French food

Needless to say I was in heaven when it came to food in France. And wine of course. At two occasions I really splurged and had food that I will remember for a long, long time. OK, I'm probably a bit crazy, but if people can collect cars, magazines etc then I can “collect” good meals and food.

11e art
I found this place on my first night in Nice just off Promenade de Anglais. Reading their six course set menu outside I decided to just have a wonderful evening and walked in. The waiters' English were as good (or poor ) as my French but we understood each other. Each course was just perfect and with some local white wine from Provence I know I had come to the right place.

Le 72 Croisette
In Cannes I decided to do lunch on Boulevard de la Croisette just like the super-rich do. Too bad I don't have the money they have... French brasseries are never wrong and when I found a place with the perfect view for people watching that didn't cost a fortune I was in. 10 minutes later I was eating one of the best Caesar salads I have ever had. The dressing was made of local roquefort cheese and with a glass of rose de Provence I was in heaven. Later on I looked in my guide book and apparently this is THE place to sit during the film festival to watch people.

Les Viviers
On Sunday many restaurants are closed in France and of course all the places I had looked at before were closed, but then I remembered a place that I walked by every day to the train station. Happy to finally find a place that was open I realised it was a bit pricey, but when it comes to food I really can't say no... To start with I had artichoke salad with parmesan cheese, then as I main course I decided to go all the way and had risotto with lobster. Expensive yes, but soooo good. To drink I had the local Provence rosé wine which really turned out to be the best and very cheap wine I have had in a long time. I brought one bottle with me home, but I'm sure it will not taste the same here. As I was already splurging and knew I had to pay with credit card I decided to have dessert as well. Crème brûlée with bourbon vanilla. I honestly think I had died and gone to heaven. So smooth and so prefect and with that crispy sugar on top. Oh my God!

When I passed the restaurant the next day on my way to the train station I noticed a signed that said they had one star in Guide Michelin, and I totally understand why. What I paid for that dinner was almost as much as in Sweden, but it's not every day you get to eat seafood prepared by one of the best chefs in France.

Brasserie Le Vendôme
Having splurged on Sunday night I decided to go locally and try the Nicene food on Monday night. For a long time I have heard about deep-fried courgette flowers. This is apparently a southern France speciality along with grilled red mullet à la niçoise (tomatoes, black olives, and garlic). Both were very nice. I really can't do that much deep-fried food so the last bites I just had the courgette flower which tasted like baby courgettes in the spring. Mild and a bit chewy but not too much chewy. I of course ended the meal with crème brûlée, but it was nothing compared to the one I had the day before. But still crème brûlée is always crème brûlée...

For lunch I usually had goat cheese salad with bacon and mushrooms or Salade niçoise (tuna, anchovy, hard boiled egg, tomatoes, lettuce, and olives). I loved that that fruit and vegetables tasted like fruit and vegetables and were so fresh. A lot of the times here in Sweden you just get fruit and vegetables that don't taste anything. The downside of having them flown in from southern Europe.

I had totally forgotten how good French food is really is. Cheap or expensive, it really doesn't matter because the French chefs do magic in the kitchen.

Lazy days

Didn't turn out the light until after midnight, slept late and then watched some TV while having breakfast. Then folded laundry and did tons of ironing while watching more TV. Got so bored ironing so I had to take a nap. Had half a bag of M+Ms after nap while watching more TV. (Guess I need my quote of daytime TV.) Soon time to cook some supper, open a bottle of wine and watch Mistresses on TV. It's hard work being on holiday...

Quiet

Fascinating how easily you get used to have people around you constantly and have planed things to do. After two weeks of going to the Rivera, having my little darling Frida and her parent come to visit and then some other friends stopping by my flat suddenly feels very quiet. I also feel a bit restless not really knowing what to do. I'm not really sure if it's good or bad thing. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side... And right now I think I would like to have some more of that green grass. But in a couple of weeks I know I'll be cured and back being the eternal citygal...

Loved

Having spent the day and the evening with my little darling Frida there is only one word to describe what I feel – loved. Unconditional love from a 3 year old who believe that everyone is nice, happy and kind to you. Due to the pouring the rain we spent the afternoon at home doing jigsaw puzzle, but tomorrow we will visit the amusement park. Last year Frida could only go on a couple of rides because she was too short, but this year... Auntie Cathy will most likely get both dizzy and green in the face before the day is over.

Home again

Arrived home again a couple of hours ago after a both amazing and fabulous holiday in Nice at Côte d'Azur. The days just flew away with visits to Italy, Moncao-Monto Carlo, Cannes, Antibes, Grasse, museums and of course the beach. I also managed a little bit of shopping of course... The annual summer sale was going on and things like that can't be ignored. To my surprise I actually found clothes in my own size. My memory from Paris was that all sizes are tiny and that all French women are petite, which either has changed or I went to the wrong shops.

Then there was the food which was fantastic. French food usually is. On two occasions I really splurged out and thought I had gone to heaven and died. Turned out that one of those restaurants actually had a star in Guide Michelin which very much explained the price but it was well worth it and the experience of having food being reviled to you and of course get to talk to the chef himself. Totally on the other end of the price range was Moules et frites (mussels and chips) but still amazing in its own simplicity.

Arriving at the airport I had gone from sunshine and 30 degrees to 15 degrees and rain, but at the moment (at least) I can live it. This has probably been my best solo holiday so far and I can't wait to do it again next year.

French Rivera

Finally after booking hotel and flight in late February I'm off to Nice early tomorrow morning. As usual it feels a bit scary going by myself, but after I day I'm so into it and can't think about any better way to feel both very independent and empowered.

