posted on 4th February 2011 under Food, Habits, Nature, Sports, Winter
With Norway’s abundance of freshwater lakes, salt water fjords and a magnificent coastline it’s not surprising that fishing is very popular. These Vikings, with fishing in their blood, are guaranteed to find something to suit their taste – believe me: Everyone can enjoy a fishing holiday in Norway whether a novice or expert. Coarse fishing, game fishing, deep sea fishing; whatever your favoured sport then Norway can oblige in the most spectacular way possible! With a coastline the length of Norway, it’s no wonder that the Norwegians are known for their love of fish – my regular readers know that defiantly includes me ; -)
You also know my saying; there is no such as bad weather, only bad clothes – meaning; winter, snow and ice is no reason to sit indoors! Once the ice has set, Norwegian ice fishing enthusiasts hit the ice (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
At Eidanger Fjord, 2 hours drive south of Oslo along the Oslo Fjord.
Last weekend, while attending our yearly family Rakfisk feast, we had fabulous sunny winter weather. On Sunday afternoon, after stuffing ourselves with “fermented fish” delicacies, and drinking a bit of Aquavit my sister suggested a walk on the fjord to freshen us up a bit. A great way to get some sunshine, experience the beautiful nature and recover from a late night of overindulgence. Since I always have my Nokia mobile handy to shoot some photos, I hope you’ll enjoy coming along for a taste of ice fishing:
Sunny weather, crisp fresh air and beautiful scenery: that’s what I call recreational!
If you are patient and dressed warmly, a day of ice fishing can be an experience in a class of its own. Nature, tranquillity and the excitement of not knowing what you will catch are important elements. When passing some of these ice fishing enthusiasts, we stopped and chatted with them about the days catch and they were nice enough to pose for us to share in Blogsphere and more than willing to let us in on some of their “secrets”:
Temp of -10C (14F) is no problem if you dress correctly!
This type of fishing, is of course carried out close to the shore, and normally brings a variety of species. Most of them used mackerel as bait and normal catches were Cod, Herring, Haddock, Coalfish, Ling, Pollock and sometimes more Mackerel. Here are some examples:
Left: Pollock – Right: Cod and Blue whiting
If you have not become clear over this from the catches, this is of course frozen ocean water. The fjords are long fingers from the sea which reach into the country and bring us salt water delicacies to fish and enjoy. These same fjords are used for sailing and fishing in the summer and have lovely beaches along the edges. We were standing on 90 meters deep, just so you know, but as the ice was 30 – 60 centimetres frozen solid and more than enough to hold us all, plus skaters, skiers, dog walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts.
Above you see some of the detail of the frozen ice crystals forming on the snow. The beauty is fascinating up close, and at a distance. Another experience you can only have in a land with all four seasons!
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posted on 4th December 2010 under Culture, Food, Travel Abroad
Fado music is the heart of the Portuguese soul and maybe the world’s oldest urban folk music. Some say it started at sea as the sad, melodic songs coaxed from the rolling waves by homesick sailors and fishermen or maybe by the poor on the streets of Lisbon. Whatever its origins the themes have remained constant: destiny, betrayal in love, death and despair. Now it is a fixture in the everyday life of Lisbon’s working class and played for pleasure but also to relieve the pain of life.
There are fado houses and so called “revistas”, a popular genre of “vaudeville” in Lisbon and since we had our local friends, Helena and Luis as hosts and guides when visiting the city, we had our Fado evening at one of the best; Café Luso in Bairro Alto:
The traditional accompaniment for the singers is a Portuguese guitar = guitarra, a 12-stringed instrument (left in the pic below), and a bass guitar (right), or viola. Sometimes a second acoustic guitar (middle) is added like when we had this fantastic music adventure this evening:
The essential element of Fado music is saudade, a Portuguese word that translates roughly as longing, or nostalgia for unrealized dreams that speaks of an undefined yearning that can’t be satisfied. Like other forms of folk music such as American blues, Argentine tango or Greek rebetika, it’s hard to explain – it must be felt and experienced – and the performers must have the soul to transmit that feeling. That’s why my wife DianeCA and I are so thankful for having local friends to take us a place like this – I hope my explanation and these pics give you an idea:
Fado can be performed by men or women, although many aficionados prefer the raw emotion of the female Fadista. Dressed in black with a shawl draped over her shoulders, a Fadista stands in front of the musicians and communicates through gesture and facial expressions (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
Café Luso gives gourmet adventures too:
Even if this special traditional music adventure was the main objective, Café Luso had excellent food and wine. I believe my regular readers would feel something was missing if I didn’t share the meal – so here we go:
Main course: “Wild Magret” (magret of duck in a sauce of orannge and wild berries on a celery bed with wasabi and sauté leeks)
Dessert: Puff-Pastry of “Sericaia” with Plum Jelly of Elvas – DOP – and Syrup of Lime and Lemon
This evening was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Romantic, inspiring, and delicious to all the senses, we are especially grateful for sharing it with good friends who know the music and the culture. Discussing the singers and how they were different from each other, and what each ones special style was added to the experience and helped us to learn a lot. We were so inspired we even bought a CD from one of the singers so we can relive the memories. Hope you are enjoying our trip to Lisbon. If you have experienced Fado or something similar I hope you will share with us in a comment!
