Is the season over for biking?

In six short weeks I have noticed that the biking situation (at least when it comes to biking as a means of transportation) seems a bit different here in Norway than it was in Lund, Sweden.  Keep in mind that my perspective is quite limited and...let's face it...it is the end November.   Things may look much different around here in the spring, but this is what I have observed so far.

Just to back up for a second, during the short time we lived in Lund, I learned to utilize my bike as a means of transportation, not just as a form of exercise.  When living in the U.S., it was more of an event to take my bike out for a ride on the trails....the thought of taking my bike (instead of the car) to run a quick errand never- ever- crossed my mind.

In Lund, bikes are EVERYWHERE- day or night, rain or shine, and even sometimes even in the snow.   I would often ride my bike to work (about 30 minutes each way), to the grocery store (as long as I didn't buy too many things) and back and forth with the girls to school.  Yes, it's a University town and most students did not have cars, but many "grown-ups" were biking, too!

Bike parking at the train station in Lund

I guess the funny thing is that riding my bike everywhere became "normal" because so many others were doing the same thing, even through most of the winter.   Although some people (almost) always rode their bikes or took public transportation, this was NOT me.  I was not ready to give up the car to save the planet and much preferred to drive when the weather was bad or if I needed to travel to the mall or IKEA.

So now we're living in Sandefjord, where I (incorrectly) assumed that the biking environment would be similar to what we experienced in Sweden.   I have seen a handful of kids still riding their bikes to school,  but I have to say I have seen very few adult riding around town since we moved here.  Again, it is November in NORWAY,  but I admit I expected to see a few more folks biking all year round.

As for me, partially because of habit and partially due to necessity (we are currently a one car family), I am still riding bike to the gym or to the grocery store.

Yep...that's my bike...all alone

I sometimes think people see me riding around in 30 degree weather (or about 0 degrees Celsius) and wonder if 1) I cannot afford a car (which, in Norway, is not out of the question) or 2) I have had some kind of driving "problem" and am currently not allowed behind the wheel.  And that pretty much sums up what I thought when I saw people riding their bikes around the suburbs of Chicago (especially if they were riding in bad weather).   Shame on me for making such assumptions.

Anyway, due to deteriorating weather conditions, the hills, and poor brakes, my biking may be curtailed in the near future.  For now, I guess I will keep riding as long as it seems reasonably safe.

My goal is to avoid this!

Don't get me wrong...the Norwegians seem to love the outdoors (more on that later) and are quite fit and active (from what I have observed so far).  Perhaps they just have enough sense to trade their bikes for skis once winter arrives.

My season may soon be over as well!

Trick or Treat- Norwegian Style!

Being new in Norway, I was curious to find out if the Norwegians celebrate Halloween (and if so, how do they do it?).  Luckily there were a few people that gave me the scoop on how things work around here.  First, I was excited to find out that Halloween is acknowledged here (at least it has been for the last 10 to 15 years).   It has not quite reached the level of excitement, and yard decorating, that occurs in the U.S., but perhaps in a few years....

Where can I buy this??

So what about trick or treating?  Yes!  The children go door to door saying "knask eller knep" which means pretty much the same thing as "trick or treat".   Most people who welcome trick or treaters will light candles outside (or just keep a bunch of lights on) as there are some Norwegians that are a bit reluctant to embrace this relatively new tradition of Halloween.

And what about costumes?  I discovered that most of the kids here dress up in something scary which is a bit different from the princess or cute animal costumes my girls have been wearing pretty much since their first Halloween (again, glad I asked!).   Here's a quick throwback to Halloween several years ago...

So girly!

This year, the oldest decided to be a witch and the youngest wanted to be a zombie....funny for a little girl who is often terrified by people in costumes (think Chuck E. Cheese or even someone playing Santa).

"I'll get you my pretty- and your little dog, too!"

I am truly terrified by this one!

