Shopping

Sofo is the coolest shopping enclave in Södermalm, showcasing emerging Scandinavian labels.

When I was in Helsinki two years ago I came across this quintessentially Swedish label with the coolest name: 5th Avenue Shoe Repair. The collection is monochromatic with focus on intricate sartorial cuts. It looks extravagant and yet so portable.

I cannot finish this excursus of all Swedish-related things without mention of the home of all homes: IKEA. No need, of course, to pay a visit to this sanctuary of affordable home décor, but I cherry picked some of the classic must-haves for your convenience:

Clockwise from top: The ubiquitous DOCKSTA table, TIRUP swivel chair, IKEA Swedish meatballs and New Printed Fabrics.

Swedish Massage

I would spend the last morning of my trip in a SPA and indulge in a Swedish massage. Sturebadet is an historical SPA which hosted stars of the calibre of Greta Garbo.

If you prefer a more minimal environment, then Yasuragi is where you can spend Zen moments and receive a soothing treatment before boarding your flight home.

The Lady Behind

Originally Italian, AmicaCarmilla has been living in north-west London for too many years with her newly-wed English husband, who works with wines. Alongside her day job in professional publishing, she is an eager yogini with a passion for all sweet things in life: design, fashion, body, & soul, art, travels and funky life style. Her BLOG is a personal collection of quirky findings, all according to AmicaCarmilla’s taste and style. Blogging and reading blogs is indeed one of her favourite past-times. It procures her a vicarious enjoyment and the opportunity to share and love.

Text by Guest Contributor AmicaCarmilla, blogger since 2005. Catch her at www.amicacarmilla.blogspot.com.

Dining

Allmanna Galleriet 925 exudes a certain degree of shabby chic ambience. It is a restaurant, bar and club, all in once.

Sightseeing

I would happily get lost in the cobbled streets of Gamla Stan (the Old Town) and spend a substantial chunk of my time in the galleries and design shops of Skeppholmen, the Museum Island.

The visit would not be complete without a stroll in the up-and-coming district of Kungsholmen and amongst the cutting-edge boutiques and cafes of Södermalm.

If I had to pick one of Stockholm’s many islands, I would choose Djurgården. It is royal parkland, with open-air museums and galleries dotted about.

We continue next week with some shopping and sauna treats from AmicaCarmilla!

Text by Guest Contributor AmicaCarmilla, blogger since 2005. Catch her at www.amicacarmilla.blogspot.com.

Pop Culture

Before visiting a place, I like to immerse myself into its popular culture through films, art, design and food. It is a way of getting into the *globetrotting mode* and fully suck in the zest of it.

Aside one of the most acclaimed Swedish directors, Ingmar Bergman, I appreciate the work of Lasse Hallströmon Chocolat, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and, above all, Life as a Dog (photo above).

Together is a fun film by Lukas Moodysson exploring the messy dynamics of a modern commune. It is a film of *real feelings*, funny and sweet at once.

Scandinavian design is renowned world-wide. One of the reasons behind its popularity must be linked to the fact that cold climates make you productive and creative. I recently stumbled across this lush Swedish design magazine: Skona hem. If you want to take a peek at original Swedish houses, take a house tour around Swedish designer Benita Larsson‘s house. I also recommend a couple of eye-candy design blogs, rigorously made in Sweden: Emma Designblogg and Om Hoom Sthlm. 

Viaggi e Sapori is a food blog created by an Italian lady living in Stockholm and conveniently bilingual (Italian and English). She mainly cooks Italian cuisine, but every now and then she throws in delicious Swedish recipes, such as Yellow Pea Soup, Swedish Potatoes Gratin and Pyttipanna.

We continue next week with dining and some other surprises from AmicaCarmilla!

Text by Guest Contributor AmicaCarmilla, blogger since 2005. Catch her at www.amicacarmilla.blogspot.com.

Stockholmers have an incredible quality of never taking things too far. Whether it’s in design, architecture, fashion or catering, Swedes just seem to achieve the ideal balance. They’ve even got the perfect word for it, lagom, which means ‘just right’. -WALLPAPER

This description wraps up nicely the captivating duality of Stockholm: a cosmopolitan capital taking the foreign influences to heart while retaining self-awareness and Nordic coolness.

