Christmas, Mexico & Weddings...

It was sure good to be back in the US for Christmas! It was great to see all of our family and friends! On December 19th, our good friends Mike & Lorena, had their baby Isabella Sofia. We were so happy to get to meet her! She is so sweet! Here are some pictures of her!

Baby Isabella @ 2 Days old:

Me, Mike, Isabella, Lorena & Mike Z:

We had the opportunity to have everyone over to our house for Christmas, which was really great. We all just hung out, ate, opened presents, ate, drank wine, ate and just had a great time. It was very relaxing and for me, a really special Christmas. In the catering/restaurant business, this is usually our busiest time. But, because I got back so late, I didn't have a lot of catering to do. So this year, I really got to spend a lot of time with the family. It was just perfect and very needed!

Here is a picture of just some of the family:

Raul & I during a competitive game of Continental:

For New Year's we went to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to visit Mike'e mom's family. This is the first time that I had met most of them and the first time that Mike has seen many of them in many, many years. In fact, they remember him as little Mikey. Aww... We had a great time, of course, centering our time and company around the dinner table. We ate so much good food from barbacoa to albondigas (Mike's favorite) and tamales. Not only did I bring some corn tortillas back with me, I also brought back a 5-pack of pounds.

Mike enjoying his barbacoa and Mexican coke.... YUM!:

Despite the issues that are occuring in Juarez, we had a great time and I was grateful to be able to meet some of his family. Heading back to Austin, we stopped in El Paso and had the chance to meet up with a friend, Ana. We had a great time catching up on old and new gossip over a few tasty margaritas!

Lastly, we headed over to Dallas to celebrate the wedding of Dain and Vail. We were so glad to be a part of it and to be there for their special occasion. It was also great to catch up with a bunch of Delts (and, their wives/girlfriends!). We all had such a great time and we are so happy for the new, fab couple! At the end of the evening, we continued the party with some more drinks and cookies (Lorena!! haha)! We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Tolbert! Here is a picture of some of the wives/girlfriends and a group shot of the Delts!
We are all situated back in Denmark and getting through these short days of what they call "sunshine"... I call it daylight, grey daylight. I am also learning how to live in the snow and cold weather! Being back in Denmark makes me long for the Texas weather and sunshine again. But, I should be careful what I ask for... the long spring/summers are right around the corner... I am ready!

Christmas Markets in Germany

So, I am a little behind on my blogs, but alas... I am sitting in a cozy (hygge) little cafe in Copenhagen and I am finally able to get caught up on some things since returning here and the holidays and such.

After much anguish from Mike, I was able to convince him to head to Germany for the Christmas Markets before we headed back to the US for the Christmas holidays. I had heard from SO many people that we really needed to go! And, since I know we probably won't be in Europe next winter, it was important to me that we go. We don't have a car, so we rented a car and took a drive down to Hamburg, Germany. The drive was only about 4 hours and was pretty painless (says the passenger who sleeps at the sound of the inginition being turned on). We did have to take a ferry over, which was EXPENSIVE at $150! It was funny though, because the ferry sells things tax-free. And, for the Danes, that means time to stock up on beer, liquor, candies, etc. I find it so odd that you can get Danish beer--- made and produced in Denmark, cheaper in Germany! I guess it just goes to show you how taxes can REALLY get you here in Denmark! Needlesstosay, we saw this tiny little hatchback FILLED to the top with cases of beer. I mean, at LEAST 10 cases. I am sure that poor little car would have bottomed out after hitting a pebble. Here is Mike driving us to Germany... so thrilled I am taking his picture!