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posted on 1st December 2010 under Food, Travel Abroad
Built on the foundations of the 13th century monastery church: Convento dos Frades Tinos (destroyed by the 1755 earthquake), Cervejaria Trindade is a combination German beer hall, Portuguese tavern and restaurant. In operation since 1836, it’s the oldest in Lisbon and owned by the brewers of Sagres beer. It is surrounded by beautifully tiled walls: this mosaic is typical for Portugal – with scenes of themes from natures four elements on one side and the four seasons on the other (click pick to bigify & enjoy):
It was in this beautiful and historical establishment we had the first dinner on our trip to Lisbon. The trip was an eye-opener and a journey through Portugal’s culture and history, well conducted by Helena and Louise, a couple from Oslo Blog Gathering 2010 who became friends for life. I’ll get back to that, but let’s first take a closer look at Cervejaria Trindade – at this time of the year of course elegantly decorated for Christmas:
These scenes and ornamental tiles are made of wonderful glazed tile-panels or azulejos, dated from 1863 and signed by Luís Ferreira. Also quite famous are the walls decorated with small stone mosaics inspired in the fantastic calçada Portuguesa (Portuguese pavement), signed by the renowned artist Maria Keil (with works in some of the subway stations in Lisbon).
Located downtown, close to several attractions, Trindade boasts a spacious bar and a restaurant where the decor complements the food. Many Portuguese diners prefer the bife na frigideira (steak with mustard sauce and a fried egg, served in a clay frying pan), but the tavern also features excellent seafood and Helena helped us select the very best 3 course dinner. I let you join us in trust of that photos says more than a thousand words:
Left: The Seafood display – Right: Traditional Portuguese potato and vegetable soup
Main course: selections from the sea
Dessert: Portuguese cream, almond and egg pudding topped with cinnamon.
Excellent hosts they showed us every detail of the area and even followed us back to the hotel which is located in an old section of town known as Chiado. We also greeted the famous poet Fernando Pessoa in front of A Brasileira, even if he wasn’t that talkative late at night:
Luis and I greeting Fernando Pessoa
This was a five day trip with many highlights so stay tuned for more adventures in the Portuguese capital with our local host Lelé Batita and Luis.
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posted on 17th November 2010 under Food, History, Travel Abroad
Located by Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom – Northern Europe’s largest Gothic church), Alter Wartesaal or The Old Waiting Room is part of the railway station (Hauptbahnhofs) and looks back on to impressive history. His majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II and wife used to take tea or champagne in the former waiting room for first-class passengers at Cologne’s main train station. I was there some weeks ago (I’ll explain why later) and gladly share it with you – including pics taken with my Nokia x6 (at night with difficult lightening!). Let’s start with the front of the Duomo and at its foot; the entrance of the waiting room (click pics to bigify & enjoy!):
The restaurant was first opened in 1915 and remained a popular attraction up to the end of the golden twenties. It sustained little damage during World War II but gradually lost importance as a meeting point for high society. In the early 1980s private investors restored the restaurant, which had fallen into disrepair, to its former condition as an architectural jewel with elegant cherry panelling and art deco chairs and light fixtures:
Re-opened as a club, restaurant and concert venue, it now provides better ways to spend your time than waiting for a train. With its impressive architecture and cosmopolitan atmosphere, it features remarkable rooms and offers lots of space for larger events:
I was there one evening while participating at the ECDL’s Forum 2010 in Bonn where we had a gastronomic adventure including the Award Ceremony. You see, rounding out the many sections of the terrace of the old waiting room, you can dine with excellent views of the imposing cathedral:
As has been a habit from my business trips like this, of course I’ll share the delicious dinner with you – from the starter to the sweet and artistic dessert:
White Wine: Heger Sonett Grauburgunder & Starter: Salmon pate
Left: Carrot ginger soup – Right: Main course: Fried brook trout with chanterelles and thyme foam
Dessert: Chocolate Walnut torte with fresh berries
ECDL Forum 2010 Awards:
ECDL (European Computer Driving License) enable proficient use of ICT that empowers individuals, organisations and society through their end user certification programmes. Known as ICDL (International CDL) outside of Europe, with more than 10 million candidates participating it has set the global benchmark in end-user skills certification. Every year, representatives of Computer Associations (exclusive country licensees) from all over meet up at the Forum meeting – this year in Bonn.
Typical for meetings like this is a dinner party with presentation of various annual awards. You know it’s always nice to celebrate and recognise outstanding efforts of participants and associates: best licensee, best promoter, best newcomer and innovator etc. I was lucky to sit at the table with representatives of one of the winners: The Irish Computer Society (ICS) and was allowed to take part in the extra attention that was given to the table after dinner. Let me give you a clue:
ICS’s 2010 ECDL Best Practice Trophy calls for champagne!