First of all, make sure you have a Wallpaper City Guide at hand. It is pocket-size, easy to flick through and at £4.95 inexpensive. I like how the blurb reads: "discreet so that you don’t feel like a tourist"—the worse nightmare of many city-trotters.

Where to stay 

If you feel nautical and wish a sea view, J Sealodge Gashaga is the place for you.

The ship hostel is a quirky alternative with the same ambience at affordable price. Its superb location on a central island and ecological breakfasts are a plus.

Alternatively, Birger Jar Hotel offers contemporary bedrooms, each created by a different local designer. I particularly like the bold prints of suite 621 designed by interior design company Svenskt Tenn.

What to pack

It is a cold country and rather freezing for more than half of the year. It is thus paramount that you keep warm as cold feet may affect the quality of your stay. Even though winter days are so short that you feel obliged to make the most of them, I personally find Nordic cities in the cold months authentically charming. So, assuming you will be visiting in the coming months, the question is: how to be warm while retaining that chic city look?

Snowflakes by Amicacarmilla featuring Dsquared2 accessories

You could take inspiration from the many street style blogs out there, or play safe and pack a technical gear that works also outside the ski runs.

Stockholm city Look by Amicacarmilla featuring Acne jeans

If it is not a minus degree temperature, this practical, vaguely nautical look, will do. We continue exploring Stockhom with AmicaCarmilla next week! Stay plugged!

Text by Guest Contributor AmicaCarmilla, blogger since 2005. Catch her at www.amicacarmilla.blogspot.com.

Sky and WWF have joined forces and embarked on a challenging project to save over 1 billion trees in the Acre area of the Amazon by helping protect 3 million hectares of rainforest from deforestation – an area roughly the size of Belgium.

One of the startling facts is that deforestation contributes to around a fifth of the worlds green house gas emissions. Each tree can suck about 12Kg of carbon dioxide, but when these are cut down all the CO2 is released back into the atmosphere.

The supermodel Lily cole has just helped launch the campaign from the surroundings of Kew Gardens.

It’s hard to appreciate the importance of the rainforest because it seems so far away but it’s vital to the survival of the planet as we know it. The destruction of the rainforest is having a huge impact on our climate and on the millions of animal and plant species and the millions of people who live there. It’s important we act now, so help make a difference by donating just £10 and help save 500 trees. -Lily Cole

Sky Rainforest Rescue will help to tackle the problem by doing two things:

1. to help local farmers adopt farming practices that reduce pressure on forestland.
2. to set up a fund to support local communities – including indigenous peoples, rubber tappers and farmers – to preserve the forest, making it worth more to conserve trees than chop them down.

WWF with be working on the ground with the Acre State Government to help implement the project.

For every £10 raised Sky will match the amount in effect doubling the donation and £10 will protect 500 trees. The goal is to raise £4 Million so your help is crucial. It’s time to take on the challenge, please join with us to help support Rainforest Rescue.

For more information and to donate please go to http://rainforestrescue.sky.com

Ever since 1992 Evelyn H. Lauder has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of the disease via Estee Lauder Companies’ and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 1 in 9 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2007, worldwide, over 1.3 million people were diagnosed with this dreadful disease. Early detection can literally save lives!

In 1993, I began the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) to address a crucial lack of funding for coordinated translational research, especially clinical research, for breast cancer. The Foundation, an independent, non-for profit 501 (c)(3) organization, supports scientists at leading medical centres worldwide whose research is focused on achieving prevention and cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. A minimum of 85 cents of each dollar donated to the Foundation goes directly to breast cancer research and awareness programs.