I digress, back to Germany. So, we started our little excursion in Hamburg with the.. uh.. Hamburgers (I am not making this up). We went to the beautiful city center and just enjoyed the evening with Hamburger-anian food and German beer and wine! As we were walking around the city center, we first hit the "wine/beer tent". Incidentally, you can always find one at the market because 1)they are everywhere and 2) they are crowded! Mike had a hot chocolate with a shot of Amaretto and whipped cream. I started the night out with a warm glass of glühwein, which is a warm, German mulled wine. I really saw the effects of how that warm alcohol warms you up from the inside out... and, I liked it!
Next, we hit one of the many markets, there were probably about 7 of them, all within walking distance from each other. At each of the markets, we noticed that about half of the vendors were all devoted to food & drink. Which, if you know me, was not a problem at all! The other vendors sold cool things like wood carved decorations (ie. Nutcrackers), soap, steins, etc. This is a picture of the main one located in Hamburg City Center.
Now for the food.. the food was so good! We had everything from this melted cheese contraption (actually from Switzerland). They take a whole hunk of cheese with extreme heat over it. It melts & causes the cheese to bubble and bake. They then take a scrapper and scrape the goodness onto some bread. See the picture below and drool. And, homemade donuts that they were frying right in front of us! To die for!
Then, as if we needed even more food, we stopped off at Paulaner Brauhaus. It is a very typical (Bavarian) German restaurant. It specializes in Bavarian food and most importantly, it has Schweinhaxe or pork knuckle. To make this special pork knuckle, they take the knuckle, skin on a fry the darn thing. The skin gets crispy & good (what we call chicharones in Mexican-talk). The meat just falls off the bone. I mean, really, does it get any better? I had asked for a salad because I was looking for at least a little something healthy. And, they brought me a salad completely dressed with way too much dressing. I ate it, but man, Bavarian food... is not light at all! Mike is proud of his Schweinhaxe!
Top off all this goodness with lots of beer & wine... we were happy campers. Next stop, Lubeck! We headed over to Lubeck, Germany to continue our tour of Christmas markets. Lubeck is known for their marizpan. They are especially known for Niederegger marzipan (http://www.niederegger.de/) and stollen. The place was an absolute madhouse when we got there, that being said, once I tried the marzipan, I knew why! The stollen & marzipan were SO good! Here is a picture from the Lubeck city center and me holding the largest cinnamon sticks I have EVER seen. I wanted them... Mike said "no".
After a great weekend in Germany, we headed back to Denmark. It was a great experience and I highly recommend visiting the markets if you ever get a chance. There is really something magical and special about them. Mike and I really enjoyed it and, at the end of it all, he was glad we went (which, I knew he would be!).

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Looking outside our flat...

Being a Texan, I have never really experienced snow. So, I have to say, I was SUPER excited to see Sweden and Denmark's first snow of the year! It was very unexpected because Denmark is on the Gulf jet stream, so we tend to not have as much snow. But, Mike had taken the day off on Friday and we headed up to Malmo, Sweden (I know, I love that place!) for the day. We were walking around the city center, getting some cute things for our little tree and it just started coming down! I mean, big 'ole flakes, too! Here are some picture with me at the first flakes of snow. Luckily, Mike didn't get one of me trying to catch the snowflakes in my mouth (although, there were several failed attempts).

In Malmo, we also ate at one of the best Tapas restaurants! The lady at Peter Beier Chokolade (http://www.peterbeierchokolade.dk/) recommended it and since she was from Spain, we took her word on it! It was so

good... here is a picture from what we ate at La Roche. There is a platter with serrano ham, marinated manchego, olives, chorizo & caper berries. Then, we had the marinated tomato salad and shrimp with garlic. What isn't shown is the mussels (probably one of my most fav foods) and the Spanish omelet. It really didn't get much better than this!

We headed off for some more shopping and snow. Mike loved this shower cap at LaegerHaus and he looked so cute in it! Haha... And, the next pic is from standing at the entrance of Zara (LOVE this store!) and looking out at my rendition of a blizzard! Mike said that this wasn't a blizzard, but I think that it was!

