Heart With Companion

Winter Days II

2012-01-23T07:43:00.000-08:00

Winter Days

2012-01-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

I don't have lot of words today, just a few pictures taken around Copenhagen during the last couple of weeks. January has been pretty uneventful so far, but in a nice kind of way. And in spite of the title of this blog post and what the calendar says, it mostly feels like spring here.

And that feels pretty good.

Still no sign of snow whatsoever. Just loads of rain.

'Black coffee and vinyl'

Yes, please.

'The Art of Living, the Art of Dying'

My very favorite bookstore in Copenhagen. And Venus' too, I think.

Thiemers Magasin

Tullinsgade 24

India IV: Kumily

2012-01-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

After a long and exhausting bus ride we reached the final stop on our India trip: the town of Kumily, located high up in the mountains of eastern Kerala. The region is known as the Cardamom Hills, which was a very fitting name.

Everywhere we went there was a faint and pleasant scent of cardamom in the air.

I assume this came from the numerous cardamom plantations scattered liberally throughout the area, and from the way people make their coffee there; with loads of sugar, milk and cardamom.
There was many other types of plantations though: tea, with fluffy and pillowy green tea bushes, spices, pepper.

And coffee.

And it probably goes without saying that we really wanted to see a coffee plantation. Being the coffee nerds that we are it was great to see where our daily ~~crack~~ cup of joe comes from.

We also got to ride and wash an elephant. And we went to a wild life reserve hoping to see tigers, or any wild animals, but all we got to see was some very cheeky monkeys that tried to steal our ice cream. They did not succeed.

We very much liked Kumily.

And then it was time to go home. We ended up having a great time in India- the initial culture shock quickly turned into a real appreciation of India's vibrant colourfulness and slight craziness.

Namaste, India.

Coffee berries, with the green beans inside.

We also went to a hulling mill, where the beans where hulled, dried and roasted. It was a lot of fun to watch the process.

I can't honestly say that the coffee tasted that good- the beans weren't very high quality and they were roasted very dark, almost to the point of burning. We still bought some beans to take home though.

These ladies were working in a warehouse full of cardamom sorting the pods by size. It smelled amazing in there.

Cocoa beans and rice

Bees are an essential part of running a plantation, as they are required for pollinating the plants.

The wildlife reserve.

That's right. No one gets between me and my ice cream.

India III: Alleppey & Fort Cochin

2012-01-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

After Varkala we made our way up the coast to Alleppey, or rather, one of the many houseboats that leave from there. In Alleppey we rented a boat to take the three of us on an overnight tour of the backwaters of Kerala.

That turned out to be perhaps the best part of the whole trip.

It wasn't because any of us really enjoy sailing that much, or because the scenery was beautiful, although it was, or because of the amazing feasts the friendly staff would cook for us.

What we really loved about cruising around on the houseboat was the peacefulness. All the places we'd been in India before had seemed busy and loud, with a constant cacophony of everyday Indian life and people everywhere, so being somewhere private and quiet felt like a real treat.

Next stop on our trip was Fort Cochin, a bit further up the coast. The city's history as an old trading port very much showed, and the strange mix of run down European colonial architecture and colourful Indian chaos made it a very charming place.

India II: Kovalam and Varkala

2012-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

After breathing the dirt of Delhi, coming to Kerala felt bit like arriving in Paradise. Well, almost like it anyway. We flew to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of the state of Kerala, which was much cleaner, greener and more beautiful than what we'd previously seen in Delhi.

We spent the first couple of days in the beach towns of Kovalam and Varkala. Both places seemed to cater mostly to either the backpacker or the hippie kind of tourists, but even though we weren't into the drum circles or the dreadlocks or the yoga classes, we still had a very good time there.
It was hard not to have a good time sitting under a palmtree sipping fresh coconut juice, while watching Venus splash around and play in the warm waves.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

I have a lot(!) more pictures from India to share with you, but first I just want to wish you all a very happy new year. I hope you had a great new year's eve.

And I hope 2012 will be a great year for you as well as myself.

I think it will.

India I: Delhi

2011-12-30T00:15:00.000-08:00

As I previously mentioned, the destination of our India trip was the region of Kerala, but on our way there we had a full day to spend in Delhi.

I was expecting Delhi to be messy, dirty and chaotic, and Delhi certainly lived up to my expectations. Way more than I was able to imagine before going there. Never before have I traveled to a place that made me feel so uneasy and made me wish to get out of there as soon as possible.

