The dream house

February 22, 2022 by famapa in away from home

Just a week after I went to Stockholm in October, me and Oomoo went to Amsterdam for two weeks to see our bestest person, Z, and to check out her and her other half’s new digs. I think hands down it’s the dreamiest house I’ve ever stayed in. It obviously helps that Z lives there, and that Amsterdam is my home from home. I’m so glad that the people I know with the nicest homes are the ones who have worked like dogs - they really deserve it. As our summer had been such a dud, with Mr Famapa working for most of it, I thought that there was no way me and O would just sit at home for two weeks at half-term, whilst he had a five week long job. When I booked the tickets the rules were that I would’ve had to self-isolate for a week, so to cover it I booked tickets for two weeks. However, by the time our travel date came round the rules had changed, and I wouldn’t need to isolate at all. We timed our trip immaculately as the rules changed back again three weeks later. Oomoo had a solo guitar performance at school a week after we’d get back, so he had to bring his guitar with him, and I can’t tell you how nice it was to be in the house with classical guitar being played in the background.

There’s a small lake/inlet coming off a canal right in front of the house, and even though Z has seen people swim there in the summer, I didn’t bring my cossie, which turns out to have been a wise choice, as the Netherlands has some of the most polluted waters in Europe (due to farming practices apparently). I made do with watching the ducks and cormorants instead.

Z & L’s interior style is minimalist, which is the complete opposite to ours, and I wish some of it could rub off on me. I just can’t do it, probably because we’re so rubbish at de-cluttering. Coming back home after having stayed in such a serene place was quite a shock. So much stuff everywhere! Honestly, I thought our house looked like a hoarder’s. My eyes hurt looking at it all. It took a good week before all the clutter blended into the background again, haha. And no, I haven’t gotten round to de-cluttering yet.

Anyway, three animals live in the house too; Nero, who has since sadly gone missing,

his mum Bella,

and Duana, the tortoise.

Human coming back in, cat going back out.

Oomoo and I shared a room, which I always enjoy doing - it’s just so cosy! We’d lie and read our books in the evenings before turning the lights out.

In the mornings we’d watch families cycling to school on the other side of the water. Best way to commute.

As well as living minimally, Z & L hardly buy anything mass-produced, and so as a result almost everything looks like something out of a styled cookbook.

See what I mean? And it’s not contrived either, it’s all functional and just happens to look good too.

Turns out it was a good thing that we were there for so long; Oomoo caught a cold (remember those?!) not long after we arrived (and no, it was not Covid), so we had to stay at home for a couple of days so he could recover.

Which he did rather quickly.

It also meant that it didn’t matter that the weather wasn’t always great.

Luckily the rain wasn't constant. Isn’t the light in the house great?

Even the shadows were good.

One sunny afternoon, when we got back in from town, hanging out on the balcony felt like being somewhere warm, like Spain. Like a holiday within a holiday.

Nero liked it too. Come back home fool! Your human mama and cat mama miss you.

Part of a sunset.

And a half rainy one. I wish we could see sunsets from our place too. I must say I spent quite a lot of time just looking out of these windows.

I loved seeing how different the water would look on different days. I tried to convince Z that she should take a picture of the water at the same time every day for a year. One day she might.

This neighbourhood has sprung up in the past few years, with a tube that gets you in to Central Station in 6 mins. And if you cycle 10 minutes in the northwards, you’re in the countryside. In the first lockdown I started looking at houses for sale in the area, and found one on the same street as Z’s (although nowhere near as nice as this one) for half of what our house is worth. So tempted! But we missed that window with Brexit innit. And coming from a family with parents who moved countries with kids in tow, I’m very wary of doing so myself. For the first few days of this trip I kept thinking that we should move here (as I always do when I’m there), but by the end of it I realised that I love my life in London, and that it would be exhausting to try and start a new one somewhere else. I also know that if Z ever moved away from Amsterdam, the city on its own wouldn’t be enough for me to want to live there. Funnily enough she keeps saying that we’ll move there once I’ve finished my Dutch lessons. I have less than a year and half left. Imagine if she’s right?!

In the evenings Z, and sometimes O, would light a fire. As they moved in just before the arrival of Covid in 2020, they hadn’t got round to fix the place up completely. At times it felt like glamping. One night I had to cook dinner by candlelight as there weren’t enough light to see with. Funny.

Z placing a light so we could see a bit better.