After costumes and makeup were finished, we headed to our friends' house for tacos (yum) and trick or treating.  Even though it was quite cold, neither of my kids wanted to wear a coat (God forbid something would obstruct the view of their costumes).   After a good tour of the neighborhood and a bag full of sugar, we headed inside where the kids posed for a quick photo.

What happened to my little girls?

My friend made fantastic, and festive, cupcakes which we enjoyed while the girls played and looked through their bags of candy (I'm sure they weren't eating any!)

The cupcakes even had "blood "inside

I made one simple contribution to the evening which was a very "American" one (many thanks to my mom for sending these with our Halloween care package).

Peeps...not just for Easter anymore!

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!

Norway- Closed on Sunday

It's early Sunday morning as I begin to write this post, and I'm starting to think about what I can do today.  More importantly, I quickly realize what I will NOT be doing.  I will not be browsing at the mall, shopping for home improvement supplies (which I really need) or even buying groceries.   Why?  Because nearly all stores here in Norway are closed on Sunday.

You guessed it...."Closed"

There seems to be different political opinions related to why stores should, or should not, be open on Sundays, but I think it would be wise for me to stay out of politics after only two weeks in the country.  I'll simply provide my own initial thoughts on the situation.

If I look at the positive side, I suppose one could really focus on using Sunday as a "day of rest" or perhaps as an opportunity to spend more time with family and friends.  Last Sunday, we went on a hike with friends and had a picnic (even built a fire and grilled hot dogs on sticks- these folks don't mess around!).  We did all this in spite of the questionable weather (apparently the "no bad weather, only bad clothing" is a mantra in Norway as well as in Sweden).  The possible downside is having the entire family sitting in front of the TV, computer, iPad, etc. all Sunday long (although I guess that's not a bad thing every once in a while).

Hubby and the youngest with our Sunday "tour guides"

The lack of Sunday shopping does encourage one to plan a little bit better for the coming week (i.e. making sure there is enough food in the house for at least a day or two as well as ensuring there is something to put in the kids' lunch boxes on Monday).  Otherwise, you will be forced to search for essential items at one of the small food stores or gas stations that are open (I agree...that would not be ideal).

Tacquitos and hot dogs for Sunday dinner??

In spite of proper planning, I can foresee situations when I will need (want) something on a Sunday that I just cannot find at the mini-mart.   This may bring my cooking, remodeling, etc. to a screeching halt.  Perhaps then I will begin lobbying for Sunday shopping!

"No shopping Sunday" is only the beginning of what will be many new and different experiences here in Norway.  I am certain that some of these differences will be easier to embrace than others.  I suppose it will be important to keep an open mind and adapt as well as I can.

Have a great Sunday!

We made it to Norway!

This will be a pretty quick post...just wanted to say that we arrived Sandefjord, Norway just over one week ago.   I will share a map since I had never heard of Sandefjord before moving here and many of our Swedish friends weren't quite sure where it was...so I'm guessing my American friends would likely not find it without the help of Google.  It's a small town about 1.5 hours south of Oslo and about 6 hours (by car) from our previous house in Lund, Sweden.

Yes...the country in yellow is Sweden!

We bought a house that I hadn't seen in person until we got here (craziness on my part...quite possibly), but it's really cute, and has a lot of potential (many more pictures to follow in future posts).   My husband moved to Norway about one month before the kids and me.   He had some help with the house hunting which I greatly appreciate!

Home sweet home!

One of the challenges we currently face is that our basement is under construction.  It will be great when it's finished, but for now we have a whole house worth of stuff crammed into every corner of the main floor (and in the garage...and on the patio...).   I will be so happy once we get more space!

Another difficulty is that I do not yet have a working phone (I must say it feels quite strange to be phone-less), so I really haven't taken many photos.  And what fun is it to read a blog with no pictures?  That being said, I will sign off for now, but I already have found several interesting things about Norway that I will be sharing with you soon.

New hobby or momentary lapse of sanity?