Delhi was filthy. There was garbage covering every street, stray dogs everywhere and hectic, crazy traffic that made you fear for your life.
However, these things were not what made us so uncomfortable. After a while we didn't notice the dirt, we realized that we weren't getting ourselves killed in traffic, and we started relaxing a bit and even enjoying the busy feeling of life in India's capital city.
The thing that really bothered us though, was the air. The thick blanket of smog that shrouded the whole city, and the sickly sweet and dirty smell of diesel from millions of cars, and of the fires people would light along the streets, burning paper, plastic or whatever they could find to keep themselves warm.
Although we were glad we got to see Delhi, it was heartbreaking to see people living in such poverty and pollution, and we were happy when it was time to leave.

A Little Taste of India

2011-12-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Just a quick hello and a few pictures from our current trip to India. It's been pretty amazing so far.

See you again soon!

Away we go

2011-12-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

We're off to spend the next few weeks in Kerala, India. Have a very merry christmas everyone.

Christiania II

2011-12-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

More pictures from last week's visit to Christiania. Hope you all are having a nice weekend!

Christiania I

2011-12-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from yesterday, where Venus and I met up with an old friend to go to the christmas market in Christiania. Clearly I hadn't done my planning too well, because there wasn't actually any market on (it starts on Thursday). So instead we spent a cold but lovely afternoon walking around in the crisp December sunlight taking photos and chatting. It was a very nice day.
And just like last time I left feeling I should go to Christiania more often.

The Antlers

2011-12-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

One good thing about autumn in Copenhagen is that there always seems to be a large number of great bands playing, and last weekend Scott and I went to Vega to hear one of my favorite bands- the Antlers.
They nearly didn't make it to the gig as there was a hurricane that night, so they went on stage an hour later than planned, but it turned out to be a very good show. A few of the songs -old and new- that were played:

Fall Photos II

2011-11-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

So, my computer still hasn't come back to life. Turns out, that while I quite like a glass of biodynamic wine on occasion, my computer doesn't.

Other than that, life is pretty good. The fall weather has been unusually mild around here, and although school is keeping me busy most days there is still time for fun stuff too. Like discovering new cafes, as well as rediscovering old ones, getting flowers for my birthday, and going to Denmark's Aquarium with my two favorite people. And last but not least, making-and eating-lots and lots of cakes.

Mokkariet
Odensegade 3

Wascator
Refnæsgade 32

Grød
Jægersborggade 50

In case you're wondering, I turned 29.
29 is looking to be a pretty good year so far.

I used to absolute love going to Denmark's Aquarium as a child. And, turns out, it's every bit as awesome as I remembered it. Can you spot the fish in the photo above to the left?

That would be homemade doughnuts, carrot cake cupcakes, portugese cream tarts and chocolate bundt cakes. Like I said, life is sweet.

A Break and a Blog Tip

2011-11-21T11:41:00.000-08:00

A very busy work schedule and a computer that died and took photos from the last couple of months with it to the grave means I'm taking a small break from blogging at the moment.

I will be back in not too long though.

In the meantime I suggest you head over and take a look at Scott's blog-lots of great photos as well as other fun stuff.

See you soon!

Fall Photos I

2011-11-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty great fall so far. There's been traveling. And quite a few sunny days.

Before the weather turned cold and grey like it is now, there were days with long walks around the lakes in central Copenhagen and browsing through outdoor fleamarkets in Nørrebro.

And there were more than a few visits to the new market downtown (I know I said I wasn't entirely convinced that I like the place, but I can't seem to stay away from there. Maybe I do like it after all.)

Nyhavn 14

2011-11-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we headed down to Nyhavn for pizzas at the newly opened Nyhavn 14. It's an area I rarely set foot in - I find it too crowded and touristy-but I was pleasantly surprised with this place.
The food was very good (ok, yes, it was pizza, and pizza is nearly always good. I know. But this was really good pizza), the service was friendly, and the place itself was nice and cozy.
We'll definitely come back for pizzas in Nyhavn another time.

Montréal

2011-10-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

After the course ended I was lucky enough to spend a day in what might just be my favorite Canadian city- Montréal. It wasn't a lot of time, and certainly not enough to do all the things I would have liked to there.
Still, it was enough time to wander around, to look at the skyscrapers and the old buildings in the old town, to go for a stroll in Mount Royal Park, to go shopping on Saint Catherine street, to find a place serving great coffee as well as a place serving a good lunch and amazing pastries, and more than once to think to myself I could really live here.

I hope to be back again soon.

