I slowly open my eyes as light comes streaming in through the window. Wake up!  It’s time to get up. I check the time, and quickly realise that I forgot to close the blinds. It’s 3am in the morning.

I’ve been living in Sweden for just over two years now, and still I find northern Europe’s irregular pattern of dark and light disconcerting at times. However, other than the weather and the fact that Cape Town is 10,361 km south of Stockholm, there’s not much to complain about. I love living in Sweden, and particularly Stockholm. It offers a quality of life unparalleled.

Here you can experience the vibe of the inner city, and within minutes be out in the countryside. This is partly because of the efficiency of public transport, and partly because of Sweden’s stance on integrating city life with the surrounding nature. But like most things in life, you pay for it... along with inflated taxes and R60 beers. However, Sweden’s social welfare system is notoriously well developed, and I have no problem paying R60 a beer if it means I have access to free schooling (including university), full medical aid and paid maternity leave that lasts more than a year... to name but a few.

One thing that I certainly do miss from home is the Cape winelands, and all the wine that comes with it of course! So, I decided to combine my passion for writing and wine to create ‘My Wine Cellar’, where I blog about everything and anything to do with South African wine. In this way I am still connected to the South African wine industry, while promoting the South African wine ‘brand’ abroad. Go to www.brandonmarc.com to check it out!  Skol! (Cheers!)