To date, BCRF has raised over $250 million, and in October 2009, $34 million was awarded to 166 scientists across the United States and in Australia, Canada, Latin America, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. For the eighth consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator’s highest rating of four stars. In addition, the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades.” -Evelyn H. Lauder

Some of the Estee Lauder Companies brands, including Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Darphin, Donna Karan. Estee Lauder, Jo Malone, Creme de la Mer and Origins, will be supporting breast cancer awareness month with on counter information materials, pink ribbons and an array of special pink products raising money for the cause. Our favourites are the Origins Peace of Mind (nationwide) £11 where £2 from each sale goes directly to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation research study at The Institute of Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden and Clinique’s ‘Special Edition’ Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion £35 where £2 is also donated (exclusively sold in Selfridges).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Cb7sPkGx8

London’s very own City Hall will be lit pink on the 22nd October as well as other famous buildings across the world.

Please go down to your local cosmetic counter and support the ‘World Pink’ campaign or for more information vist Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awarness website.

Le Centquatre 42 is an innovative multi-use space that encompasses studios, showrooms and workshops. The space aims to integrate artistic creative views with the surrounding community, establishing a public space that they hope will aid in the reconstruction of social relations for the 19th arrondissement, a Paris neighborhood known more for poverty and crime than art.

A large scale model of the Centquatre space dominates the lobby where, propped up at knee height, the installation takes on the appearance of a dollhouse. Next to the model is a series of cubby holes filled with miniature building materials. Paul Cox is inviting the viewer to build their own art installations inside the mini gallery to draw on people’s preconceptions regarding authorship and artistic autonomy (the idea that anyone can make art), hopefully inspiring the rest of the community to not only get involved, but to create aspirations beyond the district’s impoverished surroundings. Whilst thought provoking, the installation pokes fun at both the artistic institution and the viewer, who at this point has probably moved on to the far more compelling sight of 100 members of the public performing Tai Chi in the main hall.

Surrounded by artists working on renovations and a series of installations, sculptures and videos, these energetic morning Parisians manage to appear as artists or even art themselves. On further enquiry, one discovers that this ‘performance’ is one of a series organized by the gallery to induct members of the community into artistic expression. This is a truly impressive way of drawing the masses into what could be seen as a conceptually pretentious environment. If this doesn’t provide enough intrigue, then more can be found nestling at the back of the exhibition space in what appears to be a large garden made from crates.

La Table De Jardinage! (The Gardening Table) is an installation involving two dozen landscape gardeners collecting seeds of fruits and vegetables consumed at a picnic to create an ever evolving garden. Gardeners and enthusiasts will tend the space for up to a month before handing over to the next artist or volunteer. The blooms and fruit have already attracted birds and other local wildlife, further impressing the idea of social integration with art.

Whilst Centquatre has some way to go before competing as a major tourist gallery (greater publicity for the space and targeting a wider audience would be a start) the curators have proven that the ghettos surrounding Montmartre are still capable of producing some of Paris most innovative ideas and pieces of work. Having ventured as far out as the Stalingrad metro stop, if you simply can’t bear the thought of leaving Paris without actually entering the Louvre then by all means step in the queue, descend into the pyramid, walk into the centre of the bustle, spend a few reverent minutes staring at the immensity of the foyer and then promptly remove yourself and head for the decorative arts Museum round the corner. Here you will find an incredible range of design, art, craft and true Parisian history including the largest collection of original Toulouse Lautrec posters in the world and the work of Madeleine Vionnet ‘Inspiration for Gucci and Prada’.

Le CENTQUATRE (104) open Tues-Sat 11am-11pm, Sun & Mon 11am-10pm, 104, rue d’Aubervilliers, 75019 Paris http://www.104.fr

Water. Okay, so this one is not a food but it’s extremely important for the functions of the body and skin. Water makes up about 50 to 60% of your body weight and remarkably your brain is 85% water! Not only does keeping your levels topped up help keep your skin hydrated and young but also improves concentration levels.

It’s all well and good using your moisturizer on a daily basis but all cellular hydration comes from the water we drink. Drinking at least 2 litres a day will help to minimize lines, hydrate your skin, flush out toxins and reduce puffiness.

Avoid flavored water as these contain vast amounts of sugar and opt for room temperature as this aids absorption. Sticking to this daily routine will also aid digestion, boost energy levels and maintain muscle tone. Adding raw fruits and vegetables to your diet is also a good way to hydrate your body.