Myriade Cafe
1432 Rue Mackay

Le Cartet

106 McGill St

Quebec City II

2011-10-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

More pictures from my recent trip to Quebec- not quite Quebec city, but rather the auberge outside the city I stayed at. It was an adorable place, with old wood log cabins surrounded by a forest and overlooking a lake. Just perfect.
(And sorry if you're getting tired of looking of pictures of dead leaves by now, but they really made the landscape look absolutely stunning).

Quebec City

2011-10-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence in here, but the last couple of weeks have been a bit of a mad rush for me.
Long story short, I was offered to go to a physiology course in Quebec City with a very short notice, and as you can maybe guess, I really wanted to go.

And so I did.

It wasn't a vacation though, as the course was intensive-but fun!- with classes from early morning to late evening, and I ended up having not very much time for taking photographs.
Still, it was a great trip. I didn't explore much of Quebec City, but it looked very charming from what I could tell. Oh, and the autumn leaves looked gorgeous.

And, really, I was just happy to spend some time in one of my favorite countries.

Assistens Cemetary

2011-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Indian Summer Weekend II

2011-10-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

More photos from last weekend, where we poked around Værnedamsvej and Vesterbro, ending up at our favorite watering hole in Kødbyen. Good times.

Mad Synergi
Værnedamsvej 4

We had a coffee here, but honestly, it wasn't very good. This place is still worth visiting just because of its charming 1950's atmosphere though.

I'm not sure why, but we end up at Paté Paté more frequently than I'd like to admit. There's just something about sipping cold, strong Californian beer in the golden afternoon sunlight I suppose.

Indian Summer Weekend I

2011-10-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

These past few days have been amazing, with summery temperatures and the most gorgeously golden light. Scott and I tried to make the most of what will certainly be the last summer days this year and spent most of the weekend roaming around Copenhagen with our cameras while soaking up the sun. We also stopped by Christiania to check out the celebration of its 40th birthday. I would have loved to take more photos there, but as a young guy with red, glazed over eyes pointed out to me: it is not allowed to take photos in Christiania. Its a unique and charming place nevertheless, and we left feeling like we should go there more often. It was a lovely weekend.

Tivoli Gardens

2011-09-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday we spent an afternoon in the Tivoli Gardens. I used to love going to Tivoli as a child, and I still think it is a charming and pretty place, although I don't get as exited about going on the rides anymore. These days it's enough for me to see how much fun Venus has there.

A Day In the Woods

2011-09-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from last weekend when we went to one of the forests north of Copenhagen. Scott was snapping photos with his old Nikon while Venus and I looked for mushrooms (Maybe I should change the name of the blog to Indie Mom and the Reluctant Forager?). Good times.

The Market

2011-09-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Scott and I headed downtown to check out to the newly opened marketplace in Nørreport.
I had been very exited about the market, seeing as Copenhagen didn't have one and in my opinion it was very much needed.
Maybe my expectations were simply a little to high, but I did end feeling a little disappointed, as the selection overall was a bit more posh than what I had imagined it would be. Nevertheless, I like the busy feeling of the place, and I think it will be a place I stop by regularly.

So, Copenhagen readers, have you been to the new market yet? And what do you think of it?

Paris Encore III

2011-09-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

The last of the photos from my recent weekend in Paris. It was a great trip in many ways, but really, I think it is difficult not to have a good time there. Paris is such a gorgeous city.

That being said, it was also a little bit lonely. I do think Paris is best when you're experiencing it with someone you care about, and I promised myself that next time I come back I'll have Scott or Venus with me. Hopefully that won't be too far in the future.

Oh, and do you have any favorite spots in Paris you want to share? I would love to hear about them!

I was so pleased to finally find a couple of places in Paris that served really good coffee. My favorite was probably this one (which also had great service and nice breakfast)

Coutume Coffee
47 Rue de Babylone, 07th

Awesome tacos and even more awesome margaritas served by some very friendly people at

Candelaria
52 rue de Saintonge, 03rd

Merci
111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 03rd

Bonton
5, boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, 03rd

Paris, Encore II

2011-09-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Marché des Enfants Rouge
just off
Rue de Bretagne
3rd

Le Bal Cafe
6 Impasse de la Défense
18th

Paris, Encore

2011-09-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

I am starting to see a pattern here. It seems that when the end of summer draws near I am suddenly filled with panic, and I get a desperate urge to travel somewhere-anywhere a bit warmer than Copenhagen, really- just to prolong the feeling of summer a little bit.

