We just returned from our annual work/vacation in Europe – the same trip on which we discovered the Svan Chair nine years ago in a Stockholm baby shop!

We had a busy schedule that didn’t afford much vacation time, but we were able to steal away for many special moments. In fact, the day we arrived was extra special for our 8-year-old daughter who got to see a real, live Princess on her wedding day. Crowned Princess Victoria married Daniel Westling, so my husband took our two kids downtown to see the Prince and Princess in their carriage just after the ceremony. Truly, a special occasion!

Here is a picture of Princess Viktoria and her husband Daniel on their wedding day.

We spent most of our time in the Swedish countryside where my in-laws have a lovely cabin on a lake. I am reminded every year why it so important for us to go there – it isn’t just because of the experience of pulling potatoes from the garden and seeing the farm animals on the hillside, it is about living the Swedish summer life and learning the Swedish language. Our kids have an amazing time and we get to experience it all through their eyes.

Here is a photo of the kids picking Smultron. This is a fruit that looks like a miniature strawberry. They grow wild and kids pick them and string them on pieces of grass – then eat them up.

Scandinavian Child Kids Picking Smultron in Sweden

We also went out on the little boat to visit some beaches and islands around the lake. On our last day, Anton and I were dropped off up the lake side and hiked back along the waters’ edge. Anton found pirate treasure! Okay, they were just some very old railroad ties, but they were still pretty cool and we had a great adventure!

In the middle of our visit, I took a side trip to Paris to visit our friends at the Beaba Concept Store in Paris.  We had a fantastic time!  We were honored to be among the first Babycook Cooking Class  students at the world famous Alain Ducasse cooking school.  Here is a photo of my masterpiece, a recipe you can find in the Babycook recipe book. 

SCI CEO, Brenda Berg, at Beaba Babycook Cooking School