Tomorrow it is midsummer here in Sweden.
I am up north in Dalarna -  a truly beautiful part of Sweden.
I can show more photo’s late of our midsummer celebration but par of it started as a celebration of the summer solstice.

This morning I woke up of the sun flooding trough my window.
I thought that maybe not all of you know that swedish summertime equals sun aorund the clock!

At 04.45 this morning this is what it looked like.

That’s summer night time in Sweden for you foks’!

Well nother moring maybe I cn get my ass out of the house and take even nicer snaps for you all!
xxx

I got this letter from a reader, and thought it was such a fun idea that I really wanted to help her out.

In short: she and her family want to swap houses with a Swedish family for about 3 weeks this summer, and they are offering their own in Singapore for The Swedish family to vacation in.

“Hello!

We’re a family of Australians living in Singapore. We’re embarking on a trip to Sweden this summer, and had an idea. Perhaps instead of booking a hotel, we might find a Swedish family who want to visit the tropics while we visit their place - a house swap is what we had in mind! I am wondering if you might know any Swedes who would be interested, either amongst your friends or through the web site?

Here is some info and photos of us and our home.”

“We are Karen and Richard, and our kids are Finn (2yo) and Anika (4mo).

We live in a “black and white” house in Singapore, which refers to colonial-style bungalows built in the first half of the 20thC.

We have a large back yard and a swimming pool, and since there are kids in the house, there are loads of toys, plus cots, high chairs and other kid-friendly stuff.

One of the biggest advantages of borrowing our house would be that we have a lovely live-in maid and nanny, Jean, who will be at the service of our houseguests (provided she is treated with respect, of course). Here’s Jean with Finn and some wild chickens that sometimes roam through our yard:

We love our little home, and think it would make a great pad for a family holiday. It’s just west of the city, near Alexandra Rd, if you want to look it up on Google Maps. You can make quick trips to the Singapore Zoo, Sentosa and other such

There are three bedrooms currently set up with beds, but there are an additional two rooms that could be set up. The house is split across two small buildings, the second of which has two spare rooms + Jean’s room. Both buildings have a bathroom, with a tub in the main house.

We are hoping to stay in Sweden for two to three weeks, and are open to different locations. A home that is reasonably child-friendly, and could sleep the four of us is what we seek.

Anyhow, it’s a long shot, but worth a try :-)!

All the best to you,
Karen and Richard”

Contact: karenlgould

@gmail.com

In the island of Koh Phangan, at the beach Haad Yuan,
there are all these rickety bridges and houses built on the cliffs.
So far from Swedish restrictions of building things! Hehe just imagine…
It also reminds me a lot of when I played the computer game Myst (Riven).
This is like a kids dream!

I love that is it real and not a movie set.

So I promised some more pics from the X2 Resort and a lady keeps her promise!
Now we allready moved on to the island of Koh Phangan.
The internet is very slow but I will get back to you all soon with some longtail cowboys,
shacks on poles and rickety bridges.

But first the X2:

We stayed in a small garden villa. Big windows and big sliding glass doors.
I love big sliding doors. When inside and outside can become as one!

There is also a huge over the top villa with pool. I sneaked in and took some photo’s for you!
Big enough for two couples and outside swimmingpool and a tub.

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Above the pool by night and the reception area.

To connect all the different villas there was a wooden landing between patches of green.

And a smaller pool villa - I sneaked in there too just to give you the feeling of it!

Hotel sheets are the best. (No Beppe is the best.) But hotel sheets makes the sleep such a bliss.
I want that at home as well! The well ironed and washed feeling of sheets.
Like the ones I have been saving since the 70’s. They are still the best.
When the cotton are on the final hour…

We have been staying at the X2 Resort in the island of Koh Samui in Thailand.
It’s part of Design Hotels and is an orgie of huge palm trees, wooden elements and lots of sweet concrete.
For me it brings back memories of Brazil. The arcitecture mixed with nature.
Here are some details that I really enjoy.
Tomorrow I think I will show you the bigger picture.

Detail from the shower which has a backlite- it creates a dramatic effect I think is stuning!

Imagine a house without windows or doors - just open space.
Growing up in Sweden that’s unthinkable.
I love the way that the legs of the tables in the restaurant bend in different ways.

Concrete jungle!

The curtains are all made of heavy linen. And about 30 cm to long. Loving it!

Even if the power is cut you can do it in style.

Sitting on the lo watching the bamboo garden. I wanna do this in the country place in Sweden.
No magazines are needed with a great view.

Around the pool there is a normal plastic drainage. Just smartly covered up with stones.

As if the pool wasn’t enough. A bath in plain air. And the vivid art the moist makes in the concrete.

It’s nice to stay at a place a bit more minimalistic than what I normally enjoy at home.