I’m home for a long weekend for my birthday with my good friend Kristin and I couldn’t have asked for a better present! We’re back in time for a couple of days, wandering around in summer dresses, sipping rosé on sidewalk cafés, venturing into all the pretty churches, eating pretzels and buying books, talking about everything that crosses our mind, laughing loudly and soaking up the sun.And it’s so good to be home, my body throbs with fervor, I can barely sleep, I’m that excited! Yesterday I wasn’t even hungry, we’d been walking and walking, lunch was long overdue and I’d only had a pretzel, but there was no time for food, not as long as there were so many more things left to see, then dinner came and I had something light, but I still didn’t feel like eating, I only did it because I had to.
On our first day we went to the restaurant La Etaj and celebrated my birthday with all the pomp and splendor required- haha! I invited my family, my favorite aunt, one of my cousins and her son and we had so much fun, you should have been there to see it! I got lots of lovely presents, we talked loudly over the table, gesticulated excitedly joking and teasing, the kids played with the food and the grown-ups rejoiced in sweeping views of the town from the balcony.

On Friday I and Kristin went shopping- COS and Max Mara (I know, but I got a little something from my parents and so I could spurge a little bit for my birthday), we had breakfast at Artichoke, my all-time favorite place, then a glass of rosé by the Athenee Palace, another one at Creamier  and a pretzel to go.  We entered a couple of churches, we took photos of buildings and people and then we went home to put our feet up for a bit. 

Yesterday we went to the countryside, where my grandma used to live up until November last year, when she passed away, a couple of months short of 93 years old. I chose a couple of books, a small icon, some pictures and a few kitchen casseroles to use as props in the future. It was sunny and hot, the grapes were ripe and full of wasps, the walnuts had fallen to the ground and I  thought this was so right, so much more right than visiting a grave, ’cause this is where she lived and where she was loved. 

But more about that in a new entry. Packing for Oslo now, 3 days fly by so fast. I have a headache- too little sleep and too much wine, pluss a niece who doesn’t shut up for a second- but  I’m happy and light and ready to come back for more.

I hope you have lovely days and that fall settles in gently wherever you are. 😉

xxx, Alina