We got our first Scandic Christmas Tree, too! We had to get one.. and it is so cute! I made Mike take a picture with the tree, he was... oh, a little embarrased! But, seriously, when are we ever going to have a Christmas Tree in Denmark, again?! Here he is.. thrilled for me to be taking his photo (and I am sure even more thrilled that I have it on the blog!)** Oh and the snow was free of charge! ;)

We had such a great time in Sweden and it was time to head back to snowy Denmark. We had to decorate our flat & our little tree. I know, I know... it is mid-November. But, since we don't have Thanksgiving we wanted to focus on Christmas! So, here is our decorated, little tree and our little decorations. I wanted to get as Scandinavian as possible!

Later that weekend, we had Eric (Mike's Boss) in town, as he finished up his European Tour here. We were fortunate that the weather was nice and there was the International Food Festival going one on Gammeltorv, the downtown square. We also went to Tivoli and it was lit up just beautifully for Christmas. And, with the snow, it was just amazing. Here is a picture of me with the snow in front of Nimb.

And, I had to show my proud, lil Frosty that I made on someone's hood of their car! I know, he is too cute... I think that I will name him Fredrico.

Well, guys.. that is all for now. With Thanksgiving this week, I am looking forward to spending time with new friends here, although I will miss my family and friends back home. Either way, it makes me think of how thankful we am to have all of you in our lives. We are so fortunate to have so many great friends & an amazing family. I will all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving, no matter where you are from!

No Thanksgiving... What?!

So, I am so saddened to hear that Thanksgiving isn't celebrated by the Danes. I mean, conceptually, I knew they didn't have the Pilgrims, the Nina, Pinta & Santa Maria and... for that matter, Cristbol Colombus! But, darn it if I didn't really want a big celebration here full on with the days off, turkey and ample amounts of football ("American-style"). We are planning on celebrating with some American (and French!) friends on Saturday after. But, you know, it will be really hard not being with the family and our absolutely crazy zoo! I mean, what is Thanksgiving without dad falling asleep before, after and during Thanksgiving... Mom making an amazing meal... Lisa & Lindsey picking from the big vat of mashed potatoes and pre-deciding that they would get all the leftover potatoes... Raul playing video games... Leo & Maria coloring... Mike watching football... Craig & Maria enjoying & always bringing a few bottles of wine... and, well the list goes on at our house!

So, instead of focusing on the Thanksgiving that I won't get to attend in Houston (it just makes me sad to miss the family), we have started focusing on Christmas here in Denmark. I am working really hard to understand the Danish traditions and such. First off, we went to the Kongens Nytorv Julemarked (Christmas Market) on Sunday. Despite a little rain, Mike and I had a great time! They sell all kinds of things from very heavy fleece to caramel apples. They also sell soup, Abelskivers candied nuts.

Here they are making caramel apple with homemade caramel and coated in coconut! YUM!

And, I am not sure who this is supposed to be, but these ladies were singing and handing out candy to the kids. Sadly, I didn't recieve a piece.

Here are some other Christmas Traditions here:

1- Merry Christmas = God Jul (literally translated to Good Christmas)

2- Christmas elves are not the same as in the U.S. (sorry, Will Ferrell). The elves here are called Nisser and they are quite mischievious. They live in old farmhouses, wear grey clothing with a red bonnet & stockings. You usually leave a bowl of rice pudding for him on Christmas Eve so that Nisser will be friendly and keep the pranks at bay.

3- Christmas is really celebrated Christmas Eve. Christmas dinner is usually duck or goose with potatoes and red cabbage. Usually followed by a lot of singing and dancing. Oh, and lets not forget the aquavit, which is for the adults! Dessert is another kind of lighter, rice pudding. It is made with whipped cream and chopped almonds. There is a whole almond in the pudding and if you find it, you get a prize (usually chocolate or marizpan).

4- Christmas day is celebrated with gathering with family and friends and enjoying a meal of cold cuts, different types of fish and, well more aquavit & ol (beer)!

I am sure that we will learn much more, as it gets closer!