Alter Wartesaal Dance- & House- Party:
Dinner like ours is one example, but at the historically-preserved complex of the Cologne train station the premises are perfect for more events like: evening concerts, fashion shows, TV productions, cabarets, comedy nights, and product launches etc. Because the location which in 1983 was opened by the famous talk-show host and TV chef Alfred Biolek is outstanding: the magnificent restaurant with up to 4.80 m high, stuccoed ceilings and the original Art Nouveau hall from the year 1915, the variety of events leave no stone unturned. While at the wardrobe I saw a couple of posters which gives an example of some performances and I could not resist capturing them with my Nokia mobile phone:
1998: Jennie Lee – 2001: DJ Da Trooth
Hope this whets your appetite for more travel posts because there will be some of them in the near future. Today my wife and I will be travelling to Brussels, and we hope to be travelling to Portugal the week after that. Keep your fingers crossed for us because there is a general strike planned for the day we are to travel!!! I hope we make it to Portugal in the end because we are really looking forward to it!
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posted on 6th November 2010 under Culture, Food, Habits, Tradition
Engebret café is the oldest in Oslo dating from 1857 and with former patrons like Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Grieg, and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson from Norway. It sits directly north of Akershus Castle Fortress in two buildings that have been joined together to form this establishment. Located beside the old Christiania Theatre it was therefore a popular destination for writers and artists. This year it was where my wife DianeCA took me for a Birthday surprise date and we gladly take you along (of course I had my Cannon G11 and Nokia X6 at hand to capture this adventure) – so let’s start with the facade which has been preserved as an architectural landmark (click pics to bigify & enjoy):
The ambiance here is wonderful as the restaurant has retained its 19th century interior with an old-fashioned atmosphere and excellent food, served in a former bohemian literati haunt. Here is a peek from my birthday date: the entrée and our table:
Traditional Norwegian seafood and game dishes:
During lunch, a tempting selection of open-faced sandwiches is available. The elaborate dinner menu features special and traditional Norwegian seafood as well as game dishes. Since its now late autumn (after the hunting season) and closer to Christmas, some very special Norwegian cuisine is available – as I have described in previous posts: Ribbe, Reindeer, Pinnekjøtt, Salmon, Lutefisk, Rakfisk etc., but even more at Engebret – and here we are at the crucial point – the reason my beloved wife invited me here: To let me try (out of many different cuisine from around the world I’ve already tried) a really special Norwegian one. I’ll get back to that in a minute as I’d like to share our dinner step by step – first the table setting:
Left: Fancy menu and silver – Right: Condiments (mustard, bacon bits, honey, flatbread and lefse)
The appetizer – Rakfisk:
Made from trout or sometimes char, it’s salted and fermented for two to three months, then eaten without cooking. The first record of the term “rakfisk” dates back to 1348, but the history of this food is probably even older. Traditionally it’s served sliced or as a fillet on flatbread or lefse with almond potatoes. Some also use raw onion, sour cream, mustard-sauce, a mild form of mustard with dill. This is food where Norwegians often drinks aquavit & beer and Engebret café served it this way:
Two pieces of fish, flatbread, lefse, onion and creme freche.
My birthday surprise – Smalahove (Lamb head):
Made from a sheep’s head, the skin and fleece of the head is burned off over an open flame and the brain removed. The head is then salted, sometimes smoked, and dried. To prepare it for the dinner it is then boiled for about 3 hours and served with mashed rutabaga and potatoes. It is considered by some to be unappealing or even repulsive, so it’s mostly enjoyed by enthusiasts or served to tourists and braver visitors. My regular readers know I belong to the first category:
Left: Smalahove dish – Right: Birthday boy digging in
As soon as you overcome the grotesque look – either by chemical displacement (aquavit and beer is a natural choice) or by sheer will – the meat is very tender and tastes really good. Part of the reason why Norwegians eat it, is our tradition of using all of the resources from the animal. The head is usually a leftover product, but in old ages when there was lack of food it was necessary not to waste anything. Today the head is an expensive delicacy. So without bragging too much of Norwegian food, I would say it’s a world class exotic delicacy – or at least exotic.
Dessert – A soft & sweet landing: Caramel Pudding:
After the taste of smoked and salted meat, another traditional Christmas dessert is recommended – especially the one from Engebret: Caramel pudding:
I prefer coffee & cognac with it and since it was my day, I had Rémy Martin XO Spécial!
So this was my beloved Wife Diane’s surprise date for my birthday this year. To me it made one of my food dreams come true and it exceeded my expectations – my very first smalahove and I can tell you: it won’t be the last one! Thanks also to Engebret café and their staff for excellent service – go visit their web page for more information!
Let me take this opportunity to thank everyone for the many birthday greetings I have received on my Facebook wall and in Blogsphere; Especially TorAa and Comedy Plus who even posted greetings on their blogs. The Christmas season is starting soon, and we will be travelling a bit in the next few weeks as well. So those who enjoy my travels and food posts will likely have something to look forward to
:-)
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