Yesterday I bought a tea that I hadn’t tried before, Lapsang Souchong Tea, mostly because the name intrigued me. It was described on the package as “a smoky flavoured tea from the Fujian province of China,” and that didn’t sound too bad, so I thought it was worth a try. Last night I brewed up a pot and it was okay — a little strong for my taste, but not actually unpleasant. This morning I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water to take my vitamins with and I thought I could smell stale cigarette smoke. I checked my shirt, even though we don’t smoke and hadn’t been around anyone who does, but it was fabric-softener fresh. Then I noticed the tea strainer from last night still sitting in the sink. I picked it up and gave it a tentative sniff and it smelled just like an ashtray. Ick. I just now gave the tea package a closer read and discovered that the “distinctive flavour” is due to the way they smoke the tea leaves in large baskets over oak chips. I don’t think I’ll be drinking any more of that.

So, on to the Stockholm report: I had a really good time and it was great to meet up with my friends and have a “grown-up” dinner. It was really fun to finally meet Marie in person (she has the greatest accent!), and to catch up with Hélène, Heather, Leslie, and Kitty. Before we met for dinner, Hélène and I did some shopping, and I finally got some Bain de Terre shampoo and conditioner — it was so great to be able to wash my hair with good shampoo again. It’s the stuff I used in the States for years and it smells just the way I remember. Lydia also made out like a bandit, getting more presents than any one kid needs.The only disappointment was that Kim wasn’t able to make it, since little Charlie was sick. Here’s a picture of us at Pizza Hut, taken by Marie:

Well, I guess there was one other bad thing … I made an error in judgement when I chose my shoes for the trip and my poor feet paid the price. I had blisters on my heels and my little toes and even under the nails of both of my big toes (avert your eyes for the next few lines if you’re squeamish). I had never had the under-the-toenail kind of blister before, and wow, does that hurt! By yesterday evening the pressure was just too much to bear, so I took a red-hot safety pin and poked small holes at the base of my toenails to drain the fluid. Yes, it was gross, but it was so worth it — the relief was almost instantaneous and even though my toes are still a bit tender, wearing shoes is no longer excruciating.