Weeknote 133

Swedish trip, cats and dogs, return to London

• Looking back to last weekend, I was in Stockholm visiting Mena’s sister and her family. My parents joined too—for their first-ever trip to Sweden, which they enjoyed very much.
• I met Sam, the youngest and newest cat in the household. He was incredibly attention-seeking and wasted no time befriending me—often outcompeting Ziggy, the slightly older cat, who still remembered me from my visit two years ago.
• Even though I was there for a shorter visit this year, I ended up enjoying more Swedish food than before—delicious pastries, seafood, and meatballs again, of course, plus a fantastic dish of venison and mushrooms served with rich lingonberry jam.
• Last Sunday we were invited to go on a car trip round Stockholm's Archipelago. Even between spells of rain, the scenery was spectacular. Lunch was at Bullandö Krog, where I sampled more regional fare—especially a hearty helping of fried herring.
• On Monday, before heading back to London, we met Mena’s sister’s partner’s lovely black labrador. The dog’s intro to the household cats went surprisingly smoothly.
• Back in London and back to work this week—I returned to the office and took myself to Brick Lane Market for a solo lunch. I’ve been slowly working my way through all the street food stalls there, but most seem overpriced and underwhelming, clearly geared toward tourists. I’ll be sticking to Petticoat Lane Market for future lunches.
• This Sunday brought some unexpected garden drama at Mena’s—a tree gave way under the sheer weight of grape vines. Thankfully, no one was hurt and none of her furniture was damaged. Just a temporary jungle for Bagheera the cat to explore and enjoy.
• Current mood: feeling a bit of the post-holiday blues as the evenings here get darker and the news stays grim, but already looking ahead to the next big trip: Christmas and New Year in South America.