Christopher is nostalgic!

My lovely brother-in-law Christopher has been digging in Lista. (He's an archaelogist not a dog or a meany!) In Lista there's a shop called Trunken where you can buy all things american, not surprising that it's there, considering all the Norwegians from there that emigrated to 'Uniten' and came back with all their children called Robert, Stanley, Yvonne, Alf and Arnold, their beds with radios in and their humungous tv cabinets!!!
Now he wants to know where he can get stuff like that in Oslo.
Well I assume that he mostly wants food so with that in mind I suggest these places that stock a good assortment.
Otherwise, and Christopher knows this but others might not, there is a big 4th of July celebration in the Frogner Park each year on the nearest Saturday. You can enjoy muffins, Sloppy Joes and hot dogs all day! (Sorry Topher, not Oscar Meyer Wieners but here's a consolation prize!)

Left hand driving and London Bridge

Why do the English drive on the left? People had a tendency to walk and ride their horses on the left hand side of paths and roads to ensure that they had their weapon hand closest to potential enemies they met on their way.
They did this all over the world!
As for driving, when carriage drivers in England sat on their carriages and carts with their horses in front, they sat on the right side so their whips were free to push forward the horses without getting caught up in their loads. The first time left hand driving was legislated in Great Britain was in 1756, on London Bridge!! The traffic on London bridge was getting so busy that they felt the need to make rules to avoid complete chaos on the bridge. Don't forget that London Bridge was at the time a busy little bridge! With shops and houses lining it's sides.

flowers on a sunday

Lovely flowers, Daffodils from Andersens flowershop in Thorvald Meyersgate 32 in Grünerløkka. Martin and his nephews serve you with a smile and if you love Elvis you'll be happy there! Confetti flowers from Pelino of Italy, sweetmakers since 1793! These lovely flowers are handmade sugar coated Pizzuta almonds. You can buy them at Cafe Vespa in Københavngate 2 in Grünerløkka, Oslo.

Sunday afternoon tea.

Today I had a friend visiting and we went for a walk down to wander on the roof of the new Opera. Afterwards we went for tea at the Winter garden at the Hotel Bristol. Not a usual haunt for this eastside girl but I love this place. Big old Chesterfields, nice and dark, dulled voices mumbling over prawn sandwiches and tea and coffee served in proper pots! The service isn't great but I don't really mind waiting here, it's comfortable and I know they aren't going to rush me off. Nice place to sit in the warmth after being out in the rain and I like to checkout the diversity amongst the other guests while I sit and feel a bit like a cuckoo in their nest in my engineer boots and naff old mac!

Keep this cup...

I just bought this cup - a Keep Cup.
I don't even drink coffee so probably won't be running around with it from coffee shop to coffee shop but I'll use it on picnics. And I'm going to encourage everyone else to buy one!
In Oslo you can get them at Hunting Lodge in Torggate. They've got lot's of other cool stuff too.
Thanks Tereza for the tip.

arrows, spoons, strings and jobs!!

In the last couple of weeks I've fixed a little bit of this and a little bit of that!

- A friend phoned needing 40 big spoons a couple of hours before their restaurant opened.......SORTED!
- Had to find somewhere another friend could practice shooting his bow and arrow. He'd been trying to find somewhere for ages without luck. He is now happily hooked up with the bow and arrow group of the sports club Vidar and can practice to his hearts content inside in winter and outside in the spring and summer........SORTED!

- Yet another person appeared in my office after having being told that I was the one to ask when in need of work. (Mysteriously I rarely find out who send people to me!) Anyway, she is now in gainful employment at The Nighthawk Diner, Oslo's new IT place. She is also being courted by other potential employees I have been trying to 'sell' her to..........SORTED!



