The Göta Canal:
Celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2012, Göta Canal is Sweden´s construction accomplishment of the millennium. Built between 1810 and 1832 under the leadership of the famous engineer Baltzar von Platen – employing some 58,000 soldiers as laborers – it’s 190 km long, passing through no less than 58 water locks and reaching a total elevation of 92 meters above sea level. All along the canal you’ll find an abundance of sights and attractions, lush, scenic vistas and many charming towns and villages, all embedded in a unique canal atmosphere.

Left: Canal town, Lyrestad – Right: Charming lock keeper cottages

Panorama view of the Swedish countryside

Left: Still of the original hand cut stones – Right: The locks have room for some fairly large vessels

You can rent boats, canoes and kayaks in many places along the canal. The old labor road along the canal is one of Sweden´s most popular bicycle routes, and there are also many attractive hiking trails along the way.

Us with the rented bikes at Sjötorp
The rental bikes are sturdy and comfortable, with broad wheels that roll smoothly on gravel and grass alike. They are equipped with baskets and a luggage rack on the back so you can have as much or as little as you like with you on your trip.

Canoes & Kayaks

Norrkvärn – a miniature version of the canal:
In the area surrounding the Norrkvärn lock, we see a miniature version of Lyrestad’s church tower within a model of the Göta Canal. The mini canal is a working model of Väster Götland part of the Göta Canal and a popular area for families with children:

Children learn through exploration at the mini canal

The models are made of solid building materials so the children (all ages LoL) can play in the water, sail boats down the canal and learn through experiencing it firsthand. The mini canal includes locks, a waterfall and buildings from the local area and invites to play and experimentation. Oh and by the way, this is all free – there is no admission to enter the Norrkvärn Park.

They can follow the route or sail their boats through the locks.

MS Bellevue of Mariestad:
Many tourists negotiate the canal in their own vessels, but there are also tours with classic canal ships available, offering cozy scenic cruises with fine onboard accommodations and restaurants. Of course you can also choose shorter cruises between the many historically and culturally interesting sites along the shores. My wife DianeCA shot a film with her Nokia of one of them: Bellevue of Mariestad. Including some of the photos, I made a movie out of it – enjoy:

So if you want to see the idyllic heartland of Sweden from a unique perspective, a voyage on Göta Canal is highly recommended! You can easily understand how this part of Sweden has a special place in the heart of this Norwegian. Although we have been coming here for over 10 years there is always something to experience anew. If you need more info or booking, Mariestad Tourist Office gives excellent service!

Mariestad:
Mariestad lives up to its nick name as “Pearl of Lake Vänern“. It’s the most evocative stopover among the lake towns, known both for its architecture and as a center for exploring the district. It’s famous for the many well-preserved old structures in Gamla Stan (or Old Town), including one building from the 17th century, all of which have survived despite several widespread town fires. The town founded in 1583 lies on the eastern shore of Lake Vänern, taking its name from Maria von Pfaltz, the first wife of Duke Karl (later Karl IX). He also build the dome church, an icon and landmark, easy to spot on our boat trip:

Sjötorp and Göta Canal:
About 10 miles north of Mariestad, at the Göta exit, we arrive at the village Sjötorp. This is the end (or beginning) of the Göta Canal, and the gateway to Lake Vänern:

There are small charming shops by the locks, and a canal museum featuring tools used to dig the canal in the 1800s, a large collection of outboard motors, but probably the most interesting is a collection of items retrieved from the canal (including an old model mobile phone).

Shops with ice cream, refreshments, smoked seafood and handcrafts.

The Göta Canal is one of the most remarkable waterways in the world and historically an important communication links between the inland industrial Sweden and the rest of the world. It’s 190 km long, dug out by hand between 1810 and 1832 by some 58 000 soldiers removing 300 000 cubic meters of rock and earth in order to create the three-meter deep and 14-metre wide canal. The construction foreman and certainly the one who promoted the project most strongly was Baltzar von Platen.
Today it is little used for trade but more and more by tourists who are using the canal. Since you can enter from both Stockholm and Göteborg (connection from the Atlantic ocean), they represent all kinds of nationalities:

Left: Dutch. German, Danish and Swedish – Right: Even Russian

Boats in a lock

A trip like this on M/S Marianne gives our guests a view of our summer paradise in a nutshell. One experiences the city and the country, the lake and canal, not to mention the culture and the history of the Mariestad area. It has the additional bonus of being a recreational day with a 2 hour trip on the water and a chance to explore the local area.

