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...

Historical Afternoon

Yesterday I was invited by Noppes for a historical afternoon at Riddarhuset; the House of Nobility in Stockholm.

The House of Nobility was commissioned in the 17 th century by the Swedish nobility, to whom it still belongs. The building remains one of the most exquisite works of architecture in northern Europe.

Peter Liilliehöök is not just a friend but an excellent tourguide and entertainer. Here Peter is giving us a historical lecture before entering the House.

This was the uniform of the Nobility year 1805

And here the men of 17 th century, long hair was in fashion

The Session Hall is decorated with 2325 escutcheons of the Swedish aristocracy.

I was in this hall once before, when I was awarded the Swedish Royal Patriotic Society medal for entrepreneurship in the field of trade and industry, presented by our Majesty King Carl-Gustav, year 2009

This is the beautiful room where the dinner was taking place. I was very proud.

Carl Adam 'Noppe' Lewenhaupt is a Swedish count and also the owner of a private club in Stockholm. At the top you can see Noppes family escutcheon.

This is Noppes private club where we were enjoying drinks afterwards

-- Post From My iPhone

Raw Food

At the Destination SPA they have at the Sunset Point a beautiful Raw Food Restaurant. The food is very natural - nothing is heated over 43 degrees so all minerals and vitaments stay in the food and the most important - it taste fantastic!

The Master of the Raw Food Restaurant

This is raw bread - made of beetroot, carrot and nuts. Very tasteful together with the avocado dip

Lionel Valla the charming French General Manager of Destination SPA

-- Post From My iPhone

Wintery nights

Snowy days can be full of fun but after few months of it, it is nice to see some sunshine.  I am so looking forward travelling to sunny climates in few days, to Destination SPA in Phuket.

Where happiness lies

The pursuit of bliss should not be founded on denial or illusion.
Says Julian Baggini in an article in FT 16/17 Jan

With happiness, as with much else, there is no algorithm and there are no secrets. Modern life can make you miserable but on average it doesn't and, in any case, a good life is not just a happy life but a truthful one. Knowing the facts can help us to live well but no one can provide us with a bespoke map to guide us through it. What they can do, however, is lead you astray with the promise that - with some survey data, positive thinking and a resolutions chart - mortal bliss is just a few steps away.

Among the most recent bunch of happiness books, there is s good one called: Smile or Die by Barbara Ehrenreich. How positive thinking fooled America and the world. I look forward to reading it.

Elated Gene Kelly as Don Lockwood in

'Singing in the Rain' (1952)

FT Jan 16/17

-- Post From My iPhone

Saif's South Africa Trip

Here you can read in Saif Haque's own words about a safari he's just been on

Saif is our UK Country Manager based in our lovely Select Collection Travel Boutique in Mayfair, London

Safaris in general never appealed to my senses until my recent trip to South Africa, which changed not only my perception of Safari trips but also what one can get out of it. My attitude changed having come a few feet from wild lions and appreciating their majesty or seeing elephants stroll around without a care in the world.

A trip lasting two weeks managed to cover Cape Town, Franschhock, Garden Route and finally to Kruger National Park. There is not one hotel or one place that I can say was my favourite since each part of the country had something different and unique about it.

Cape Town is the southernmost city in the African Subcontinent, lies just beneath Table Mountain and originally was the stopping post for seafarers travelling from Europe to Indian Ocean. This is a vibrant city and its heart and soul seems to be around the waterfront with its multitude of shops and restaurants. The Place to stay is the One & Only Cape Town, though there are other wonderful hotels such as Cape Grace which is also located on the waterfront.

Franschhock is the ideal place to visit if one is a connoisseur of wine and the places to stay here are Franschhock Country House and Villas, Mont Rochelle and Grand Provence. If staying in Cape Town then a visit to this place is a must.