Last year I went to Seville (which was awesome), and this year I went to Paris.
I kind of think I should be getting bored with Paris by now- I've lost count of how many times I've been there, and it seems to get more filled with tourists each time- but no.

Paris is still amazing.

Scott couldn't get time off from work, so I went on my own. And I did exactly the things you should do on a weekend trip to Paris: walking around, shopping, going to flea markets, watching people, and naturellement, eating lots of fantastic food.

And now, bolstered by croissants and espressos, I feel like I can cope with the prospect of the upcoming autumn just a little bit better.

Kooka Boora
62 Rue des Martyrs

Flea market on Avenue Trudaine

Sweden III

2011-09-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

Here's the last of the pictures from our weekend in Sweden. A trip that included going fishing with my dad, long walks in the pouring rain, picking the last flowers and raspberries and the first apples, and overall having a very good time. I'm already looking forward to the next summer in Sweden.

Good weekend to all of you!

Hunting and Gathering: Sweden II

2011-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

More pictures from our latest trip to Sweden.

Turns out that a rainy summer makes for a lot of mushrooms. And when you're as obsessed with collecting chanterelles as I am, that's a very good thing. Venus and I found what must have been several kilos. This might sound like a lot, but the truth is I could happily eat all of them myself.

Chanterelles are pretty amazing on their own, just fried in butter. Or on toast. Or in an omelette. Doesn't really matter, it's all very, very good. And if you're like me, they're best when you don't have to share them with anyone else.

Sweden I

2011-08-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Weekend Pictures # 16

2011-08-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from this past weekend, which was sunny and glorious, and filled with our usual activities such as eating and exploring Copenhagen. Good times.

We looked around second hand shops for a new dining table.

Friday night was date night. The romantic location of the evening was a kebab place in Nørrebro. Low-fi, but lovely.

Scott did a half marathon in the hot Sunday sun. I was glad I didn't sign up for this one, especially after seeing several runners collapse in the heat.

I made ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers for dinner. It was the first time I tried making them, but it will surely not be the last. They were AWESOME.

And there was breakfast. Slow and lazy, with bread hot from the oven. Just the way a good breakfast should be.

A summer evening

2011-08-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

The summer has been quite wet and, well, not that summery here, but there's still been some pretty sweet moments. Like when these pictures where taken: a summer evening on a walk through the neighbourhood.

At least all the rain makes for some decent rainbows.

Wedding Day

2011-08-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Dear sister,

Lots of love for both of you, and your beautiful little family.

❤

Halifax

2011-08-11T22:43:00.000-07:00

These are the last of our Canada photos, taken in Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia.

Halifax is such a sweet city, with its cute old houses, lively waterfront and overall cool and artsy feel. There's also an emerging coffee scene, some very good places to eat, an active biking culture and some very decent shopping.

I could totally live there.

Lost & Found
2383 Agricola St

A very neat little second hand store.

Steve-O-Reno's Cappucino
1536 Brunswick Street

The Smiling Goat
1551 South Park Street, Unit D

Biscuit General Store
1661 Argyle Street

Morris East
5212 Morris Street

Wood oven baked pizzas.

Cafe Aroma Latino
5780 North Street

Authentic and awesome latin american food.

Weekend Pictures # 15

2011-08-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

Some more pictures from this past weekend. After a hectic July with lots of traveling (London, Sweden, Canada) it felt great to have some quiet time around Copenhagen.

We had lots of great food and coffee, did some exploring around Copenhagen and took a lot of photos. The perfect weekend if you ask me.

Picked up my guitar for the first time in a very long time.

My sister is getting married next weekend and I've promised to make macarons for her wedding. I've made several batches as tests, and while some have turned out great, others have failed pretty badly. Like these here. Scott, who has bravely offered to be my guinea pig, doesn't mind at all though.Remember back when all Venus would draw was sloths? Well, looks like she has a new favorite motif. All she draws these days is pictures of a certain adorable fashion blogger.

The perfect weekend breakfast is heart shaped ...

...and preferably served with a healthy dose of caffeine on the side.

I really like downtown Copenhagen in the summer.

The florist behind the Magasin department store is one of my all time favorite spots. I go there to buy flowers nearly every week.

Risteriet

Studiestræde 36

1455 København K

Another favorite spot is Risteriet. It's definitely on my top three of best coffees in Copenhagen.

L'éducation Nationale
Larsbjørnstræde 12
1454 København K

A more recent discovery for us is the French bistro L'éducation Nationale, located right in the middle of downtown Copenhagen. It's been around for nearly two decades but we hadn't been there before this past weekend. It's a great spot though, with good food and great service.