Local cuisine and seafood delight in a charming city:
We stayed in St. Julian’s at The Westin Dragonara Resort and the hotel, the view, the beach next to it as well as the city, were quite exotic to us Norwegians. Here are some panoramic photos taken with my Nokia N8 to set the scene:

The Hotel & The view

The beach

The old fishing village of St. Julian’s immediately north of Sliema, made up of the districts of Paceville and St George’s Bay, has made great efforts in recent years to develop its tourist facilities, and now competes with Sliema as a holiday center. It has long sandy beaches, first-class hotels and several night-clubs. The modern parts of the town form an attractive contrast to the picturesque old fishermen’s quarter. Some more photo examples:

To me, food and drinks is an important part of a country’s culture and traditions. That’s why I always go for restaurants with local food on the menu, and sharing it with my wife makes even more adventures and even romantic ; -). Let’s start with lunch at day two were the food was actually quite general, meat pie for my wife and of course seafood salad for me, but the drink however, was their local beer; “Cisk”

Even more local – and romantic – was our supper in the middle of the city with Maltese’s food on the menu – two courses: Seafood & Rabbit!

Romantic with a local charm. Left: the restaurant outside – Right: inside

Left: Fresh local calamari – Right: Traditional Maltese rabbit in sweet sauce with Mediterranean vegetables

A gourmet adventure at Lulu Restaurant
Since our three days in Malta was a business trip: A Council Meeting for CEPIS (The Council of European Professional Informatics Societies), the local computer society invited all delegates and their SO for dinner. You’ve seen our food experiences so far – all with a local touch and to our satisfaction – however, the dinner at Lulu Restaurant was the top of the cream. Not because of the interior (although it was modern, fascinating and I liked the view from our table of their vine cellar behind a glass wall)

Left: entrance terrace – Right: view through the window from the terrace

and actually not because of the food either (although it tasted delicious!), but because of the atmosphere created by the staff and especially the owners; Nicky & Caroline Pillow. With their social awareness, how they made sure each and every guest was noticed and important to them and at the same time their attitude and service was far from intrusive, but heart-fully meant to make you feel good, relaxed and happy. More than 30 CEPIS delegates from all over Europe had a jolly good meal and when shaking our hands goodbye, saying we hope to see you soon again: that was a mutual feeling!
Of course I have not forgotten the food – Bon Appétit:

Left: Home – cured salmon with a citrus relish; wholegrain mustard vinaigrette and petit salad.
Right: Prime cut of beef fillet served with a Barolo wine jus, potatoes and seasonal vegetables.
Wine: La Valette – Blanc or Rouge.

Chocolate fondant with fresh cream and strawberries

So as you can see this was exactly the kind of trip we enjoy. We had the opportunity to explore the rich and ancient culture in Mdina (click to read my post!), meet the friendly local people, and enjoy wonderful culinary adventures together with my wife, and with friends from around the world. I hope you enjoyed our little view of Malta. Make sure you check out, to see for yourself, mine and others reviews on TripAdvisor!

On a business trip to Mata, bringing my dear wife along, we had a guided tour in this historical place and we gladly take you along to this medieval walled city located on a hill lying on the South Western coast of Malta. Let’s start with the breathtaking view from the wall inside and panoramic photo of the Maltese countryside, taken with my Nokia N8, a view towards part of the town of Rabat:

Then we turn around and concentrate on The Walled City, and announcing: the location on the top of a hill captivates tourists to Mdina’s mesmerizing beauty, while the medieval era culture and atmosphere takes you back in time away from all modernism and mechanism:

The medieval age alleys and narrow streets running down add to the dramatic touch of Mdina. These were intentionally narrow so that in the event of an attack they were difficult to negotiate on horseback giving the locals time to hide. Today these narrow alles and limestone walls reflects the true Maltese charm and tradition with minimum impact from the Knights:

The city is well maintained and kept clean by the locals:

The locals getting ready for the Good Friday procession. This is a typical band which leads the procession with the local icons on display and carried through the town.

Museum of Natural History:
By the Vilhena Palace, St Publius Square, you’ll find the large baroque Magisterial Palace. It was built by Grand Master Vilhena in 1724 and converted into a hospital during the British rule. This houses the natural history museum which holds exhibits on Malta’s geological formation over 10,000 rocks and minerals, a vast collection of Maltese flora and fauna, as well as local and exotic shells and insects. Our guide told us there is also a reference library on natural sciences for enthusiasts, but we only had the time to admire the beauty from the outside:

St. Paul’s Cathedral:
Ancient Baroque architecture is the main attraction of this place. St. Paul’s Cathedral designed by the architect Lorenzo Gafa leads them all. It displays minute detailing by the master designer. The dome, the bell towers and other structures are very lovely designed:

The interior of the cathedral features Irish wood carvings and lavish tessellated floorings. The cathedral is a house of precious paintings, sculptors and baptistery. This is a must visit stunning example of Baroque art and architecture.

