A soft spot for the Swedes

I have a soft spot for Sweden... always have had. During our Expat travels my best friends in Milano, Madrid and in Paris were Swedes. My Mum loved Scandi furniture and Dad's first family car was a Volvo. They gave me a Swedish name that would sound the same in every language. And each Christmas my Mum would bring out her handmade Swedish ornaments to cover the house with.

I have inherited many of the little Swedish trinkets and every year I add my own to the Father Christmas collection that began back in the 60s. Therefore around the end of November I religiously head to the Swedish Church in Paris - recognisable by its red brick façade and steeple inspired by Swedish architecture - to attend their Christmas Bazaar.

You can’t miss the Swedish flag waving in the wind which indicates the church from afar. Whiffs of Glögg welcome me before I even enter the gate. A group of smiling faces greet me with a hearty "Hej Hej", many wearing their traditional Swedish costume. I skipped the salmon and cheese stand to head straight to the ornaments stand, followed by the candle stand and then to admire all the Scandi handcrafted design objects. Of course, I cannot leave without some Pepperkakor (ginger snap biscuits) and a bottle of Glögg, the Swedish mulled wine.

As I have learnt from my Swedish friends Glögg is an essential part of the lead up to Christmas because there is no party throughout Advent without a good glass of Glögg.

Everyone is welcome...

... to the Svenska kyrkan.

The little touches of Scandinavian Christmas decor

It's the little things that count in life.

All handmade in Sweden.

Fallen in love with this little couple.

How can I resist this one?

All bundled up!

Hand-stitched needle cushions... does anyone still use those?

The sweetie stand! 

Swedish cookbook anyone?

And in the midst of it all... a portrait of the Swedish Royal Couple. 

Swedish salmon

Reindeer?!?

That bottle has my name written all over it.

Should I or should I not?!?

Now, we know who Stieg Larson is, what about the rest?

Getting some hot food...

... to enjoy at the little table between the church pews!

See you again next year!

Quotes that made me smile this week...

Christmas is the best time to "flâner" round the shops and department stores... you don't necessarily need to buy anything even though the temptation is great. Always a lover of personalised gifts, cards with a funny message and poster signs with a statement, these quotes made me smile...

When things don't go as planned...

We all know things don't always go as planned... following the Paris mayor's tweet to brave the cold and admire the Champs Elysées Christmas lights, I thought I'd do just that. Setting out for a nice Saturday afternoon stroll I got as for as Avenue Montaigne when the noise level started mounting and I heard voices shouting and a few pretty scary explosions followed by clouds of smoke.

Never the one to miss the action I decided to move forward to get a better view...

Unfortunately the media soaked it up as well. Yes, the Champs Elysées were off limits but the rest of the city bustled away as usual. Paris' main department stores unveiled their Christmas windows and with that the holiday shopping season has officially begun. The retailers had record sales on Saturday I might add and not only due to the new French phenomena of "Black Weekend".

As for the luxury boutiques on Avenue Montaigne and the global flagship stores along France's most famous avenue, they were not happy having to close shop on a weekend but then neither are the "gilets jaunes" protesters who were planning to demonstrate against rising petrol prices and Macron's politics in general ...

... their march was totally highjacked by a few idiots who were just tempting to wreak havoc and managed to seize control of the worldwide media by doing so.

As for me, I took myself off to a calmer place ... and found some Japanese serenity inside the Musée Guimet, established by Emile Guimet in 1889. Magnificently renovated in contemporary style, it is the largest European museum devoted to Asian art.

Intrigued I ventured down a very empty Avenue Montaigne

This is were the actions starts!

Most of the gilet jaunes had peaceful intentions...

... but the mood quickly changed.

What to do? Stay or leave?!?

Just look at that last truck racing up the avenue... scary!

Firefighters are on the job throughout the area.

Hiding behind George V fancy plants!

Enough is enough... I'm leaving!

Musée Guimet

Marking 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration

Textiles,  

photographs (Ginza in the 1880s),

bronze pieces,

paintings, to illustrate the changes that happened during this period.

P is for Paris: Two Fat Expats interview

I am delighted and honoured to have been picked as interviewée of the weekly "Two Fat Expats" podcast. Driven by two Aussie expats - whom like I believe that life should be lived large and that it is only fair to share - their podcast bursts with ideas and inspiration on how to make expat life fuller and therefore fatter.