If you've been following along, you know that our family moved from Chicago to Sweden about one and a half years ago and will soon be moving to Norway.  So in my quest to make this move as fun and exciting as possible for our two daughters, I thought I would let them select new comforters, pillows, etc. for their bedrooms in our new house.  A simple (and relatively inexpensive) trip to Ikea probably could have sufficed.  Fortunately (or unfortunately) I mentioned this idea to my dear friend Hanne, who is a very talented painter, who also knits, sews and excels at pretty much everything creative (http://hannerimmensuniversconebane.blogspot.se/).  She suggested that I (with her help, of course) MAKE duvet covers, pillows, etc. for the girls rather than simply buying them.  Are you serious??  Perhaps she caught me at a weak moment because I actually thought that this sounded like a fun project.  Those of you who know me well probably are wondering if I have been abducted by aliens!

To the fabric store...and beyond!

For whatever reason, I got totally on board with this idea and started by letting the girls pick out a favorite pattern from the fabric store's catalog.  Then Hanne took me shopping and helped me pick out coordinating patterns and a whole cart full of stuff.  I just had to trust her because I was completely overwhelmed by this place and had no idea what to buy.  She did warn me in advance that making these things yourself would NOT be less expensive, but that they would be quite special.  She was certainly right about the first part!

What have I done??

Just a quick side note...AFTER I bought yards and yards of adorable fabric, my dear friend informed me that I had to wash, hang dry and IRON all of it before we got started (to say I'm not a big fan of ironing is an understatement, so it's a good thing she did not tell me about that beforehand).  Anyway, after all the materials were prepared, the two of us spent a few days making duvet covers and pillows for the girls' rooms.

LOVE the owls!

Clearly I had some help with the details!

For the youngest daughter's room

After phase one was completed, I put all of the new stuff on the girls' beds....and they were thrilled!  I have to admit that I was pretty excited about it, too.  It had been many MANY years since I had gotten anywhere near a sewing machine (and I don't think replacing an occasional button counts as "sewing").    Today was the day we finished up by making a few more pillows and adding some special touches (of course, none of these were my ideas...I just followed the instructions given to me).

Look what I can do!

So now I wonder...is this the beginning of a new hobby?  Will I start sewing curtains and table clothes and random things for our new house in Norway?  Only time will tell.  I will say that I am really happy that I took on this project...and I hope my girls are prepared to use all these beautiful things for a VERY long time (wouldn't they look great in a dorm room??).  Many thanks to Hanne....I could not (and would not) have done this without her!

Our Swedish Adventure takes a detour...

I guess I've been waiting about a month to make this news "official"...maybe because part of me has been in denial that this change in our lives is actually happening or maybe I've just been lazy.   So here it is...our family, after living in Sweden for just over one and a half years, will soon be moving to Norway.  Yes, the girl who had never moved more than a couple of hours away from where she was born, is now moving to country #2 in Scandinavia.

At least the red, white and blue are familiar

So how do I feel about this move?  Honestly, it depends on when you ask me.  Some days I am excited and grateful for the opportunities ahead.   Other days I find myself a little nervous and frustrated.  It took some time to get settled here in Sweden, to make friends, find a job, learn my way around the grocery store, etc. so I can't say I am thrilled to start those processes all over again.  

Does this phrase exist in Swedish?  or Norwegian?

At least moving to Norway from Sweden will not be quite as much of a culture shock as moving from the States to Sweden!  So, let's summarize the good and the possibly not-so-good stuff surrounding our move to Norway (I understand I may be making a few assumptions or generalizations here...just humor me).

GOOD STUFF-

• The Norwegians seem to be very active and outdoors-y
• I have heard that it may be a bit easier to make friends in Norway (I'm excited about this possibility, but don't want to get my hopes up).  Don't get me wrong, the Swedes are nice people...but it can take a bit of time for them to "open up"
• Our house will be quite close to the sea 
• Our girls already speak Swedish fluently, so learning Norwegian shouldn't be horribly difficult for them.  They are also excited about moving to Norway- which is good.
• My husband (who has Norwegian ancestors) is really excited to be moving to the "homeland"

