Fading Irish Eyes Smile

I'm a bit late in posting about our trip to Dublin. And, so close to our Easter trip to Valencia. Absorbing two vastly different cultures in the space of a month. Yes, living in Europe does have its advantages.

Snow was falling when we left Göteborg. So much so that they had to de-ice the plane before take-off. We arrived in Dublin late Thursday afternoon to mostly sunny skies. It was the weekend before St. Paddy's Day. We were staying in the Temple Bar area, the heart of Dublin nightlife. For more photos of our trip to Dublin, click here.

All signs pointed to the festivities taking place the next week. Lots of shops sold celebratory paraphernalia. TJ eyed the hats and tried a few on. On Saturday, he finally broke down and bought one. Surely this hat is worth the 2.95 euros he spent, don't you think? Note: The images below link to my Picasa photo album with all trip photos.


There are bars and restaurants galore in Temple Bar. Some more festive than others. We did not drink in this puce green bar. Instead we opted for the elegant, red Temple Bar Pub down the road. But, regardless of the bar, you were guaranteed to find live singers and a livelier crowd. The crowds really picked up Friday and Saturday nights. There were a surprising number of Americans running about. A few we spoke with had found amazingly cheap flights to Dublin. So, why not hop on a plane and party in Dublin and tour the Irish countryside? Recession be damned!

We took a sightseeing bus around the city. Personally, I think these Hop-on Hop-off buses are the best way to get around in most cities. Not that I have anything against walking. We did a lot of that as well. We walked around the quiet, manicured lawns of Trinity College. And along the pedestrian shopping mecca of Grafton Street...where elbows push you 'round and buskers sing by candlelight (name that song). Viewed the state apartments in Dublin Castle. Passed through the dank recesses of Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison. And savored the view from the top of the Guinness Storehouse where we enjoyed a free pint.

I was skeptical at first about going to the museum. Neither TJ or I are big fans of Guinness beer. But, the 7-story building is absolutely beautiful. And, the exhibits were very well done. Now, I can see why it is one of the top visitor attractions in Ireland. And, well, there was that free pint of Guinness. Which turned out to be quite tasty.

Overall, the food and drink were pretty damn good in Dublin. Lots of character and taste. And sometimes, unintended humor. We passed by this bar while touring around the city. Wish we had been able to have drink here. I'm sure I would have felt right at home.

Opera Diva Wins Melodifestivalen

The winner of the 2009 Melodifestivalen has been selected to represent Sweden in the Eurovision contest. It's opera singer, Malena Ernman, who sings La Voix in both English and French to a throbbing disco beat. It should have strong multi-national, multi-generational appeal. How can it lose? I mean, this is the 35th anniversary of ABBA winning the Eurovision contest. Well, that satirical musical number presented at the finals in Stockholm might not go over well with this year's Eurovision host country, Russia. More on that later.

Melodifestivalen is bigger than ever. Here's an introduction to this year's event. There were four regional contests held around the country to select the semi-finalists for the finals in Stockholm. In additional, there was a second chance contest (andra chansen in Swedish) to select from those artists that did not make it through the semi-finals. The first regional show was right here in Göteborg. The event was televised live. According to reports, 3 million people watched that show. For perspective, Sweden only has a population of 9 million. In the United States, 100 million people would have to American Idol to achieve the same ratings success.

My take on the artists and songs in this year's contest can be described in one word: flat. There were some very lackluster performances and forgettable songs. Now, I like Alcazar, but their song, Stay the Night, was as limp as a semla sitting in milk. At least compared to this little ditty, which I love. And, Måns Zelmerlöw's Hope & Glory didn't have any. Måns was a favorite going in to the contest. Maybe next year. I still think he is the Enrique Iglesias of Sweden. E.M.D. with Baby Goodbye was pretty good but the song title was self-fulfilling. And Agnes, who I like, didn't deliver enough Love Love Love. Still, most had the requisite sing-along-pop and dance sensibility. Which is what Melodifestivalen is all about. The winner, Malena, wasn't expected to do well, but the public voted for her in big numbers.