A Weekend of Old & New Memories

So, this weekend my old roommate from college came to visit me from Aberdeen, Scotland. She, too is living over seas with her kids. I was fortunate to have her come to visit with her youngest daughter, Cassidy. Cassidy is about 8months old and a total doll. Needless to say, Salli & I had a great time catching up and I got to show her a little Copenhagen.

They got in Friday and true to CPH weather, it was drizzly, cold & a little windy. That is pretty much the weather pattern from about now to about April. Now I see why weather is always the topic of conversation. I really do.. at first, I was a little annoyed at how excited the Copenhagenites were so excited at a beautiful sunny day. I mean, coming from Texas, really that is most days for us. Sometimes, so much so, that we pray for a rainy day. Alas, being here for about a month of the fall time, I really do crave the sun. Oh, and I started taking Vitamin D pills, since I quite obviously am not getting it from the sun. Anyways, I digress... So, Salli, Cassidy & I enjoyed a nice lunch at Den Fransk Cafe on the lakes.

After a nice, filling lunch we headed downtown to the shopping area called the Stroget. It is mainly our downtown area with all kinds of shops from Gucci to Burberry to H&M to Message. We went to the top of the observation tower (built in 1649) to see all of Copenhagen, but with the haze of mist covering the city, we didn't get to view a lot. Another reason why, is because the sun goes down at 4-4:30pm! I am still not used to that and it totally messes with your mind. Next, we headed over to Kongens Nytorv area with the beautiful docks, the opera house and such. I was able to show her where HC Andersen spent his years writing, as his apartment still stands. We then headed over to the King and Queen's palace. I just learned this past week, on my LINK bike tour, that the guards that are there (think of the ones that look like toy soldiers) have the right to shoot you! They issue you 2 warnings and on the third, they will or can shoot! So, fair warning.... don't mess around the the palace!

Here is a picture of Cassidy and I at the top of the watch tower... yea, it is like 4:30pm! Isn't she a doll!

This picture is from Illium. Every year all the breweries here (and, there are a lot!) release their annual Jule Ol, or Christmas Brew. It is a really big deal. So, Salli & I got to sample Kongens Bryghus Beer:

After a long day of sightseeing in Copenhagen, we were hungry! So, time to eat! There is this GREAT Thai restaurant on Osterbrogade called Shilom. Salli, Cassidy & I grabbed a great meal there and had some time to relax. I had my favorite... Paneeg Curry with Chicken. Imagine perfectly cooked chicken in a coconut sauce with the perfect amount of heat and kaffir lime. Served up with some sticky rice, it makes for a great meal on a cold day. They also have a GREAT Tom Yum soup. It has just the right heat... you know the kind... it makes your nose run and it is spicy, but then you just keep eating it and wanting more. You just have to keep a napkin nearby... perfect for a nice, cold night! We finished the night at the wine bar, Figaro. It is always super cozy (hygge.. VERY important in the Danish vocabulary), great service, great food (although, we didn't eat that night) and most importantly, great wine!

Saturday was a day of shopping in Sweden! We took the train to Malmo, Sweden; it is about a 45min train ride with lots to look at! The taxes are lower in Sweden & things are cheaper, so it is a great place to shop! We all did some shopping and loaded Cassidy's stroller with lots of bags & goodies. We got lucky, it was a gorgeous day. We had lunch at this little cafe called Moonlit Cafe. It is off the beaten path and just super cute. Salli had salmon ravioli and asparagus with a little cream sauce. I ate the white fish with spinach & squid ink tagliatelle and a nice big red. As we headed back to the train station, we stopped off at Harry's bar (no relation to the one in Florence) and had a beer and glass of wine. Oh.. and, learned what the Swedes think nachos are.... (OK you Texans, don't laugh) think cheese Doritos with a side of Pace Picante and a side of French Onion Dip. Salli and I were ferociously disappointed. We headed back to Kobenhavn and went straight to Dag H for some dinner. I went with the vegetable pasta with lots of spinach & mushrooms... yum! We headed back to the apartment and watched Nottinghill and crashed. Even Cassidy crashed, she was so good all day!