- Yesterday I got a mail from yet another friend asking if I could hook him up with
people for a string quartet!! Have passed on several numbers and will sit back and wait and see what pans out - keep you posted :-)

Bring it on ;-)

Early morning London

Lack of sleep has made me check out what I can do in the early hours while visiting London. I definitely want to go to the 'new' Covent Garden market. From 3am on weekdays and 4am at weekends you can visit the market, fill your arms with flowers, have a great breakfast at one of the markets cafes and stock up on fruit and veg before you're kicked out at 11am and wander happy (or knackered) home again! You can also stock up on fish, cheese or maybe even an ice sculpture ot two :-)
Take the Victoria line to Vauxhall or buses 156 or 354. £4 entry fee.
Have a nice morning!

A great little place has sisters...............

in Glasgow and...... Barcelona
Have a peek at the tips or add one yourself.Bon Voyage!!

one a penny ........

My sister just reminded me that we're getting close to easter and Hot cross bun day,more commonly known as Good friday in Britain and Long friday here in Norway! (here is a link with name explanations for all you etymology boffs Good Friday)
When I was little we used to sing the hot cross buns nursery rhyme and I think everyone should check out this great song here Hot cross buns with indian accent! Just to get you in the mood :-)
And here is a recipe for what looks like a really cool version that I think we need to practice a lot before April 2nd!!
Hot cross buns with stout And thank you Claire for reminding me how I can enter even more calories into my life.

Shoes and restaurants for Anna

Anna is going to London for a weekend of sun, relaxation and self-indulgence. I hope you get a little of all that anyway! Just you and the love of your life and no kids, every working mum out there is envious.
You want to get max shoe shopping coverage in the smallest possible geographical radius (shoe shopping is a serious matter that not all men see as a holiday necessity!) and need eating tips in Soho.
Well, Anna, here are some suggestions. For shoes you could start with Office in Carnaby street. They have a selection of lots of brands like Dr Martens, Converse, Campers and more. Try Jones' In Foubert street, also Soho. I usually go to Clarks and they have shops all over London. This is a link I found with someother suggestions: London shoe shops. But it's going to be hard to limit yourself with all the shops in London I think your man's just got to be patient while you shop til he drops. Or just dump him in one of many great little bars, pubs or cafes and buy him a newspaper. With all the weekend supplements in English papers you'll have bought yourself half a day!!
I love Bar Italia in Frith street. Straight across the road from the legendary jazz club Ronnie Scotts. And if you're in London on a Sunday they have started doing Sunday jazz lunches.You can enjoy a traditional sunday roast and some great jazz. I know British food hasn't got the best reputation in the world but I think everybody should try a good plate of bangers and mash at least once!
When you're in Soho you should try Mother Mash,bangers, mash and pies - lovely gravy!
Or try The Stockpot, 18 Old Compton street, Soho. My friends Richard and Karen say I have to try the Liver and onion there, dubious but I do know it is a real old caff that's been there for decades and must have some of the cheapest meals in Soho. And Karen says you can't not eat the Spotted Dick at the school dinner price of £1.99!!!
For candlelight, romance and evening eating you could try any of these restaurants that my trusty informants have recommended -Bocca di Lupo for italian, The French house for,guess what? French. Above the pub by the same name so you can start or finish with a drink there. For Thai food you can try Busaba. You can't book in advance here but the if there is a queue it generally doesn't mean a long wait. It's in Wardour st. where there are lots of bars and clubs if you want to stay out painting the town red! In case you want a vegeterian alternative my friend Maya says Mildreds is a Soho institution famed for their veggie burgers.
Here are some useful restaurant links for London
The Sneaky Magpie cool blog.
Squaremeal
London eating

Question time..

Well I got a question today.........from my sister, but a question nonetheless!
Q:What can I decorate tables with? - end of school party - cheap and colourful.....
A:how about buying cheap white paper tablecloths and jackson pollocking them? In the meantime you can practice here paint like Jackson Pollock Or just 'Jackson Pollock' a broad band down the middle. Maybe you could use cans for vases or you can gluegun on paper flowers to branches that you put in vases/bottles for centrepieces. Or you could always do a repeat of your big party when we made hundreds of origami flowers in all colours and covered the tables in vines with flowers on?