Now, on to the controversy. At the finals, there was a parady skit and dance number that mocked Russia and its national anthem. The dance number had Matryoshka dolls and Cossacks and dancing bears. Oh my. Lots of Russian stereotypes. Offensive, maybe. But, funny as well. Oh, those nutty Swedes. Enjoy.




And, one final treat. In honor of ABBA's win at Eurovision 35 year's ago, here is a video of them singing Waterloo in Swedish at Melodifestivalen that same year.

Shopping Cart Rentals

Pay a deposit to obtain a shopping cart. Get the deposit back when you return the cart. This sounds like a strange concept to some of you. But, the system is common throughout Europe. And it works quite well. Of particular interest to Americans, you see few, if any, shopping carts that have strayed far from their respective store parking lots. As a former grocery store employee (more than 25 years ago), I can attest to the straying nature of shopping carts. They just like to roam.

So, the system is quite simple. There are two slots for coins; one each for a 5 kronor or a 10 kronor coin. Depending on the exchange rate, that works out to something over $0.50 to less than $1.75 for your shopping excursion. So, in most cases, you really do want that coin back. Insert the coin into the slot and the chain connecting your cart to the one behind it is released. Reverse the process after shopping by reconnecting the chain to your cart. Voila! Coinage retrieved.

And, yes, TJ and I shop at Willy:s. We like Willy:s. Um, I mean we like to shop at Willy:s. Oh, you know what I mean.

Scene: Spring Awakening!

Finally! Spring has sprung. And not a moment too soon. The flowers have been pushing earnestly through the ground for the past week or two. We were almost able to walk about with no jacket on Saturday. Almost. Maybe another couple of weeks for that feat. But, seriously, where do Swedes get their tolerance to frolic about in t-shirts or a short skirt in cold weather? They've been doing it all Winter long. Certainly, my time here has not been long enough to master those chillin' skills.

Anywho, this was the scene this Spring weekend in Kungsparken in Göteborg. Flowers are blooming. That's blommor är blommande if you are following along in Swedish. Hard to believe that it was just 6 months ago that Autumn had settled in.

Just a little reminder...

Semla Tasting Contest

Well, if someone's gotta handle the tough assignments, it might as well be me. The relocation service department (WIN) of the West Sweden Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Västsvenska Industri- och Handelskammaren) sponsored a semla tasting contest. This activity involved eating, judging, and scoring. How could I pass up that opportunity?

First, the basics. What is a semla? A semla is a wheat bun made with cardamom that is sliced in two, filled with almond paste and whipped cream, and dusted with powdered sugar. Now for an important distinction: multiple semlas are called semlor.
A good overview of the semla is here. Traditionally, semla was consumed on the last Tuesday before Lent, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, or Fettisdagen in Swedish. But, Swedes cannot resist a sweet tasty treat. And so, you will see semla appearing in stores starting January and continuing on through Easter.

As part of the semla hype, newspapers have "Best Semla" competitions. And, so with Swedes weighing in on the best semla, it was thought to give non-Swedes a chance to test their taste buds and voice their opinion. Göteborg takes its semla seriously. There is even a semla academy in the city. There are established standards for making semla. More on what makes a good semla is here. Apparently, it's all about the almond paste.

I had tried a semla last year. And came away not being impressed at all. It was like eating a dinner roll with super light whipped cream. I don't even remember tasting any almond paste. Which may have been the problem. Still, plain [flavorless] whipped cream does nothing for me. I tried not to take this bias into the contest.

We tasted semlor from four different establishments; two of which were from the Best of Göteborg list. Each semla was cut into four pieces. As you can see below, cutting a semla is not always an easy task. But, the fresher (softer) the bun, the easier it is. This particular semla had a dry bun. Not so easy. And kind of messy.

Still, the pieces were big. And, I ended up having five. I had to resample Semla 1.

The results: the group chose the semla from ICA Focus, a grocery store, as the best. I used to love buying donuts, muffins, and cookies from the local grocery stores (Shaw's in Maine, King Sooper in Colorado, and Safeway in California). Just an unscientific observation.