The Garden route consists of such a varied landscape. One minute you could be driving past vineyards and next there are rolling hills with cattle grazing without a care in the world. The place to stop en route is Knysna or Plettenburg Bay. Hotel Pezula in Knysna is world renowned for its service and golf course. Further along the route is Plettenburg Bay and here the must stay place is the Plettenburg Park Hotel, located on a cliff with fantastic view out to the Indian Ocean – if one is lucky this is the route the Whales take in their migration and one can see them out of their windows.

Kruger National Park – home to the big 5 and also numerous other creatures, is a must visit destination. Singita Lebombo Lodge was less of a Safari Camp but more like staying with one’s favourite relatives – the staff and the whole place had a welcoming feel to it and the staff here made the safari experience even more worthwhile with their friendliness.

Watch out – I have a new passion in life now: Safaris!

You can call any of our offices and they will help you to get answers from Saif to any questions you have on this exciting safari trip. We have some other safari-locations as well, so please feel free to ask anything, we'll usually have a person whose been on location and can give you all the insight to make your trip personalised and perfect from the very booking moment all the way till you are back home.

Some pictures from the trip below

Dining Room Grand Provence - Franschhock

Foot bridge to Grand Provence

View of the ocean from Pezula Castle - Knysna

Myself and Fiona Cuerden of Pezula Sales & Marketing Team

Foyer of Plettenburg Park Hotel

Pool at Saxon House Jo'burg

Painting by Nelson Mandela - Saxon House

View from lodge at Lebombo Camp at Singita

Lion sleeps tonight - good song title

Where is the sign post!!!!

Dali Dali and Vezzoli

Yesterday I went to Moderna Museet (the Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm to see the exhibition "Dali Dali featuring Vezzoli", together with my friend Sonja and her daughter.

Just like Dali as a person and artist was filled with surprises, the exhibition was also versatile and filled with surprises. At first glance I thought it was just a very classical exhibition with a large room filled with his famous thirties classical surrealistic paintings. Even if this was wonderful to see I was almost a bit disappointed, but then we saw this door that led to the next room and there were all of his more crazy art work, as well as Vezzolis work from this century. It was such a fun exhibition with Dali's famous female mouth formed as jewelry, there were video clips and installations and small sculptural art work. My god daughter who is five was totally immersed in this really funny video where Dali shows the effects of Alca Zeltzer by painting the effects on a model.

Vezzoli's art-works that play with media and the idolisation of today's famous people were also very very good.

Well worth a visit!

Independence Day

Today is the 92nd Finnish independence day. It's not at all celebrated like the American Independence day or for example the Norwegian National Day "Syttende Mai" which are both more festive in a party sort of way. No, the Finnish independence was followed after a bloody civil war that was a part of Finland's withdrawal from Russia after they've lost the first world war. That is why the Finnish Independance Day is a very formal and quiet affair. Respect is paid to the young countries war veterans that survived the wars against Soviet Union in the forties during World War II. Candles are lit in all windows and legend has that if two candles were lit in a window, it was a sign that Finnish Soldiers could seek refugee there.

I'm lightning two candles in my window tonight. You never know, maybe there are some soldiers out there who'd need shelter.

An art affair

Last night I was invited with my friend Sonja to something that was called not an art exhibition, and not a cocktail party, but a mingle evening. Well it was great, the crowd moved between three galleries, there was champagne to last for a life time and the art was wonderful and strange as it is supposed to be. The host, one of Stockholm's prime art mécénats, Carl Hirsch, introduced an art installation that was first exhibited at Moderna Museet a few years ago. The installation was a table of seafood and delicacies.

The host Carl Hirsch

The installation

The Galleries

A Select Welcome to Amangalla

Checked in at the Amangalla Hotel and the welcome was very "Select". This is a wonderful hotel and the General Manager Olivia Richli and her wonderful team made me feel at home from the moment I arrived.

"Steeped in history and colonial in style, Amangalla languishes at the heart of the 17th century fort, an UNESCO world heritage in the heart of Galle on the South Coast of Sri Lanka. The hotel exudes an air of grandeur married with the traditions of days gone-by, amidst Dutch heritage and pillared verandahs."