Today Mdina is a major tourist attraction recognized internationally as an important UNESCO heritage site. We were certainly charmed by the well maintained medieval feel of these historical – yet still living – grounds. Even more; the whole Malta took us by storm, so there is a lot more to tell about our adventures on theses exotic islands – stay tuned for more local culture and romance !! ; -)

The interior design has been finished to the smallest detail. The dining room is divided into three separate areas, the Bridge, the Shark’s Hall and the Eastern Corner, seating in total up to 72 guests. To evoke the atmosphere of the seven seas there is a pool of turtles and exotic fish and a beautifully crafted fish tank containing three small sharks in the dining room:

As you see from my photos, the interior is inspired by pirate ships and is tastefully and carefully crafted, with every element, from the furniture to the cutlery and glasses, having been custom-made by hand. Let me give you a couple more examples:

The Cocktail: “Bloody Frogs Eye” – Interesting ash trays in the smoking room

True feast for all senses!
Korsaar offers an a la carte menu, an excellent selection of wines and highly professional service. This was the way they made our aperitif “Elixir Bloody Frog Eye” (in the pic above) in front of our table: No frogs were harmed in this process!!

Their international food is fantastic, with leanings on the creoles and seafood side of the port bow. Even more, said before: it’s a restaurant of chefs who accepts the orders from the clients personally and we had an interesting discussion with him; the awarded Mr. Jaak Hiibus, to decide our dinner. When telling him we were from Norway and that I had caught King Crabs in the Barents Sea, this became our menu:

Left, starter: King Crab salad – Right, main course: Grilled Patagonian toothfish steak with mango béarnaise

No, I have not forgotten the dessert, but take this opportunity to example the personal and professional service. You see, I like coffee to go with dessert and we got Turkish coffee – the Korsaar way: Fresh milled coffee corns that are pieced up from ferocious plantations of Cuba are turned into a great hearted aromatic drink. First they boil it on hot sand twice and the process ended at our table boiled one last time before our eyes:

Left: one of our Waitresses serving coffee – Right: dessert: Dark chocolate fondant.

Social Media recommendation:
My regular readers know I am above average active in Social Media and this trip to Tallinn in Estonia was of course announced at my TripIt account and fed to my Facebook wall. The post was commented by a friend of mine Robert Henry T from UK, saying: “I got back from Tallinn on Monday. Incredible place (although freezing!). Check out the German Beer hall just off the main square and definitely eat there”. We did and had a jolly good time:

The charming waiters at The Beer House – Dinner: Duck Confit
When I told the Manager the reason why we paid them a visit, she insisted that we came with her for a guided tour downstairs: The Korsaar Restaurant, and we ordered a table for the next day – from where you now know the whole story : -)
We found both restaurants very nice, and the staff was professional, friendly and last but not least, fun. The next time you are in Tallinn we recommend you check these two restaurants out!

Invited by Baltic Computer Systems and the Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications to give a presentation on EUCIP for Competence and Career planning, my wife and I have been here for some days, combining business with pleasure. As we love to learn about others history, culture and traditions, Tallinn has truly won our hearts in several ways. Although it is a bustling town of 400,000 it keeps its heart alive in the old town section, here are some examples:

The charming old town:
Estonia considers itself a Northern European/Scandinavian country, with very close ties to Finland (ethnic, linguistic, and cultural), and visiting Tallinn you will find a mix of at least three architectures in this very visual city – old Europe (the city walls and rustic buildings), Soviet brutalism (crumbling apartment blocks), and modern Europe (click pics to bigify & enjoy):

Tallinn retains an inner charm seldom found anywhere else

The Town Hall Square:
Raekoja plats , has been the centre of this city’s life since markets began here probably in the 11th century.

It’s dominated by the only surviving Gothic town hall in northern Europe, and faced by pretty, pastel buildings from the 15th to the 17th centuries:

The Medieval Hanseatic Period:
By the mid-14th century, when the Danes sold Northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order, Tallinn was a major Hanseatic town with about 4000 people. A conflict of interest with the knights and bishop on Toompea led the mainly German artisans and merchants in the Lower Town to build a fortified wall to separate themselves from Toompea. However, Tallinn still prospered and became one of northern Europe’s biggest towns.