Second place went to Brogyllen Konditori, which was voted #1 in the Best of survey. Interestingly, we rated the semla from Steinbrenner & Nyberg last; while the Best of survey rated it #2. My favorite was voted #3 overall. The almond paste was mild (not overpowering) and smooth. The cream, light but not too airy. And the bun was soft, moist, and slightly chewy. Cultural palettes diverge at the semla.

The Iceman Cometh

What a difference a year makes. So, yes, let's acknowledge that milestone. I arrived in Sweden on February 15, 2008. It was cold and gray...and raining. And it continued to rain for many a days (weeks) to come. What an introduction. This year, things are a bit different weather-wise. Much colder. Less mud. And, even some measurable amounts of snow. The canals froze over and ice appeared in the harbor. It was like a Swedish version of a glacial lagoon.

It also reminded me of Portland, Maine. When our family first moved to the area in the mid-70's, I remember reading about abnormally cold and harsh winters of days gone by. In Casco Bay, off Portland, there are numerous islands on which people have lived since the area was first settled. The main transport to the islands was by boat. But, on several occasions over the past 200 years, the bay froze solid. There were stories of people taking horse drawn carriages or driving cars across the bay to the islands. That thought has always stayed with me. And for a brief moment, I thought the harbor just might freeze over here in Göteborg. Not quite, but I'll take what I can get.

A few days after this scene on the harbor, we had a wonderful snowstorm. It has snowed lighted for a few days. With little accumulation to show for the effort. But, then, it just came down. TJ and I had our friends and neighbors, Sofie and Kalle, over for dinner. And, I was itching to go outside and play in the snow. As were the dogs. They told me so. So, into the white we did go.

Dogs like snow. Although Lily had her fill by this point. Zoey, not so much. And everyone was all smiles until the snowballs started flying. The snow had become heavy and made for great snowballs.

We regrouped for one final photo before heading back into the warmth of the apartment. Sofie and I enjoyed tea and hot chocolate while TJ and Kalle continued with beer. A perfect winter nightcap.

By the next day, the temperature had risen and a lot of the snow had melted. Still, it gives me hope that I might see more snow through the rest of the season.

So, you may have noticed that I like to talk about the weather. Some people do. Though, in most instances it is because that is a safe and easy subject with which to initiate and advance a conversation. But for me, it is more. I love weather. I trace my interest back to when our family lived in Elizabethtown, Kentucky in the early 1970's. One afternoon, I remember coming out of the dentist office with my Mom and sisters. Up in the sky were the strangest clouds I had ever seen; they looked like cotton balls. I now know their name is mammatocumulus. They are sometimes associated with tornadoes. We went to the town center and continued errands. Coming out of a store, a huge gust of wind blew down the street. Later, we were informed a tornado had touched down within a mile of where we were. It was April 3, 1974; the day of a major tornado outbreak in the US. I've been fascinated ever since.

There are a few things most people don't know about me. One is that in 1991, I was accepted into a meteorology program at the University of Washington in Seattle. It would have been a second BS degree. I had dreams (perhaps, delusions) of working for the Weather Channel. Instead, I took a job with the Defense Department. Delusion deferred. And so, I talk about the weather. Humor me.

Caught!

Zoey riding the elevator again. Unsupervised.

Waiting for the Sluts to Arrive

Okay, now before you get too offended, a simple lesson in Swedish:

Rea = Sale

Slut Rea = Final Sale

Post-holiday shopping swings into high gear with the arrival of the Slut Rea in display windows across Sweden. This isn't just any old sale. It is THE sale. A Slut Rea usually lasts through the end of January. And they usually provide some great discounts. But, this year, they came early (as they did everywhere), but reached unheard of discount levels.

We walked by this store and decided that TJ had to go in and investigate. Who passes by 90% off. Apparently, no one. TJ couldn't find anything in his size.

