Friday 28 December 2012

Swedish country visit


I am spending a few days with lovely friends in  a beautiful country house a couple of  hours north if Stockholm. A wonderful place to be...
 
Typically Swedish

Here together with my dear friend Lena Lones.
 
This is a great place for walking and cross country skiing.  
 
 
 
 

The Swedish winter can be magical with deep snow and brilliant sun. But so often the snow melts and turns to slush or ice…and grey skies bring rain and sleet.

That is one reason why Select Collection sells so many trips to beautiful warm destinations. The Nordic people all long for the warmth and the sun. I'm already looking forward to my next trip to the Middle East to inspect new destinations and hotels.

More about that visit soon…

Tuesday 25 December 2012

Christmas spirit

The big  day in the Nordic area is Christmas Eve – the 24th of December. Time for loved ones to get together for presents and good food. This year Christmas was deep with snow, perfect for warm togetherness and our Nordic tradition:
Shared time with Fredrik Gyllenhammar and his
children Sophia and Patrik.

 
Very typical Swedish food:



Caviar and Västerbotten pie – using a well matured
Swedish cheese of that name. Västerbotten
is one of the counties of Sweden

 
 And giving of course! Here are some of my favourite gifts:
 



A lovely bear from my son, handmade from the
best lambs wool



Lingerie from France



A beautiful book from Louise – Memories from 2012

 
 
A few days ago in the hectic snowy days before Christmas:
 
Jonas Edholm owner of Stream invited me, Fredrik and Max for a great Christmas lunch.
 


Here enjoying The Stream lunch with traditional
Swedish Christmas food

 
 
Another party at Katherine and Oscar’s beautiful house in Stocksund. Beautiful environment, beautiful home and beautiful party! 
 


Here lovely Katherine celebrating her birthday


Here enjoying the dinner with Fredrik who is
a dear friend to Katherine and Oskar


Food was fabulous, very Scandinavian:
deer, reindeer…

 
This is the time of the year not just for parties but for meetings with important partners. Sometimes you can combine both.
 



Here is Lucy Clark from Orient Express hotels with me and Fredrik

More about Orient Express hotels, trains and cruises in the year ahead...
 
Meanwhile a warm and happy Christmas to all my wonderful friends and family, and my valued customers!

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Select Collection - Christmas dinner

A night full off surprises starting at our first secret destination - the hotel "ETT HEM"


Arriving to celebrate our Select Collection Christmas Party with all staff from all offices. Everyone arrived in a good mood and spirit to a white Stockholm


Everyone beautifully dressed...
Me arriving on crutches after my foot operation - in 6 weeks I can dance again!
Kenneth Hallström telling the story about ETT HEM
Ett Hem was a private residence built in 1910, for two people who loved art and beautiful things. They left their mark on this townhouse, situated in a peaceful, residential area of Stockholm. This Arts and Crafts building is a tranquil home away from home, steeped in the Scandinavian aesthetics of Carl Larsson and his wife Karin.

Transforming the house into a hotel has been a delicate process: its personality had to remain intact. Yet it also had to offer all the services required by modern travellers. The result is that Ett Hem is again filled with the best collection of furniture, Scandinavian antiques and design. Things that frame moments in life.

With twelve rooms, Ett Hem offers discerning guests comfortable interiors and bedrooms full of summery whiteness of light. Outdoors, the courtyard garden is a room as important as those inside. It’s a secret city wilderness that is the perfect place for summer breakfasts or winding down over a chilled bottle of wine.

Beautiful decorations just like at home...    

The Christmas tree dressed in silver and white, all our gifts under the tree... all 34 of them!
Each room personally decorated by Ilse Crawford
After a glögg, Champagne and Christmas present we strolled throw the snow to our next secret destination...

Emma dressed to impress and struggled to "stroll" in the deep snow with her 12 cm stilettos!
My team had booked the whole restaurant for private use!  
A small hot dog for appetiser... "jummy"! its made of olives and veal with a sourdough bread.
Ilse
Ulrika & Cilla

Potato fritter with bleak roe.
Lobster and scallop soup.
Ann, Malin, Mariana
Astrid, Lars, Arja
Dag-Åge, Louise, Therese
Dag-Åge and me
Dew, Birgit, Erland
Fredrik and Ilse
My gentlemen's at the table; Johan and Max
Jonatan & Hanna
Pernilla, Lisa, Sofia & Lars-Johan
Suzanne, Neil, Marita

We all had a wonderful afternoon and evening, some of the our colleagues went out to dance the whole night!

Thursday 13 December 2012

Santa Lucia December 13





History of Lucia
The Lucia legend is said to have originated in Syracuse on the island of Sicily. A young girl, about to be a bride, gave her entire dowry to the poor of her village and admitted that she had become a Christian. She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake on December 13.

Much later in history, the early Church made a saint out of her - Santa (Saint). Italian artists sometimes picture her as a blind girl holding a lamp. She is a patron saint for Italian fishermen and she is said to help guide them home through the rough seas during a storm.

There are many legends about her and in each one Lucia stands as a symbol of light and hope to all mankind. Santa Lucia's coming begins the feasting, merriment, singing and the spirit of friendliness and goodwill that lasts all through the holidays.




File:Lucia procession.jpg
Wikipedia.org


How we celebrate Lucia in Sweden
In Sweden, the Lucia Day is celebrated all over the country in every home, school, and workplace on the morning of the 13th of December. All of the other Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) celebrate Lucia as well. At each school, there is a gathering in the auditorium first thing in the morning. The lights are dimmed and the Lucia and Lucia maids enter, singing the old song "Santa Lucia".

At Select Collection, a table is laid ready with coffee, saffron buns and gingerbread cookies for my wonderful staff to enjoy all that day. On this day, as well as around Christmas, a hot mulled drink called glögg is served.

This is also the first "Christmas Decoration Sunday". This means that all of the stores decorate for Christmas in their store front windows. Mostly all of the town's population gathers downtown for this event and they walk up and down the streets checking out the new decorations in the storefront windows.
Lucia brings a message of lighter times to come during the darkest time of the year. It is a very festive atmosphere, full of good feelings, hope, and expectations.