The world is open again. This morning at the Stockholm Arlanda airport, on my way back to San Francisco, I got stuck in a long line that nobody expected and almost missed my flight to Munich. Stockholm never really felt closed during the pandemic, but now the coronavirus is not even in the headlines. There is more discussion about the collapse of the ruling government, and whether housing should continue to be subsidized or float with the free market. People are shopping and with the warm weather, the holiday season is about to begin.
Oaxen Island 
I see this deer every morning on my run 
Brunnsviken in Stockholm 
Glass blowers at Skansen 
Beautiful nature in Sweden
Stockholm in June is long days, no darkness, green forest runs, lots of flowers, and initial dips into the refreshing lakes. I got to see some new places, for example the island of Oaxen, which was an important mining site in the last century, but is now a peaceful retreat with a bird sanctuary and quaint restaurants. Nyköping is another historical city, with a fortress and castle, plus a museum of Swedish culture, and more nature reserves. I am grateful for my friends who show me these beautiful places, and encourage my Swedishness. Stockholm is comfortable and I ride my bike around town, and run 5 km every morning in Lill-Jans forest across the street from home. I participate in the zoom meetings in the evenings, when people are getting up in California. I was elected to the board of our condominium association, and our focus this year is to get a chair elevator installed so my mom and others in the building can go up and down a little more easily. Our home at Lill-Jans Plan 4, is culturally marked, so renovations are tricky, albeit necessary. The garden has an old lilac tree that needs some care, and we are getting new chairs to make the dinners in the backyard even more quaint.
Samovar 
Spinning wheel 
My little house 
Old style sofa 
View from my window 
My little table 
Another small bed 
Lots of flowers and apple trees in my garden
The highpoint of this trip was visiting my new little house that I bought during the pandemic in Vilnius. My namukas (little house), is so cute, and is right on the bank of the river Neris, about a 20-minute drive from the center of the city. I had bought it “sight unseen”, and this was my first chance to see it in real life. A close friend who owns the property next door told me about it and I couldn’t resist the opportunity. I have some apple trees in my garden, and lots of wildflowers growing in the lawn. The best part is that the small river islands that I see from my front porch are a bird sanctuary, and the forest surrounding the area will never be cut down. The river is shallow at this spot, and perfectly warm for swimming. The mosquitoes come out in the evening, but I keep them away with some insect repellent. I slept in my little house, which is fully furnished with a sofa and mini-beds from the Soviet times. I have a spinning wheel and a samovar over the fireplace. I have some old dishes and a functioning electric refrigerator and stove. The water that flows into the little kitchen is from the river, so not drinkable, and the toilet will eventually need to be replaced, but everything is set up for me to live there. I want to build an outside shower. The long warm days make this summer home a perfect rustic getaway. Eventually I could simply disappear there for a while.
Vilnius warm in the summer
Vilnius is missing the tourists, and the old town seems rather empty. But there is still life in this small country. There are new restaurants and it is clear that the economy is growing and people are living well. Lithuania has super-fast internet, and all kinds of online businesses. The population has shrunk, but I am sure people will come back soon. Prices are still a little lower than Stockholm, and somehow the two countries are very different despite their physical nearness. Vilnius has different fashions and an overall character that is not as cosmopolitan, but forward-looking in a different way. For the best TexMex tacos, with freshly made flour tortillas, go to my friend’s restaurant Donde. Enjoy the black bread, and the best pickles at the farmers markets. It was midsummer, and we celebrated with a traditional Joninės bonfire; which was cut short by a huge thunderstorm and massive rainfall.
I have an unusal life, with homes in three countries. I am equally comfortable in each place, and I have people I love and miss when I am away. I am extremely fortunate to have this multi-cultural life, where my main problem is deciding where to spend my time. Now all I need is another home: in India…