Don't feel too bad, he has been able to partake in the sales. As is his ritual, each Saturday morning as I sleep in, TJ investigates what is on sale around town. And by around town, I mean IKEA and other home furnishing stores. His shopping usually entails replenishing the candle supply. Or replacing the [poor, sickly] plants that mysteriously disappear on weekends. He is a good shopper. And frugal too.

As for me, I'm pretty good about shopping. I usually don't. But, I did go into this fun store on Kungsgatan called Weekday. On sale for 75% off were a pair of Cheap Monday jeans with a Día de los Muertos skull on the label. Heaven!

But, I could not find my size. Seems like the sizing is geared for all these skinny bitches [and, here, I'm referring to guys] who like the tight style. So, I thought, it was not meant to be.

Until this weekend, when TJ and I went out to peruse the sales. Again, I found myself in Weekday. The sales were gone. Oh no! But, upon closer inspection, there were still tables with sale items. I picked up a pair. It was close to my size. I picked up a second pair. It was my size! Destiny! After the discount, the jeans were 100SEK (~$13USD).

So, thanks to the arrival of the Sluts, I will be walking around town with a Skelly on my ass.

Far East Treat

No, this is not a blancmange. Though it looks like it might have appeared in a Monty Python skit. This is annindofu; a Chinese dessert that is also found in Japan. Translations range from almond tofu to apricot pudding. It is also known as kanten jelly because the main ingredient is agar-agar. Which, of course, has a variety of names around the world, including kanten. Basically, it is a thickening agent derived from seaweed. It is 80% fiber, binds with glucose during digestion, and is part of a diet craze in Asia. Other diets facts about agar-agar can be found here. As for me, it is a new ingredient in my cooking arsenal.

So, annindofu? How did I ever stumble upon this? Well, it is a dessert. But, the story begins with my business trips to Tokyo over the years. I had a habit of eating at convenience stores. The variety of ready-to-eat food was too great to pass up. A far cry from a 7-11 hot dog (no, I've never had on, just referencing it). And, this is where I found the best steam cakes. But, I digress. There were small cups of what I thought was yogurt or custard with white translucent cubes. It was something better. And though I had no idea what it was called, I have been obsessed with it ever since.

Recently, I mentioned this to my friend Tari who lives in Tokyo. And, she not only found the name of this delectable treat, but also provided me with a recipe. I did run into an obstacle finding one ingredient (almond powder), so I searched for more recipes online. And found some here, here, and here. I experimented a bit and came up with my own variation. Mine is much sweeter than regular annindofu. Go figure. The truth is that I accidentally used sweetened, condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in one experiment. Best mistake I ever made.

An optional ingredient and one that was in the stuff I had in Tokyo is nata de coco, the white translucent cubes. Another high fiber ingredient, nata de coco is extremely sweet. The texture takes some getting used to. TJ spit it out. But, I love it. You should be able to find it in most Chinese and Thai grocery stores. Same for the agar-agar/kanten powder.

Here is the recipe. It takes all of 15 minutes to make this.

Swedonia Annindofu
4g (slightly less than 1 teaspoon) agar-agar (kanten) powder
400 ml water
1/4 teaspoon almond flavor
100 ml sweetened, condensed milk

Options:
A few drops of food coloring
1/2 cup nata de coco cubes

Bring the water to a boil. Then, add the agar-agar powder. Whisk/stir continuously until all the powder is completely dissolved. This is key. If you need to, remove from heat and look at the bottom of pot to ensure that no granules are left. Add the almond flavor. Lower the heat and simmer. Add the condensed milk, turn up the heat, and stir continuously. Add optional food coloring here. Let the mixture come to just under a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into cups or a flat pan. Add the optional nata de coco to each container. Refrigerate for a few hours. Then, either serve directly out of container. Or, if you used a pan, cut it up into squares and serve with fruit. Bon appetite!

I leave you with Annindofu at Sunset. Enjoy. [Clicking on image will take you to my Flickr photostream]


One word about the color. Since I made the annindofu with condensed milk, it has a slightly yellowish tone instead of the normal milky white if I had used just plain milk. I wanted to add a little color. But, I added a bit more in order to mask the yellow. Still, it makes a nice contrast with the nata de coco cubes.

