When the sun comes right in

In this north-west, south-east facing house,

the sun only shines in through the back windows

 at this time of year.

 But everything is lined up and waiting for that moment.

I just have to be there with the camera.

Tall Cat knows where the sun is in the morning.

They're changing guard at Sveriges Kungahus*

I was standing on an island in the middle of crossing the road

when who should hove into sight

but the Swedish Royal Life Guards,

a combined cavalry/infantry regiment of the Swedish Army

accompanied by the mounted band.

They were on their way to the palace for the

changing of the guards ceremony.

They have been protecting the Royal Palace in Stockholm since 1523.

Apparently 800,000+ spectators visit the outer palace courtyard

each year to witness these ceremonies.

I was in a crowd of three.

Here's how they sounded.

*'They're Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace'

was an oft played record in my early years.

The archaic smile

John Fowles described the archaic smile in The Magus as being

'full of the purest metaphysical good humour'...

'timelessly intelligent and timelessly amused.'

With this hovering smile, Greek archaic sculptors were thought to be

suggesting that their subject was alive and infused with a sense of well-being.

Well the Millesgården certainly had the same effect on me.

The sculptor Carl Milles and his wife Olga a painter,

came to live in Stockholm in the early 20th century.

The house, sculpture garden, and gallery

were donated to the Swedish nation in the late 1930s.

The breakfast nook in their kitchen with Olga's decorative paintings

on the cupboards inspired by the Delft tiles on the walls.

Sadly behind a window, with some touristy bod

(you know who you are P) reflected in the glass,

Anne's house, built for Anne Hedmark, Carl's assistant,

who lived there after his death in 1955.

The furniture is designed by Josef Frank.
I could have settled quite happily into the armchair
by the fireplace, perhaps listening to this

We visited Svenskt Tenn of course,

where I would happily have chosen any number of lampshades

were it not for their eye-watering prices,

so after a rather sobering discussion with the very cool sales staff

I came away with these scraps

rather specifically described as breadbasket liners.

I will not be burying them under my bread rolls.

A strange thing happened to my camera
while I was there.

It decided to take pictures in black and white for a while.

 I rather like them.
Here is Glenn Gould in black and white.

Windows on Stockholm

The window in our hotel room.

Shutters like wings.

The tiny 1930s allotment hut transported to Skansen

the outdoor museum of buildings taken from all over Sweden and rebuilt.

Gamla Stan the oldest (and most touristy) part of the city.

Gamla Stan opposite the Nobel Museum

where I was just in time to hear a flash mob singing and then

melting away into the crowd.
Here is my shaky rendition of their shaky rendition.

Stadsbiblioteket.

I wished I had my own library ticket.

 Millesgarden.

More of this later.

Moderna Museet.

The Matisse that didn't get here

next to a Sandy Calder mobile.

Things not caught on camera

Sometimes it is just not appropriate or convenient

to carry a camera,

so lately not caught:

a lunch with old friends at the National Gallery

and a very targeted approach to the art -

The Wilton Diptych.

The delivery of fencing 

and five pleached Chanticleer pear trees

to replace the hedge and trees cut down by new neighbours.

A trip to Covent Garden to see

The Dream, Connectome and The Concert.

A glorious country wedding in full sunshine

despite the dire weather forecast.

A huge grass snake coiled beside us

while we ate lunch in the garden.

Eek. I've never seen a snake in the wild.

It slithered away as silently as it arrived.

A badger (also huge) galloping down the path

and leaping over a wall in front of me.

Another first. I only see dead ones on the roadside.

Coming soon, but this time with a camera in hand,

a short trip to Stockholm

inspired in part by this,

 this and this .

Festive red

I was idly opening emails while loading these photos

when up popped this Tab T LED Table lamp - Limited edition

in festive red from Skandium.

Well as it happens my bedside lamp (IKEA)

is in a state of collapse. 

The arm gently subsides and the light bulb fizzes and dims.

This light boasts an engineered ceramic diffuser

the shade is fully adjustable and doubles as a book rest 

to ensure that you never lose your page. 

(I quote.)

It also boasts a £239 price tag.

I'm going to have to resort to a book mark.

This one came free with The Priory by Dorothy Whipple.

Moon daisies, shadows and damsel flies

Peace has been restored.

BT finally rang me back today and agreed to pay compensation.

And the reason for my futile calling?

The special number I had been expressly told to ring 

had been suddenly withdrawn from service

but crucially did not stop playing its,

'We are very busy, you are held in a queue 

and will be answered as soon as possible,'

message.

Jennifer, on the receiving end of the resultant flak from

many, many broadband customers was, 'Disappointed'

that this had happened, neatly appropriating
any feelings of disappointment I may have had.

Moon daisies led me to Moondance
to lower my blood pressure.