Paté Paté

2011-08-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite done with the pictures from Canada, but to change things up a little I'd like to share some photos from this past weekend.

It's no secret that Scott and I like going for a casual drink at one of the many good wine bars in Copenhagen. Such as this one. Or this. Or maybe this.

Lately though, whenever we feel like having a glass of wine somewhere, it seems inevitable that one of us will suggest going to Paté Paté. And then the other person will happily agree.

Paté Paté is a wonderfully charming spot located in the old meatpacking district in Vesterbro. They do wines (obviously), but also some very good beer and food. The best part though, is their excellent selection of cookbooks and the people watching.

Cape Breton III

2011-08-02T23:21:00.000-07:00

Cape Breton II

2011-08-02T12:14:00.001-07:00

We're back in Denmark now, feeling tired but happy. It is good to be home.

Not least because we've brought back so many memories from a great trip with us. We all had an amazing time in Canada for a number of reasons.

I was joking before we took off that I was going on vacation in sunny Canada, but it turned out to be true enough. Venus and I both have the tan lines to prove it.

And then there where the adventures we went on. Like searching the beaches for neat stuff such as pretty shells, sunbleached driftwood, or best of all, parts of dead crabs. Or venturing out into the vast forests, finding moose tracks and pretty flowers along our way.

It really was the perfect vacation.

Cape Breton I

2011-07-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, it's great to see so many new readers in here. Thanks to the lovely Emily for the nice words about my little blog.

Other than that, we're still in Canada. And it's pretty awesome here. Between the wonderfully sunny weather and the painfully slow internet connection we've had lots of time for all the important holiday activities: slow breakfasts, swimming in the lake, taking lots of photos and looking for treasures on the beach.

Good times.

Oh Canada

2011-07-19T11:45:00.001-07:00

We're currently visiting Scott's parents in Nova Scotia, Canada. And we're having a wonderful time here.

I'll be back with a longer post soon, but we just wanted to share some photos we've taken with Scott's father's old Nikon. I'm really loving the quality of these pictures.

I hope you all are having a lovely summer too.

Summer Days

2011-07-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

I don't really get it. It seems like summer barely arrived and now it's already half over. I was sort of shocked to see that we were already halfway through July, and I wondered what I had spet my time doing. And then I remembered.

There was the trip to my dad's place last weekend. Going foraging for berries and mushrooms in the woods with Venus.

There was some lovely food. The rainbow chard and the strawberries. And the vanilla and bourbon macarons.

There was the early morning trips to Nørrebro's best coffee shop. And the evening coffee and people watching on Værnedamsvej.

The golden summer evenings and picnics in parks.

And then I realized that it's been a pretty great summer so far.

<>

A Weekend in London II

2011-07-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

While our trip to London involved going to a lot of our old well loved hang outs we did do other things as well.

Like going to a gig with one of our favorite bands in Hyde Park.

The best part of the trip though was going to visit one of Scott's friends about an hour south of London. Even though I've been to the UK many, many times now, I haven't set foot outside London more than once before, and I was a bit surprised with just how gorgeous the British countryside is.

A Weekend in London I

2011-07-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we went on a short visit to London. Even though it had been more than a year since we last set foot there it is still a very familiar place to us, and we were both happy to be back.

Pretty much all the places we went were old favorites; Borough Market, Monmouth Coffee, the Providores, Flat White...Since we only had little more than a day there we were ok with not doing any exploring though.

We hadn't planned for it beforehand, but we happened to in town on Canada day (July 1st), which turned out to be a lot of fun. Hundreds of Canadians gathered up in Trafalgar square, and a very happy Scott got to drink beer and play hockey in the afternoon sun.

Good times.

A Farm Visit

2011-06-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

Last week saw the end of the school year for Venus and myself. That means one more year to go for me and ..... at least 12 for her.

We're both happy to be off for summer though, and so Scott and I decided we'd start the holidays with a day trip up north. He and I visited Fuglebjerggaard last year and loved it, but Venus hadn't been, so we really wanted take her there.

A couple of train rides and a bike ride later we arrived. The farm is a bit a out of the way, but I really think it's worth the effort to go there.

The farm has a cafe, a nursery, some pretty spectacular gardens, a shop, and in the summer you can go and pick strawberries and potatoes to take home. We brought a bunch of strawberries home, and they did not disappoint; they were the best strawberries I've had in a long time.

We all had a great time there, even though Venus couldn't care less for pretty gardens, strawberries or the cake we got her at the cafe. There were a number of little kittens on the farm, and that was all that mattered to her.