Our cute house in Norway

NOT SO GOOD OR UNKNOWN STUFF 

• That cute house?  I have not yet seen it in person (only some pictures)...a little scary!
• Pretty much everything in Norway is crazy expensive (I have heard people actually leave the country to buy booze and food....WOW!)
• I will need to start the job and friend seeking process all over again
• The thought of leaving my friends in Sweden is starting to make me feel sad (and of course I still miss my friends and family in the U.S.)
• My Swedish is not very good and now I will be trying to learn Norwegian (at least a little)
• I have been told that "everyone" skis in Norway...and I have never skied before in my life (I guess learning to ski could be on the "good" list, but I'm a bit afraid of breaking a leg)

I think I'm seeing my future!

I'm sure there are things on both lists that I am forgetting...hopefully I can add more to the "GOOD" list as our moving date quickly approaches.  For now, I have a few more weeks to sort through our belongings and determine which of our things will not be needed (or will not fit) in our new home.  Wish me luck!

"Chicago Style" pizza in Sweden

I think this sets some sort of record for the shortest time between posts.   When I finished up the last post, reminiscing about some of my favorite foods from back in Chicago, I developed a huge craving for pizza!  And, to be honest, the pizza joints here are pretty ho-hum, so I generally make my own anyway.  But this time I searched for an authentic Chicago style recipe with a think, flaky crust (think Lou Malnati's) and found a recipe from America's Test Kitchen.  I have used many of their recipes since moving here, so decided to give theirs a try.

You can (and should) Google the recipe....but here are the highlights.   They have a cool trick for the buttery, flaky crust....after the first rise, roll out the dough and spread it with butter (no, I'm not kidding).  Then roll it up.

Seems strange, but who am I to argue?

Then you flatten out the rolled up dough, cut it in half and allow each half to rise again.   While you're waiting, it's time to make the sauce...super thick, with garlic, basil and big chunks of tomato.

Quick and easy!

Now it's time to put it all together.  I didn't have a large pizza pan, so I used two round cake pans instead.  First, I put down the crust, then the cheese (yes...cheese first!), then the sauce.  I forgot to add the pepperoni with the cheese, so I had to throw it on top...better late than never.  Bake for about 30 minutes...while praying that these pizzas will taste as good as they look...and voila!

Please, PLEASE taste good....

So how was it?   I will let the next few photos speak for themselves...

One smiling face!

Two smiling faces!

Two empty pans (the hubby also gave it a thumbs up!)

So my craving for thick Chicago pizza has been satisfied.  It took a bit of time, but was completely worth it.  Thanks again, America's Test Kitchen!  Now back to my regularly scheduled food coma...

The American Store

So after living in Sweden for approximately 16 months, I finally ventured into the "American Store" for the very first time (and only because I was in the neighborhood).  And yes, there really is such a place.  I had heard all about this store, especially when we first arrived here.   When I was searching for things like chocolate chips or baking soda....I would hear "they have that at the American Store".  For some reason, I just never hopped in the car to drive the twenty minutes to investigate.  Instead, I improvised or asked my Swedish friends what I could use as a substitute.  I now chop up blocks of chocolate (which are relatively cheap) for use in my cookies and I learned that baking soda, marshmallows and other essentials are now available in the regular supermarket...I guess I'm lucky I didn't move here ten years ago!

"A True American Tradition"....it even says so on the bag!

So what DO they sell at the American Store and did I buy anything?  Well, there was a huge selection of BBQ and other sauces, many of which I had never seen before.  There was also a wide range of convenience foods...including pancake mixes and those cans of cake frosting that never expire!  

I was also reminded of some "American" items that I have never seen in the shops in Sweden, like Reese's peanut butter cups, Altoids, and Pop-Tarts.  In spite of all the interesting and colorful goodies within my reach, I did not make any purchases that day.  First of all, I have been baking a lot (more about that in another post), so I don't buy much in terms of pre-made cakes, cookies, etc. anymore.   Also, everything was crazy expensive and I just couldn't justify paying triple for things I really don't need.  I do have to admit that I was tempted by a bag of candy corn...but it appeared to have spent a long time on the shelf, so I took a pass.

