar

Stockholm

Guzel took great pictures of the city!

3pm at Kungsträdgården?

The iceskating rink

ice in the Helsinki harbor

Snowbanks taller than people!

Funny Finnish words

Tram...the only civilized way to get around Helsinki

Glögi...the sweeter, juicier version of Scandinavian mulled wine

Yup, I bought stuff at the factory's outlet. I have no self-control. I also hit up the Marimekko outlet and did more damage to my wallet...

Just a post full of pictures. The first several are from Stockholm, mostly from the Skansen julmarknad. We also took the boat to Helsinki over the weekend with Guzel, which was fabulous (but for how FRICKIN' cold it was there. Wow.) 

Though we missed quite a weekend in Stockholm, with a terrorist attack just down the road from where we live. Thankfully, only 2 people were injured and we walked down Drottninggatan today, and the only indication that something happened was some remaining police tape.

Now, less than one week until Egypt, and a surprisingly large amount of work before going...

Solar halos over Stockholm

 We thought it was just a weird rainbow when we were out today, but in fact, it was an optical phenomenon known as halos, shining over Stockholm. Ice crystals in the clouds filter the sunlight in a way that makes it look like a bubble of light hovering over the city.

From SR

Photo of the halo over Stockholm University campus (Paul Parker)

Also showing this phenomenon is the Vädersolstavlan from 1535. I'll make you read the Wikipedia link yourself for background on the painting, but it is one of the oldest painted depictions of Stockholm, one of the oldest Swedish landscapes and the oldest depiction of the halos.

What a cool thing!

 

Guzel is visiting! It's cold.

So we are drinking lots and lots of glögg.