Having read up on things to do other then sunbathing and chilling on the beach I have feeling I will be very busy. So many things to see and do. And then there is the French food and wine...

The Swedish summer weather is terribly right now (but we did have very nice weather for at least two weeks) so I'm I can hardly wait to see and feel the sun again.

It's going to be so much fun!

Worst tourists

Recently in a survey of 4500 hotel owners across the world the French tourists came out as the worse tourists. They don't know foreign languages, comes across as tight-fisted and arrogant.

"It's mainly the fact that they speak little or no English when they're abroad, and they don't speak much of the local language," Expedia Marketing Director Timothee de Roux told radio station France Info.

"The French don't go abroad very much. We're lucky enough to have a country which is magnificent in terms of its landscape and culture," he said, adding that 90 per cent of French people did their traveling at home.

"So when they're on holiday they can be a bit stressed, they're not used to things, and this can lead them to be demanding in a way which could be seen as a certain arrogance."

Let's just hope that they do better with foreign tourist in their own country. My French is quite poor and after not being in France for 4 years I have a feeling I'll not understand a word. I will find out on Thursday.

But there is one thing French people are good at – clothes and dressing well. In the survey they finished third on the list for best dress sense while on holiday. Some some consolation I would say.

Cleaning out

Went to IKEA yesterday to get two wine racks and some wire baskets for my closets. Back home I started the to sort, organise and throw away stuff. My God, where did all this stuff come from?!

Today I continued with the last box from my old job and what remains now from that life is two books about DHTML and ASP coding. My bibles back then and still how much I wanted to throw them away I couldn't. But the rest is gone. Bye, bye web developer at a production company. It took my 5 years to close that chapter of my life...

Placing the wine racks in one of my closets I had to place some of the things there up in the attic. Most of it I actually throw away. Shoes I haven't worn in years, clothes from when I was size 10 (one summer) and boxes, tissue etc that I thought would be good use at Christmas. Up in the attic I realised that I have a lot of clearing out to do there as well. After a quick rumble through I had filled two big sacks with stuffed animals, old posters and three old blankets.

Two boxes of cassette tapes and two boxes of letters really got me travelling down memory lane. During the 80's and early 90's I was an avid letter writer with penpals all over the world and just seeing the envelops brought back so many memories and thoughts how things were back then. I also found all the letters mum wrote to me when I was in the US 1989-1992, which I just had to read. Some of them made me cry, but most of all I got to see a side of mum that I now almost have forgotten. The strong business woman which I admired so and in many senses turned me into who I am today. And also explains many things about myself and mum.

When I was done I throw it all away. Together with tons of tapes with great 80's music but with no tape recorder I have to relay on finding the songs on iTunes instead. Before leaving the attic I decided that before the summer is over I shall have gone through all the boxes up there. It's time to close the door to the past. It's just things. The memories will always be in my heart and soul no matter what.

Holiday

Left work at 2 pm to get a facial, massage and getting my brows and lashes done. A perfect way to start my 4 week summer holiday. When I left work I felt how my heart was beating with excitement just like when I was kid and school was out for they year.

Now I just feel like something has been lifted of my shoulders (could be the massage) and that I'm free. Free to not answer the phone, not reply on emails and do whatever I feel like.

Life is good!

The countdown has begun

Only two more days until summer holiday, or actually one and half day. On Friday I leave after lunch to get a facial, a massage and getting my brows and lashes done. I can't wait...

At the same time I almost feel a little disappointed and/ or scared that my holiday is here now. It's just like Christmas. You talk and think about it a lot and then suddenly it's comes and goes by real quickly. I feel a bit like that with my holiday this year. I also know that there will be tons of things to do when I get back including a bit of travelling and at the moment that stresses me out.

But in a week from today I'll be getting ready for the French Rivera and I'm sure eating, drinking, soaking in the sun and just do whatever I feel like will change my mind. Or at least get me into a very relaxed mode. Whatever happens in the autumn will happen. As usual too many projects but I'll deal with that than. Not now.

To Holland

With one more week to work before annual holiday I'm off to Holland in the morning. Probably on one of the earliest commercial flights out of the airport – 6:30 am. Eeek! Even worse is that I will have to get up about 4 am. At least it's light outside...

At Schiphol we'll take the train out to our Dutch port Hoek van Holland for a meeting before going back to Amsterdam in the evening for another meeting on Tuesday. I've never been to Holland before (yes, I know...) so that will be a bit fun even though I have a feeling I'll only see some conference rooms, the hotel and maybe a restaurant. They joy of travelling for businesses... But I shouldn't complain. It gets me out of the office and I do have a great job doing what I like to do most – working with the constantly changing Internet.

Quote of the day

We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~

No more street music

Starting today musicians need a permit to play on the street here in Gotheburg. A quite controversial rule which has made many professional musicians very upset.

"It doesn’t seem to fit with Gothenburg’s reputation as an entertainment and tourist city. Music is important for life on the streets," said saxophonist Martin Nurmi to the Göteborgs-Posten (GP) newspaper.

The new law, which is designed to place limits on the times and places where street musicians can play, will require performers to seek permits from police to play in central Gothenburg during business hours.

The new requirements were drawn up in response to complaints from employees at shops and restaurants near where street musicians have a habit of playing.

I'm not really sure what to think about this. I do understand the employees at shops because some of the musicians playing at the same place everyday are terribly and it would drive me mad as well. Also I know that in both Paris and London you have to get permit to play which really raise the quality of the musicians and music. But then on the other hand the liberal in me doesn't like laws and regulations. We'll see what happens as time goes by.