Here is Cassidy at Moonlit Cafe! She was so good!

Sunday we went to brunch at Norreboro Bryhus translated to Norreboro Beerhouse. They brew right there and brew many different kinds of beer and have a great menu. We had a great brunch to include "American Pancakes". And, yes, they were... I haven't had pancakes in forever and really forgot how good they were. And, I have to say, these pancakes were cooked perfectly. You know the ones with a little crunch on the outside, yet slightly doughy on the inside. And, not too sweet so that you could taste the Maple syrup without it overpowering all the other flavors. Delightful!

It was time to send Salli & Cassidy home to Scotland. It was so great seeing Salli and meeting Cassidy. I can't believe we haven't really seen each other in about 10 years. It was so great to catch up and I look forward to seeing them again! As for me, I have a big week ahead of me with Mike gone to the US for the week. My goal is to get caught up on some stuff I have been dragging my feet on (ie. this blog!). And, to catch up on my girlie movies! After the Swedish Nacho incident, I felt compelled to thaw some of my beloved, HEB corn tortillas and make my own baked chips topped with refried beans, pico, cheese, jalapenos and avocado. Hmmm.. tasty, nachos and Penelope (the girly movie), I had a great night.

Things I am learning about Danish everyday life

Well, I have been holding off to do this blog. It is a blog of my observations. What I mean is, when I travel, one of my favorite things is observing different cultures. And, I felt compelled to wait so that I can get a "good understanding" of what I was writing about. That being said, I do still feel "ignorant", as I do continue to learn about these different cultures. But, I am trying to be objective... this list will, no doubt grow.

Free Health Care
So, I went to the doctor for the first time yesterday. Once I got my CPR (which is equivalent to my SSN) and was made legal, I am now able to take advantage of free health care. So, I called to make an appointment and found that no appointment was necessary. But, my "assigned" doctors hours were from 10-11:30am, nice hours, huh? I had to wait about 20 minutes, which in the States, is actually not a long time.

Fashion
So, I am loving the fashion here... for the most part. I mean, it is H&M-inspired, is the best way to really put it. However, there are some intense 80's influences, which is fine... in small amounts, not all at one time. I have seen a literal Madonna video walking down the street. And, not Hard Candy Madonna-era, think Material Girl Madonna-era. Kinda interesting. Here are some things that are very popular with women's fashion: leggings, Chuck Norris high tops, scarfs, cute dresses- 80's inspired, ballet shoes (gold & silver), light makeup (except for the Goth-types), lots of tats, jellies, capris.

Taxes
Well, that "free" health care has to get paid for somehow, right? Oh and did I mention, you get free schooling here...all the way through college. And, in college you can even get a stipend for living. A lot of people here have Master's degrees, well... because they can. The Danes are taxed 43%-65% of their salaries. Which, by most standards, is pretty high. If you wanted to get a car, which would be imported, expect to pay 180% of the cost of the car. Anything imported is highly taxed. For example, a 75ml bottle of Bacardi set me back $35! Are you kidding me?! So, the key to the food is to buy Danish products. They are very proud of them, which is cool. Just look for something with the Danish flag on it.

Relationships
The views on relationships are very progressive & liberal here. It is actually, very refreshing, in most cases. The coolest thing is that everything really does revolve around the family. Family is the most important thing and family/friend time is what people here really live for. On any given day, you see families at the park, going for walks, grabbing a bite to eat. You don't work past 5pm (most people) because it takes away from family time.
It is VERY common to have babies young. A lot of people forgo getting married and just start their family. The women would get a 1 year (in Sweden, it is 2 years) leave and the husband 6 months (in Sweden it is 1year). So, it is very common to have couples with more than 1 kid, who aren't married and do not intend to marry. Marriage isn't really a big deal to them. We have one friend whose parents have been together over 30 years and they JUST got married!