Below Freezing

You have just returned to Sweden from a vacation in the Canary Islands where the temperatures were in the mid-20's (that's 70+ degrees for you Yanks). It's cold. Colder than usual for the West coast of Sweden. The ground is actually frozen. So, where do you go? Well, North, of course. To Norway. To attempt a little skiing. Of course. We've never claimed to be sane. Photos of the trip can be found here.

We stayed at a beautiful hotel in the foothills northwest of Oslo: the Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica. It has some of the best views of Oslo and the surrounding area. And, it had a big fireplace which made TJ happy.

Did I mention that it was cold outside? At one point, it was -18C (which is around 0F). C-C-C-Cold. We observed an interesting cold weather phenomenon that occurred in low-lying areas. The surfaces of all objects, both natural and man-made, were coated with ice crystals.



It was a beautiful thing to see. From the inside of a warm Volvo. Okay, we did get out to see it up close and personal. Very cool. As a side note, as we went to pick up the dogs at the kennel a few days later, we observed the same phenomenon in the areas East of Göteborg. My guess is that a moisture-heavy valley fog or low clouds is responsible. And, I'll believe this until someone tells me otherwise.

Now, our idea was to try and do some skiing. We had read the ski reports which indicated there was snow at the resorts around Oslo. Just not a lot of it. This turned out to be the case. So, we (I) reasoned that cross-country might be a better option than downhill. TJ was a novice. And I had not been on CC skis for over 10 years. Those were our excuses. It was not pretty. Funny, but not as much fun. Unless you call bruise-producing spills fun. The trails were practically ice. Poor TJ did not get a good introduction to cross-country. And, I, well, I apologized a lot. And fell almost as much. Though, we did have some fun sliding down a large snow hill without skis.


We squeezed in a day trip to Lillehammer and then it was back to Göteborg. Where, surprisingly, it was still cold. But, not for long.

Parting Shots [Canary Islands]

Bright. Colorful. Exotic. Faded. Textured. Decay. My perspective on the Canary Islands. For more fine art images from this trip, visit my Flickr photostream here.

Colors on the side of a fishing boat in Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife.



A rusting fence along the boardwalk in Playa de las Américas.


Home of the most delicious calamari. A colorful cafe on the beach at Playa de Santiago.


The sunny side of the street. Doorways in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.


Hidden on a side street in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, this doorway begged to be photographed.

Sun, fun and the new year has begun

We're back from holiday. Actually two holidays that will be handled in two separate posts. Up first, the Canary Islands. We left Göteborg on December 23rd and after a night's stay in Frankfurt (damn you Orbitz!) we headed for Tenerife on Christmas Eve. Spent the night in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Quaint city. Absolutely shut down on Christmas Eve. But, that didn't stop us from walking about and enjoying the festive holiday decorations. Note: The images below link to my Picasa photo album with all trip photos.


The next day we headed South down the western coast of Tenerife. We stopped at a couple of towns including Puerto de la Cruz. Saw the lighthouse at Punta de Teno. And drove along some pretty steep and twisting roads before arriving in Playa de las Américas. Now, Playa de las Américas is a true resort town (for better or worse) that seems to cater predominantly to Brits. Every restaurant served an English breakfast (lots of beans and sausage). There were more English pubs than in SoHo. And some grocery stores even advertised "we sell English food." Cause who would want to eat paella all the time? Um.....I would. But, at the end of the day, you could always count on a great sunset and cool drink to refocus attention on where you were...


The next day, we headed up. Not just North, but up. To El Teide. The highest point in Spain (of which the Canary Islands is a part) and the Atlantic Ocean at 3718 meters. We waited over 2 hours for the gondola cables to be cleared of ice before we were allowed to head up. Unfortunately we didn't have time to get a pass that would allow us to climb to the summit and inside the crater, but we made due at 3600 meters just below the top. And we were rewarded with awesome views of the surrounding volcanic landscape, nearby islands, and a winter wonderland.