It was a lovely day and I have a feeling we'll be back again next year.

Month of May

2011-06-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from May, which seems to have come and gone again very quickly.

It was a great month though, filled with fun. Venus ran another (1k) mini marathon. Scott ran the full length adult version (and set an impressive personal record of 3 hours and 25 minutes).

The magnolia tree outside our house bloomed briefly and gorgeously.

We went foraging for ramps.

Scott and I went to an amazing gig with the wonderful (and weird) Sufjan Stevens. It blew us both away.

The days grew a lot longer. And there were some spectacular sunsets.

Venus played in the nearby park. And she picked me lots of flowers ♥.

And lots of baking took place. Sourdough bread and pains au chocolat.

Like I said, it was a great month.

Israel & the Palestinian Territories IV: Tel Aviv

2011-05-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

The last days of our trip were spent in Tel Aviv. We'd been there before too, but we had almost forgotten what a nice place it is.

Tel Aviv seems like one of the most liveable cities I've ever been to. The city is very pretty with its white, sleek architecture and flowers everywhere. The beach is fantastic. Lots of great cafes and restaurants with very good food (and, importantly, coffee).

I guess what I really like is the way Tel Aviv mixes a cool and dynamic atmosphere with a mediterranean laid back-ness.

It was a great place to end our Israel trip.

Israel & the Palestinian Territories III: Eilat & Egypt

2011-05-25T05:30:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason we went to Israel was to get some much needed sun. Once we got there, the forecast didn't look too good though, so we decided to make a roadtrip through the desert to Eilat, a city by the coast in the very south of Israel.

I'll be honest here. Eilat was a completely charmless place. It is filled with nouveau riche Russian tourists, depressing shopping malls, and stall by the waterfront selling overpriced souvenirs while blaring out loud techno music.

But the weather was amazing. And that was all I really wanted.

We spent most of our time there lounging by hotel pools or in a quiet spot on the beach reading books and eating ice cream. It was lovely.

We also went on a one day trip to Egypt. The border is literally walking distance from Eilat, so going there and back in a day is very much doable.

Israel & the Palestinian Territories II: Ramallah

2011-05-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

Israel & the Palestinian Territories I

2011-05-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

It wasn't our first trip to Israel and the Palestinian Territories and it was good if a bit strange to be back. Many of the places we went this time around felt very familiar and other places had changed drastically in the two years that had passed since our last visit.

The first couple of nights we stayed with friends in east Jerusalem. Although neither of us are religious it's hard not to feel fascinated by the history of the city- even though it's very much a modern city it still feels like the daily life there in some ways hasn't changed for the last two thousand years.

We were keen to see more of the West Bank though, as we'd hardly spent any time there on our last trip, so we went to Hebron; the largest city in the West Bank.

Hebron made me feel uneasy. A large number of soldiers are constantly guarding the jewish settlers living in the middle of the city, and even though things were peaceful enough when we were there we could still feel the tension.

Still, people were very friendly. The children we met looked at us warily at first, but once we said hello they would break into huge smiles and start chatting away in the few English phrases they knew: "Hello", "How are you", "What's your name?" without waiting for an answer.
I can't imagine what it must be like growing up in a place like that, but it was good to see how sweet and happy they were in spite of the environment they're living in.

Shoes outside the Ibrahim Mosque.

Weekend pictures # 14

2011-05-08T21:01:00.001-07:00

A few pictures from a fun but busy weekend.

The fun included games of hockey in the nearby park, giant ice cream cones and running a half-marathon in beautifully sunny weather.

Also, we've packed our bags and are ready to take off on a trip to Israel for the next week.
Can't wait to show you pictures from it.

Oh, and we went to Manfreds after the half marathon, but I was feeling ravenous after the run so I wolfed down my food before I remembered to take any pictures of it. You'll just have to take my word for it; it was good.

Manfreds
Jægersborggade 40
2200 København N

Easter in Sweden

2011-05-05T01:36:00.000-07:00

Scott and I went to Sweden to spend the easter holidays at my dad's place.

Warm sunny weather, cute little spring lambs and I got to babysit my gorgeously chubby-cheeked niece- it was lovely.

Berlin II

2011-05-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you so much for all your sweet comments! It really feels great to be blogging again.

Here are some more pictures from our recent Berlin trip. It was miserably cold, but spring had definitely arrived and we had a great time.