The topics range from International schooling to money matters, from feeling the expat blues to celebrating lifelong friendships. They talk about moving families across continents, the complexities of caring for ageing parents remotely, coping with kids' homesickness and the empty nest syndrome. Career rebooting is a popular theme as is expat marriage. Each episode deals with real-life concerns no matter which nationality you are.

Two Fat Expats is listened to in over 160 countries and although we - the listeners - are all different and most of us have never met, we all come together on Kirsty and Nikki's site to have a good laugh, to seek advice or share soothing compassion. Somehow these two ladies have managed to create a global bond that is alive and active through social media where everybody is welcome to join. It has become a place to turn to, a platform where people pour out their hearts, a spot where honesty is expected, respected and valued.

The beauty of it all is that you will not find affiliations or hidden advertising, just expats looking for independent expat advice. The "Two Fat Expat" podcast is like a weekly cheat sheet on current expat trends where the charming and very professional Aussie Duo share what they have learnt that week.

The "Two Fat Expats" love a good story on the podcast and like most expat women they also love to sit back, relax and hear the stories of others about their expat adventures.

This week I get to tell mine because P stands for Paris!

P is for Paris

Feeling thankful on Thanksgiving Day

Today a reader sent me a short message thanking me for helping him with his move to Lugano. He had been reading my blog and found it a useful resource. It is little gestures like these that make me continue my Expat with Kids blog, a Lugano online guide.

Blogging has become my hobby. It gives me the opportunity to connect and network with like-minded individuals who share the same passions. Sitting down to write and doing it consistently is a challenge. Blogging requires time, devotion, commitment, and discipline.

However, by preparing myself for blog topics, I have learned many other things in the process mainly thanks to research necessary to write my posts. Writing allows me to delve deeper into the matters of today's life and the worldview that shapes them.

I enjoy the opportunity of sharing my knowledge in my field of expertise. The best part is seeing that you can make a difference. It’s a humbling experience when people talk about my blog posts and I realize someone pays attention to my writings.

At the same time blogging empowers me to showcase what fascinates me and build a brand around myself and my passion. So, all this to say that I am thankful today that others find inspiration in my writings… that’s a wonderful feeling.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Signs of a multicultural family...

Can you guess where these different breakfast spreads are from? They are clues to our family's patchwork origins. We left the Marmite out since the British yeast extract is not a hit with our family. Instead, one spread has been adopted by Expat Girl even though we have no particular ties with that country... other than some really cool friends!

The most enduring abstract artist of the 20th century

Back in town in full force again - refusing to stay in just because of some rain - I whizzed Expat hubby off to the Grand Palais. The Grand Palais is my absolute favourite place in town and one of the most iconic Parisian monuments.

Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, it is recognizable by its large glass dome flanked by the French flag. This architectural masterpiece of stone, steel and glass has been listed as a historical monument since 2000. It comprises 3 major sites: the Nave, the National Galleries and the Palais de la Découverte. The majestic nave, 240 m long, welcomes a wide variety of major National and International events: (horse riding, contemporary art, fairground, etc.). The national galleries organize large-scale exhibitions on artists that have marked the history of art (Picasso, Hopper and Renoir to name a few.) It is also Karl Lagerfeld's favourite place to hold his Chanel fashion shows.

Today was Mirò's turn. Bringing together nearly 150 works, this retrospective traced the technical and stylistic evolution of the artist.

“For me, a painting should be like sparks. It should dazzle you like the beauty of a woman or a poem,” said Joan Miró – and his working continue to dazzle 35 years after his death. The painter, who conjured a world full of poetic transformations, still continues to pique curiosity and fascinate contemporary artists to this day.

His homeland, Catalonia, offered him inspiration, Paris his first springboard, and Palma de Mallorca the great studio he had always dreamed of.

Between these places, Joan Miró created an oeuvre that is devoid of anecdotes, mannerisms, or any complacency towards modes of expression.

Catalan fauve period

Cubism is on the rise

Abstract just begins to define this painting

Forerunner of Instagram

Friends, poets and fellow compatriotes

Surrealism in detail

Love the warm shades of colour in this work

The rise of fascism

The perfect design for fabrics

One of my favourite... maybe because it's pink?

Sculptures which need quite a bit of imagination for their interpretation 

BlueI, BlueII, BlueIII... where will the dots lead to?

Another little detail

Woman, Bird and Star (Homage to Pablo Picasso)

Impressive trio

Spot the signature