For my Swedish friends....have you seen these before??  Yum!

Even though I didn't buy anything, I think the store is a fun idea.  I am fortunate enough to get back to the U.S. at least once a year to stock up on my favorite things, or I can beg my friends (or more likely my mom) to send me stuff.  Not everyone here has that option, so this store gives them a chance to satisfy a craving for a Pop-Tart or a can of Mountain Dew.  It is also probably fun for Swedes to pick up fun foods that they discovered during a trip to the states.

After being a bit "underwhelmed" by my choices at the American shop, I realized that the foods I really miss generally come from restaurants....Chicago style pizza, a medium rare ribeye steak or perhaps lobster mac & cheese.

Why can't they sell THIS at the American Store?

Ok....now I'm getting hungry...it's time for a snack!

Dirty Laundry...For Real

After several posts about fun and travel within and outside of Sweden, I'm returning to my "blog roots" with some quirky observations about a rather mundane task...doing laundry.  And yes, you guessed it,  I am the one (mainly) responsible for this joyous task.  The kids and hubby put their own clothes away...usually...but I am typically on the hook for the rest of it.  For those of you who do not do laundry, don't like stories about doing laundry or are looking for a tutorial on how to DO your laundry...this post is NOT for you.  For the rest of you (if there's anyone left), please read on.

There are a few obvious differences between our laundry "facilities" here compared to what we had in the U.S.   In our last home in the U.S., we were fortunate enough to have a GIGANTIC washing machine and comparably sized dryer.  I could get away with doing just a few loads of laundry per week, and the machines were also big enough to accommodate big batches of towels, sheets, etc.  Here I have a "smallish" washer with a "smallish" dryer stacked on top.  I'm guessing these are about half the size of what we had back in the states....never anticipated that "washing machine" would make the list of things I miss from the homeland.

The "equipment"

The other noticeable difference is the TIME it takes for the machines here to wash and dry a load of clothes.   The "average" wash cycle is an hour and fifteen minutes and drying seems to take forever.  Now I'm not saying this is as archaic as going down to the river and washing our clothes on rocks, but it is definitely a step back from the high efficiency machines that I had before.  Call me spoiled or demanding, but I see nothing wrong with wanting to make an unpleasant chore more efficient!

We know some people that have only a washing machine and hang all of their clothes to dry (I'm pretty sure that arrangement would show up in one of my worst nightmares).

No, thank you.

I also must admit that although we have lived in Sweden for over one year, I really have no idea if I'm even using the machines correctly.  For those of you who recall my steep learning curve with using the oven, you might be amused to hear that I have have faced similar challenges with the washing machine.
There are three different symbols that look like cotton, something that resembles a butterfly, and a bunch of other settings that I cannot decipher.  All of these have different power usage and temperatures....my SOP is to pick something that looks "average" and hope for the best.

Decisions, decisions...

The last funny thing (ok...funny to ME) about the laundry situation is the washing "supplies".  In the U.S I needed three things....super concentrated liquid laundry detergent, dryer sheets and some kind of stain remover.   Here I have found that there are some liquid detergent options, but there is also a larger selection of the powdered kind (does ANYONE in the U.S. use powdered detergent anymore?).  I use the powdered stuff (maybe because that is what the hubby was using when we moved here so I kept buying the same kind), but I am still totally guessing when it comes to how much to put in the machine (I think our clothes are generally pretty clean, so I will assume that I'm using enough).  There are also no dryer sheets, only liquid fabric softener.  The liquid works ok...but is it unreasonable to suggest importing some Bounce or Snuggle sheets to combat static cling?

The basics...

but I miss this little guy!

So there you have it....not particularly glamorous...but there are certainly some differences between the laundry situation in the U.S. and Sweden (and it's my responsibility to share these things with you!).  Too bad the clothes just can't wash themselves...

Is this in my future?   A robot that can do the laundry??

