My lovely surprise

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.

Heading through the traffic from our office

Arrival in Mariatorget - Gustaf Mellbin's Boutique

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.

Bubbly and friends

Surrounded by gorgeous lingerie

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.

Ladies in black

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...

Our party on a private tour of the palace

Grandeur

Fascinating culture

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...

Presents from everyone - and I had to guess who from

Something borrowed, something blue

Champagne

Lots of laughter, and lots and lots of laughter

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...