This is actually the first sunshinestory we made. It´s about a really cool couple in a really cool town.

Rasi & Catharine.

In Galle.

Galle is an old town in southern Sri Lanka, with a fort surrounding it. Everyone rush to the fort. But they miss our favorite place in Galle.

THe oLD RaiLwAy.

It´s a store located next to the channel, not far away from the bus station and right across the train station, thus the name. It’s owned and driven by Catharine and Rasi, and to be honest it is so much more that just a store. It’s the outcome of a love story, you can sense it in the clothes, furniture and definitely in their smiles.

Rasi and Chatrine fell in love 2006, got married 2010 and later that year in december they also opened the doors to  The Old Railway. Cathrine is from London and has a four year fashion education behind her. When she does´nt work with making her own clothes she work as a travel guide and gets flown around all of the historical wonders of the world. She a great sense for coulor and style that I don’t belive any education can give you, she´s truly a natural talent. Rasi is Sri Lankan and works with old vintage furnitues which he collects all over Sri Lanka. He goes to old houses seeking for furnitures left from the past colonisations. What he findes?  Some of the coolest furnitures iv´e ever seen, made of olf beautiful wood, and sells for quite alot.

Rasi’s eye for old, amazing furniture and other collecteble things, and Cathrine’s incredbile clothes makes the perfect match. Walking trough the doors of the store feels like to step into a different world. A world with amazing dresses, skirts, pillows, jewellry and t-shirts for both boys and girls. I bought this top and this cute dress.In the resturant & guesthouse ”Why not” in Hikkaduwa you can find some clothes and bags from The old railway. Help them out and like their facebook page, and if you are in Sri Lanka, you should definitely pay them a visit.

Everything is handmade by Chatrine and if you ask her where the fabric is from she´ll tell you a unique story about even the tiniest piece of cloth. The fabric in my top is from a sari she wore when going to the cinema in north india to watch a bollywood film. The lace on my dress in handmade by an old Sri Lankan woman who lives next door.

Before they turned the store into The Old Railway it used to be Rasi’s fathers old electronic store but together they renovated it to a hip lifestye boutiqe. There’s also plans on making the second floor to a coffee shop, and I have no doubt it will be a sucess.

Thanks for sharing your story guys.

Linn & Petter

Our last day on Sri Lanka we were going to spend in the capital Colombo. We got some really good tips from our friends Holger & Totte who lived on Sri Lanka for a long time. Our plan was to buy a day pass to Galle Face Hotel and relax in their luxiouros pool just next to  the ocean. I was just gonna run by Barefoot  to buy a sarong and some gifts..

We ended up spending the whoole day at Barefoot. For you who don’t know what Barefoot is it can be described as an oasis in the hectic capital.  Don’t let the very insignificant and discreet entré misguide you, the further in you get in the never ending building the more you will love it.

At first you’ll find a beutiful colur ocean of textiles and home decoreting stuffs, then you’ll go down the stairs and find just as coulorful clothes in amazing quality, handwowen and handmade buy local women. You’ll also find fantastic photoalbums and writing books coverd with diffrent coulored fabrics. Then you will step into the air conditioned book shop with cool coffe table books and intresing reading from allover the world.

Next in line is some more handicrafts, but after that you’ll be out in a huge backyard with both a restaurant and a gallery.

Petter & I orderd cuttle fish & jumbo prawns that tasted like a little bit of heaven. We wanted to celebrate a fantastic Sri Lanka trip with and orderd a sauvigon blanc from South Africa. After the first sip it feelt like being thrown back to the wineyards of South Africa that we experienced las year. So worth it. And on top on that choclate brownie, lemon cheese cake and wifi to dessert.

After the amazing dinner we shopped til we almost dropped. A perfect day in the city! But it got even better, cause a old lady commented on Petters haircut and thought he was the guy she met at the barber. He wasn’t. But she showed out to be Barbra Sansoini herself. The women who’s the founder of Barefoot. Barbra was borned and raised on Sri Lanka and as an attempt to give all the low status Sri Lankan women a proffesion and money she started Barefoot. Today the company has 3500 employees.

Petter and I got to sit and have chat with here and that was just the perfect ending on our Sri Lankan adventure.

Vi har en förmåga att ofta hamna på ställen som har en bra ägare och det kan ofta ha mer betydelse än platsen i sig. Sweden Inn i Hikkaduwa är ett sånt ställe. Ägaren Chandrine är en helt fantastisk kvinna och hon tillagade också en fantastisk sri lankiansk frukost. Att se henne göra “daal” på en höft och “stringhoppers” på den andra var verkligen en intressant upplevelse. Petter & jag satt på varsin stol i hennes kök, som fortsatte ut i trädgården, och bara njöt.

We love to travel in old colonial countries and Sri Lanka is one of them. Outside the walls of the old fort in Galle you could almost be in any part of asia, while ten steps inside you feel like you’re somewhere in an old european town. The city is divided with a huge ten meter thick wall meant to protect it from attacks both from sea and land, today it protects it from development. There’s a crazy mix of two diffrent cultures, both when it comes to food and architecture. Even though we don´t love the fierce history behind it all its just so nice being able to have a perfect chocolate brownie from time to time.