The next day we headed by ferry to the nearby island of La Gomera. We stayed two nights in San Sebastián de la Gomera. La Gomera is a small island that has a large park (Parque Nacional de Garajonay) in the center and coastal towns and beaches at the peripheries. We toured the entire island the first day. Did I mention how steep the roads were? Very. Scary. On the way back, [I made] TJ pose for this photo.


We spent the remainder of the afternoon in Playa de Santiago. At a brightly colored beach cafe, we enjoyed beer, some fried calamari, and a lot of sun. Then back to San Sebastián de la Gomera for evening sangria and dinner. San Sebastián is small but vibrant. The building facades provided a great subject for my photography. The next day, we headed back through the cold, foggy mountains to the warmth of Valle Gran Rey. This little beach and port enclave is well-known by German tourists. The highlight of our trip. Then back to San Sebastián de la Gomera for evening sangria and paella. The paella took 40 minutes to make but was well worth the wait. The wait included a few Dorada cervezas and some almogrote spread made with goat cheese and mojo sauce.

And, then, all too quickly, back to Playa de las Américas on Tenerife. There, we met up with Jenn and Bridget. TJ and Jenn went to Kellogg together. We celebrated TJ's (43rd) birthday. I opted for a variety of treats instead of a cake. The cakes I looked at were the size (and shape) of a log. Still, the four of us did some damage on what we had.



TJ, Jenn and Bridget stayed out until 3am both of our final 2 nights in Playa de las Américas. I was the old man who goes to bed [relatively] early. I did, however, go the distance on New Year's Eve.

We drove back to Santa Cruz de Tenerife. And, as was the case on Christmas Eve, most restuarants were not serving dinner in preparation for the evening's festivities. Luckily, we found a cafe off the main square where we were able to sample Canary Island cuisine. Bars were not opening until AFTER midnight. So, we walked around town for a bit. This small park with tiles benches afforded a nice backdrop for a group photo.



Then, to the hotel to have some cocktails, count down to the new year, eat our 12 grapes by the 12th strike of the clock at midnight, and toast with champagne. And into the streets we went. There was a street with a live band and a group of trendy bars/cafes. We stayed there until the wee hours. The locals, especially, the young, were dressed in their finest suits and dresses. We didn't mind slumming it a bit. A great way to end our winter holiday. You can find all the photos from our Canary Islands trip here.

Jul Time

Christmas is in the air. And, in Sweden, they're not going to let a little "bad economic weather" rain on their holiday. A poll taken in December showed that most Swedes were not going to curtail their spending despite the gloomy national and global economies. So, shoppers are out in full force. The pedestrian sidewalks have been packed with shoppers.

The image on the left is our hood. Looking down Kungsgatan towards city centre, there was a mass of hurried buyers as far as the eye could see. Note the decorative lighted crowns that guard over the pedestrian street. The image on the right is a view into Haga, the historic section of town. There has been an outdoor Christmas market all along the street each weekend in December.

It was in Haga that I made my ultimate Christmas and ultimate fun purchase. A tomte. How cool is he? He was made in the 1920's or 30's. I found him in an antique shop last year on our pre-visit. But, I did not buy him at the time (frugal, moi?). Now, there were only three left and this little guy was in the best condition. Best of all, his price had come down. Way down. Lucky, frugal, me. For a brief description of a tomte, click on the image.

So, besides a tomte, what else defines Christmas in Sweden? Well, I guess there would be the julbock or Christmas Goat. The goat is made from straw and wrapped in red ribbon. He is placed under the Christmas tree or near the fireplace waiting for tomte and guarding presents. There is a famous large-scale version of the straw goat in the town of Gävle. Merry pranksters tend to light it on fire every year. This year, it is untorched...so far.


More on Chritsmas in Sweden can be found here. I have to file this tradition under odd: black Christmas decorations. Saw these in a shop at the Christmas Markets at Liseberg.


I mean, we did think it was a bit odd that there were very few green Christmas lights around the city. Red? Check. Green, not so much. But, black decorations? Just plain odd.