We found the Hanseatic period history and architecture especially interesting as Bergen in Norway is also a Hansa town. The Hanseatic league was a primarily German trade organisation in the middle ages. They used a network of shipping towns to exchange goods between the different countries with different resources.

Hansa’s major trade item in the trade with Norway was dried cod fish which could easily be shipped in barrels and ended for example in Portugal where they made their national dish of it; Baccalao. The Hanseatic League was an economical superpower in medieval Northern Europe and had a great influence in the development of their trading port towns. The Hanseatic League also traded in towns along the Baltic, for example Tallinn, and left a German influence on the town’s history.
We were fascinated by the architecture in the old town. Hansa warft in Bergen (click to read my post about it) is lined with historical houses which look just like the colourful old houses found in the Old Tallinn center. They truly look like sister cities.

The German name, Reval, coexisted with the local name until 1918:
In 1219, the city was conquered by Valdemar II of Denmark, but it was soon sold to the Hanseatic League in 1285. The city, known as Reval at the time, prospered as a trading town in the 14th century, and much of Tallinn’s historic center was built at this time. Talking about that, as a coincidence: we had our lunch one day at Reval Café:

The changing governments and occupation of Germany and then Russia has left its imprint on the Estonian people, making them fiercely independent today and proud of their national heritage. We have had an interesting visit to Tallinn and met many nice helpful people. They are friendly people who are happy to share their history and national pride with us. Stay tuned for more highlights from this special tour.

A noble town surrounded by many estates and pleasant woods – an unusual geography, nestled in a stretch of hills surrounded on all sides by plain, estuary or ocean it has a subsequent climate, perhaps more typical of Northern Europe, so in that sense my wife and I felt it a bit like home:

Even more; I do understand that this verdant paradise where ornate palaces lie hidden behind tall trees and walled gardens, abounds with history and attracted romantics and fixed settlers – particularly from the Roman Period.

There are three National Palaces in Sintra:
Palácio da Vila. alias “Chão da Oliva” or the Paço da Vila de Sintra:

This is a small part from the backside and entrance to the town’s square of this Palace which after the Reconquest from the Romans, passed into the possession of the Crown and was considerably enlarged, not only in the reign of Dom Dinis – who in 1281 laid down that the conservation of the Palace should be entrusted to the enfranchised Moors of Colares -but especially in the reigns of Dom João I (1385-1433) and Dom Manuel (1495-1521).

The second; Palácio da Pena (sorry no pics), is an extravagant yet relatively modern building, erected in the 19th century in accordance with the whims and romantic fantasies of Ferdinand de Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the German husband of the then Queen Maria II. The third is Palácio de Queluz; Begun in 1747 by the Infante Dom Pedro (later to become Dom Pedro III) on the basis of a former country mansion of the Marquises of Castelo Rodrigo, Queluz Palace (classified as a National Monument) at that time began to be adapted for use as a summer seat of the Royal Family.

Also high in the hills, the remains of the Moorish Castle date from the 8th century and marvellous views are attained by walking along the top of its walls:

Constructed by the Moors in the 8th or 9th Century A.D., this castle is situated on two peaks of the Serra de Sintra, and from its walls there are magnificent views.

Surrounded by walls and several towers, it underwent various repairs, particularly in the Romantic period (about 1860), when King Consort Fernando of Saxe Coburg-Gotha restored it, afforested the surrounding areas and gave the ancient ruins new dignity.

Cabo da Roca:
“Where the land ends and the sea begin” (quota: 16th century Portuguese poet Luís de Camões); this westernmost point on the continent of Europe was known to the Romans as Promontorium Magnum and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon. Coordinates: 38” 47′ North and 9” 30′ West – 140 m above sea level:

Once home to a variety of plant life, Cabo da Roca has been overrun with the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis. This creeping, mat-forming succulent species – a member of the Stone Plant family Aizoaceae – was introduced as ground cover by local residents several decades ago, but now covers much of the arable land on Cabo da Roca:

A whole day trip:
Like I said in the beginning, these are only a few of the highlights from our adventurous trip outside of Lisbon. It’s impossible to cover it all in one post – but mind you; it’s well kept in our mind along with the experience of sharing a whole day; another experience of a life time, with our hosts and precious friends, Helena and Luis. Let me just end with a couple more photo examples:

One of their favourite beach with Cabo da Roca far behind.

Local Sintra pastries at the café to the right – late afternoon before we left

Lucky we, having local friends who would show us some of these traditional, historical and cultural pearls, a bit out of Lisbon too. I hope you’ve got a clue and enjoyed my résumé!

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!

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.

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!