My only complaint was the lack of really good coffee. Maybe we just didn't find the good spots, but we were both a bit disappointed with most of the coffee we had there. Bonanza Coffee on Oderberger Strasse came close to hitting the spot though. ( And Oderberger Strasse is worth a visit whether you drink coffee or not, lots of cool cafes and shops there.)

Other highlights of the trip included walks along the Spree, eating ice cream in the sun on Kastanien Allee and a visit to the fleamarket in Mauerpark on Sunday. Good times.

We spotted this mural by the Danish graffitti artist HuskMitNavn. His work can be found around Copenhagen, and apparently in Berlin too.

Bonanza Coffee Heroes
Oderberger Strasse 35

Happy hour at
Krüger Bar
Lychener Strasse 26

Berlin I

2011-05-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last month Scott and I took off on a very brief trip to Berlin. We'd both been there before, but not together, so I was excited to explore one of my favorite European cities with him.

We flew down on a Saturday morning and back Monday morning, and with so little time there we restricted our touring around to the areas Prenzlauerberg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. There was still plenty to see though.

Berlin to me is the perfect mix of rough and pretty, of laid back and dynamic. I could easily imagine living there someday. Or at least make a nother visit in a near future.

Spring - and hello again

2011-05-02T04:38:00.000-07:00

Hi again.

It feels like I've been gone from here for a long time. I'm not sure it really has been that long, but anyways, I've missed the blog. And I've missed you readers. I hope some of you are still around after my hiatus.

You may have noticed that the blog looks slightly different and that it has a new name. I guess I felt like it was time for a little makeover.

Other than that things haven't changed much around here. Since we last spoke we've had some excellent coffees, travelled a bit, gone to some great gigs, discovered some new favorite spots here in Copenhagen and felt thrilled about the arrival of spring.

So yeah, life's pretty good. And I'm looking forward to sharing more pictures of it with you.

Pams lovely mealbox, a cute little take away serving food that is both healthy and tasty. I like.

Smallegade 40
2000 Frederiksberg

Having dinner at Manfreds sits very high on our to do list. We had breakfast there and it was excellent.

Manfreds
Jægersborggade 40
2200 København N

We saw the handsome and extremely talented Owen Pallett play when he visited Copenhagen. I think Scott has a little man crush on him.

Venus had the first ice cream of the season.
She went for strawberry, although I think the pink color was what she really based her choice on.

It feels good to be back.

Time out

2011-03-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy for all of us lately and as you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging as much recently. Between school, work, parenting and enjoying life, there hasn't been enough time to keep up with blogging. I don't like writing a blog half heartedly, so I am choosing to take a break and will come back to it when I have more time.

Thanks for the loyal following and comments!

My Favorite Girl

2011-02-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

...turns six today.

Happy birthday!

Love,

Mom

Weekend pictures # 13

2011-02-26T00:49:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from last weekend. We went iceskating on the ice rink on Blågårds Plads, or rather, Scott went iceskating and Venus and I staggered around on the ice a bit before resigning to just sitting on the edge observing people.

It was still fun though, and now I might just finally believe that Scott was once captain of a hockey team back in Canada.

Also, Scott rediscovered baking. I predict some serious cookie making in the near future.

Drinking port was another pleasant rediscovery. It feels very cultivated and grown up, and it tastes wonderful.

Oh, and finally, we went to my youngest niece's one year birthday party.

It was great; lots of birthday cake and lots of happy children.

I don't know where she gets it from. I'm sure it's not me.

V day

2011-02-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the long abscence folks, but things have been quite busy around here lately.

We did find time, however, to mark off last Monday in the calendar. Even though we had agreed not to do anything special on Valentines Day, we still ended up surprising each other with flowers (for me and Venus) and a card (for Scott).

Because few things say "I love you" like flowers and a nice graph.

Recently

2011-02-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

I love the fact that most of winter has passed and that spring is getting nearer every day. Not that this winter has been that bad; especially the last couple of weeks have been filled with a lot of fun.

The little patient got well again...... and she had her Best Friend come out with us for dinner and sleep over for a night. Good times.

We've always found the concept of staycations a bit silly and pointless. That is, until we had one ourselves. Scott arranged for us to spend a weekend at the King Arthur Hotel in central Copenhagen, and all I can say is that I am now officially converted.

My favorite meal of the day would probably be breakfast, and a good hotel breakfast makes me very happy.

And meat with a side of meat makes Scott happy.

Our staycation also involved dressing up...

...and going out for dinner. We went to Spuntino, a nice little place in Vesterbro serving some seriously good food, which we can very much recommend.