Salmon. There are quiet a few magic ingredients in salmon. The first is DMAE, an anti-oxidant that helps to tighten muscles under the skin which will help to smooth and keep the complexion firm. It also helps to protect cells from free radical damage and helps to build strong cell membranes.

Omega 3 is an important fatty acid for many function including giving you a mental boost along with moisturizing the skin from within. Research suggests that the western diet is deficient in Omega 3. Dr Perricone, a leading dermatologist, recommends wild alaskan salmon as it contain higher concentrations to farmed salmon.

Salmon also contain copper which helps to boost your skins own protection from the sun and Zinc which stimulates collagen production helping to smooth lines and wrinkles. Zinc is also a great boost for hair by strengthening the roots and promoting natural oil production.

Blueberries. These are a true power food as they contain more anti-oxidants than any other fruit. The dark color of blueberries is called anthocyanins an anti-oxidant which is anti-inflammatory and helps to strengthen blood vessel walls to prevent broken capillaries.

They are full of vitamins E and C, potassium, calcium and folic acid. Also included are high amounts of resveratrol an extremely powerful anti-oxidant which fends of free radicals and great for the heart. Add these to your shopping list!!!

Pomegranates. Drinking pomegranate juice packs more anti-oxidants in than either red wine or green tea. They contain ellagic acid which helps to boost your protection from the sun. Full of Vitamin C to help fight off free radicals and potassium for to help regulate blood pressure, the perfect destresser for hectic lifestyles. Celebrities go mad for this fruit, try sprinkling the seeds in salads or just as a snack. Most supermarkets carry the pure juice and now just the seeds saving you the time and mess of de-seeding them yourself.

Broccoli. We all know that we should be eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables, make sure you add broccoli to the menu. Broccoli contains sulphoraphane, an anti-oxidant which helps to detoxify and eliminate free radicals. The trick is to combine this vegetable with other other foods such as tuna, onions and garlic as these contain selenium which increases the potency of the anti-oxidant by 13 times! A truly powerful age fighter.

Broccoli also contains protein which is essential for keeping cells healthy and fibre which will help to detox the digestive system and liver paving the way for clear, healthy skin.

There is more vitamin C in broccoli than oranges along with beta carotene which is great for clear and spot free skin.

Try eating the leaves as well as the florets as these have high levels of carotenoids which help to protect from aging illnesses by boosting the immune system. Steaming is the best way to cook broccoli as it helps to keep the nutrients.

References taken from 10 Years Younger Nutrition Bible by Nicky Hambleton-Jones. Available from Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

The collection will be available for a limited time period from July 2009 to the end of December 2009. The bracelets come in an array of fabulous colors and are available in silver or gold plated silver. There are two sizes, one for children and the other for adults. Wear them alone or layer up like Angelina for a stylish twist to any outfit. The sale of the bracelets help to raise money for the GAC.

Last year, Carolina Bucci’s bracelets for WaterAid sold in weeks so be quick as these are set to fly out even faster. £135 from www.brownsfashion.com.

For more information go to www.carolinabucci.com and www.globalactionforchildren.org.

Central Market

We begin our journey at the Central Market, near the Central Rail Station a destination where many locals and tourists first arrive. This place has little changed since its opening in 1930, the huge pavilions and people from all over the town and even the country flock here to buy and sell their produce. Here you have dedicated pavilions for fish, meat and dairy products. Stall with fruits and vegetables, and kiosks filled with things ranging from sweets to shoes. A particular social environment has formed around the market and it has always been a barometer of country’s welfare. Everyone will find something new for themselves here!

Riga Castle

The Black Cat House

The Black Cat House in Riga has an interesting story behind it. The house actually has two black cats – one on each of its two towers. During the peak of the Hanseatic League, the owner of the house has not been invited to join the Great Guild for the business leaders of Riga. The headquarters of the guild were directly across the street from his home. He was so deeply upset and insulted that he turned two cats so that their rear ends were pointed towards the Guild building – bringing the bad luck to the people there. Eventually he was invited to join the Guild and the cats returned to their original positions where there still adorn this beautiful house built using famous Jugend style (L’Art Nouveau) elements.

I hope you have enjoyed this scroll around Riga and we will be back again soon with more travels tips from around the world!