A surprise! My only warning was this: I was told to pack a bag with jeans, gym shoes, high heels, black dress, dinner dress and most mysteriously a snorkel. Then in the middle of a meeting at Select Collection I got kidnapped.
My charming kidnapper was none other than Gerald Amoudruz, Sales Manager at Air France/KLM in Sweden. Next thing I was on the back of his Harley Davidson heading for the Stockholm island of Södermalm.
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| Heading through the traffic from our office |
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| Arrival in Mariatorget - Gustaf Mellbin's Boutique |
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| Thank you for bringing Leija to us - goodbye Gerald |
Now
it was fun for women only - my hen party or "möhippa". Lovely friends
were waiting for me in a luxury lingerie shop, sipping champagne. Time
for shopping for glamorous swimwear and an evening of Stockholm
lifestyle.
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| Bubbly and friends |
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| Surrounded by gorgeous lingerie |
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| A gift card for shopping for something special |
Next I was taken to nearby premises and told to change to the black dress. A Baroque dance lesson for all of us. This is a very sensual kind of dancing that reminds of the Can Can and the Moulin Rouge.
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| Ladies in black |
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| Over from Finland my lovely friend Camilla |
On to Hallwyl House (Hallwylska Palatset). It reflects the luxury
lifestyle of its owners in the 1890s who handed it over to Stockholm
city as a museum in 1920, replete with their furniture, paintings and
even clothing. Here we had our own private cultural tour...
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| Our party on a private tour of the palace |
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| Grandeur |
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| Fascinating culture |
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History - Grevinnan Irma von Geijer -
her parents Walther & Wilhemina von Hallwyl
built the extravagant palace |
Then in the kitchen of Hallwyl House we had our own lifestyle party.
Wine tasting with an excellent sommelier Sofia Ander, five different
wines. First I was blown away by the Californian DeLoach Pinot Noir but
one more sip of the Sicilian wine Norma persuaded me that this wine was
best - yet not even a Pinot Noir.
That was followed by a buffet dinner, with delightful desserts and red and white wine. Then...
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| Presents from everyone - and I had to guess who from |
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| Something borrowed, something blue |
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| Champagne |
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| Lots of laughter, and lots and lots of laughter |
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| And then a great nightspot - Riche |
It was a wonderful evening. Thank you Lena, Hanna, Ulrika and Louise for getting this party together.
But what about the snorkel on my packing list? Actually I did not pack
it because at Select we never need to take snorkels when we travel. Our
seaside hotels all have that kind of equipment...
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