The Gym
The gym here is interesting. I mean, it is a nice gym... very gray & red. It kind of reminds me of the Dodgeball gym... the one from Ben Stiller's camp. But, not quite as shiny and without the use of the cup. A lot of people wear flip flops & jeans to work out...which, is different than the US. The Danes are very big into getting their exercise and do make sure that they hit the gym on top of walking/biking everywhere. It is also very common to see a mother, with her baby in the stroller next to her, working out. They provide several pregnancy classes & post-pregnancy classes.
Oh and for spinning, the provide the spinning shoes for you. Gross! I have my own... no thank you to sharing other people's feet sweat. And, the particular gym we go to have a boxing ring. I finally got my nerve to go to a class and they stopped them for the summer, because everyone goes on Holiday for about 6 weeks.

Alcohol
Ok, this might be one of the most shocking ones for me. You can drink any where, any time, any place. Yesterday, I was coming home from the market, 10am... there were two construction workers taking a break, on the street, beer in hand. But, it is nice... yesterday the weather was amazing, so we went to the park & had a bottle of wine. It is just weird to go to a concert (John Mayer) and people walking up with 6 packs of beer to drink before they head into the concert. It is very casual. And, the drinking age is 18, but they don't really check.

Food
So, of course I HAVE to talk about food. There is really so much to say, so I will try and keep it as concise as possible. So, as I mentioned before, the best fruits & vegetables are those from Denmark. They do have an organic mark, called okologisk. However, even on their "conventional" items a lot less pesticides are used. Things that they grow here: Strawberries (the BEST I have ever had in my life), tomatoes, peppers (although, not hot), herbs, POTATOES (especially small, new), lettuces, onion, berries, apples.
As for protein... they eat a lot of chicken. However, the do not allow pesticides and such in their meats. And, the taste proves it. I know it is weird, but the chicken tastes so much better, no sulfurous after taste. They also do eat a lot of pork with pork farming as one of their industries. I did, yesterday, find this little gourmet store around the corner. It serves Danish wild boar meat, the only place in Denmark to do so. So, I bought some Danish, wild boar bacon. This place is really cool and I am thinking of staging there. They process & butcher all their own products. Everything in the store is organic & the cater.
Of course, there is fish or fisk. Since we are in the nordic region of the country and basically surrounded by water, fish is a staple. From pickled herring, which some prepartions aren't too bad. To squeezable fish paste you eat on crackers (I did try it, but no thank you!), fish is everywhere. Of course, salmon is huge & shrimp.
Bakeries are on every corner. We go to the organic bakery about 2-3 times a week. It is kind of ironic, as I ride my bike to the gym, I pass no less than 5 bakeries. And, in the morning, you can smell it... hmmm.
Finally, they do eat a lot of butter, eggs, milk. Of course, a lot of coffee & wine. Usually, dinner or a meal is finished with a cigarette. Every public place is smoke free. However, right outside the door is not, so you do smell it a lot more.

The People & Language
The people are generally a very beautiful people. They are very tall. And, yes, a lot of blonde hair and blue eyed beauties. But, there is also some diversity here, which is always good.. in my book. An interesting pheonomenon, is there is quite a few Thai women who marry Danish men. The men fancy the Thai women, but I don't yet know the history on that. So, it is very common to see that combination.
The nice thing is that most people do speak English. Danish is an odd language and has some weird pronunciations. If I read something and pronounce it the way that I would with English, they don't understand it because their pronunciation is very different. So, when they talk to you in Danish, just answer in English. That being said, I am slowly picking up the language and hope to start a class (which, is free!) soon!