For traditional holiday drink, eggnog comes in far behind something called Julmust. It's a holiday drink specific to Sweden.


Julmust is a non-alcoholic malt-flavored beverage that, in my opinion, tastes like a cross between Mr. Pibbs and Dr. Pepper. Apotekarnes is the preferred brand to drink (thanks, Sofie). Coca-Cola, which experiences a severe drop in sales during Christmas as Swedes switch to Julmust, has begun marketing its soda as "a Must for Christmas." Oh. So. Clever. not.

Speaking of clever, here is our Christmas greeting for 2008. Click on the image for a [much] larger version. Or click here and try to find the following:

1. A cantankerous or tame blue-eyed julbock
2. A slutty or saintly St. Lucia bearing lussekatter
3. A tuneful or screeching Singing Christmas Tree of Göteborg
4. A naughty or nice tomte

The Leeky Cauldron

So, there is a food mystery here in Sweden. Where did all the green onions go? I was so used to buying a bunch of green onions (aka scallions) that when they disappeared from the produce department seemingly overnight, I thought there must be a mistake.

Now, TJ and I usually shop at two stores: ICA Maxi and Willy:S; one right after the other (cheaper produce and Diet Coke at Willy:S). The green onions. Gone from both stores. I checked the local Hemköp around the corner from our apartment just to be sure. Nada. What happened? Did the local or regional suppliers just stop growing it?

What remained in the produce department was another vegetable. One that I had always seen. A long green stack and a white bulbous bottom. Like a green onion on steroids. I had wondered what it was. It is purjolök. So, it was some type of onion or so I thought. Lök is the word for onion in Swedish. But, it is used indiscriminately (to thwart people like me). For example, garlic is vitlök in Swedish: white - onion. Hmmm.

So, the upshot is that I bought this uber onion and used it. The flavor was oniony, but just a little off. I figured this was the new onion for Winter. A whole lotta onion.

Then, one day we were in the self-checkout line at Willy:S. It was our first time buying a purjolök there. We selected onion from the menu on the touchscreen and placed the purjolök in the bag. Warning! Warning! An attendant comes over, inspects our bag, and informs us that the item in question is not an onion. Rather, it is a leek. How embarrassing. Who knew my Vegetable IQ was so low?

But, that still leaves me wondering. Where did the green onions go?

Lübeck Christmas Markets

Our trip to the Christmas markets in Lübeck, Germany was quite a fun adventure. We drove down, took a short ferry from Denmark to Germany, and arrived in Lübeck in late afternoon. Immediately headed toward city center and found the main Christmas market at Breite Straße (a pedestrian area). It was still early but the crowds were gathering. We picked the only night of the Christmas markets season when all markets and stores would be open until midnight.

So, we walked around and did a bit of window shopping. But, not before TJ had some piping hot glühwein. I had some as well. But, I really liked the spiced apple cider (äpfel punch).

The next day, it snowed. The forecast had called for party sunny skies with temps just above freezing. Um.....no. But the snow was a bonus. It's not something we get a lot in Göteborg. Of course, we did decide to drive into town instead of walking.

What better to do on a cold, snowy day then to head indoors. Which is what we did. Several of the Christmas markets are indoors. The best was the market inside Hospital of the Holy Spirit on Koberg. There was a line to get in. But, it moved. Eventually. The quality of the crafts was better than other markets around town. But, most importantly, there were three older women who were cranking out fresh waffles. Oh. My. God. Those were good. I wanted to get another, but a huge line had formed. How sad...for me.

Of course, at the market at Breite Straße, there were several booths selling small pieces of fried sweet dough covered with powdered sugar. That was a highlight. I have pictures from our little adventure posted online here. Or just select any of the images above to see them.

I end with this little guy. A genie of some sort. A grantor of wishes, perhaps. He oversaw a children's ride at the Christmas market on Koberg. I insisted that we walk back across town so that I could take a picture of him. We were in the process of deciding on a restaurant for dinner. After I "got the shot", we headed back to a Turkish restuarant we had passed. The name: Ali Baba. The meal was excellent. Our wish was granted.