Like I said, good times.

Sick Day

2011-01-31T05:28:00.000-08:00

Venus came down with a flu yesterday, and so today we're staying home.
Now I know it's no fun for her, but to be honest, I kind of like having sick days at home with her.

I get to spend all day in bed watching kids movies (lately she's been really into Hayao Miyazaki's movies; I can highly recommend them, for adults as well), and I have an excuse to bake some treats for the patient.

Like these. I can't give you an exact recipe as I didn't follow one, but they're made roughly with 1 part sugar and 1 part butter to a 2-3 parts flour/oats/cocoa powder mixture, as well as a pinch of salt and baking powder. Oh, and a generous spoonful of hazelnut butter, which gives them a lovely Nutella-like flavour. Mix (but make sure not to overstir it), let cool and roll into walnut sized balls. Flatten the dough balls a bit, and bake at 170 C for about 12 minutes.

They go very well with a glass of milk or a good cup of coffee. Whether you're sick or not.

Weekend Pictures # 12

2011-01-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Some pictures from a near-perfect weekend. A weekend filled with walks in the sunshine, shopping, dining and some excellent coffee. I couldn't ask for more.

I guess I'm not the only one looking forward to spring; even the trees look like they can't wait much longer.

A little refreshment for me...

...and one for Scott.

Blågårdsgade, one of my all time favorite streets in Copenhagen.

The best coffee I've had in months.

♥

Weekend Pictures # 11

2011-01-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Even though the calender says January and it still is winter, the past weekend almost felt like spring. Over the last couple of weeks the vast amounts of snow have melted away, the birds have started to sing, and when the sun comes out these days it sort of feels like it could be March.

Sigh.

I can't wait.

Our bikes needed some fixing after sitting in the snow for so long, so we went to a local bike shop for repairs.

The friendly repairman had a box of candies and he said that Venus could have 'as many as she liked'. She grabbed two and put both in her mouth immediately.

Later we practiced the ancient art of blowing bubbles.

This bike made me smile.

I treated myself to some flowers. It's a small thing, but it feels like it makes a big difference during the wonter months.

It's still too cold to have picnics outside, but picnics on the living room floor are almost just as good. Plus, they can be done wearing your pj's, which makes them even better.

The lakes are one of my favorite things about Copenhagen. Even when they're half frozen.

I wouldn't mind living right here...

...next door to these guys.

I hope you all had a good weekend too.

Date Night

2011-01-17T02:02:00.000-08:00

Tjili Pop
Rantzausgade 28

Between the moving, traveling, the holidays and my being sick it'd been a very long time since Scott and I had been out on a proper date.

Last Friday, we decided to do something about that. It was nothing fancy; just couple of drinks at a local bar, followed by some take out food and a movie in bed.

Sometimes that makes for the perfect date.

Beer for him.

And a girly cocktail for me.

We shared a bowl of pho; it was quite a messy thing to eat in bed, but it was so good it was worth the spills.

I like date nights.

Travel Pics II: Cape Breton & Montreal

2011-01-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

After christmas, we spent a couple of more rainy days with Scottt's parents in Cape Breton before heading out on a roadtrip to Montreal, to visit my brother who lives there.

I still can't seem to really grasp just how vast a country Canada is. Going to Montreal didn't look that bad on a map, and it definitely seemed like something we could do in a day but it still ended up taking a full 16 hours of driving (it would probably have taken less if we hadn't run out of gas in the middle of the highway at one point).

Still, the long drive was worth it. Montreal is such a great city, and it was good to see my brother. Oh, and perhaps most importantly, Montreal offers some seriously good eats.

New Brunswick looked pretty covered in snow.

Montreal was grey and wet.

I'm not sure how it started, but at some point Venus gave Scott the nickname 'old cheese' and somehow it stuck. This grafitti made me sort of happy.

Naturally, we had to get some bagels.
And luckily, Fairmount Bagel was just around the corner from my brother's place.

Heading out to find a good breakfast spot. My brother guided us to La Binerie, which was just perfect.

A good breakfast in Canada obviously involves a lot of maple syrup.

I was sick, so new years was a pretty quiet affair.
It was still fun though.

Last time we were in Montreal we wanted to go to Schwart's, but we gave up as the line outside was simply too long. This time was no different; there must have been a 50 meter line outside.

On new year's day we got lucky though. We walked past Schwart's again and it turned out to be open and completely empty...

...so finally I could have my smoked meat sandwich. With a dainty side of fries. ♥

I'm already looking forward to my next Montreal visit.