Merry Christmas from the Clarkes, we are celebrating with plenty of Swedish Christmas food and snow!
Team Clarke in OC, California. A Brit-Swede Combination
24 December 2012
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas from the Clarkes, we are celebrating with plenty of Swedish Christmas food and snow!
Christmas Markets
When we were in Cologne last week we of course visited the Christmas markets, I think there are seven in total (I have two favourites, the one at the cathedral and the old town, best food and atmosphere). When we lived there we spent many many evenings every week at one of them, either meeting up with work colleagues, friends or just hubby and me. There are plenty of food, Christmas music, Gluehwine and beer. It is nearly impossible to get a table in any of the (good) restaurants around the city centre so we normally opted to have food at the market. Yummy yum yum!
This year we were a little unlucky, it rained every day (and night!) so it wasn't quite as nice but we still managed to pop down a few times, with the pram day time was definitely the better time to visit and during the weekend there were too many tourists.
The cathedral in the background of the market, magnificant!
This year we were a little unlucky, it rained every day (and night!) so it wasn't quite as nice but we still managed to pop down a few times, with the pram day time was definitely the better time to visit and during the weekend there were too many tourists.
The cathedral in the background of the market, magnificant!
One of my favorites, very old style, serving German schnaps and Swiss fondue.
We were actually quite disappointed when landed in Sweden and arrived to Gävle. Cologne has so much Christmas to offer, people love socializing over some Gluehwine and there is so much Christmas everywhere.
13 December 2012
Christmas
Christmas came sooner than expected - it has been a super stressful week but now we are off: Germany, Sweden, England.
Talk to you on the other side of the Atlantic!
Talk to you on the other side of the Atlantic!
08 December 2012
SWEA Christmas Lunch
This morning it was time for SWEA´s yearly Swedish Julbord. Oh my, did I eat too much. I never learn when it comes to buffet. Never learn to go only once. The second round always ruins it. And so it it this time too. I managed to squeeze down some afters - soft ginger bread with lingonberry whipped cream. and then I fell into the food coma and had to go home.
Still stuffed, 6 hours later and it is nearly bead time. I guess you could say this is what you´d call good value for your money. Kind of breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one?
It had all the goodies, the eggs, ham, meat balls, salmon, ahhh. Yummie yum yum.
Still stuffed, 6 hours later and it is nearly bead time. I guess you could say this is what you´d call good value for your money. Kind of breakfast, lunch and dinner all in one?
It had all the goodies, the eggs, ham, meat balls, salmon, ahhh. Yummie yum yum.
07 December 2012
Disneyland
It has been some busy weeks, as you might have noticed. The blog is really suffering, I am so sorry.
We have had some sort of an adventure nearly every day, if it hasn´t been birthday parties
We have had some sort of an adventure nearly every day, if it hasn´t been birthday parties
Emily 1!
On Tuesday our little girl turned one, unreal how time flies! We had a little party in the park on the Sunday, unfortunately the weather wasn´t too nice. If you are 20 or more people having a gathering you have to make a reservation (which of course comes with the nice fee of 150 dollars and a long list of do´s and dont´s), the nice thing about this is that you don´t have to fight about the space with anyone else, it is all yours:)
We have hardly seen any rain or bad weather in the past 12 months but during the week and a half we had visitors, Cali showed its worst side, including on the day of the party. Nevertheless, we were really happy that everyone showed up despite of the crappy weather. Emily was spolit with ay too many presents, I don´t know where to put them all!
Our baby girl does not have a sweet tooth, yaay!
Princess cake from the the bakery The Great Dane in Huntington Beach,. Big minues for not using real cream, eventhough I phoned up and asked for it, they even confirmed!
Something I noticed during all this party planning and visits to "Party world" is all the party stuff you can get, wowowow. Everything rom pink table clothes and different party themes such as princess, lakers etc, but also the different balloons. We could have spent a fortune and really had to control ourselves, haha.
We have hardly seen any rain or bad weather in the past 12 months but during the week and a half we had visitors, Cali showed its worst side, including on the day of the party. Nevertheless, we were really happy that everyone showed up despite of the crappy weather. Emily was spolit with ay too many presents, I don´t know where to put them all!
Our baby girl does not have a sweet tooth, yaay!
Princess cake from the the bakery The Great Dane in Huntington Beach,. Big minues for not using real cream, eventhough I phoned up and asked for it, they even confirmed!
Something I noticed during all this party planning and visits to "Party world" is all the party stuff you can get, wowowow. Everything rom pink table clothes and different party themes such as princess, lakers etc, but also the different balloons. We could have spent a fortune and really had to control ourselves, haha.
03 December 2012
Las Vegas
The drive to Vegas went quite smoothly apart from the fact we had to drive to LAX to pick up some missing suitcase. Just a short detour. The in-laws arrived safe and sound minus their suitcases and a big boo for British Airways for having no customer service hotline. After googling for any number to BA I phoned the executive club which then forwarded us to a "real person" who told us the suitcases had arrived and would be delivered. The cut a long story short, we decided it was quicker to drive up and get the luggage ourselves than wait for it.
Took us a little over five hours before we arrived at Bellagio, we stopped at a real 50´s diner on the way for lunch. Once arrived in Vegas, this time we liked it a little better. No culture shock, LOL. There were no expectations this time nor stress to wander around and see everything. Plus, when we were there in 2005, it was over 40 degrees C so we were sweating our pants off, literally.
I remember how disappointed I was when I walked into one of the casinos back then and realized it was nothing like in Europe. No suits, ties or dresses. Instead, lots of overweight middle class in flip flops and shorts. This time I knew what to expect but got a wake up call when someone blew smoke in my face at the roulette table. I am in Nevada and people still smoke here! A big minus for Vegas!! Not used to cigarette smoke anymore.
Bellagio was much nicer than New York New York where we stayed last time. Not as crowded and not as loud. However, if I go with kids again, perhaps a hotel without a casino would be better. Location was also spot on and you cannot get tired of watching the fountain at the front.
My favourites are roulette and slot machines (though nowadays you can call them card machines, no coins anymore( and lucky me one a total of $ 300 within an hour. Responsible parent as I am, I stopped gambling and went to bed.
Team Clarke
Venetian
Bellagio
Fountain outside the Bellagio
Unfortunately I have misplaced my battery charger for the camera so these were all taken with the iphone, unfortunately.
Took us a little over five hours before we arrived at Bellagio, we stopped at a real 50´s diner on the way for lunch. Once arrived in Vegas, this time we liked it a little better. No culture shock, LOL. There were no expectations this time nor stress to wander around and see everything. Plus, when we were there in 2005, it was over 40 degrees C so we were sweating our pants off, literally.
I remember how disappointed I was when I walked into one of the casinos back then and realized it was nothing like in Europe. No suits, ties or dresses. Instead, lots of overweight middle class in flip flops and shorts. This time I knew what to expect but got a wake up call when someone blew smoke in my face at the roulette table. I am in Nevada and people still smoke here! A big minus for Vegas!! Not used to cigarette smoke anymore.
Bellagio was much nicer than New York New York where we stayed last time. Not as crowded and not as loud. However, if I go with kids again, perhaps a hotel without a casino would be better. Location was also spot on and you cannot get tired of watching the fountain at the front.
My favourites are roulette and slot machines (though nowadays you can call them card machines, no coins anymore( and lucky me one a total of $ 300 within an hour. Responsible parent as I am, I stopped gambling and went to bed.
Team Clarke
Venetian
Bellagio
Fountain outside the Bellagio
Unfortunately I have misplaced my battery charger for the camera so these were all taken with the iphone, unfortunately.
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