Introducing -

If you like to eat and drink this may be the blog for you. Two friends who work with food and wine. In addition writing for newpapers and magazines they also have wine and food courses on themes ranging from 'basic wine knowledge' and 'cheese and wine' to more specialised courses such as 'risotto and barolo'.
Lovely pics and great wine, beer and spirit tips. Check out their site here Kraftbyraa For those of you who don't read norwegian, you can probably still pick up wine tips thanks to the dice system :-) Otherwise look for the google translate button!

Streetwise

Bar Italia on Frith Street
I love this site, Street Sensation click on the area you're going to and look at all the shops on the major streets there. so next time you're trying to remember the name of that little Italian pace in Frith street you can go right in and see it on the street panorama. And if you're going to one of Londons markets you can scroll down to the bottom and check out info and pics on them too. Borough Marketfor instance, or Camden lock Market. You can check out little pictures of some of the stalls and see on the map of the market where they are.

Shop 'til you drop at Top Shop

Fancy a shopping trip where someone does all the running and fetching for you? Your own changing room, no obligation to buy and no queues if you do? I would. It would make a nice change from the trips I have to the shops, stressed, grumpy and one time so stuck in a dress I couldn't get off again, that I had to call my sister to come and help me (she was at home at the time)!! I also usually want to buy new clothes when I'm grumpy (read premenstrual) and feel like s**t. NOT a good idea.
Well my point is that more and more shops now offer the assistance of a personal shopper. One being Top Shop. A friend and I took our teenage daughters on a shopping spree to Top Shop Oxford Circus.
What a bargain!!
We booked an appointment online and for the price of £100 each of the girls were waited upon hand and foot by a personal shopper while us mums lounged on sofas in their private changing rooms reading magazines and drinking designer water! Nice. When they had finished their marathon of chopping and changing and changing and changing again, they paid for their £100 worth of clothes, were each given a goody bag and vouchers for lunch for two at the Top Shopcafe. I repeat 'what a bargain!'
Want to try it? look here: Top shop shopping spree and style advisor
p.s. you can also just book a style advisor with no obligation to buy :-)

Sinfully delicious

Burrata is a mozzarella that makes grown men, and this woman, weep. Well, it nearly brought tears of joy to my eyes first time I ate it. Last time I sat at home alone eating it I probably moaned enough to make my neighbours mistake my seance with a cheese for something more carnal!!
Originally made with buffalo milk, Burrata is now generally made with cows milk. Made as an ordinary mozzarella but filled with a mix of scraps of mozzarella and cream, yes cream!
I like to eat it with just a drizzle of olive oil, some coarse salt, good tomatoes and maybe some nice bread.
Hard to get hold of as it has a very short shelf life. In Oslo, where I live, you can only get it at Cafe Vespa as far as I know. Best to ring and check when they get it in or follow their facebook group!!
Cafe Vespa on facebook

Feeling hungry and unimaginative?

Well check out this website. Just plot in what you've got in the fridge or larder and, hey presto, up pops a list of what you can make with said ingredients. Then it's just a matter of whipping up something wonderful without even having to leave the house to shop first, or you can just peruse the recipes, ignore them, stick a piece of stale bread in the toaster and eat it with the left over ice cream in the freezer.
http://www.cookingbynumbers.com

I like this page

http://www.breathingearth.net

Whisky is lovely

The beautiful distillery of Laphroaig on Islay.

And what could be lovelier than drinking it in it's natural habitat? I was lucky enough to be given a trip to the beautiful Isle of Islay for my birthday a few years ago. Not that I remember a great deal about the actual island to be truthful. BUT I most certainly do remember the amazing angel of a woman with the fitting name of Angela who ran the White Hart Hotel in Port Ellen. She helped us find shelter on the mainland after we missed the last ferry from Tarbert (not to be mistaken for the not so very nearby place called Tarbet,but that's another story!) and welcomed us in a way no other hotel manager has ever welcomed us before. Not only by being the epitomy of hospitality, but also by taking us on a right royal pub crawl that consisted of the hotel bar, the one local pub and finally getting us into the local freemasons lodge for some cheap late night drinks under the watchful eye of Mr Robert Burns himself(also another story).