Some evenings we’d play Rummikub which neither me or Oomoo have played before. Good game.

This lady’s laugh is one of the best sounds there are. Someone should bottle it up and sell it as an anti-depressant.

Bella begging for some yoghurt. She was successful.

One night we watched a Swedish film, which was such a nice thing to do. See those piles of magazines? Guilty as charged. The only clutter in the house was mine and Oomoo’s.

In less than two and half months I’ll be back here again. Can’t wait.

Stockholm randoms

February 16, 2022 by famapa in away from home

Thought I’d post these the late 00’s way, with the text at the end. Sometimes it might be better to just look at the pictures and make your own stories up, or not really know what it’s all about. Like a little photo exhibition - if you will.

The Doors

February 14, 2022 by famapa in away from home

Still in Stockholm, walking along Swedenborgsgatan in the Söder neighbourhood, I noticed the different style doorways, something I’ve never even looked at before. Thanks to the endless architecture walks in the lockdowns I’ve become much more interested in buildings, and on this trip I seriously drank in as many architectural details as I could.

It turns every street into a gallery of sorts. So much to look at! Like these shells for instance. And the leading on the round window. Very nice.

I also appreciate all the different colours. The reliefs on this exterior is very child oriented - I wonder why? Google ain’t telling’ me nuthin. Anyway, above the doorway I noticed something in the ceiling.

I’m guessing that’s supposed to be St George and the dragon? Buildings can hold such mysteries.

Still on the same street, I’m guessing this building had something to do with a shipping company importing soya.

Different street, but I liked the font on this 25.

In Gamla Stan I kept looking up to see what the doorways there looked like.

Symmetrical is the answer.

I guess modern architecture won’t leave as many intricate details for future generations to discover.

And lastly, the doorway in the building I grew up in, in the Vasastan neighbourhood. I do have a vague memory of the lion up there. The doorway has been modernised since I lived there, but when I walk into the stairwell it still smells exactly the same as it did when I was a kid. I have three memories that are linked to the outside of no. 51. One is that I made butterscotch in winter once, and to cool it I left it on the outside window ledge that was covered in snow - totally worked. Memory no. 2 is of blasting Lucille really loudly with all the windows open when I was about 12. So cool 😆. And lastly, like most kids with a recordable cassette player, me and a friend recorded stuff for our own “radio” programme (called Squash - don’t ask why). We talked a lot of nonsense and sang, but also did interviews with people in the street. One of them was with someone as they were putting air in the tyre on their bike. I remember trying to tell my friend off quietly, while still recording, as she was hopping noisily whilst we were asking questions. It would be bloody amazing if I still have that tape somewhere.

Camera walking in Gamla Stan

February 11, 2022 by famapa in away from home

Back in October I went to Stockholm for a few days to see my family, who I hadn’t seen for over 2 & 1/2 years. I’m never that keen on going back, not because of seeing family, but because Stockholm and I just don’t get along. There’s definitely a reason why I moved abroad, and every time I go back I get reminded why I was so happy to leave. It was just a really bad fit in the end. But this trip was better than usual, as I got my priorities right. Usually seeing my family is like a by-product of me going there, but this time they were the only ones I saw. Call it Covid Clarity - the realisation of what and who is important in your life. Anyway, one Saturday morning, me and my sister H went for a walk in the Gamla Stan (Old Town) neighbourhood, which used to be the capital back in medieval times. Most of the medieval streets are buried under the cobblestones, and the houses that are there now were mainly built in the 16 and 1700’s. Look how narrow this street is! I’m guessing you don’t get much daylight in these buildings.

About 3000 people still live there, in houses like this, mainly divided into flats. Jammy sods. Might get an Airb’n’b there one day, but I bet they’re pricey - and tiny… I never really paid attention to Gamla Stan as I was growing up, but from now on I think I’ll try and always make sure that I go here for a walk and a nosey.

Back in my teens this was my impression of it - Västerlånggatan, the main street, the touristy naff street (but hey, I’m a tourist now too innit). The street always full of people. This trip was my first abroad since Covid, and being there was quite nerve-wracking as, compared to the UK at the time, there were no restrictions to speak of. I insisted on wearing a face mask indoors, especially on the tube, and tight crowded places like this made me nervous. Wearing a face mask in Sweden generally meant that you had Covid - so I was grateful for people keeping their distance from me, haha!