Road Trip to Italy

It's been a while since my last post....I guess that's what happens when you are on vacation for three weeks (yes, really, three weeks!).  There is a lot to cover, and I will not be overly offended if you decide to skip my narrative and just scan through the many photos.  This year we decided to take a "proper" summer vacation.  When I say proper, I mean enjoying summer like those in Sweden and escaping from work for at least a few weeks.  The hubby created our detailed road trip itinerary which included a few days in Munich and the remainder of the trip in Italy.   Here are the highlights....

Munich
I'll be honest, I didn't really know much about Germany before this trip.  When thinking of Germany,   "efficiency and beer" come to mind (interesting combination, if you ask me).   After a long day of driving, we arrived in Munich, ready for the sightseeing to commence.

The girls and I were looking forward to seeing a few of the castles in Bavaria.   Our first excursion was to Neuschwanstein Castle which is just amazing!  From what I understand, Kind Ludwig II (who was a bit crazy) had this castle built as his personal refuge.  Over one million people visit this castle annually, and it was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty's castle (and probably others).   For more history on this castle and it's interesting history, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuschwanstein_Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Near Neuschwanstein is another castle which was the childhood home of the crazy King Ludwig.  Also beautiful, but not as impressive as the other...in my opinion.

Hohenschwangau Castle 

On the second day, we wandered through the city and saw several churches, the city hall, etc.  I have to admit that the highlight of the day (at least for me) was our visit to Hofbräuhaus....and I don't even like beer!  Since we arrived early in the day, the restaurant was relatively empty.  We found a good seat where we could relax, enjoy some schnitzel and listen to the oom-pah music!

The hubby is especially happy!

Pretzels as big as your head!

We stopped at one last castle on the way out of Germany.

Linderhof Castle

On to Italy...
Our next seven days were spent in beautiful Tuscany.  We stayed at an Agriturismo called Il Piastrino.  For those of you unfamiliar (as I was) with an Agriturismo, it is basically an independently owned farm that the owners use partly for accommodations.  We ate breakfast there every morning and dinner with the other guests every couple of evening which consisted of fantastic homemade food and, of course, lots of wine, made with their very own grapes.

Indoor seating for breakfast and dinner

An aerial view of "Il Piastrino"

We did a significant amount of sightseeing during these seven days (while still managing to get some time in at our quiet swimming pool).  To be honest, many of these places blend together in my mind...Vinci, Florence, Pisa (ok- I can recognize THOSE pics), Sienna, Volterra, San Gimignano, etc.  Here are a few of my favorites...

The girls in Vinci

The youngest practicing her photography skills

A necessary tourist stop!

Pretend that you like each other...

One of many gelato stops- yum!

How long do I have to pose like this??

Beautiful view in Tuscany

Girls in Florence at Il Duomo

Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence

After a whirlwind of sightseeing...and a LOT of walking, we headed north for the last ten days of our trip.  We stayed near Venice at Ca' Savio....a campground offering a range of accommodations from "bring your own tent" to air conditioned cabins.  Our cabin was not air conditioned, but had a bathroom and small kitchenette...it certainly had a "rustic" feel to it.

Cabin Sweet Cabin

The campground was a few minutes walk to the beach and also had great swimming pools and fun activities for the kids...all of which make life pretty simple for mom and dad.

About halfway through our stay, I was shocked to see one of my best friends from the Chicago 'burbs walking up to our cabin.   She and the hubby had secretly arranged for her to fly to Italy and meet us...needless to say I was thrilled to have her join us for the next few days!

Our sightseeing in Venice was limited to one day...we were enjoying the beach and the pool and simply didn't have much energy left for excursions.

Mixed reactions to the vaporetto ride on the Grand Canal

More ice cream??  Yippee!!

Basilica at Piazza San Marco

The family "plus one" at Piazza San Marco

"the girls" at Piazza San Marco

Whew!  That was quite a trip!   I now understand why people say that they need a vacation after their vacation.  All in all, this was wonderful journey for our family with beautiful sights, amazing food (for me, that means pizza nearly every day), great wine and a surprise visit from a friend.  Ciao!