But now I am getting sidetracked from the point of my trip, although I find that getting sidetracked on a trip often leads to some of the highlights.
I was obviously on Islay to drink Whisky and there's a lot to choose between. You can visit the distilleries of Lagavullin, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich. You can also taste some of the whiskies from the islands lost distilleries, such as Port Ellen, in the local pubs and restaurants on the island, but prepare yourself for stiff prices!
I truly enjoyed my trip and my hot tip to cope with drinking copious amounts of amazing whisky without passing out at teatime is to start the day with a hardy Scottish breakfast and start drinking early in the day!!! Worked for me.

To get to Islay - http://www.islayguide.com/Traveltoislay.html

Nighthawk Diner

The lovers booth at the Nighthawk Diner Oslo
for the most authentic diner food, atmosphere and service this side of the Atlantic, let alone the 30's visit the Nighthawk Diner in Grünerløkka in Oslo.
coffee 'on tap', enormous fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, eggs Benedict, organic burgers, shakes, jukebox....the works! Enjoy!!

In Norway 'thinking suitcase' is a dirty thing...

But in the Golborne Road that was unavoidable.

These lovely suitcases were on sale in Golborne Road Market on a sunny friday in March. The best day to go to Golborne Road Market and the Portobello Market according to Maya. Golborne Road Market has existed since the 1800s but started being known for it's antiques in the 1950's. you can buy fruit, veg, music, ceramics, furniture and posters there today. There is an ordinary market there Monday to Thursday and the main market Friday and Saturday. Tube to Ladbroke Grove, Notting Hill or Westbourne Park.
Make sure you pop into one of the Portugese cafes there for some pasteis de nata.

Portugese custard pies that are sold in a variety of sizes so you can be modest or pig out depending on your mood or how shy you are!!

I hate board games...

........but I still feel I owe it to my kids to try and playfully interact!! the one game my kids love more than anything is the 'my boat is loaded with' game.You pick a theme and then take turns adding a thing to the boat in alphabetical order. Like food - my boat is loaded with apples, bananas, cottage cheese and so on and so on. Great for car trips, bus trips, walks...well anywhere and anytime! So after years of this we have now advanced to the same sort of game but now we have to start each word with the last letter of the previous word - AppleS, SorreL, LimE and so on and so on!!!
SO, today we had a major breakthrough in the evolution of games mum can be b*****d to play! Imaginary animals. Same game as before but with the added fun of having to actually draw the animals and make up their story.
First results shown here.


This is the Priestcollar animal - he is a very rare species,only 50 of them left in the whole world. Most of them live in Asia. some are kept as pets but very few. They are most often green but can also be blue or orange. I f you see one it will probably run away very fast. Not poisonous for people but for animals like snakes and chameleons they are lethal.

This is the pocketfluff creature. He can be any colour under the sun and is very very shy!!

The Nutsnork is a rare bird that lives in woods and forests all over the world. Shaped liked a nut for camouflage. A few million left in the world but are rarely seen.

Travel with facebook

Facebook group for curious travellers..
I know a great little place in london

historic holiday home

Fancy a stay in holiday homeout of the ordinary? Check the Landmark trusts properties in the Uk and Ireland.
http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk
and
http://www.irishlandmark.com
Stay in poet laureate John Betjeman's former abode in Cloth Fair in the heart of the City. Or how about living in the service quarters of Hampton court, home of King Henry the eighth?
So many amazing places to stay, not always bargain basement prices but if you can afford it and are lucky enought to find available dates it must be well worth it.
A taste of Betjeman -
Guilt
The clock is frozen in the tower,
The thickening fog with sooty smell
Has blanketed the motor power
Which turns the London streets to hell;
And footsteps with their lonely sound
Intensify the silence round.