Well, there will be more observations. And, keep in mind, that is what they are...just observations. I don't claim to know this culture yet, but being submersed has definitely made me open my eyes to new things. It is a constant sensory stimulus with new sights, sounds and experiences every day. Most days, it is a good thing... but, there are days (esp. when it rains) when I long for more convience of the US.
However, I am learning with that convience, comes a price... and, it is appearing to be a price on our waistlines, health and earth. I hope that I bring back with me the learnings of how non-wasteful they are here. I love how don't HAVE to use a car everywhere I go.. in fact, I don't at all. That being said, in Austin, it really ISN'T bike friendly so that we can ride our bikes everywhere..yet. We are getting better with public transporation, but we aren't there yet. It is refreshing to see a society who practices what they preach and not because it is the trendy thing to do. I still have a lot to learn on that subject, but what I am learning is eye opening. They do have a direct interest in learning about the environment, because it is currently affecting them. There are no air conditioners here and with temperature continuing to rise over the past 10 years, due to global warming, it is a major concern.
Anywhoo.. no 4th of July here... So, I wish you all a HAPPY 4th of July! I wish I could be there with my friends and family and pues con unos fiestas y cervezas! I miss you all terribly and I can't wait to see you at the end of July!

Stockholm, Sweden

So, jump back a few weekends ago... and yes, we went to Stockholm. We headed out to Stockholm Saturday via train. We had a bit of a bus layover so we got to explore Malmo, a small city in Sweden. Very cute city.. and that is where I did it... Yes, folks, I ate at Burger King! But, let me explain! We were in a rush back to the train station and needed something fast.. Mike decided that he would eat his turkey sandwich that had been sitting in the food bacterial danger zone far too long for my liking (yes, I know, I am a dork). He went for the sandwich, I went for a grilled chicken sandwich with a diet coke (that set us back $10!). Ok, not important... anyways, we arrived at the hotel in Stockholm only to change and head back out. You see, I had made reservations at Marcus Sammuelson's restaurant, Aquavit. There is also one in NY, but I have not been to that one... and he is from Sweden, so why not eat there?! The food was phenomenal!

So, I must describe the highlights...
- Our drinks ..made from house-infused aquavit. Mike had a raspberry pepper drink that was just so different, it was sensational. Mine was good, but just traditional pink cosmo. This is an aquavit that was being infused by our table-- Mango Jalapeno

- Apps- I had caviar with creme fraiche. I am normally not a caviar person, but we are in Sweden and at Aquavit. So, I had to order it form their raw bar. It didn't disappoint with a delicate salty flavor and paired well with the creme fraiche & onions. Mike ordered a smoked salmon and avocado club, which was just awesome!

- Dinner- So, Mike wins this hands down! I will quickly tell you... mine was a seared Salmon (I know, cliche) with lemon compote. Good but.. Mike, he ordered a Veal Chop. It was the BEST veal chop I have ever put in my mouth. It was so tender, seared on the outside and literally.. fork tender. It was ridiculous. We cleaned every last scrap of that chop.

- Dessert was pretty uneventful. Not worth writing about.

After Aquavit, we went to the Ice Bar. This bar is cool (pun intended) that is kept at 5 degrees. The bar, the seats, the glasses, the tables are ALL made of ice. Pretty cool, what is not cool are these large jackets and gloves you have to wear. I felt like Missy Elliot in her video. But, whatever... it did keep us warm!

The rest of the time we did a lot of sight seeing. We got to see an old ship at the Vasa Museam that had sunk for 333 years and they brought it back up and restored it. We walked through various parts of Sweden and made sure that we hit the motherland H&M!

I do need to mention my one meal, courstesy of Anthony Bourdain's show- No Reservations. In Sweden, he gets this concoction wrapped in a wrap, of sorts. It is filled with two hot dogs, shrimp mayo, mashed potatoes, relish, lettuce, tomato and onion. Swedish street food... uh, I ate it. It was interesting and lets just put it this way, I am not running back to Sweden to get another. Here I am before I took the plunge, I wasn't so happy afterwards!